Midnight Pearls (15 page)

Slowly he stopped shaking, and it was as though she could physically see the fight leaving his body He collapsed in the middle of the floor and buried his head in his hands.

She sank down next to him, unsure how to help. Hesitantly she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed for a moment, and then slumped again. His body began to shudder, and she sat quietly with him, waiting for him to speak first.

At last he lifted his head and looked at her. “My father almost died today.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“I should have seen this coming. I’ve been so blind, though, so befuddled, I haven’t been paying attention to the things I should have been paying attention to” He looked at her and smiled grimly “Or the people, either.”

She felt tears welling in her eyes. “Everyone understands,” she whispered.

“I don’t care about everyone. I care about you. I’ve let you down, I know that.”

“No, you haven’t,” she denied.

“Don’t lie to me, Pearl,” he said, taking her hand. “No lies between us, remember?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice to speak.

“I have been a terrible judge of character, lately. I haven’t been myself since that day I hit my head on the boat.”

“You’ve just been preoccupied.”

“And the more shame on me for it,” he said, wincing.

She waited for him to continue. He sat quietly for a moment, but she could see from the flashing of his eyes and the twitching of his jaw that there was a storm raging inside.

“A few days ago the guards captured a criminal, a murderer. He had done things—terrible things that you shouldn’t have to hear about. He has been down in the dungeon. This afternoon he escaped. He tried to poison my father. He got away. The guards are searching for him as we speak.”

She began to shake uncontrollably. “Are you certain this man did the things he has been accused of?”

He nodded grimly. “And now, this. There’s more….” He hesitated.

Dread filled her. “What is it, James? I beg you, tell me.”

He looked at her, and his eyes were filled with tenderness. “He wounded Sir Robert before he escaped. Don’t fear, though, he will be all right. He’s a good man and I have judged him unfairly.” James snorted. “He’s my better in many ways. He had the good sense to see at a glance what it took me years to figure out.”

She stared deeply into his eyes and felt herself begin to tremble inside. What was the glimmer in his eye? For a wild moment she thought he was going to kiss her.“ What about Faye?” she whispered.

“Faye,” His voice took on the hard edge again, “Well, it seems that Faye is the one who helped him escape. It turns out that she is his sister, I was a fool,”

“Maybe you’re judging her too harshly. Maybe her brother was falsely accused,” Pearl protested.

“No hope of that, I’m afraid, A witness has come forth who positively identified him yesterday,”

Pearl felt as though the world were crashing around her. Kale was a murderer and Faye his accomplice. Had they been trying to use her in some way in their plan to kill the king? She felt as though she was going to be sick.

“Pearl, I don’t want you to worry yourself about any of this now,” James told her, again speaking in a gentle voice.

“Why?” she questioned through her tears.

“You have more important things to be worrying about right now,”

He stood up abruptly and held out his hands to her. She clasped them, and he helped her to her feet. He held her hands for a moment and stared down at them. He ran his thumbs lightly over the backs of them before lifting his eyes to stare into hers.

“Pearl, I really do wish you and Robert the best of luck. I know you’ll be very happy together. Don’t worry about the things I’ve told you. I just want you to relax and enjoy your wedding day tomorrow.”

Solemnly, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Then he released her hands and turned on his heel, striding quickly from the room. As the door slammed shut behind him, she fell to her knees and sobbed.

It was deathly silent, so when the doors of the chapel were flung open, everyone jumped. Pearl’s eyes flew open as a voice rang out.

“I object!”

Pearl spun around as everyone gasped.

There at the far end of the aisle stood Kale. He was covered in dirt and blood, and his hair was matted down. His clothes hung in tatters from his body.

From the front row, James leaped to his feet. “Seize him!” he ordered.

Kale sprinted up the aisle toward her, and Pearl took a step backward. He nearly reached her before three guards tackled him to the ground. He strained his head upward, his sightless eyes staring past her.

“Don’t! Pearl, don’t throw your life away on someone you don’t love!”

“Why did you come here?” she shouted above the hubbub.

“Because I love you,” he cried.

“But by coming here you’ve killed yourself,” she cried, dropping to her knees before him.

“Without your love, I am dead at sunset, anyway,” he whispered, for her ears alone.

The guards hauled him to his feet and dragged him back toward the entrance.

Pearl stood back up “ What do you mean by that?” she called.

He didn’t answer, or if he did, she could not hear.

