Captive Pride (43 page)

The seeming resolution of her situation left her feeling oddly pleased, and she took another drink of her tea. It was then that CC realized she'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't sweetened the steaming brew. The bitterness of it caused her to grimace, and she was reaching for the sugar bowl just as the sound of her father's voice boomed through the house.

“Lord Kincade?”

CC went immediately tense at his tone. Though she could make out no more of the conversation, she assumed that he had just been told of the rebels' actions the night before. Forcing herself to relax and assume an innocent demeanor, she waited for him to return. At the sound of the front door closing and footsteps coming back her way, she glanced up.

“Is there a problem with Lord Kincade? I heard you mention his name….” CC asked coolly as she casually spooned a small amount of sugar into her tea. Expecting him to tell her of the outrageous rebel raid, CC was totally unprepared for his reply.

“Yes…I don't know how to tell you this delicately, but Noah Kincade has been arrested and charged with murder.”

CC's spoon dropped from her benumbed fingers and clattered noisily against the china saucer. “What did you say?”

“The message I just received was from Winthrop. Noah Kincade was arrested late last night for the murder of Geoffrey Radcliffe.”

“Oh my God!” she gasped, blanching at the news. How could this have happened? Noah would never have murdered Geoffrey in cold blood. It had to have been a fair fight!

Thinking her upset was due to the indelicacy of the news he'd just given her, Edward came to put a supportive arm about her shoulders. “Now, now, dear.”

“I can't believe it, Father. What happened?” CC finally managed, struggling to bring her desperate fear for Noah under control.

“All I know from Harley's note is that Kincade broke into Geoffrey's home and shot him. The constable found him with the murder weapon in his hand. There could be no mistake.”

“But it's ridiculous! Noah Kincade is hardly the type to kill anyone so barbarically.” CC wanted to protest his incarceration more vehemently, but she knew she had to temper her reaction lest she accidentally reveal too much.

“I don't know,” Edward said thoughtfully as he moved to rejoin her at the table. “Considering all that happened at Winthrop's the other night…perhaps there was some truth to Geoffrey's charges after all, especially taking into account the one other piece of information Harley supplied that I think is particularly relevant.”

“Oh? What?” CC struggled to keep her expression reflecting only mild interest.

“It seems that we've all been laboring under the wrong impression of the Kincades.”

“How so?” She lifted her cup to her lips as casually as possible, hoping that her father wouldn't notice how badly she was trembling.

“Well, according to some new information Harley just received, the Kincade family has lost its fortune. It appears they're in dire financial straits.”

CC pretended to be shocked by the news. “But, Father, how can that be?”

“It seems the family's fortune was lost to gambling debts incurred by the father,” he supplied.

“That doesnt necessarily mean Noah and Matthew are doing anything illegal,” CC pointed out.

“The fact that they've lost their money doesn't, it's true; however, it would make a connection with the dissidents much more plausible. The rebels, I'm sure, would pay a fine price for war materials, and that is what Kincade's shipping, you know. Maybe he is involved with them after all. Maybe Geoffrey was right in his accusations the other night, and maybe, just maybe, Kincade went there to silence him.”

“What's going to happen to him?”

“I'm sure he'll be taken before the magistrate, probably sometime today.”

“Will he be released then?”

“It's hard to say. It will depend on what kind of evidence there is against him.”

“I see.” CC sounded blasé in her interest, but in reality, she was in a panic at the thought of Noah in jail, accused of murder.

As calmly as she could, CC changed the subject to less important matters until, at meal's end, she excused herself from the table. Stifling the urge to race to Noah's side, she retired to the quiet of her room to think things through. CC wondered whether she could go to the jail and visit Noah without causing even more trouble. Certainly her heart insisted that she go to him right away, but logic dictated that trouble might ensue if her presence was reported to her father. How would she ever explain to her father her need to visit Noah, a man she'd professed to dislike, while he was in jail?

CC paced the room like a caged tigress for a long time, weighing the situation, until finally she knew she could delay no longer. Though her father might grow suspect of her activities if he found out about her visit, CC knew she had to take the risk. She loved Noah, and she had to let him know of her devotion, especially now when he was embroiled in such a dangerous situation

Hoping to draw as little attention to herself as possible, CC pinned her hair up into a sedate style and changed into her most nondescript day gown. After telling her father as coolly as possible that she was off on a shopping spree, she donned a dark cloak and concealing bonnet and hurried from the house.

