Page 61 of Lady and the Scamp

“What chamber?” Will yelled.

“Mr. Galloway,” came Emily’s soothing voice. “Please release him. You’ll find the queen in the Audience Room. That’s where she always meets with Lord Russell.”

Will dropped the footman and whirled to face her.

“This way,” she said calmly. But she moved quickly, walking with a determination that made every servant quickly jump out of her path. She had that way about her, Will observed. She had an innate authority that made people take notice. “These are her private apartments, so please do not barge into the Audience Room,” she said. “We’ll enter calmly. There’s no need to upset the queen.”

Will could not have cared less about the queen’s delicate sensibilities. He didn’t care if he upset her or not, but he didn’t have the traitorous footman in custody yet. That was his priority, and if the man wasn’t with the queen, he didn’t want him to bolt.

“I need that footman,” Will said, resisting the urge to run and leave Emily behind. He needed her too. She would keep the queen calm and could corroborate his information on the footman.

It seemed hours before they finally came upon a closed door with two royal guards standing outside. The men shook their heads as Will and Emily approached, their intent to enter obvious.

“The queen is not to be disturbed,” one of the guards said.

Emily paused and when Will would have bodily removed the guards, she put a staying hand on his arm. “Stephen,” she said to the guard, who gave her a surprised look. “That is your name, is it not?”

“Stephen Simmons, my lady, yes.”

“Mr. Simmons, then, I am terribly sorry, but I must ask you to allow us inside.” She lowered her voice. “We have urgent news for the queen.”

Will would show Stephen Simmons how urgent if he didn’t move aside in three heartbeats.

“My orders—”

“Mr. Simmons, I promise you Her Majesty will thank you. If she is at all displeased, I will take the full blame. Now, move aside.” Her tone brooked no discussion and after a glance at his compatriot, Simmons moved aside and opened the door. “Lady Averley and Mr. Galloway,” he announced.

The queen was seated behind a desk that was quite masculine in style and as a consequence thereof emphasized how petite she was. She looked almost like a child peering over the top. Across from her sat the prime minister, and he turned to stare at the intrusion, his mouth in a frown. “What is this about?” he asked.

“Your Majesty,” Will said. “Forgive my intrusion. I must speak to you in private about an urgent matter.” As he spoke, he took in the scene more fully. He saw the fire burning in the hearth behind the queen, an official red Despatch Box on the desk before her, the maps spread out on a nearby table, the cup of steaming tea at her elbow, and the footman wheeling the tea service toward a servant’s door in the back of the room.

“I am afraid, Mr. Galloway, you will need to wait,” the queen said. She lifted her teacup, and to Will’s shock, Emily practically leapt over him and knocked the cup out of the queen’s hand.

“Don’t drink that!”

“What on earth!” the queen demanded.

The prime minister stood and began to sputter, but Will had met the eyes of the red-haired footman.

“That’s him!” Emily shouted. “James or John or...or...”

“Not another step!” Will started for the footman, expecting him to flee. Instead, he lifted a silver tray and tossed it at Will, who was forced to duck and lunge to the side to avoid being hit. The footman raced by him, and Will reached for his coat but caught only the tail. The footman tripped then righted himself, stumbling into the queen’s chair then reaching for her and hauling her out of it.

The queen went white, shocked at the assault on her person. Emily and the prime minister took a step back, and suddenly all in the room went very quiet. Will straightened, considering the situation. The odds were not in his favor. The footman must know that even if he managed to escape this room, he’d never escape the palace. He had laid hands on the queen and was as good as dead. He had no reason to spare her now. He might as well die a hero for his cause.

“Get back, all of you,” the footman said. “Or I’ll snap her neck. I can kill her in an instant.”

“Unhand me, James,” the queen demanded. Will admired her strength in that moment. She spoke with authority, even if her voice wobbled.

“Why couldn’t you just drink the tea?” James the footman asked. “Then we could have avoided all of this.”

Will looked at Emily, who had knocked the teacup out of the queen’s hand. No doubt she had saved her life. Now he had to save her again.

“And you,” James said, looking at Will. “You are supposed to be dead in Wapping.”

“James, is it?” Will spoke calmly. “Why don’t you release the queen, and we can talk? We can come to an agreement.”

The man shook his head. “I’m as good as dead.”

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