“Tomorrow, when the rain is over, you will come and see the monument we have set over his grave,” Skye said.
They settled into Queen’s Malvern for the summer. In a few weeks Henry Lindley and his two sisters would be departing for his seat at Cadby. Adali would accompany the children and remain with them until the summer’s end, when they would return to Queen’s Malvern, and thence to Glenkirk. Their Gordon grandparents would also remain with them. James Leslie, however, insisted upon personally taking his stepchildren across the countryside to Cadby.
“At last we have time together,” Skye said to Jasmine when they had gone. It was evening, and they sat together in the family hall before a fire that took the chill off the early June evening. The young Leslies were safe asleep in their cots. Charlie-boy, who did not like being separated from his elder siblings, had been allowed to ride over with the duke’s party. He felt very grown-up. “You are happy, of course,” Skye said, “and that makes me happy, darling girl. Will there be more babies?” She sipped at her wine cup, then nibbled on a sweetmeat.
“I did promise Jemmie three sons,” Jasmine said with a smile “and I should like another daughter, God willing.”
“You take the potion I gave you?”
Jasmine nodded. “Two sons in two years was enough for the present. I wanted a rest else I be worn out like so many women.”
“Good, good,” the old woman nodded. “I did the same after I birthed Ewan and Murrough. His son rescued you last year, I was told.”
“I went to the docks in Leith, hoping to find one of your ships in port, and I did. Fortunately, it was Geoffrey O’Flaherty captaining. Heaven knows if a stranger to me would have believed such an outlandish tale; his little son certainly thought I was mad, or a whore sneaking aboard to find business. I was dressed like a simple Scotswoman, as we had just come from the games hosted by Clan Bruce.”
“They have never found Piers St.Denis?” Skye asked.
Jasmine shook her head. “I still fear he may come back some day to try and take me away from my family. He is quite mad, Grandmama.”
“You need have no fears, darling girl. Put them behind you, for he has undoubtedly fled the country,” Skye said.
“But fear, madame, is an excellent goad when dealing with recalcitrant women,” a familiar voice said, and Piers St.Denis stepped from the shadows of the room. He was badly dressed in the simple garb of a citizen of the merchant class, a small white ruff about his neck relieving the severity of his black clothing.
“Oh, God!”Jasmine whispered, and her heart began to beat very quickly at the thought of having to contend once more with the madman.
“How did you get into my house?” Skye demanded, not in the least afraid. He was mad, of that she had not a doubt, but he also reminded her of her first husband, Dom O’Flaherty, and she had never been really afraid of Dom, who had been nothing more than a bully.
“The front door was open, madame, and there were no servants about to stop me. Tsk. Tsk. Such carelessness,” came the mocking reply.
“Get out!”Skye told him firmly.
Piers St.Denis laughed, genuinely amused. Too bad she was so old and dried up. If rumor had it correct, she had been a marvelous fuck in her youth. Her granddaughter, however, promised equal delights.
“How did you know I was here?” Jasmine had finally found her voice, and now that the shock of his arrival was over, she found her fear had gone also. She was very angry.
“It is well-known that you and your mother like to return here to Queen’s Malvern in the summer. You did not come last year, of course, because the king went to Scotland; but I knew you would be here this summer. I had but to wait until your parents and husband took the young Lindleys off to Cadby. I am a most patient man, my pet, and you are a very clever woman. I shall not underestimate you again. I was very surprised to return to our little love nest to find you gone. And how quick-witted of you to go to Leith, knowing I would believe you were trying to escape back to Edinburgh. It was adroitly done, my pet.”
“What do you want here?” Skye demanded of him.
“Why, madame, I would have thought that was obvious. I am going to kill you both, and then I shall slay your two Leslie children, who are within this house. My only regret is that I cannot destroy your little Stuart bastard, and break old king fool’s heart as he has broken mine. You see, madame, I have given up all hope of your ever being mine; but it is due to you that I have lost everything. If you had not led me on only to reject me, I should yet today be marquis of Hartsfield, with a rich wife chosen by the queen and the king still my friend. You, and you alone, are responsible for my misfortunes, and you will pay for your treachery.”
“No!”Jasmine almost shouted at him.“Youare responsible for your own bad fortune, sir. I told you from the beginning that I was in love with James Leslie, and pledged to him, and him alone. You would not listen! You kept insisting despiteeverything I said that I would be yours. You even followed me to Scotland after my marriage, and after the birth of my first Leslie son, and had the temerity to kidnap me. It is your stubborn nature that has caused you to lose everything, not I. Now go away while you yet have the opportunity, or I shall call the servants, and they shall hold you for the local sheriff. There is a price on your head, and many who would gladly have it.”
He moved across the room until he stood directly before the two women. “I will not be deterred in my purpose this time, madame,” he said. “Know this, and be afraid of my power. My traitorous half-brother is this day a widower. Had he not been up in London when I arrived at Hartsfield Hall, I would have killed him, too. His wife was quite a lovely woman. I whipped her until her back was raw, and she was begging for mercy. Then I forced her as I did you, but her mouth and tongue were not nearly as skillful as yours, my pet. And when she had finished, I had my way with her. How she screamed, but more so when I plundered her temple of Sodom, for it would seem my brother had never been that way. And when I had my fill of her ripe charms, I slit her throat and left her dying in a pool of her own bright red blood. My final act before leaving my home was to strangle her infant son. I will not allow my half-brother’s bastard line to defile the house of St.Denis.”
“And where were the servants when you were doing all of this, sir?” Skye demanded, not certain that she believed him.
“At a fair in the village,” he said. “She had allowed all of them to go, the silly, softhearted creature. But I have wasted far too much time here tonight. I must complete my revenge, then disappear for good this time. The jewelry that you are wearing, Madame Skye, will keep me comfortable for quite some time.” He smiled and, moving closer, reached out to take the heavy gold necklace with is sapphire pendant from her.
Jasmine was in a half daze from listening to the story Piers St.Denis had just told them. She heard her grandmother speak.
“I told you once, sir, that you were not skilled enough to play my game,” Skye said, and her hand moved so swiftly that Jasmine could not believe what she was witnessing. The dagger appeared from nowhere and plunged straight into Piers St.Denis’s heart muscle. Skye smiled into his face as she twisted her weapon in order to inflict the most damage and ensure his very swift death. “I will not allow you to ruin my darling girl’s life ever again,” Skye said firmly, then she stepped back a pace.
He crumpled to the floor, a look of incredulous surprise upon his very dissolute face. Then the light fled from his bright blue eyes, and Piers St.Denis breathed his last. He was quite dead.
Jasmine’s breath escaped her in an audible whoosh. “Grandmama!”was all that she could say.
Red Hugh ran into the hall and, seeing the body, swore. “Jesu! Why is it, m’lady, that whenever yer in danger from that fellow, I am nae where to be found? Is he dead?” He knelt for a moment by the body.
