The Earl of Morrey (The League of Rogues #13) - Lauren Smith Page 0,31
finally given up. He’d caught sight of the scaffolds, and as if drawn by some hand of fate, he had moved closer, not knowing that the men who were to die that day would change his fate.
A group of sheriff’s officials sat on horseback, armed with javelins, protecting the back of the scaffold to prevent any last-minute rescue attempt. Jeremiah Brandreth, the so-called Nottingham Captain, was the first to climb the steps to stand beneath the trio of nooses. His cool stare upon the crowd unnerved Adam.
“God be with you all, and Lord Castlereagh too!” Jeremiah called out, standing resolute. The executioner removed a black silk handkerchief around his neck and replaced it with a noose.
The next man, William Turner, was less accepting of his fate. He cried out, “This is all Oliver and the government. The Lord have mercy on my soul!” The prison chaplain, in an attempt to disrupt this, placed himself between the two prisoners and the crowd.
The last man, Isaac Ludlam, climbed the steps, his lips moving over and over in fervent prayer, but the chaplain prayed louder, drowning out the doomed man’s voice. The Lord’s Prayer was recited, and then the executioner placed a cap over each man’s head.
At halfpast, the lever was pulled, and the three traitors dropped. Brandreth and Turner died quickly, but Ludlam kicked and struggled for several minutes. Adam’s stomach knotted, and he covered his mouth at the horrific sight.
“It is a dark day when a man’s voice is silenced simply because he disagrees with those in power,” a man standing beside Adam said.
“I agree,” Adam replied. “They were traitors, no question, but when a country loses its ability to have discourse, it drives men to commit treasonous acts. Who then is at fault? The man or the country who silenced him?”
“Indeed, that’s the difficulty we face,” the man replied solemnly, then held out a hand and introduced himself. “John Wilhelm.”
Adam shook his hand. “Adam Beaumont.”
Adam had had no way of knowing then that this first meeting with John would change his life. The easy friendship between them had only deepened over the next few years as John had fallen in love with Adam’s sister, Caroline. John had been murdered just a few months before they were to be married.
So often, Adam replayed that first meeting in Derby. Had John known then that his work at the Home Office would cause his death and compel Adam to follow in that same line of work? Would it have made a difference if Adam could step back through time and warn his friend of what lay waiting for him on that lonely bridge at midnight?
Adam gave a shake of his head, clearing his mind. The past needed to stay in the past.
“Henry, keep me informed as to your progress in finding men to patrol Chilgrave and let me know if Avery Russell intends to visit.”
“Yes, my lord.” Henry collected the papers of a dangerous nature, now that Adam had reviewed them, and tossed them into the nearby lit fireplace. The flames soon consumed the documents completely. If anyone were to break into this room now, it would simply appear to belong to an estate steward.
“Congratulations again, my lord. Do try to enjoy your honeymoon.” Henry’s tone was once again teasing.
Collecting his hat, Adam stood and headed for the door. “I will endeavor to do just that.”
“Do you remember that childhood game girls used to play with cherry stones or flower petals?” Letty asked. She and Caroline had just finished dining. The dinner table had felt empty with only the two of them there, so they’dchosen to sit close together by the tall fireplace.
Caroline grinned. “It’s been ages since I thought of that. My nanny taught it to me. How does it go again?”
“Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief,” Letty recited. How often had she tossed cherry stones and counted them with these words? Little girls used to predict their future husbands this way. It was a silly child’s game, but for some reason it came back to her today.
Caroline rested her chin in her hand, a bemused smile on her lips.“Whatever made you think of that?”
“Well, it seems that I want to keep changing the lyrics to Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy . . .”
Caroline winced at Letty’s replacement word. “He didn’t choose this life, you know,” she said quietly. She had dismissed the footman a short while ago. There was no chance of their hushed conversation being overheard.