Precious Bones (21 page)

Chapter 61

Tom forbade Constance to go to the trial.  It was held at the Blackfriars Monastery on the banks of the Thames, and was presided over by ten noblemen chosen especially for the task.  Some of them had been friends of Richard’s at Court, but all allegiances were now forgotten.  People poured in to watch the trial of the murderer, and seats filled up within a few minutes, with only standing room left.  The judges walked in and took their seats, arranging themselves with all the pomp and circumstance due to the enforcers of Her Majesty’s justice.  Tom watched as Richard was brought in to the hisses and boos of the crowd.  He had been allowed to wash and shave, but he still looked pale and gaunt in the gray light of the autumn afternoon.  He took his place in the dock and the trial began. 

Robert Wilcox, head of the committee stood up, unrolled a document slowly and read the charge. 

“Richard Albert Carlisle, you are hereby accused of killing three men in cold blood on the evening of September 20
th
of this year.  The three victims were in service to the Crown and were loyal and faithful subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I.  If found guilty, you will be sentenced to death.  Do you understand the charges against you?”

Richard
inclined his head to affirm understanding and Wilcox proceeded.  “This court would like to call John Coombs to the stand.”  John walked to the witness box without meeting Richard’s eye.  He recalled how Richard came home on September 20
th
covered in blood and bragging of the murders, but forgot to mention that he was stopped on his way home from Carter Lane, beaten, and sent home with a message to his master to meet Edward Norris in the church where he was holding his wife hostage. 

The next witness was Agnes Coombs, wife of John Coombs
, and former employee of the accused.  She swept past Richard, looking respectable in a gown of blue satin and a demure cap on her head.   She stood in the witness box, looking frightened and unsure until she was ordered to speak.  As soon as Agnes began her testimony, all pretense at fright was dropped and she was enjoying the performance. 

“Well, your
Honors, the master went running off that evening like the devil himself was after him.  He took his pistol, strapped on his sword, and hid a dagger in his boot.  He was obviously preparing to do injury to someone,” she confided to the audience. “John, my husband that is, and I, were ever so scared.  I told my son, William to go stay in his room in case the master should return in a temper, which he often did.  The master and mistress finally came home not two hours later.  The master put away the pistol and unbuckled his bloody sword, and then took his time wiping the blood off as it dripped onto the kitchen floor.  I nearly had a turn, I did.  He said, calm as you please, that he skewered those villains at the church and then stabbed Sir Edward through the heart.  He was pleased as punch.  Well, as soon as they went up to their bedchamber I said to John that we must get away from this house of sin as soon as possible, and report what we have seen to the proper authorities.  We are good and loyal subjects to Her Majesty and want to see justice done.” 

“Thank you Mistress Coombs.  That
is a very detailed account.  No doubt Lady Norris appreciated your devotion to duty.”

“She did, indeed, Your Honor.  She was ever so grateful to know who had done her husband in
, and was very generous in her gratitude.  We will never forget her kindness.”  Agnes stepped down from the witness box and sashayed back to her seat.  Richard never looked at her, but Tom could only imagine what he must have been feeling during her testimony.  Constance had told him how Richard took in Agnes and her baby when she was alone and penniless.  He had given them a home and protection, and treated William as if he was his own son.  He taught the boy to read and write, and promised Agnes that he would see to his education once the boy got older.   Now Agnes’ testimony would be used to convict Richard, his kindness forgotten.

Richard was not permitted to speak in his own defense.  There were no witnesses who could give him an alibi for the time of the murder
, or any other possible suspects.  The court deliberated for a few minutes and then Robert Wilcox rose to pronounce the verdict.

“Richard Albert Carlisle, you are hereby sentenced to death by beheading for the murder of Sir Edward Norris, Charles Rigg
, and Will Saunders.  You will be executed a week from today on October 22, 1586.  You will be taken from the Tower to the place of execution.  May God have mercy on your soul.”  With that the judges filed out of the courtroom.  Richard was led away as the audience chatted excitedly, praising the wisdom of the judges.  Tom walked out into the chilly morning, heading for the nearest ale house.  He simply could not face Constance or Jane just yet.

