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As the sabre deflected the knife with a scream of steel on steel, she saw what had burned—the letter, her evidence. Gone. The writing stood out clearly on the blackened paper for a moment On my children’s souls… Then Hal lunged again and the wisp of ash whirled and fell apart.
There was shouting from the kitchen, banging on the door. Distracted, Julia glanced away. When she looked again, Stephano had a sword in one hand, the knife in the other. Whatever had made him so ill before had vanished and he was fighting with a vicious grace.
They seemed evenly matched. Julia thought of Hal’s wounds, barely healed, and prayed as the two men fought up and down the crowded workshop, sending jars crashing, stumbling against packing cases as they went. At the door the thudding got louder. And then another voice, one she did not recognize, was out there, barking orders. Suddenly, it all went quiet and she could hear the duellists’ breaths rasping as they sweated, lunged and parried in the centre of the room.
Stephano reached out with his left hand, seized one of the tall stools and swung it. Hal jumped back; it hit the brazier, and the whole thing toppled, spilling burning coals out across the floor at Julia’s feet. The kitchen door burst open bringing with it a rush of air. A sheet of flame shot up in front of her and she staggered back, unable to see a way through it.
‘Julia!’ Hal came through the flames, sabre in hand, his face smoke-blackened, his teeth bared. Like Lucifer from hell, she thought wildly. My fallen angel. He took hold of the bench, heaved it across the fire, picked her up and took her across the make shift bridge to safety.
‘Are you hurt?’ he demanded, looking down into her face with fierce intensity.
‘No, no Hal, I…’ Her voice broke as she began to cough. The smoke swirled around them.
‘Get your wife away,’ the voice she had heard giving orders shouted. ‘I’ll help them put out the fire.’
‘Let him burn,’ Hal snarled back.
‘He’s my brother in law,’ the other man retorted. Milden hall? So that is how Hal found me, Julia thought, struggling to try and stand. Hal simply tossed her over his shoulder and went through the door, pistol in hand. Julia twisted her head to try and see. The kitchen was full of servants, the Indian grasping a curving knife. As Hal passed, they ran for the workshop where Midge’s husband was yelling for water.
‘Are you hurt?’ Hal asked again as they emerged onto the street.
‘No. Hal, put me down.’ In reply he simply tossed her up in the air and she found herself perched on a saddle, her hands clutching wildly at a long grey mane. ‘Max! Hal,’ she pro tested as he swung up behind her, shifting her in his arms until she was sitting across his thighs. ‘You cannot ride back through the street with me like this.’
‘Watch me,’ he said. ‘Unless you want me to stop here and shake you until your teeth rattle?’
‘You are angry with me?’ she ventured, as Max made his way along Great Russell Street. With her face pressed against Hal’s uniform jacket and its painful rows of braid and buttons, she could not see his expression. But she could smell the smoke and sweat on him and feel his heart thudding against her cheek as the rate slowed back to normal. They were both safe. And behind them, with so many helpers, the fire would be out soon. She was not, thank God, responsible for Midge losing her half-brother.
‘Livid,’ Hal said tersely, then did not speak again. Julia closed her eyes, clung on and found she really did not care what sight they presented as the big grey charger trotted through the crowded streets, its smoke-stained rider clasping her safe in his arms.
‘Max is outside,’ Hal said to Wellow as he strode into the hall at Albemarle Street, Julia in his arms. ‘Have a groom take him round to the mews and send hot water up. And Wellow—’
‘Yes, Major?’ the butler said calmly.
‘There is no need to tell anyone that we have arrived home somewhat…dishevelled. I do not wish to be disturbed: have dinner sent up.’
‘Certainly, sir.’
‘Oh, and Wellow. Please send to my brother and ask him to come round and take over the night watch with my father.’
‘There is no need, Major. The staff have expressed a desire to assist. Felling and Langham will take the first part of the night, Mrs Hoby and I, the second. His lordship is resting quietly, I foresee no cause to expect alarms in the night.’
‘That is damned decent of you, Wellow.’
‘A privilege, Major. I will organise the hot water now.’
Hal swept upstairs, kicked open the door and dumped Julia unceremoniously in the middle of her bed. ‘Get un dressed.’
‘Why?’ she demanded. He was still blazing with anger, his eyes vividly blue as he faced her, his hands clenched.
‘Because when I have washed this soot off I am going to remind you who you are married to.’
‘Like some Turkish sultan dragging an unwilling slave back to the harem?’ She scram bled up until she was sitting, the better to glare at him as he started wrenching off his uniform.
‘You are unwilling?’ He paused, his fingers stilled on his sword belt.
‘I—’
There were sounds from the dressing room. Hal swore under his breath and went into the room, banging the door behind him. Julia sat where she was, staring rather blankly at the sabre in its scabbard leaning against the dressing table.