 

The Honorable Millard Prescott, magistrate and an ardent king's man, sat on the high bench glaring down at Noah, his heavy-jowled face florid beneath his white, curled wig. “You presume too much, Lord Kincade!”

“I am an innocent man!” Noah protested furiously, feeling suddenly desperate. He had come into his arraignment believing that he would be vindicated, but he knew now that had been a foolish hope. The case against him was clear, and all the evidence indicated his guilt. “I was trying to wrestle the gun from Lord Radcliffe when it accidentally went off. The pistol belonged to Radcliffe! He was threatening me! Had I not fought him, Your Honor, I would be the dead man right now, not Lord Radcliffe!”

“We have a witness—Mr. Bartley—who, as you know, has testified to the fact that you forced your way into Lord Radcliffe's home and threatened His Lordship's life. This witness has declared in a sworn statement that Lord Radcliffe sent him to bring the authorities because he was afraid of you. We also have a sworn statement from the officer who returned to the house with Bartley. He states that they found Lord Radcliffe dead and you standing over him wtih the murder weapon in your hand.”

“It was self-defense!”

“Lord Radcliffe is dead, while you are most alive, sir.”

“Radcliffe was the one who introduced the gun to our argument! He—”

“Silence!” the judge's voice cut through Noah's attempt to explain.

Stricken, realizing that the truth was not going to come out, Noah fell silent.

“Lord Radcliffe has been murdered, and there is additional information that adds weight to the testimony already given against you. It appears that you and Lord Radcliffe had a major confrontation at a party at Major Winthrop's home. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Noah ground out, feeling Radcliffe's trap closing more securely about him.

“And is it also true that this argument was over a supposed connection between yourself and the dissidents who are calling for independence for the colonies?” Judge Prescott demanded, his eyes narrowing accusingly as he regarded Noah. He thought it most revolting that a nobleman of Lord Kincade's status could possibly be involved with such rabble.

“Yes, there was an exchange of words between us regarding that subject, but—”

“Lord Kincade! I have not asked for a dissertation from you, merely an answer,” the magistrate interrupted before he could say more. “Isn't it also true that your family is virtually penniless? That your fortunes are all but lost?”

“Yes.” Noah answered tersely as he fought down the feelings of humiliation that threatened to engulf him. He had feared that such evidence would appear, and his fears had not been unfounded. He held himself proudly, mindful of who he was, and the dignity that went with that position.

“Is it not also a fact that your brother, Lord Matthew Kincade, has recently married one Faith Hammond, whose father was a known political troublemaker?”

“The fact of my brother's marriage is irrelevant to the case against me,” Noah stated with dignity and righteousness.

“Lord Kincade, these other things may have substantial bearing on the case, and we must give careful consideration to all possibilities,” the magistrate instructed harshly. “Your request for release is denied. From the facts I have before me, I think it would be ludicrous to even consider it. Trial will be in three weeks, and until that time, you will remain in custody.”

Noah went white-faced at his pronouncement. He glanced back into the sea of faces of the spectators who'd watched his debacle of justice and caught sight of Matthew. His brother had risen to his feet at the judge's announcement, his fists clenched in frustrated fury, his expression anguished in his torment. Though Noah wished he could comfort and somehow reassure him, he knew it was impossible. He kept his own silver-eyed gaze inscrutable as their eyes locked in a silent exchange. At the guard's direction, Noah turned away from Matt. With what little control he had left, he allowed himself to be led from the courtroom, maintaining his calm demeanor even now in the face of his greatest travail.

Matthew watched Noah go, and he realized how humiliated his brother had been in having his bid for freedom denied, and their losses revealed publicly. Desperate and worried, Matt knew the evidence was damning, and he wondered if Noah had even the slightest chance to prove his case.

“If he's convicted of murder, as it seems he will be, they'll hang him!” a man who'd been sitting near Matthew proclaimed to a companion, and Matt couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

“You really think so? He is a nobleman….” His friend expressed his doubt.