“Wait!” she cried, racing after him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Ask the Sea Witch!” Just then, one of the guards hit him, knocking him unconscious. His body slumped between them, and they carried him the rest of the way out of the church, closing the doors behind them

Slowly, the guests reclaimed their seats. Mary and Finneas remained standing, though, hovering close to Pearl.

“Carry on, good priest, ’twas just the ramblings of a madman,” James instructed, reclaiming his seat.

Robert took her hand and tried to pull her back. She resisted, still staring at the closed doors. The Sea Witch, Kale had said. The words struck a chord somewhere in her being.
Where have I heard that name?
she asked herself.

“Milady, with your permission, we will continue,” Father Gregory told her.

She turned to stare at him, and he just stared back. She remembered her first Sunday service, sitting and listening to the old priest and only understanding every other word. He had intimidated her a little bit with his grim complexion. He had reminded her of her father as he lectured her about watching out for the Sea Witch.

Her father.
An image filled her mind, and the face didn’t belong to Finneas. She saw a long, thin nose and a broad brow topped with a wreath of seaweed laced through with large, white pearls. She had always wanted the pearls. He had told her when she was old enough she would have some of her own because she was a princess.
Princess! Kale had been right! He and Faye were mer-kin too!

She turned to look at Robert while she spoke to Father Gregory. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I just can’t.”

Robert’s eyes widened in shock. She bent forward and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your kind offer. I belong someplace else, and I have to find out exactly where that is.”

She pulled her hand from his and fled down the aisle amidst shouts of consternation.

“Pearl!” she heard Robert shouting. “Come back!”

James sat, stunned, as Pearl raced from the church. Sir Robert, his leg slightly wounded from his brush with the criminal yesterday, stood looking thunderstruck. A wave of pity washed over James, mixed with an overwhelming sensation of relief.

His thoughts flew back to Pearl as he caught Mary staring at him in bewilderment.
What has gotten into Pearl?
He wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew it had something to do with what the criminal had said to her. Just then, a footman slipped up to him and bent to whisper in his ear, “The king is awake and he is asking for you.”

He rose quickly to his feet and exited through a side door.

Within minutes he was in his father’s bedchamber

His father was sitting, fully clothed, in a chair next to the window, with Peter standing beside him. He chuckled as James came in. “Well, how did it feel to almost be king?”

“Terrible,” James replied, not amused. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

The king waved his hand. “I’m fine, James. The poison clarrey never touched my lips.”

“What!” James exploded.

“No—however, I wanted others to think that it had ”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

King Philip sighed. “I needed your reactions to be realistic if my plan is to work”

“What plan?” James asked, in a moment moving from angry to bewildered.

“My plan to catch the duke and his son at their own game”

“But, I thought that the criminal—”

The king snorted. “That poor fellow is no criminal … at least not to my knowledge. Robert made him out to be one only to further his own schemes. He and his father were planning on killing me and blaming it on an escaped criminal.”

“So, they released him.”

“Actually I released him,” Peter spoke up.

“But why?” James asked.

“To force their hand,” the king answered.

“It looks like it worked.”

“Only partially,” Peter answered, “We don’t have actual proof that it was either of them who poisoned the drink.”

“So, your plan failed,” James asserted.

“No, it did not. The poisoner did leave this behind.” Peter held up an elaborate man’s ring with a large onyx stone. The top swung open to reveal a tiny hollow just large enough to hold a bit of poison powder, “This shouldn’t be too hard to trace.”

“How did you know about the poison?”

“Your father hasn’t eaten or drank anything that hasn’t first been tested for months.”

“So, some poor servant is dead?”

“On the contrary, it’s a mouse that is dead,” Peter said with a laugh, “Poor little fellow keeled right over.”

James felt himself sag with relief, then he rubbed his head, “I can’t believe you two didn’t tell me about all this.”

“I could say the same about you and your little friend Pearl. She certainly did not escape the duke’s notice. It was unfortunate, indeed, that she has, shall we say, distinctive characteristics that are shared by the man who was imprisoned.”

“Robert was marrying Pearl as part of the plot against you and you knew about it!” James exploded. “Why didn’t you stop it?”