Chapter 62

The morning of October 22
nd
dawned sunny and bright.  The sky was a vast ocean of blue, with not a single cloud to mar its perfection.  Crimson and persimmon colored leaves twirled in the light breeze, landing at the feet of the passersby oblivious to the heartbreaking beauty of the golden morning.  It was unseasonably warm, and the frost crusting the puddles for the past week was nowhere in sight.  Connie stepped outside, followed by Tom.  They had argued bitterly for the past week, but today they would present a united front.  Tom tried to keep Connie from going to the execution, but she would not hear of it.  She would be there for Richard in his final moments even if it caused her unspeakable pain.   Tom insisted on going with her, and she was secretly grateful to have him there standing next to her.  She wasn’t sure she could do this alone.  She could see the forbidding gray towers in the distance, a high wall separating the Tower from the rest of the town, the gates guarded by armor-clad soldiers. 

Groups of people were already heading toward the Tower ready for their day’s entertainment.  Their laughter cut through Connie’s heart like
a knife.  Tom pushed his way through the crowd gathered at the bottom of the scaffold, and maneuvered Connie to the front.  She wanted Richard to see her one last time.  The Tower ravens were cawing with glee and the executioner was already in place, sliding a practiced finger along the edge of the razor-sharp axe.  Connie wrapped her arms around herself, more to hold herself together than because of the sudden chill off the river. 

Heads turned as the soldiers escorted Richard out of the Tower.  He walked by himself, head held high, his stride sure and relaxed as if he was just taking a walk in the autumn sunshine.  His composure
faltered when his eyes fell on Connie, but then he smiled and mouthed “I love you” to her before walking up the steps to the scaffold.  He wore breeches and a clean white shirt opened at the neck, his hair tied back with a leather thong. 

The crowd fell quiet as they prepared for the condemned man’s last words.  To their extreme disappointment
, Richard did not say anything about the murders.  He looked at Connie for a long moment before speaking.  “Today I die a happy man knowing that God had granted me the greatest gift a man can ask for.  I did not get to enjoy it for long, but I will be waiting for you on the other side, my love, have no fear of that.  I will wait forever if I must, for I am a patient man.  We will be together again in this life or the next.”  With that he kneeled in front of the block, laying his head down in submission.  The executioner asked for his forgiveness and Richard granted it unreservedly. 

Connie closed her eyes as the sunlight glinted off the swinging axe
; as a sickening crunch was heard above the roar of the crowd.  She opened her eyes, to see the axe man holding up Richard’s head, his eyes still open and staring out over the assembly, blood dripping from his severed neck.  Connie felt a roaring in her ears and then the world spun, the ground rushing up to meet her.  By the time she came to, the crowd had dispersed and Richard’s butchered body had been carted away.  Life went on whether she wanted it to or not.

Chapter 63

October
2010

I wanted to finish the chapter, but my fingers wouldn’t obey, and I took them off the keyboard, covering my face with my hands.  I’d seen executions in movies, but this had been completely different.  I was shaking violently, tears running down my flushed face, and silent sobs wracking my body.  I might have been sitting at the computer, but my soul had been far away.  I had been there at the Tower, as Constance watched the man she loved brutally executed.  I could still see his eyes as they’d been while he was speaking and then clouded and expressionless in death.  He believed that they would meet again in another life and that brought him comfort in his final moments.  Little did he know that he had seen the future.  I knew now what Adrian meant when he said that he had been waiting for me.  He’d been waiting a lot longer than I thought possible. 

I looked at my wristwatch.  It was just past 3am, but it didn’t matter.  I picked up my
mobile and dialed.   He didn’t sound as if he had been sleeping when he answered the phone. 

“I
’ll be right over.”  He hung up and I put down my phone.  I had seen what happened to Richard, but there was still a lot I didn’t know.   I paced the room willing him to come quicker.  My mind was spinning out of control as I feverishly tried to analyze everything in search of answers.  Finally, I heard the screech of tires outside and then the slamming of a car door.  Adrian had come and now I would know the truth.

I stood in the doorway as Adrian got out of the car and ran up the path, crushing me in his embrace and drawing me inside.  I looked up at him, caressing his face and looking for traces of Richard in his features.  I didn
’t see any, but then again, I didn’t look like Constance either.

“I know, Adrian.  Now I know,” I whispered. 

“I was dying to tell you, but I couldn’t.  I needed you to see for yourself.  You had to figure it out in order to truly believe it. Are you all right?  It must have been brutal.”

“It was.”  I was still shaking
, tracks from dried tears lining my face.  “How did you know?  I don’t understand.”

Adrian took me by the hand and led me to the sofa, sitting down across from me on the armchair.  He just looked at me for a moment before he began. 

“I didn’t tell you the whole story in Scotland.  It was too soon and honestly, I wanted you to care for me before you knew who I was.  I needed to know that your love was for Adrian, and not only for Richard.”  He paused for a moment, brushing his hair out of his face. 

