Shanna Read Free Page B

liking.
    Mister Hicks heaved a heavy sigh, and then snorted abruptly.
    â€œWe’ll ’ave to see to him in his cell.” The rotund gaolersnatched a ring of keys from a peg on the wall. “Been kept away from others ’e ’as. Likely ’e woulda ’ad the ’ole bloody lot of ’em rising agin us.” He lit a lantern as he chattered on. “Why, took a fistful o’ redcoats to put ‘im down an’ chain him when they caught him at the inn. Him bein’ a colonial and all, ’e’s liken to be ’alf savage, anyway."
    If Hicks meant to put a fright into her, Shanna was having no part of it. She was calm now and knew what must be done to ease her own plight. Nothing would stand in her way after she had come this far.
    â€œLead the way, master gaoler,” she directed firmly. “There’ll not be a farthing exchanged until I have decided for myself that Mister Beauchamp will meet my needs. My man Pitney will accompany us should there be any trouble.”
    The smile faded, and Hicks shrugged. Finding no other excuse to delay, he took up the lantern to light the way. With his peculiar rolling gait, he preceded them from the dingy room, through the heavy iron doors leading to the main gaol then down a dimly lit corridor. Their footsteps echoed on the stone steps while the lantern cast eerie, flickering shadows around them. An unearthly silence held the place, for most of the prisoners slept, but now and again a groan or muffled weeping could be heard. Water dripped from some unseen fount, and swift scurrying sounds in dark corners brought chills and a strange foreboding to Shanna. She shivered in apprehension and clutched her cloak tighter about her, feeling the wretchedness of the place.
    â€œHow long has the man been kept here?” she inquired, glancing uneasily about her. It seemed impossible for anyone to long retain their sanity in a hole like this.
    â€œNigh to three months, milady.”
    â€œThree months!” Shanna gasped. “But your note said he was only just condemned. How is that?”
    Hicks snorted. “The magistrate didn’t rightly know what to do with the bloke, milady. Wid a name like Beauchamp, a fellow ’as to be bloody careful just ’oo ’e’s ’anging, even Lord ’Arry himself is a mite afeared of the Marquess Beauchamp. Ol’ ’Arry was reluctant, ye might say, but him being the magistrate, it were up to himself andno other. Then ’bout a week ago, ’e gave the word—’ang him.” Hicks’s weighty shoulders lifted then fell as if they were a burden too heavy for him. “I ’spect it’s cause the bloke’s from the colonies and as far as known, ’e’s no close kin to folks ’ere. Ol’ ’Arry instructed me to have the fellow ’anged quiet like with no fuss so these other Beauchamps and the Marquess wouldn’t learn o’ the deed. Being the clever man that I am, I figured when they give me to ’andle the matter on the sly that Mister Beauchamp be the one for ye.” Hicks paused before an iron door. “Ye said ye wanted a man bound for the gallows, and I couldn’t give him over to ye until Ol’ ’Arry made up his mind to ’ang him.”
    â€œYou’ve done well, Mister Hicks,” Shanna replied, a trifle more graciously. It was even better than she had hoped! Now as to the man’s appearance and consent.…
    The gaoler thrust a key into a lock and pulled on a door which, with a loud creak of rusty hinges, yielded. Shanna exchanged a quick glance with Pitney, knowing the moment was at hand when she would either see an end to her plan or a beginning.
    Mister Hicks lifted the lantern to let more light into the small cell, and Shanna’s gaze settled on the man within. He was huddled on a narrow cot and clasped a ragged, threadbare blanket about his shoulders as meager protection against the