Dicing with the Dangerous Lord - By Margaret McPhee Page 0,70
me.’ But they both knew that she would leave as soon as she could.
* * *
‘Visitors for you, your lordship!’ The turnkey’s voice rang out before there was the scrape of the key in the lock and the Newgate Prison cell door swung open.
Linwood was already on his feet, waiting in expectation. But it was not his father who was ushered into the cell. Instead, he saw his sister and her husband.
‘What the hell are you thinking of, bringing her here?’ he growled at his brother-in-law, Rafe Knight.
‘Please do not be angry with him, Francis.’ Marianne came to stand before him. ‘I told him that I would come here alone if he did not bring me. And I would have done.’
Linwood gave a sigh and swallowed. ‘You grow more stubborn since your marriage, little sister.’
‘I do.’ She smiled, but it was a sad smile. ‘Oh, Francis!’ She threw her arms around him and, with her face against his chest, hugged him tight.
He patted her on the back and stood there awkwardly until she released him. Her eyes roved over the cell, over the bed and its dark covers, over the washstand, the chest of drawers, over the small table and single chair. All of them new.
‘Papa brought you all you need?’ she asked.
He gave a nod.
‘And they are feeding you decent food?’
‘Our father has seen to everything.’
‘Do you have candles to see by? And books to pass your time? I could bring you—’
‘Thank you, Marianne, but really, I have no need of anything.’
She gave a nod. ‘If you think of something...’
‘I will ask.’
No matter that she was pretending to be strong and unmoved by seeing him here, he knew that she was not.
There was a silence—strained and filled with everything that they could not speak of.
‘I wish...’ He heard the break in her voice. She bit her lip and he could see that she was trying very hard not to weep.
‘Rotherham is dead, Marianne,’ he said. ‘And it is an end to all that went before.’ His gaze moved to Knight’s. Knight’s face was hard, but Linwood saw something that looked like gratitude and relief flicker in his brother-in-law’s eyes.
‘The price was too high.’ His sister’s eyes scanned his as she spoke.
‘Maybe. But I do not regret what I do.’
‘Francis,’ she whispered, and the tears spilled over to run silently down her cheeks.
He smiled at her, knowing all that she had been through these past years. ‘You asked if there was something you might do for me.’
‘Anything.’
‘Do not come here again.’
She closed her eyes and gave a little sob. ‘Please, Francis,’ she whispered.
‘Promise me, Marianne.’
She nodded. ‘If that is your true wish, then I promise.’
Knight put his arm around her and began to steer her away. ‘Come, Marianne.’ She was weeping in earnest now.
The two men’s eyes met across the cell.
Rafe Knight bowed his head in a gesture of acknowledgement. ‘I will look after her, always.’
Linwood gave a nod. ‘There is none who could do it better.’ He knew that absolutely; the knowledge drove him on, even now. And even when the heavy iron door slammed shut behind them to leave him here alone once more.
* * *
In the theatre that afternoon Venetia watched the rehearsal with her understudy playing her part. She could hear Mr Kemble’s voice talking about the play, about the delivery of her lines, about stage directions, about the audience, all the things that made up Venetia’s life. All the things that had been so important to her. Except that now they did not seem so very important at all. She felt shallow, trivial, disconnected.
‘Venetia?’
She blinked and realised that Mr Kemble was talking to her.
‘Mr Kemble?’ she said, the ghost of the self-assured woman she had once been.
‘Are you sure you should be here?’
‘Where else should I be?’ The theatre had been her home, her family for as long as she could remember. If she were not here, she was afraid of where she would be, of what she would be doing. She had been afraid of that her whole life.
‘The understudy can finish the run.’
‘On the contrary, I will finish the run, Mr Kemble.’ She had to. It was what she did. It was who she was. Wasn’t it?
‘Glad to hear it.’ Mr Kemble smiled and lowered the volume of his voice. ‘The place has been half-empty with Miss Bolton in the role. You know they only come to see you.’
She said nothing.
‘I’ll get the word out today that you’re back on the bill on