Chapter 29: In the Bag
We continued chatting after Baroness Wander left. We were mid conversation when a guard approached Fiona.
“Your Excellency, we’ve found something odd. Two pairs of Hessian boots in the garden, next to the wall.”
So, they do call them Hessian boots. I tapped Fiona’s shoulder, “Why are they called Hessian boots?”
Fiona shook her head, “I do not know that. There is a Hessekassel region in Agartha. I believe it relates to that. But I cannot confirm that. Now, a moment please, beloved.”
Fiona turned back to the guard.
“If you have found clothing, then I see two possibilities. It may be that people are undressing in twos. In which case leave them be so long as they are not doing so somewhere disruptive. Allow people their privacy and their pleasure. It could also be that somebody has slipped into our party and changed their clothing. In which case, hunt them down and restrain them. Then inform me so that I may question them. If they resist, remember that your safety takes precedence over their lives. Taking them alive is my preference, not a requirement. Alert all the guards. I expect that this is two revelers, but may indeed be intruders. “
“Wow,” I said, “How do you manage to be both a reasonable host, and a terrifying military commander?”
“I am sorry Ren. I hope this is nothing. But I will need to coordinate my people. I will not take long.”
She kissed me on the cheek, “I would have preferred to kiss your forehead there. But I am too short for that gesture.”
I smiled and kissed Fiona’s forehead, “How was that?”
“It was the reverse of my intent. But it was wonderful. I will be back.”
We continued talking until a familiar weakness began to creep into my limbs.
“I need a cigarette, gentlemen.”
Leon nodded, “Don’t take too long.”
“Did you want company?” Vincent asked.
“I’ve been enjoying the solitude of these smoking sessions. But thank you,” I said. Vincent nodded, and I leaned on my cane and walked out into the garden. The last of the roses were blooming all throughout the garden. I saw red roses, orange roses, yellow roses, black roses, and white roses. I saw pink roses and purple roses, and even bicolored roses.
I removed my cigarette, my holder and a match from my chatelaine bag. I struck the match against the brickwork and lit the cigarette. Mounting the cigarette in the holder I took a sip of the smoke and exhaled. I coughed a little on the exhalation. The autumn air was brisk, but not cold yet. I leaned back against the wall of the building and basked in the cool night air.
I heard a voice, “Is that her?”
“Look at the cane. It has to be her.”
I pushed off the wall and looked around. I couldn’t see anybody. But hedges and topiary sat all around me. Too many places to hide, I could never know I was alone. And I hadn’t heard ghosts. I was the reason for the party, it might be nothing more than gawkers. But I felt vulnerable now. Being a single woman living on a college campus, I knew better than this.
I began to walk back to the house. No point in taking foolish risks.
A man in a guard uniform stepped out from behind a globe spruce. His face was unshaven. And his hair was greasy and uncombed. Fiona’s guards had all been clean shaven and scrubbed clean beside. I didn’t know who this was, but they weren’t a guard.
I looked behind me. Another fake guard stood there. To my left and right waist high hedges barred my way.
“Come along lady. Be a good girl. There’s nowhere to run.”
I shook my head. “I can’t get away. But I can make you regret this,”
“What are you going to do when you’re stuck using that cane?” The man in front asked.
“Use it as a club,” I let my cigarette and holder fall, and hefted the cane like a baseball bat.
And then a thought struck me. This was a party, people were everywhere.
I screamed, “Help! I need help!”
“Dammit!” The man in front rushed at me.
I swung my cane. He ducked under my swing and popped up right in front of my face. I tried to step back to get room for a second swing. But arms wrapped around me from behind, pinning my own arms to my sides. The man behind me squeezed. I coughed from the pressure and dropped my cane. He wrenched me into the air. The man in front grabbed at my legs. I kicked. I wasn’t aiming, instead kicking out like a blinded antelope in any direction I pointed. I felt him grab my left leg.
I screamed again, “Help! They have me! They're trying to move me!”
The man got my right leg as well. And then he wrapped his arms around my ankles. I found myself trapped in their grip, not able to do much beyond wriggle.
“Got her. Let’s go.” one of them said.
“Stop! This is your only warning!” I looked to see Vincent and Leon running towards us.
