Behind the Mask (95 page)

“It’s all right,” Abbi said, holding out a hand toward him. He took it and stood. Abbi felt her hand trembling in his and looked down to realize that his was trembling as well. She stepped closer and pressed the side of her face to his, and her other hand to his cheek. “You saved my life,” she muttered close to his ear. “I am eternally indebted to you.”

He drew back and looked into her eyes as Cameron added, “As am I.”

Lance looked stunned and uncertain, then he glanced down and noticed the blood on his other hand. “If you will excuse me,” he said and hurried into the trees.

Abbi turned to find her father beside her. He hugged her tightly, and while there was so much she wanted to say, silence seemed sufficient for the moment.

Cameron turned to gauge the situation once more. He had to deal with Wurtzur and his friends sooner or later. But he also had at least one other officer present who had betrayed him. He decided sooner was better than later in letting it be known that he was in control, and he would not tolerate the kind of disloyalty that threatened the stability of protecting his country. He first approached the three officers who had stood with Wurtzur in this little escapade. One went immediately to his knee, fist to chest, head bowed. The other two followed within a heartbeat.

Abbi watched her husband step behind the mask of the Duke of Horstberg. She was still trying to accept the truth of who and what he was, but she wondered if she would ever become accustomed to his power, and the way people responded to it. She was grateful to have her father’s hand in hers and also to find Georg at her side.

“Forgive my misguided loyalty, Your Grace,” the first officer said, remaining on his knee.

“And I,” the other two said almost simultaneously.

“I’ll need some time to think about that,” Cameron said. “In the meantime, perhaps a little time in the keep will give
you
some time to think about honoring truth and justice on behalf of Horstberg above all else.
That
is how this country will be run from now on.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Lieutenant.”

“Sir,” Joerger said, immediately at his side. They exchanged a glance but no words before the lieutenant motioned toward some other officers with his hand. The three on their knees were put in handcuffs and flanked by those who would apparently see them to the keep. But it became evident they would wait and all return together.

Cameron turned to Wurtzur while memories of their encounter in the keep four years ago mingled with the image of this man holding a gun to Abbi’s head. Without a word he put his hand over the pistol being aimed at him by an officer and pressed it down.

“We won’t be needing this anymore,” Cameron said to the officer holding it. Then to Wurtzur, “What? No pleading forgiveness for your misguided loyalties? You might do well to learn from example. I daresay they’ll be spending much less time in the keep than you will be.” Wurtzur stiffened. His eyes betrayed his fear, even if his hardened expression didn’t. “Funny how the tables turn, don’t you think? How distinctly I recall your telling me that I would never get out of that cell alive. How clearly I remember the way you beat the hell out of me when you said it. Am I striking a chord with you, Wurtzur? I hope so. Because I’ve been saving something for you for four years, and I don’t want you to have to wonder where it came from.”

Cameron threw a fist into Wurtzur’s jaw, and another into his belly. Wurtzur doubled over and fell to his knees. “Very good,” Cameron said. “That’s exactly where I want you.”

“What’s he doing?” Abbi whispered to Georg, disconcerted to see her husband behave this way. She recalled seeing how differently Lance had behaved with his men, but it had been nothing like this.

“It’s all right,” Georg said softly. “He has to ensure getting the respect he needs to do his job. Once he makes his boundaries clear, his men know he’ll give them the respect they deserve in return for their loyalty. He knows how to balance power with compassion.”

Cameron continued speaking to Wurtzur, wanting every man present to hear what he had to say. “I’m assuming you still want your job. I’m assuming you have a family to feed. And I would rather have you working for me, so I can keep track of what you’re doing. Since you seemed to be lacking in some manners in the way prisoners were treated, most specifically
me,
I think you could use some practice. Following two weeks as a
guest
in the keep
,
you will be assigned to working there until further notice. But you will be watched. Oh,” he chuckled sardonically, “you will be watched very closely. If you ever,
ever,
breathe a disrespectful word, or treat
anyone
in your care with any less respect than you will treat me from now on, you will be on the street, my good man. Do I make myself clear?”

Wurtzur didn’t move.

“I asked you a question!” Cameron bellowed.

“Yes, Your Grace, quite clear.”

“Very good,” Cameron said and Wurtzur too was put into handcuffs. Cameron turned abruptly and scanned the faces of every officer present before he said, “Lieutenant.”

“Sir,” Joerger responded.

“Take these men with you back to the castle. Please take my brother’s body and see that it’s properly cared for. I want a standard funeral procession arranged for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, sir?”

“Yes, Lieutenant. Tomorrow. I want him buried before sundown. I didn’t say you had to do it single-handedly. Just see that it gets done.”

“Yes, sir.”

The lieutenant barked some orders. Nikolaus’s body was lifted over the back of his horse and the officers mounted to leave. Cameron intercepted one in particular just before he put his foot into the stirrup. In a soft voice he said, “I assume you want to keep your job, as well.”

The officer’s eyes widened. His guilt was obvious. “Yes, sir,” he said.

“Good, then keep your finger out of disloyal pies. You too will be watched very closely. Consider it a great honor that I’m not having you arrested as well.”

Cameron penetrated his eyes with a deep stare before the officer asked, “How did you know?”

“I have my methods,” Cameron said.

“But no one knew except—”

“I
knew,” Cameron said, and motioned the man onto his horse.

“How
did
you know?” Georg asked Cameron quietly once he’d moved away from the officer in question.

“He was the only one who hadn’t looked me in the eye since we got here.”

“Very good,” Georg said, mimicking the way Cameron had said it to Wurtzur.

