CHAINS TO FREEDOM.✔

Chapter Seventy-Four

The dark timber door across the hall opened. Edward smiled, and then ushered Jessica and Louis to come inside. "He is ready to see you now."

Louis squeezed her hand. "Jessica, no matter the outcome, I still want to marry you." Her mouth smiled, but her eyes did not. Louis stared down at her. His heart raced. "Before we go inside, tell me you will."

"No." Jessica bit her bottom lip. "Louis you will be a laughing stock if you marry a convict. I cannot do that to you."

He pulled her toward him and placed his hand on her cheek. "It does not matter to me, Jessica. I am already a laughing stock. Rachel Templeton has made me so. I do not despise her however, for I do not care. Please, Jessica, promise me no matter the outcome, that you will be my wife."

Tears filled Jessica's eyes, she knew how lucky she was and as Louis did not despise Rachel, she realised she did not despise Adam. If not for him, she would have never met Louis. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Yes, Louis," she whispered. "No matter the outcome, I will be your wife."

Jessica returned to consciousness on the bed in her hotel room. Her mind reeled. Had it all been a horrible dream? Her head hurt. When she lifted her arm to touch her face she discovered her wrists were tied to the bed head.

"Ah, you are awake at last."

At the sound of Adam's voice Jessica lifted her head and looked at where he sat in the corner of the room. "What is this, Adam? Why am I tied to the bed?"

"It is time for my little charade to begin." Adam chuckled and came toward her with a knife in his hand.

"What are you going to do?" Jessica cried. Never before had she felt this afraid of him.

Adam held the blade to her cheek. He looked into her eyes and turned up his lip. When he nicked her skin Jessica screamed. Adam clamped his hand over her mouth. "Just a little something to remember me by, my dear." He cut the rope from her wrists and pulled her to sitting position on the bed. Adam then went to the door that adjoined the two rooms. He threw the rope into the other room and put the knife back into his waistcoat. "Come," he said to someone in his room. "It is time."

Millie appeared in the doorway. She smirked at Jessica but remained silent.

"Millie," Jessica pleaded. "What is this?" Jessica pressed her hand to her face trying to stop the bleeding and realised she was dressed in the dirty stinking clothes that belonged to the pauper woman. She peered over at Adam with fear she'd never known before. He stood with his hand on the hall doorknob. Jessica jerked to her feet and gasped, "What is this?"

Adam nodded to Millie. She opened her mouth and screamed. He nodded again and she screamed once more. This time Adam flung the door to the hall wide opened. "Porter! Porter!" he yelled.

The man, who was seated as he was every night, at the end of the hall, came running. "Yes, My Lord? Is there a problem?"

"Come! There is an intruder in my wife's room. She has just entered her room and found this intruder looking through her things. I think she has stolen something of my wife's." Adam pointed at Jessica. "It's in her pocket. The peelers! Go man! I'll keep her here until you return!"

The porter looked at the dirty woman dressed in ragged clothes and wondered if he'd lose his position because she had got past him. It must have happened when he'd gone for his tea. He took in her tangled hair and bruised face where blood ran down her cheek, and then looked at the other woman in the room, at her face, the face that had been hidden under her black veil. She had her hands to her mouth, obviously shocked and distressed.

"Yes, My Lord!" He gave a quick bow and ran.

"No! Jessica shrieked. "No...!"

They walked together through the large doors. Jessica felt the eyes of the other people in the room upon her.

Louis sat in one of the vacant chairs and watched as she moved to stand in front of the lieutenant-governor.

Jessica felt the eyes of the other people in the room upon her.

Adam sat in one of the vacant chairs and watched as she stood in front of the magistrate.

The magistrate looked up from the papers he was reading and stared at her face. "You are Jessica Reily?"

"No!" she cried. "No I am not!" she screamed again as he turned toward the peeler who was seated in front of her.

"What say you, officer?"

"The accused's desperate attempts to defend herself do not ring true, Your Worship. She claims to be  related to Lord Loxton." He held his hand out toward Adam. "His cousin, no less but Lord Loxton states that he has no cousin that resembles this woman.  His wife endorses this." He paused. "Mr. Jamison and employees of the establishment, who prefer to remain unnamed, where Lord and Lady Loxton are staying, confirm that no other person was accompanying His Lord and Lady. The accused insists she was travelling with His Lordship but, from all accounts this has not been proved, Your Worship." He bowed his head, and then sat down.

She had no proof. Adam had taken care of that.

Lieutenant-Governor Franklin sat at his desk.

The governor looked up from the papers he was reading and stared at her face. "I have read your account of your arrest and sentence. I have also studied the information given to me by Mr. Edward Logan and Master Copeland. It would appear your statement has credibility. I ask you now. Are you Lady Jessica Loxton?"

"Yes," she whispered pleased she was no longer to be known as Reily.

Louis had taken care of that.

The magistrate peered at her. "Jessica Reily. You have been charged that on  this day, the ninth of January, in the year of eighteen hundred and forty, you did unlawfully enter premises known to us and that you did steal one brooch, that which was the property of Lord and Lady Loxton. All evidence proves this to be true. I now sentence you to serve a term of seven years transportation!"

She stared at the dark walls and the people seated in the gallery. She focused on Adam in disbelief. There was nothing she could do. Jessica hung her head and hid her face with her hands as her body trembled with anguish.

Lieutenant- Governor Franklin smiled. "Lady Jessica Loxton. There is sufficient evidence to prove you are who you say you are. This alone is enough for me to believe you did not steal a brooch as you were charged with. Under the power granted to me, I present to you an unconditional pardon. I give you your freedom."

She looked at the dark walls and the people seated in the gallery. She focused on Louis in disbelief. He had done everything for her. Jessica hung her head and hid her face with her hands as her body trembled with relief.

Copyright© 2019 Donna Fieldhouse. All rightsreserved.

Thank Governor Franklin. ♥ Jessica has her unconditional pardon.

Hopefully she and Louis will live happily ever after. ♥♥♥