Page 53 of A Lady's Past
She had to steady her breathing. Thinking of Mother’s pain and Father’s resignation and sorrow broke her heart and infuriated her. She searched for some sign that the men doubted her, but everyone stared back with either surprise or sympathy. Jacques looked ready to leap across the table. “My parents were killed trying to protect me.”
With a nod, Sebastian lowered his gaze and studied some point on the table. He looked at Diana. “How were you able to escape?”
“I bribed a guard who fancied me.” Shame washed through her. But through her embarrassment, she knew she would do it again. “I could not let my parents die in vain only to have those pigs force me to finish Father’s work. I would have killed to escape at that point. What I did seems a small price compared to what Mother and Father gave.” A tear ran down her cheek, but she refused to wipe it away.
Honoria wept openly.
Alex handed Honoria his handkerchief. “I know this is difficult, Miss MacLeod. Please don’t think we are unsympathetic, but there are things our government must know. What part of the better rocket did your father give them?”
“He told them they would need a larger rocket with more thrust in order to reach farther destinations. They asked about accuracy and he researched the problem. He spent hours writing notes regarding his work. None of those notes were correct.”
“For two years he continued that farce?” Oliver’s voice boomed in the quiet dining room.
When she’d read her father’s journals, she’d been shocked and relieved at the cleverness in each page. “He kept them thinking he was working toward their goal. When Victor Caron realized he had been misleading them, things took an ugly turn.”
Alex stood and paced the length of the table. “I don’t understand what they gained by killing your father. Forgive me, but your mother would have made sense. How could they profit by killing the man they captured for his skills?”
She had to close her eyes at the notion that her mother was expendable. It was impossible to feel nothing. Mother had been a beacon of light in a world gone mad, and those animals had slit her throat as if she were a sheep. “It was an accident, I think. A guard stabbed Father to protect himself. Of course, Caron was furious and had the guard killed. He is only a moment away from insanity. He became obsessed with me during our captivity, deciding I was the key to making my father work for their cause.”
The four Buckrose Horsemen looked at each other for a few seconds. Some silent communication passed between them before Alex nodded. “We believe you, Miss MacLeod. When the danger has passed, the king will not require your imprisonment.”
Diana wasn’t certain what to say. “You have that kind of power?”
Smiling, he shrugged. “The Horsemen serve the king and the king trusts our judgment.”
“Will I be forced to complete my father’s work for England?” Certain she was missing some key piece of information, she refused to be caught unawares later. It was best to find out immediately what England had in store for her, and adjust her life accordingly.
Alex crossed his arms over his chest. “His majesty’s loyal subjects are not forced into labor. You will be free to do as you please.”
It was impossible. Nothing she expected from her government had come to pass. Was all of this Jacques’s doing? He certainly had powerful friends willing to help him and extend that assistance to her. Perhaps she had become so jaded she couldn’t see the good in people anymore. Diana stifled the long sigh building up inside her.
“What is to be done about Victor Caron? It is clear he had plans to journey here. It means our enemies know of this place.” Michael pursed his lips and stared at Alex.
“The castle is impenetrable.” Oliver stood and held Diana’s chair.
Sebastian offered his arm. “Shall we all go to the parlor?”
Rounding the table, Jacques offered his own arm. Expression fierce, he bowed to Sebastian, who immediately stepped back.
Jacques stared at where her hand lay on his arm before addressing Oliver. “No place is without flaws. If someone is willing to take enough risk, he can get in and get what he wants. Besides the fortress, what have you done to protect these ladies?”
Alex raised a brow and walked toward the door. “Clearly, Miss MacLeod has you to protect her as well as the guards posted all along the walls and gardens. We will do all in our power to keep both ladies safe, but you are correct. If someone is willing to die for what they want, they can get in.”
The familiar knot tightened around Diana’s heart. She would never be safe, and her ordeal would never end. “There is one thing I have not mentioned before, as no one asked.”
Halfway across the hall, they all stopped, an awkward spot with nine people all clustered in the passage.
“What is it, Miss MacLeod? Do you have more information about rockets?” Alex’s question rang with accusation.
“Not rockets really. When Victor became certain that I was his ticket to success, he toted me around the fortress like a rag doll. I saw a plan to burn Porto to the ground. Something about the English army coming through and the city being expendable. Besides his obsession, that may be why Victor hunts me so doggedly.”
Oliver said, “Porto still stands, but the war has been very hard on Portugal and Spain. There has been talk for several years about sending troops. The debate continues.”
“If you like, I can draw you a map of their attack routes in the morning. I have a good memory.” All those memories weighed Diana down.
“That would be helpful.” Uncertainty underlined Alex’s agreement.
All Diana could do was be honest and try to help. Whether they believed her or not was out of her control. “I think I have had enough to eat. It has been a long journey. If you don’t mind, I will retire for the night.”
