Page 89 of Highland Sword
“We know.” She motioned to the waiting carriage. “Come with me.”
The artist looked back at the house. “I can’t. My money, my jewels. It’s all I have. I can’t leave it behind.”
“Just talk to us. Here. We can arrange for a time to free you when you have your belongings.”
“We?”
“Mr. Grant and I.”
“The barrister. I know of him.” Whatever doubts Madam Laborde had, they seemed to disappear. With another glance back at the house, she followed Morrigan to the carriage.
Introductions were brief as they climbed in, and Aidan ordered the driver to walk on.
“I can’t go far,” Madame Laborde told him.
“I know this neighborhood.” He called up to the driver, “Go as far as Wells Foundry and turn around. And take your time.”
“I knew you’d find me.” The artist turned to Morrigan. “I was certain you’d come.”
“What happened that day at Barn Hill?” she asked.
“I told him everything, but I had to in order to save myself. Your name, why you were there, your offer to help me. What I left out was that it was at my urging that you ran.” The gloved hand twisted the tassel of her reticule. “He ordered me to go with him immediately, that I was in danger. I had no choice but to go.”
Morrigan had little doubt the relationship between Sir Rupert and Madame Laborde extended beyond her artwork. Aside from being closely guarded, she showed no signs of physical abuse. With the hat and gloves and heavy coat that she wore, of course, it was difficult to know for certain.
She had learned from Wemys that Sir Rupert Burneywas a widower. He didn’t know what caused the death of his wife, but Burney was not averse to occasional acts of violence, despite his calm demeanor in public. Wemys said the man took a particular pleasure in interrogating the poor souls who found themselves in his clutches. In the surgery on Infirmary Street, Morrigan had tended to the wounds of his tortured victims.
Her mind flickered to Fiona. She’d been a prisoner of his. But Niall’s sister still refused to speak of what happened to her during those long months. Morrigan hoped nothing evil had befallen her. Perhaps fear of the lieutenant had been enough to keep her safe.
“You have an arrangement with Sir Rupert that appears to suit you. Why do you want to leave?” Aidan’s question was direct. The kind, amiable gentleman had disappeared, leaving the serious man of law in their company.
“I have no illusions. What I have now is not permanent. As I told you before, it is a matter of survival.”
“Why not wait six months, a year? Certainly, what you’re being paid for your artwork should allow you to return to France a rich woman.”
“Ah, but what if I don’t live so long?” She pulled at the collar of her coat, burrowing deeper into its warmth. “The day I met Miss Drummond, I had no choice but to go with him. Since I arrived at this house, however, I’ve been in his power. I am no better than a prisoner here. I’m told what to do, what to draw, who to entertain, when to smile… and…”
She stopped and stared out the window. No one had to guess at her other duties.
“We can help you get out,” Morrigan told her. “The offer I made before still stands.”
“But you don’t understand. Sir Rupert is cunning. Hehas his ways. He’ll find me. I know so much more about him now than I did when I was at Barn Hill. I’ve heard things. He is dangerous. And he is driven by revenge.” Her eyes moved from Morrigan to Aidan and back. “I want to leave, but I am also fearful he’ll find me. And when he does, he’ll kill me.”
“Not if you destroy him first,” Aidan suggested.
“That’s impossible. He’s too strong. Too shrewd. What can I do?”
“To some extent, at least, he trusts you. You can use that. As you say, you’ve heard things.”
Morrigan took her hand. “You already know that the Duke of Clarence is coming to Inverness. You gave us the clues in your caricature.”
Madame Laborde’s look showed her approval. “I knew you’d discover the clue.”
“What is Sir Rupert’s reaction to this visit?”
“He is furious about it. He offered to provide for the duke’s security, but he was flatly refused. He feels slighted, snubbed. This is the most important visit to Scotland by a member of the royal family in a hundred years, and the director of Home Office operations in the Highlands has been excluded entirely.”
No doubt Morrigan had added fuel to the fire when she informed him the duke was meeting with the son of Scotland.