“Of course.” The man nodded firmly. “It was Lord Radcliffe he killed, and they can't let that go unpunished. Kincade will face the gallows.”

“But what about those other charges? Do you think he really is involved with the rebels? That would amount to treason!”

“Indeed it would, but who knows? Either way, if he's convicted, he's a dead man,” the man concluded almost flippantly.

Matt fought with all his strength to keep his temper under control as he walked away with seeming casualness. In the opinion of the two men, Noah had already been proven guilty. Matt felt certain that a jury would probably react the same way. His mind was racing as he tried to decide what to do next. He could not sit idly by and watch his brother hang for an offense he was certain now Noah had committed in self-defense. It was then that he recalled Graves's open-ended offer of help, and he hurried from the chambers determined to seek him out.

Eve was beside herself with delight as she descended from her carriage in front of the jail. Everything was working out far better than she could ever have hoped. Peggy had come to her just as she was leaving to pay Noah a visit with the “news” that Lord Kincade had been arrested for shooting Lord Radcliffe. She'd also related that he had already been arraigned and was not going to be released but would remain incarcerated until the date of his trial. Peggy had expected her mistress to be disturbed, and knowing this, Eve had obliged by pretending to be terribly upset by the news, not letting on that she had known most of it since the night before. Now, as she prepared to meet with Noah, Eve found the information that he had already been arraigned and denied release exciting, for it strengthened her position with him. Surely Noah would be amenable to whatever she suggested, considering his current circumstances.

“I'm here to see Lord Kincade, please.” Eve smiled beguilingly at Frank Douglas, the young guard on duty.

As Douglas glanced up, his eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous woman standing before him. She was a vision of loveliness, and he stared at her speechlessly for an instant, savoring the perfection of her pale tresses and beautiful features. Finally, realizing how ridiculous he was acting, he bolted to his feet and stammered, “Yes, ma'am…right this way, ma'am!” Hurrying to open the door that led to the cells, he unlocked it and held it open for her.

Eve started to walk past him. “Thank you so much.”

“He's the last cell on the right,” Douglas told her courteously, and she rewarded him with another bright smile. The delicate scent of her perfume teased his senses, and his heart began to beat erratically as she swept past. As he followed after her down the narrow hall, his gaze remained heatedly upon her, and he found himself mesmerized by the feminine sway of her hips. He thought her one of the most attractive women he'd ever seen, and he envied Lord Kincade her affections.

As Eve moved down the hall, she surveyed the interior of the jail with disdain. It was a dark, depressing place, and she couldn't wait to see Noah freed from its confines. How wonderful it was going to be—marrying him and having him in her bed! She could hardly wait! Her pulse was racing at the thought, and she was eager to see him again. Eve noted with relief that Noah was the only prisoner. She was glad that if the guard left them alone, they would have at least some modicum of privacy in which to talk.

“Kincade…you got company!” Douglas called out gruffly as they reached the cell, and he unlocked the heavy door.

 

Since returning from his arraignment, Noah had been prowling the small area of his confinement in a state of morose agitation. Consumed by the enormity of the charges against him and his seemingly hopeless position, he was desperate to come up with a way to prove his case.

He had not murdered Radcliffe! It had been strictly self-defense, and yet no one believed him. Was this to be his end? The absurdity of his current miserable state filled him with bitter emotion. Things had seemed so final at the hearing. Even the judge had seemed convinced of his guilt. Was he to have no recourse?

The sound of voices came to him then, followed by the creak of the office door opening into the hallway. Noah stopped his incessant pacing to face whoever was coming to see him. He hoped it was Matthew returning with the best attorney in Boston.

“Noah?” Eve called his name tentatively as she stepped into his cell.

Noah was greatly disappointed when he discovered it was Eve, for she was one of the last people he wanted to see right now.

“I'm here, Eve,” Noah responded flatly. Her pale beauty made the jail seem even more sordid than it was. He suddenly became aware of how disheveled he was after having spent the past twenty-four hours in the same set of clothing, and how his overnight growth of beard had left him looking more than a little disreputable.

“Oh, Noah…I came as quickly as I could,” Eve gushed as she entered the cell to face him. He looked very tired, and she was pleased. The more hopeless he thought his situation to be, the greater power her testimony would have over him.

