''I am, who wants me?''
''Come out here,'' the warder said, the keys on his belt swinging to and fro. Henry stepped out of the cell and fell to the ground as someone hit him on the skull from behind. He groaned and tried to get up, but a boot on his neck held him down.
''You can go now, warden,'' the man said. ''Very kind of you to point him out to me, here's what we agreed.'' He handed the warden some money and the warden left them to it. He'd got his money and didn't care what happened to any of his prisoners. As far as he was concerned they were all criminals and deserved to die.
The man bent down and pulled Henry to his feet. He was a big man, probably a hired thug Henry thought. Henry sank to his knees again after the man hit him with force in the stomach. He groaned, resting on his hands and knees. Not finished yet, the man brought his knee down onto the back of Henry's head, flattening his face against the ground. As Henry looked along the ground, he saw the feet of another man standing in front of him.
''Henry, how nice to see you again. I'm sure you're enjoying His Majesty's hospitality.'' Henry recognized the raspy voice. It belonged to Benjamin Harvie, the man he'd entrusted with the finances of his business before Harvie had robbed him. ''I hear you've been talking about me, to the constabulary. Well, I'm here to tell you to stop.'' Harive nodded to the big man who pulled Henry to his feet once more. He held him by the throat as Harvie continued. ''Stop talking to the constabulary about me or your daughter gets it, do you understand?'' The mention of his daughter drove Henry to kick out at Harvie, earning him a punch in the face from the thug. ''Teach him a proper lesson, then throw him back in the cell,'' Harvie said as he walked away. When the big man threw Henry back into his cell, some of the other prisoners wretched at the sight of him. Only one prisoner helped him, the Reverend Peter Wright.
*****
Having been invited to Cobham Hall, Emily asked Helen to be her chaperon. When their carriage arrived outside the stately home, Edward was waiting to meet them. Emily looked out of the window and instantly recognized the place that she had visited with her father a few years ago.
''Emily, Helen, how nice to see you. Thank you for coming to Cobham Hall.'' He took Emily's hand and held it to his lips. They looked each other in the eyes and smiled, a loving smile. ''Come inside and take tea with me,'' he said.
They drank tea and talked about the weather and other mundane subjects until Edward began to find Helen's presence irritating. He called his sister who Helen knew. ''Helen would you like go into the garden with Mary? It's such a nice day.'' Helen looked at Emily, who nodded her approval.
''Emily,'' he said once Helen and his sister had left. ''How I have longed to see you again. I have thought about nothing else but you since we first met at Carruthers.''
''And I you Edward. I have missed you too.''
He stood up and sat next to her on the sofa. ''I am in love with you Emily.''
Emily pouted at him, and he kissed her. When he pulled back, Emily took his lapel and tugged him towards her again for more. ''And I am in love with you, Edward,'' she whispered.
Edward looked out of the window and saw Helen and his sister setting off on a walk of the grounds. ''Come with me, my dear,'' he said. Emily looked at him quizzically.
''If you want me to follow you to your bedroom, I will only do so if you promise to marry me.''
''I promise, I will marry you, there is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.''
Emily stood up and followed him upstairs. If Helen came back, she would have to wait for her, she thought. She was good enough to keep her mouth closed and not tell her aunt.
The bedroom Edward took her to wasn't large or overly luxurious, it was intimate. The fire was lit and the afternoon sunlight shone through the window. The bed was a small four-poster covered in white linen. There was room for a small chest of drawers and an easy chair.
''So this is your private retreat,'' Emily said, impressed by the ambiance.
''Yes, I like this room. Most of all I like the bed, it's very comfortable.''
Emily sat on the edge and tested it. ''Indeed, it is, very comfortable.''