Page 91 of The Knight's Pledge
“Little more than what everyone in England already knew,” he answered. “She’d likely heard more rumor than I, being in London.” Everyone was still staring at him, and so he sighed and relented. “I told her about Thomas and Cordelia. About the Hargraves, and their supposed grievances against him. That’s it.” Lucan held up his hands. “That’s all I knew myself, at the time.”
“The steward then,”James offered.
“Stephen?” Lucan mused a moment. “Perhaps. I don’t know how. I can’t imagine whathe would gain.”
“Coin,” Finley answered right away. “A debt owed by a noble.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Tavish sighed. “We may or may not find out on the morrow if Caris Hargrave has gained the evidence against her. The only thing we know for certain is that we no longer have it in our possession.”
“Which means all our proof is gone,” Iris murmured, and each word was like a blade toLucan’s heart.
“You must simply write it all down again,” Glenna Douglas said, her voice cool and matter of fact, rising above the humid emotion that hovered over the table. “Whatever you can recall—each of you.”
Lucan nodded. “Yes. You’re right. Even if it’s only testimony, perhaps gathering it altogether in hand will have some sway.”
“All of us must commit to posterity all that has happened to us,” Tavish said. “Our childhoods, our struggles against the Hargraves. Iris, your employment under Lady Caris; Padraig, your skirmishes once arrived at Darlyrede; Lucan, everything that has happened since your arrival in London. Perhaps if they are allfit together…”
“What about us?” James said, and all eyes turned to him. “Effie and me. Our friends. Should Effie put the whole of what’s happened to her in writing, none of us willleave London.”
“He’s right,” Effie said. “Although our actions were more than justified, the Crown will likely only hear the crimes of it. Adolphus Paget is dead, and someone must be blamed for it, despite the accusations against him.”
“If you don’t tell the truth,” Padraig said,“Da will die.”
Effie clutched George Thomas to her. “I’ll not risk my son beingtaken from me.”
Lachlan slapped his hand on the tabletop. “I’ll not allow Thomas Annesley to be killed for crimes hedidn’t commit.”
“I’ll not be executed just so that you might skip back to Scotland as you jolly well please,” James sniped.
Lachlan rose from the bench, and Jamesfollowed suit.
“Stop,” Padraig said. “We’re all here for thesame purpose.”
“No, we’re not, Padraig,” Effie said quietly. “You and Tavish and Lachlan have homes to return to in Scotland, out of Henry’s reach. Lucan and I”—Lucan’s stomach clenched at her casual pairing of their names—“are fighting not only for our lives, but for our future. If we tell publicly everything we know and the king still rules for Caris Hargrave, there is no place in England either one of uswill be safe.”
She turned to look at Lucan directly. “We must get George out of Westminster, perhaps out of London altogether. Tonight. I’ll not bear false witness against my father, nor will I admit to the things I’ve done in the name of justice and mercy as crimes.”
Lucan understood now that Effie was prepared to see the entire thing to its end. He looked to James but didn’t even have chance to speak before the younger man was nodding.
“I’lltake him. Now.”
George clutched at Effie with a little yelp. “Mama, no! I want tostay with you!”
Effie stroked the boy’s hair. “Shh. James will take you to Father, George. I’llsee you soon.”
“No,” he insisted, squeezing her more tightly and closing his eyes, perhaps against the reality of his immediate future. “Youcome with us.”
“I cannot, my love,” she soothed. “Your grandfather and your uncles need me. But your father has missed you so very much. And he is staying at an inn! It will be such an adventure. And you can tell him allyour numbers.”
“You will come for me before bedtime,” he pressed.
Effie paused. “I will do my best. It might not be quite that soon.”
“I want to see my grandfather. He is the only one I have. Edward doesn’t have a grandfather, but I do.”
“Perhaps soon,” Effie said. She pulled away from him and kissed both his cheeks. “Go with James. Give your father my love.”
Lucan’s heart clenched in jealousy andself-loathing.