“I'll be right out front if you should have any trouble, ma'am,” the jailer interrupted as he heard someone else entering the outer office.

“Yes, of course, but I'm sure we'll have no problems, sir,” she answered courteously, never taking her eyes off Noah. How she longed to be held in his strong arms! How she wanted to be the one to soothe the worried look from his brow and comfort him in his time of desperation!

“It was kind of you to come,” Noah said calmly as he watched the jailer disappear back down the hall.

“Well, I just couldn't stay away, especially after I heard that you weren't released after your arraignment.” She gave him a measured look, wondering exactly how to broach the subject.

Noah thought her presence there odd. He wished she would say whatever it was she came to say and then leave. “Yes, it appears that I will be a
guest
here for some weeks.”

“Yes, I know, and I think I may be able to help you.” Her eyes were brilliant upon him as she moved a bit closer, ready to tell him her proposition.

“I appreciate the thought, Eve, but I doubt that that's possible,” Noah told her.

“But that's where you're wrong.” She smiled sweetly as she rested a hand lightly upon his chest. “You see, I have certain information….”

Noah went tense at her taunting statement and wondered angrily what it was she knew. He gripped her wrist tightly as he demanded, “What information?”

“Suppose, just suppose, there was a witness to your struggle with Geoffrey last night,” Eve said in a teasing voice.

“Eve…” Noah's tone was threatening, as her coy innuendos grated on his already frayed nerves. “If you know something, for God's sake, go to the authorities with it!”

“Ah, but darling.” She moved closer, as if to share a confidence, and slipped her other about his neck. “Why should I do that unless there's something in it for me?”

“I don't know what you're talking about, Eve,” he retorted, a muscle in his jaw tightening as he suppressed his rage. Did she, in truth, know something that could set him free? If she did, they why was she hesitating in going to the authorities with the information?

“I know you're the type of man who's not averse to making a profitable deal.”

“Yes…so?”

“If you cooperate, I can arrange for you to be out of here before the day is done.”

“What kind of deal are you planning? What is it you want?” Noah's eyes were cold upon her.

“Haven't you always known? I want you, Noah, only you.” Brazenly she pressed herself fully against him and rose up to kiss him passionately on the mouth.

 

CC was nervous as she approached the jail. She wasn't quite sure what kind of reception she was going to get from Noah, plus she was concerned that her father might discover her highly unorthodox visit and question her motives. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she did not notice Eve's carriage waiting out in front as she entered. It surprised her to find the outer office deserted, but a guard soon appeared from the back of the building. She was glad that he was not one of her acquaintances and, forcing herself to remain calm, she crossed the room to speak with him.

“I'd like to visit Lord Kincade, please,” CC requested demurely.

Douglas shook his head in amazement as he wondered just how many beautiful women Kincade knew.

CC, aware of his hesitation, worried that something had happened to Noah, and she quickly asked, “Is there a problem?”

“Oh no, ma'am. I don't have a problem.” He grinned almost slyly as he made the statement. He had thought the blond woman good-looking, but this one was even prettier…and younger.

CC was puzzled by his attitude but dismissed it as unimportant. The only thing that mattered was that she see Noah and let him know how she felt.

“Then may I see him, please?” she pressed.

“Yes, ma'am. Just go right through this door.” He held the door wide to admit her. “I'm sure you'll be able to find him without any trouble. He has someone with him already.”

“Oh? Well, thank you.” CC wanted to rush to Noah, but she moved with a calm deliberateness that belied her true feelings. She assumed that Matthew was the person he was seeing, and she was relieved to think that Matt would be there to take the edge off the first moments of their encounter.

The hall stretched long and narrow before her as she headed on her way. She was nearly to the end when the sound of a woman's voice—Eve's voice—came to her!

“I know you're the type of man who's not averse to making a profitable deal.”

“Yes…so?”

“If you cooperate, I can arrange for you to be out of here before the day is done….”
Eve's tone was husky with sensuality.