“When Kitty stepped on that land mine, my life changed forever
-- in more ways than one.  I woke up in the hospital, screaming and shaking, searching for her, and wanting only to die when I found out she was gone, but then something began to happen.  At night, when all I heard around me were the sounds of men in pain, and the low conversation of doctors, I began to have visions.  I kept seeing images of this woman with green eyes and chestnut curls, dressed in the clothes of a sixteenth century courtier.  She was so beautiful that I was blinded by her, overcome with emotions I didn’t understand.  I was supposed to be grieving my fiancée, and instead I was longing for this woman I’d never met.  With every night, the visions became clearer and more detailed.  I could see London as it had been then, and I seemed to be seeing things through the eyes of someone called Richard Carlisle. 

I thought I was losing my mind.  The only logical explanation was that I either suffered brain damage during the explosion
, or I was having some reaction to the pain medication they were giving me.  They didn’t have the equipment to do a CAT scan, but they stopped the medication to see if the visions would go away.  I was willing to stand the pain, just to be rid of these nightly excursions.  They didn’t stop.  They became more and more detailed, and there was a whole cast of characters that seemed strangely familiar.  I seemed to know more about Elizabethan politics than I ever thought possible, and I looked things up online to check the accuracy of my assumptions. 

When I was well enough to travel, I flew back to London to visit my family and have a few tests.  Everything came back normal
, and there seemed to be no explanation for what was happening to me.  I threw myself back into my work, thinking it was just a sideeffect of grief.  The night I saw my own execution, I was shaking, my teeth rattling in my head, thinking I was really about to die.  It was the most real thing I had ever experienced despite being surrounded by death.  Time went on and I eventually became reconciled to these “memories”.  I had no choice but to live with them.

Things would have gone on like that if it wasn’t for my
granddad summoning me home this past January.   I was reluctant to take over the business, but felt like I had no choice.  I owed him that much, and frankly I’d seen enough warfare and suffering to last me several lifetimes.  My grandfather prepared a whole presentation for me, complete with annual reports, marketing strategies, and a list of our most prominent writers. 

I saw your picture on the back of a book jacket and my heart nearly stopped.  I knew you were Constance
, even before I saw you wearing that locket.  I don’t know how I knew -- I just did.  My soul recognized you.  I had no idea what to do and if I should do anything, when one day I was driving to the office and the road was closed off.  The officer was directing traffic down Carter Lane and I passed this house.  I knew it right away and that’s when it came to me.  I thought that if I could somehow jog your memory, maybe you would remember too.  It didn’t seem right somehow that I was burdened with this knowledge, but couldn’t do anything about it.

  I bought the house from the present owners, offering them much more th
an they could ever hope to get and ordered the work on the kitchen.  I hoped that if you saw the news story on TV you would remember, and you did.  I sat in my car by that house for over twenty-four hours until I saw you coming.  I knew then that something had been triggered in your mind, and put the house on the market, hoping you would take the bait.  You did and here we are.”

“But why were you suc
h a prick to me when we met, and who were the people I bought the house from?”  I didn’t really care about the minor details, but I was curious.

“When I saw you walking into my office, wearing that locket
, I got so nervous I thought my heart would fly out of my chest.  I didn’t mean to be so rude, but I honestly had no idea what I was saying.  I just wanted an excuse to come and see you and that just popped out.  I nearly kicked myself after you left.  I thought I might have ruined my chances with you forever.  As to the people who sold you the house, they were the original owners.  I talked them into playing the part.  They didn’t mind doing it for a little extra cash.”

I got up off the sofa and sat down in Adrian’s lap, putting my arms around his neck.  “I still can’t believe it’s you and that we
’ve found each other after all this time.”

“Don’t you remember what I said?  I promised that we would be reunited in the next life.  Maybe this is the first time that we have actually lived in the same place at the same time.
There is actually something that has been tormenting me all these years.”

“What?”  I asked feeling apprehensive.

“I know only what happened up to my execution.  I never knew what happened to Constance or our child, or how Tom and Jane fared in those dangerous times.  I know they’re all long dead anyway, but I need to know.”

“I can tell you about Tom, but I haven’t seen what happened to Constance yet.  Tom apparently became a master mason and was credited with building St. Ann’s Church right here in Carter Lane.  It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, but it seems that he was successful and probably well off.  
I’ve yet to see what happened to Connie after your death.”

“You look exhausted.  Let’s get some sleep and then there is somewhere we need to visit.”  Adrian didn’t have to tell me twice.  I felt drained
, and I fell asleep in his arms after he tenderly made love to me in the pearly light of the coming dawn.