Freeing Ebony

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Henry was optimistic when the carriage pulled up outside Ethridge. What if Ebony had indeed returned from France and he'd missed the letter his family had sent? It was a perfectly plausible scenario.

Though he could tell by the look on his mother's face that this had not come to pass. Emilia met him at the door with a look of deep anxiousness.

"Mama, what has happened?" he asked worriedly. "Tell me immediately."

"Thank God you have returned," Emilia murmured. "How is Celeste? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's healthy and well. Grandmamma is caring for her. Mama, why do you look so sorrowful?" Henry pulled his mother into the drawing room, subtly checking the pianoforte stool for any opera singers. He was out of luck.

"Vernon came by yesterday," she continued quietly.

"What?" Henry snapped. What was he doing back in London? He was supposed to be in France!

"He's brought the opera back to London so that he could debut his newest star - a Mademoiselle Georgette Sinclair. He found her in Paris and has since cast her as Elvira." Emilia sounded terrified, her tone depicting Henry's exact emotions. Where. Was. Ebony?

"Mama, tell me," Henry begged her.

"I asked him," she promised. "I asked what had happened to the previous Elvira and he said that they'd parted ways and she had moved onto another opera in Paris."

"A lie," Henry seethed. "Vernon would never simply part from his property. He's done something to her." The memory of Mrs Young warning him that Vernon had killed before and would not hesitate to do so again flashed into his mind. What if he learned that Celeste was gone and had simply disposed of Ebony? He had nothing to hold her to him anymore so she was of no use to him. She was in a position to go to the authorities. He'd murdered her. "I'm going to kill him," he said murderously, turning to go his satchel that housed one of William's pistols. He would watch the light leave Vernon's eyes and he would avenge Ebony for himself, and for Celeste.

"No!" Emilia cried! "No, you mustn't! You will be caught and you will be killed!" She seized Henry's arms and used all of her might to hold him back. But his little mother's strength was nothing to his. He pulled free easily.

"I don't care." He honestly didn't. This man had stolen, cheated and killed for far too long. If Henry did not do anything then he would continue to do so for the rest of his days. He nearly took the drawing room door off its hinges when he pulled it open.

"SEBASTIAN!" Emilia yelled desperately. "JAMES! COME QUICKLY!" She was wailing and screaming, doing all that she could to stop Henry's leaving. She threw herself in the way of the front door and guarded it with her arms. "If you want to throw your life away then you shall kill me first, for that is what will happen if you are caught," she threatened.

Henry would not allow Emilia to guilt him. "Stand aside, mother," he ordered. His satchel was still on the roof of the carriage outside. He was so close to a weapon.

"No," she said firmly, her brown eyes glaring at him. In that time his father and elder brother had come running, most likely expecting to see some kind of marauder but instead found a standoff between mother and son.

"What the devil is going on here?" Sebastian demanded as he positioned himself between Henry and Emilia. He glared at Henry, and he was ready to protect his wife with his body. James placed a hand on his brother's stiff shoulder in an effort to calm him.

"Vernon killed Ebony so I'm going to kill him," Henry said, sounding surprisingly calm. His state of initial shock had passed and he was ready to take action. "Move out of my way." But his parents refused to budge.