“It was better to have her linked to him than to you. Had you married her, the duke could have implicated you in my death. Of course, with the arrival of Faye, he could have done that, anyway. Especially since she actually seems to be the accused man’s sister”

“We think that originally they intended to blackmail you regarding your relationship with Pearl. Then, when they realized your intentions toward her might be more serious, Robert decided to propose to her to throw you off balance. All along they planned to imprison a man, innocent or criminal, have him escape and murder you and me. When Faye and the other man showed up, it accelerated their plans greatly. Suddenly they could say that the two did it together and you were plotting with them because of your obvious affection for Faye and your suggesting that Robert marry Pearl.”

“But I never suggested that Robert marry Pearl!” James protested.

“Didn’t you?” the king asked, “You were the one who told him to propose to a commoner. You were the one eager to find for your little friend an alternative to the blacksmith. That’s the story he told to everyone but you,”

James shook his head, marveling at how close they had come to complete disaster.
And all because I was too distracted to realize that something was terribly wrong.
He turned his anger on his father. “How can you participate in all these machinations, these deceptions?”

“Dear boy, I did not get to be king by chance. I have worked long and hard to keep this throne and I will pass it on to you. When you are in my position you will understand these things. You will also learn to be more discrete in your friendships.”

“Discrete? Discrete? You’re a fine one to talk about that, Father. You and Peter have been best friends for how many years? I don’t think anyone is fooled by the servant act, least of all me.”

“We’ve never hidden our friendship from you, James. Peter and I grew up together, without worry of social boundaries, as you and your friend have done. For years he has been a loyal friend and a wise counselor. He keeps me informed of all the goings-on around here, including the schemes of the duke and his son.

“If it weren’t for Peter, I wouldn’t have given you nearly as much freedom. Do you truly think that you managed to elude all the tutors and all the castle guard every single week? No, Peter told them all to turn a blind eye. He has always been an advocate for you. Even with this marriage business he has been urging me to give you time to work things out for yourself.”

King Philip snorted.” Though at the rate you work things out for yourself, I’ll be many years in my grave before I have a grandson. They’re both fine girls. Just pick one of them and marry her, son. Get on with it.”

James was speechless. All this time he had never fooled his father, only himself.

The king shook his head wearily. “I’m sorry, son. I should have trusted you and told you what we were up to. I promise you can help us smoke out the culprit from here on out,” he said, taking the ring from Peter and holding it up for inspection.

“Allow me to save you the trouble,” a voice said from the door.

Surprised, James turned to see the duke Stephen standing there, a sword in hand. “My son tends to be overly subtle. He likes complicated plans. Personally, I’ve found that the direct approaches work best”

“What do you plan on doing?” James demanded, moving in front of his father.

“Simple, I will kill the three of you.”

“And who will you blame it on? Your ‘murderer’ is back in custody”

“Not anymore,” the duke sneered. “It seems he managed to escape the guardsmen, killing ail of them. Of course, he has me to thank for that. Then he came here to finish what he started. Never fear, though. I shall catch him along with his sister and friend, and they shall all three hang for your murders. It will then be with a heavy heart that I ascend the throne as the closest blood relative ”

“You’re mad,” James told him.

“Who will stop me?”

James cursed the lack of weapon within reach of any of them. He started to circle the duke, calculating how best to attack and attempt to disarm him. He knew the duke was a wicked fighter, much like his son.

Before he could make his move, though, Peter lunged. The duke whirled, slashing Peter across the stomach and sending him crashing to the ground. He raised his sword, preparing to deliver a killing blow.

A vase smashed into the duke’s back. The duke staggered, stunned, and James lunged toward him. The king beat him there, though. From his boot, the king pulled a small dagger and plunged it into the duke’s heart before the other could swing at him. The duke collapsed on the ground beside Peter. His eyes rolled backward before they fixed in his head, and his body slumped.

James turned toward the door and saw Faye standing there, shaking. “Thank you, my dear, you saved us all,” the king boomed from behind him.

Servants dashed past her and moved over to Peter. “I’m going to be fine,” he protested as they set to work tending his wound.

James turned and strode to Faye. He pulled her out into the hallway and held her hands in his. He looked deep into her eyes. “This is twice now that you have saved me. I’m going to have to keep you around,” he said with a smile.

His smile faded,“Faye, I love you, I have loved you since the first moment that I saw you. Something in my blood cries out to you, and I know that I want to be with you. Will you marry me?”

She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. He kissed her.

Faye felt that her heart would burst with happiness. James loved her and was going to marry her! She had won and now she could remain human and stay with him. She would live and love. Her only regret was that he would never be able to hear her say how much she loved him. The Sea Witch might have lost the gamble, but she still kept her fee.