While Cameron was busy talking with his officers and Georg, Abbi spoke quietly with her father. Once reassured that she was all right, Gerhard got tears in his eyes as he talked briefly of the irony of the situation and his relief in having it behind him. He too had been in exile for four years. For that and many other reasons, Abbi knew the bond he shared with Cameron was deep.

A moment after the officers all rode away, Lance appeared, rolling down his sleeves. He’d obviously cleaned up in a nearby creek.

“Captain,” Cameron said, and Lance looked surprised. “Would you please put together a proclamation appropriately explaining the circumstances of my brother’s death—with my endorsement, of course. I want it posted first thing in the morning, and coordinate with the lieutenant on the funeral procession. You will ride with me.”

Lance moved closer to Cameron, saying in a quiet voice, “You don’t have to do this. Under the circumstances, I would not expect you to keep me in this position. I was considering a change of profession, anyway.”

“Why change professions when you’re so good at what you do?” Cameron asked.

Lance looked directly into Cameron’s face, speaking in little more than a whisper. “I’ve spent a great deal of time the last four years hating you because I believed that you’d killed her.”

“Now you know that I didn’t.”

“I spent a lot of time before then hating you because I believed that you treated her badly.”

“Maybe I did.”

“She was a difficult woman, Cameron. I know that now.”

“And I was a difficult man, Lance. I don’t know how much of the problems between us were my fault. It really doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve tried very hard to become a
better
man. And I need to say that I’m sorry . . . for the things I said about her. I was angry.”

“And I needed to hear the truth,” Lance said. “But given the history between us, I think it might be better if I just leave this position to—”

“The history between us is all the more reason that you should remain in this position. I need you, Captain. We have work ahead of us that will not be easy, and I need a man I can count on.”

Lance looked away and sighed. “I’m not so sure I’m the man for the job.”

“Why is that?”

He sighed again. “I think you could use a captain who can kill a man without having to go hide and fall apart over it.”

“Captain,” Cameron said, and Lance turned to look at him. “Do you think I want someone in this position who can kill a man and
not
be upset over it?” Cameron glanced away and blinked back a sudden burning in his eyes. “He was my brother, for the love of heaven. I wish you would have taken me with you. We could have fallen apart together.”

A moment later, Lance said, “Forgive me. I—”

Cameron’s glare stopped him. “There is nothing to forgive. You did exactly what I would have done if I had been in a position to do it. He may be my brother, but I still hope he rots in hell.” He took a deep breath. “Now, Captain, as I told the lieutenant, I want my brother buried by sundown tomorrow. But I want it done right. I’m sure he’d appreciate some help.”

“I’ll see to it at once,” Lance said and nodded. “Your Grace.”

“Captain.” Cameron nodded in return.

Lance’s eyes moved to Abbi. “May I have a moment, Your Grace?”

Cameron turned toward his wife, who was standing near her father and Georg while the two men were talking. She looked dazed and exhausted. “Of course,” Cameron said.

Abbi looked up to see Lance standing in front of her. She felt horribly awkward when he once again went down on one knee and pressed a fist to his chest. “Lance,” she said, “please don’t do—”

“I must,” he said and looked up at her. “You will forever be my queen, Abbi, and I your serf.”

“No, my
friend,”
she said, and took his hand, urging him to his feet.

“That too,” he said with a little smile. He took hold of her shoulders. “Did he hurt you, Abbi? If he did anything to hurt you when I could have prevented it, I—”

“You
couldn’t
have prevented it,” she said, “without compromising your ability to be where you needed to be when it
really
mattered.”

“Did he hurt you?” he repeated.

The memory of all that Nikolaus had done made her stomach churn, but she had no desire to talk about it—especially with Lance. She firmly assured him, “Nothing I won’t recover from. I’m fine.”

He looked skeptical but nodded before he kissed her brow. Without another word he mounted his horse and rode away.

Cameron observed the exchange between the captain and his wife, pondering all he’d put them through. They’d obviously come to share something close and tender, but he couldn’t bring himself to begrudge it, or even to feel the slightest hint of jealousy. He knew their hearts, and he could feel nothing but gratitude for all they had done for him.

Once Lance was out of sight, Cameron turned to see that only Abbi, Georg, and Gerhard remained. They exchanged silent glances, but nothing was said. The torrent of emotion Cameron had been struggling to hold back since he’d first seen Abbi appear in Nikolaus’s grasp suddenly rushed forward, demanding to be felt now that the officers were absent and pride was no longer in place to keep it back. He’d been threatened with losing Abbi under circumstances that were too unbearable to think of, and he’d just watched his brother die. His head began to spin with the spectrum of all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, enhanced by the reality that he’d not slept since yesterday afternoon. He sank to his knees and wrapped his arms up over his head, letting out an anguished howl that refused to be held back. Abbi rushed to kneel before him, holding his head to her shoulder as he wept. Georg went to one knee beside him, putting an arm over his back. And Gerhard set a firm hand on his shoulder. No words were said. But the strength and compassion Cameron felt were boundless.
It was over
.

“Come along,” Georg said once Cameron had been given sufficient time to vent the worst of his anguish. “It’s time you got some sleep.”

Cameron helped Abbi onto his horse and mounted behind her, so grateful to feel her safe and well in his arms. He galloped toward the castle with Georg and Gerhard at his sides. On the castle hill they passed the officers bringing in Nikolaus’s body. Magda, Lena, and Elsa all erupted out the door the minute they halted in the courtyard.

“What’s happened?” Lena demanded. “Elsa discovered Abbi missing and we’ve been frantic. Lance came in but went straight to the office and wouldn’t tell us anything.”

“I’m fine, as you can see,” Abbi said as Cameron helped her down.