Winning the Queen's Heart: Contemporary Christian Romance (The Brides of Belles Montagnes Book 2) (29 page)

Tony leaned back again. “Go on.”

“What if this guy really believes this is all it is? What if he doesn’t know about the unprovable high treason? Face it. For the charges he actually confessed to, life in solitary is a bit extreme. Given the other circumstances, not at all, but for someone who doesn’t know other facts...” Alexander sat next to Tony. “Can he pull the pardon petition? Postpone it somehow? I’ve met the man. He seems like a genuinely good guy, and he wasn’t in office to get the briefings when this all went down.”

“As long as he does it before the decision. It’s worth a shot.” He called to one of his officers outside, and they waited. Twenty minutes passed before the minority leader walked in.

“I’m not changing my mind, gentlemen.” He didn’t say hello or anything. Just cut to the chase. “The penalties for accessory to a bunch of charges shouldn’t be so much worse than for those who actually committed the crimes.”

“Which crimes?” Alexander crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look intimidating.

The man didn’t back down. “Conspiracy to defraud the crown was the worst one, wasn’t it?” He glanced at Tony then back at Alexander. “Look. The guy’s slimy. Even I can admit there’s something not quite right, but life in prison when the worst sentence anyone else got was twenty years? I don’t like it.”

Tony spread a file folder out on the table. “This is only some of the documents. There’s more safely stored at the palace. It wasn’t conspiracy to defraud, Mr. Michaels. It was attempting to kill the queen. And he was the ringleader.”

Michaels’s face turned white as the implications settled over him. “What?”

* * *

Christiana knew the hearing was over, but after six o’clock, she still had not heard the verdict. Poppo sat on the next couch over. His wife was not feeling well and could not make the trip with him, but when Alexander called and told him Christiana needed him, he had come anyway.

The door to the apartment opened. Christiana looked up to see a disheveled Alexander walk in.

“Well?” Had he found a way to stop it? Why had he not called?

“We tried everything we could.” He sank into the chair across from her. “We even got Michaels to agree to withdraw the petition, but it was too late. The decision had already been sealed.” Alexander leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together in front of him. “They read it in the chamber today but everyone is under a gag order until morning. He won’t be released until noon.”

She slumped into her chair like a rag doll. “Is there no way to keep him in prison? Nothing else he can be charged with?”

Alexander told her about Tony’s feeling that something existed just beyond his reach that would prove the high treason, but neither one of them had come up with anything.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. One of the maids, one Christiana did not know well and she suspected truly worked for Tony, answered it. She stepped to the side and allowed Prime Minister Caruso and Minority Leader Michaels to enter.

The last man she wanted to see.

Both men bowed from the waist but she did not have the energy to stand in greeting. “Good evening, gentlemen. How may I help you?” The polite words forced their way out.

Michaels spoke first. “Your Majesty, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I had no idea.”

Alexander did not let her ask her question. “Why did you do it in the first place?”

“I wanted to right a wrong with this pardon. I spent my career in law defending those who had the odds stacked against them. It might be the only one I get, you know, so I asked my staff to find instances where the sentences didn’t fit the crimes. There were a number of others brought to my attention. Long sentences for a first offense when most second or third offenders got less. Things like that. But, on the surface, this was by far the most egregious. I couldn’t see more than ten years, maybe fifteen, for the crimes he pled guilty to. If I knew I’d get more chances, I would have waited. Let him serve some of the time. But we all know I lucked into this job and it may not stick the next time around.” He bowed again. “If I had any idea of the real crimes that couldn’t be proved, you have my word, Your Majesty, I never would have considered it.”

“Why didn’t you ask someone about it?” Alexander nodded to the Prime Minister. “Caruso knew everything. If it seemed so outrageous, wouldn’t you think maybe there was more to the story, and you should find out?”

“Perhaps.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “I knew the Prime Minister and anyone else I talked to would try to talk me out of it. I thought it was just sour grapes. The two of them never got along and everyone knew it. In retrospect...” He sighed. “Everything is 20/20 in hindsight. I don’t know what I can do to make it right, but if there’s anything, I will be happy to. I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t know what else to say.”

Christiana nodded her head once to accept his apology. “I have no idea what you might be able to do to help fix things, Mr. Michaels, but I would appreciate your cooperation with the head of palace security and my husband. Perhaps, somewhere in the paperwork you received with this information or somewhere else is some tidbit that will help prove high treason. There is no statute of limitations, of course, on such a crime, but I fear if we do not find something quickly, he will act again, and this time he will be much more careful.”

“We’re much more careful, too, Christiana.” The grim set of Alexander’s mouth and the clenched jaw told her exactly how he felt. “The only ones allowed around you are the ones personally vetted by myself and Tony.”

“No one can absolutely guarantee my safety.” Weariness overwhelmed her.

“True,” Alexander acknowledged. “But we’re going to do everything in our power to make it so.”

Minority Leader Michaels shifted from one foot to the other. “I will have all of the paperwork sent over first thing in the morning.”

Alexander shook his head. “No. Tony will go with you tonight and collect it, including all of the other cases you looked at. There may be a clue in one of them somewhere.”

A clue to what? She did not ask, but what sort of clue would be in files that did not pertain to her uncle?