The rest of the conversation blurred as CC froze, and her heart jolted painfully within her breast. Miserably, she realized that it was not Matthew who was visiting Noah, but Eve. Noticing that it had suddenly become quiet, she took that last fateful step forward to see Noah and Eve wrapped in a passionate embrace. CC was disconsolate as she backed away, and it took all of her willpower to muster the cool demeanor she possessed as she left the jail. She was so immersed in her own agony and so desperate to get away that she didn't notice she passed one of her father's business acquaintances on the street as she fled the scene.

 

When the kiss ended, Eve gazed at Noah longingly, the desire she felt for him plain to read upon her lovely features. “I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you. We were meant to be together.”

Noah's expression was inscrutable as he stared down at her dispassionately, not speaking, only listening.

“It was just a quirk of fate that I happened to be at Geoffrey's last night, but I was.” Eve smiled up at him confidently. “I saw everything. I know exactly what happened between the two of you. It was self-defense, Noah. I know that Geoffrey was planning to shoot you, and that you fought over the pistol. I was watching even when it went off during the struggle.”

Noah went rigid in his anger. She had been there, yet she had allowed him to be arrested for Geoffrey's murder! What kind of vicious viper was she?

“What terms are you setting for your testimony?” he asked icily as his gaze was steely upon her.

“I want you to marry me, Noah,” she told him archly.

“What?” He couldn't prevent the disbelief that entered his tone.

“Make me your wife. I'll be a good wife to you, and I'll make a lovely Lady Kincade.” She preened knowingly, thinking her victory assured.

“No.” There was no hesitation in Noah's reply, for the thought of spending a lifetime tied to this conniving witch filled him with revulsion. There was only one woman he cared about, one woman he wanted to marry—and she wasn't Eve.

Eve stared up at him in confused outrage, shocked by his quick reply. “You're refusing?”

“Yes, Eve. I'm refusing.” His answer held a note of finality to it.

“But that's ridiculous!” she shrieked. “You'll hang for sure if I don't testify in your behalf!”

“That may well be, but I am Lord Noah Kincade, and I do still have my pride.” He walked away from her and stood looking back at her with regal contempt. “As you well know, I am innocent of the charges against me. I will not prostitute myself, not even to gain my release from this hellhole.”

“Are you saying that you find almost certain death preferable to a marriage to me?” Eve was furious and crushed at the same time.

Noah's silver eyes raked over her in disgust, and without his saying a word, she had her answer. Eve flushed painfully at his unspoken insult.

“You're a fool!” she hissed at him.

Noah shrugged.

“You'll be sorry!”

“I sincerely doubt it,” Noah replied.

“I hope you rot in hell!” Eve snarled, wishing Geoffrey had shot him!

A faint, derisive half smile touched his lips at her remark. “That is a very definite possibility.”

At his answer, Eve glared at Noah scathingly and then stormed from the cell. Slamming the barred door shut as she left, she never looked back. She had been defeated, and in a most personal way. Never before had Eve been rejected or denied something she'd really wanted. Ever the actress, she disguised her emotional turmoil as she bid the guard good-bye, then quit the building and climbed into her waiting carriage.

Her feelings for Noah had undergone a drastic change. The pain of his open rejection had pierced her heart and hardened her. What once she'd considered love was now converted to hatred. Filled with the desire to see him suffer, Eve vowed to herself never to reveal to anyone what she had seen and heard that night at Geoffrey's. If Noah didn't want her and preferred to die rather than marry her, so be it. He would face the gallows without her testimony, and she thought it a suitable end for him. Content that he would pay the ultimate price for his arrogance, Eve settled back on the seat in the coach and smiled as she envisioned Noah's execution.

 

CC returned home, raced upstairs to her room, locked herself in, and threw herself upon her bed. Only then, when she was certain she was alone, did she allow herself to cry. Noah and Eve…She had thought that there was nothing between them, but she'd been wrong. Obviously they were lovers. Why else would Eve have come to him at the jail?

The memory of their embrace and the snatch of the conversation she'd overheard thundered through her thoughts.
“I know you're the type of man who's not averse to making a profitable deal.”

“Yes…so?”

“If you cooperate, I can arrange for you to be out of here before the day is done….”
The conversation lingered hauntingly in her mind, and CC tried to think clearly for a moment. Eve had been promising to arrange Noah's release, and she wondered how that could be possible when he'd already been denied his freedom at his arraignment. Something wasn't right. Something didn't fit.