One of the men drew a flintlock pistol and aimed.
Leon flourished with his right hand, and his derringer pistol appeared. He rammed the gun into the first man’s throat. The man gagged and dropped my legs. I kicked out and hit his knee as hard as I could. He dropped his flintlock and fell to the ground. Leon had meanwhile turned to face the other attacker. He pointed the derringer at the man’s face and fired. The man’s right eye transformed into a window. Moonlight poured through his skull as he toppled over backward. I fell to the ground, landing hard on my back. The impact knocked the wind from my lungs, and I struggled to breathe. Vincent delivered a brutal push kick to the surviving attacker. The kick drove the man backward into the hedge. My kidnapper tried to climb from the hedge, but Leon was already on him. Long powerful arms grabbed the attacker’s collar, and Leon threw the man from the hedge to the ground. Leon followed, landing on the man’s sternum with his knee and the full weight of his six-foot five body. The man gasped. Leon remained with his knee on the man’s sternum. And from that position, the duke rained blows on the man’s face.
“That! Is! My! Friend! And this is the penalty for hurting my friend!”
And the blows continue to fall on the man, his face went from bruised, to bloody, to battered. I turned away and waited for the punching to stop.
Several minutes later, Leon placed a hand on my shoulder, “It’s done. You may not want to turn around.”
I nodded, “Thank you. If you didn’t belong to Lynn, I would kiss you. And I’ve given up kissing the boys. But you saved me.”
“I am not Lynn’s. She’s marrying Wulfric. We all know it.” Leon said.
“And I am trying to prevent that from happening,” I countered. “She deserves better, and he deserves worse. Also, how are you doing? I’ve never seen you that violent.”
“I command the navy,” Leon said. “Hyperborea and Thule both buy slaves from pirates and raid for slaves themselves. I capture slaving ships every week. Human trafficking is vile. And I see it every day. I get angry when I see it.”
“Well, I appreciate your efforts on my behalf.”
“By the way, you did well.” Leon said, “You never stopped fighting. You alerted others. Good job. Remember, if an attacker wants to move you, that is never a good thing. Always resist when they try to move you.”
“I did well? I thought I got snatched up like a child and dragged away kicking and screaming.”
“And the kicking and screaming are good. People don’t survive an attacker moving them. The reasons that somebody would want to move are never good. At best they want to ransom you. The most common motivation is moving you away from witnesses. I’m sure you can imagine all the reasons they might not want witnesses.”
I nodded and shivered at the thought. “Based on precedent, I suspect they wanted me dead.”
“I would agree. But I expect they wanted to interrogate you first. Fiona advised me about the attacks made on you. I don’t know why they want you dead. But this attack feels as though they want to know what you know, before they kill you.”
“Charming.” I said.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“No dizziness? You don’t feel clammy? Lightheaded? Tired?”
I shook my head.
“You’re handling this well. You don’t seem to be going into shock.”
I smirked, “I've been getting practice at this.”
“And seeing Vincent and I kill your attackers, that didn’t upset you?”
I shook my head again. “I would have had trouble watching your performance on the second one. But I didn’t watch it, so I’m fine.”
Leon grimaced, “I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think less of me.”
“I appreciate the enthusiasm you showed in my defense.”
“You don’t think I went too far?”
I noticed Leon seemed to be talking as much for his own benefit as for mine. Was he dealing with the symptoms of shock himself? Surely not. But did I think he went too far? I thought about somebody kidnapping Amy or Lynn. I couldn't imagine anyone kidnapping Fiona. If somebody kidnapped Amy or Lynn, what I would do to the kidnappers would make Jack the Ripper wince.
“We're on the same page about how one responds to threats to our loved ones.” I answered. “And in any case, you’re duke. You could do much worse in your dungeon by not killing them here. And if you did, nobody could stop you. This is mercy compared to what you might do if you were so inclined.”
Leon jolted a little at that. “I would not want my people to fear me. But your cigarette has gone out. Did you need a match?”
I nodded and drew out a new cigarette. Was he changing the subject? It’s what I would do in his position.
“I’m hoping this won’t happen again,” I said.
“So am I. But I’m planning on the assumption that it will.”
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