The men moved to the door where Alexander shook their hands. Without waiting for him to return, she went straight through her bedroom and into the luxurious bathroom that did not offer nearly enough sanctuary. A long, hot shower was just what she needed at least for the time being. When she emerged, back into the living room and clad in her favorite pajamas, she just thanked God they still fit. The only person left was Alexander. He did not look up from the manila folder he held.

“Feeling better?”

“Yes.” Physically she felt better. Emotionally? Not close. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. Nausea. All of those things and more flitted through her mind.

He glanced up. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No.” Yes! Her mind screamed the answer. She needed his strength. His arms around her. Comforting her. Reassuring her. Promising her without words that it would all work out. Protecting her.

She continued on, through to the kitchen. A glass of milk, brushing her teeth, and bed. It was all she could handle.

* * *

Alexander stared at the papers in front of him as Christiana closed the door to her bedroom. He knew he should follow her in there, make sure she really was okay. He didn’t believe her words when she said she was. But what could he do?

Just be there for her.

How could he do that? He needed to do
something
. Find a way to keep Henry from being released. To have him rearrested immediately. Something. His time would be more productively spent stopping this... He stopped his thoughts before they went there. He’d found himself cursing entirely too much lately, even if most of it was internal, under his breath, or arguably justified. But still...

A soft knock on the apartment door caught his attention. Tossing the folder onto the table, he stood and walked to answer it. Before it was completely open, his brother pushed past.

“I ran into your security guy on my way in. He’ll be here in a minute.” Christopher went straight to the kitchen and emerged a minute later with a Dr Pepper. “I put the coffee on. We’ll keep looking for something as soon as he gets here.” He sat down and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “How’s Christiana taking it?”

Alexander went back to his seat on the sofa and picked the folder up. “She says she’s doing okay, but I think she’s lying.”

“Is she getting any sleep? Is she still sick?”

“She’s over the bug, but I’m not sure how well she’s been sleeping.” His absent-minded answer wouldn’t appease his brother, but right now the folder held his interest. Tony was right. The answer was here. Somewhere.

“You don’t know if she hasn’t been sleeping well? Don’t you sleep like twelve inches away from her?”

“Sleeping in the same bed as someone doesn’t automatically mean you know if she’s sleeping well or not.” He set the folder down in one stack and picked the next one up from the other.

Christopher didn’t say anything, but Alexander could sense his disapproval. He leaned over and picked up one of the discarded folders. “So, what exactly are we looking for?”

Five hours later, they still hadn’t found it. Whatever
it
was. Tony went into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee. Christopher stretched his back then dropped to the floor to do a few push-ups, followed by a couple of one-handed pushups, then one-handed push-ups with one foot in the air. Then he switched. Alexander rolled his eyes, though he knew his brother was doing it to get his blood pumping and not to show off his mad push-up skills.

Tony walked back in, but before they could get back to work, a cry came from the other room. Alexander shot off the couch toward the bedroom. He threw open the door and was halfway across the room before he realized what he was doing. Christiana sat up in bed, blanket clutched to her chest, gasping for air.

Alexander sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his chest. “I’m right here. I’ve got you. It was only a dream.” Over and over, he reassured her, even as Christopher shut the door leaving the two of them alone, until her trembling stopped, and she relaxed in his arms.

She hiccupped as she moved away. “Thank you for your quick response, Alexander. I am fine now.” His wife moved around him and stood up, one hand on her belly as she walked to the bathroom. He heard water running. When she emerged a few minutes later, the spots of water on her shirt told him she’d splashed water on her face. “Why are you still dressed?”

He’d changed into jeans and a polo shirt earlier in the evening, when comfort became his top clothing priority. “Christopher and Tony are here looking through the files with me.”

She gave a single nod and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over her as she rolled away from him. “Thank you.”

Alexander rested his hand on her shoulder. “Want to talk about it?”

He could sense her hesitancy. “Only a dream.”

“A very real one that left you shaking.” Would she open up to him? Had he given her reason to?

“He was coming after me.” He felt more than saw her shrug. “Really an unsurprising dream given his release tomorrow.”

“Would you like me to stay?” His eyes struggled to stay open. A long day and now a longer night. But the answer was out there somewhere. They just had to find it.

“No. Finding a way to stop him is more important.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on the side of her head and left the room.

Christopher looked up from his tablet. “Everything okay?”

Alexander told them about the dream as he picked up his laptop. “Have you found anything else?” He already knew the answer. They’d been through all of it before.

Tony closed his laptop. “No, and I don’t think we will. We’re all too tired. I’m going to crash on the couch in my office and catch a couple hours of sleep. I’ll get up early and get back to it before heading over to the courthouse.” He picked up a few files. “Let me know if anything happens.” He pointed a finger at Alexander. “Anything.”

Alexander nodded. “I will.”

Christopher stood as Tony walked out and walked toward the room Alexander usually occupied. “I’m gonna crash in here, brother. Nothing we can do tonight. I’ll borrow some clothes in the morning.” Without waiting for a response, he shut the door behind him.

That gave Alexander a couple of options. Stay up. But he knew he was too tired to concentrate. Catch a few winks on the couch. But he knew he wouldn’t sleep well. Sleep in one of the million other bedrooms in this place. But he’d be too far away to hear Christiana if something happened.

That left only one.

With a deep breath, he went to sleep with his wife.

Chapter 31

Christiana felt the bed dip and the covers shift when Alexander came to bed. He did not roll toward her, did not whisper to see if she was awake, did nothing but get situated far on the other side of the bed.