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.'She will be well,' she muttered.There was a sound, and Kit peered up the stairs.Abigail stood there.Her belly had not yet started to swell, and she seemed no different to the girl he had left behind.But she no longer smiled.It was difficult to imagine that face ever smiling.'Captin,' she said.'You'll get them, Captin.You'll get those who killed my man.'Kit instinctively took another step.Then halted.He had known Lilian, always poised and dignified.And overwhelmingly healthy.Besides, he distrusted his own emotions at this moment.He could identify none of them, save a raging fury.He went to the sideboard, poured a glass of rum, returned to stand by the white woman.'Drink this.'She raised her head, and frowned at him.But she took the glass in both hands, and drank.'Now tell me what happened, and when, and how, and who was responsible.''Four days ago,' Astrid whispered.'That close, Kit.That close.''You were here?'She shook her head.'I could only gather, from Abigail.From.people.' 'And Lilian is unharmed?''Unharmed,' Astrid muttered.'Aye, Kit, the surgeon says she is unharmed.''Then what happened?' he asked again.'Four days ago,' Abigail came down the steps.'But it was night.A band of horsemen appeared at the gate, Captin.They were masked, with hoods over their faces, and only slits for their eyes.'"White men?''Oh, yes, they were white men, Captin.Lilian even thought she recognized one or two of their voices.But she could not be sure.''And what happened?''Three of them dismounted, and came to the door.It was late, you understand, Captin, and we had retired.But the noise of the banging awoke us and Agrippa went down, unbolted the door and opened it to see what the matter was, and Captin, without saying a word, they ran him through with their swords, again and again and again.I was at the head of the stairs, there, looking down.He died right where you is standing, Captin.If you look close you will yet see the bloodstains.'Kit's fingers curled into fists.'We supposed we was also to be murdered, Captin.Me, I hid under the bed.But it was Lilian they wanted.She says she was unable to move for a few seconds, but when they started towards her she ran for the bedroom and bolted the door.But Captin, they knocked it down in a single charge.She had no weapon save a single pistol, and this was struck from her hand before she could aim it.Then she was dragged down here, and taken out of the house, and set on a horse.''Did she not cry out for help?''She screamed until her voice cracked, Kit,' Astrid said.'But Falmouth remained shuttered and dark.'Tis certain the villagers had been warned not to interfere.''They raped her?'Astrid's head moved to and fro.'No.No, she was not violated, Kit.Far worse.''Worse? Worse than death or assault? By Christ, Astrid, you had best speak plain.''They took her away, she says, into the canefields.They rode for a good time, and she cannot be sure of the direction.But when they reached their selected place they halted their mounts and set her down.And the place had been prepared.There was a fire, and barrels, she said.'Kit stared at the woman, his mouth dry.Abigail at last started to sob.'They held her down and cut off her hair, Kit.They cut off every strand, and then they lathered her with soap and shaved the rest.But not yet were they satisfied, Kit.They took away her nightdress, and applied tar to her body.They coated her with hot tar, Kit, from her neck to her toes, and accompanied the deed with every act of lewdity that you can imagine, save the ultimate.Then she was rolled in the dust and covered all over with leaves and filth, and placed in a cart.''And taken where?''To St John's, Kit.By now it was close to dawn.The masked men rode her into town, and stopped in the middle of the main street, and took her out of the cart and tied her wrists and her ankles all together in the small of her back, and left her there.In the middle of the street, Kit.Then they thrust a gag into her mouth so that she could not cry out, and rode away.''Who found her?''The entire town found her, Kit.As her kidnappers intended.It was a fisherman first.And he roused the Pinneys at the store, and they roused Barnee.They knew not who it was, you see, and supposed in fact that she was some Negress.It was not until they took the gag from her mouth and she spoke that they understood.'Slowly Kit straightened.Lilian, tarred and naked, in the midst of the St John's mob.With her head shaved.He looked down at his right hand; his nails had eaten into his palm, as Marguerite's had done on that terrible day at Green Grove.'Dag would not have her in the house, Kit,' Astrid whispered.'He said she had sinned most terribly, and this was but a punishment on her for that sin.I called upon Mr Barnee for help, and he gave it willingly enough.We got his own wagon, and placed her in that, and brought her back here, Kit.It was then for the first time I understood what had happened to Agrippa.Lilian would not speak, then.' Marguerite.And Green Grove.'We got Dr Haines to come out,' Astrid said.'And he examined her, and bathed her, and tried to get the worst of the tar off.And he gave her a salve for the burns.tar burns, Kit.It leaves scorch-marks on the skin.'Because who else could possibly have done it? She had virtually threatened him, the last day on the boat before they had reached Barbados.Her decision must have been taken then, and the message despatched by the mail sloop almost immediately.She had intended to avenge herself on him, without even knowing which way the trial would go.At a time, indeed, when all had prophesied Philip Warner's condemnation.'And then we put her to bed, Kit.And there she has remained.Mr Barnee looked after the burial of Agrippa, Kit.He has been very good.'Her voice was a distant mumble; her face was indistinct
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Tematy
IndexChristine Amsden [Cassie Scot Cassie Scot ParaNormal Detecti
Christie Craig [Divorced, Des Divorced, Desperate
Moore Christopher Ssij, mała, ssij (II)
Stasheff, Christopher Wizard in Rhyme 6 Haunted Wizard
Christine Feehan Mroczna Seri Mroczny Demon
Cidney Swanson [Saving Mars Saving Mars (epub)
Stasheff, Christopher Rogue Wizard 04 A Wizard in Peace
Feehan Christine Mroczna Seria 01 Mroczny Ksišże
Stasheff, Christopher Warlock 01 The Warlock in Spite of Himself
Christine Feehan Mroczna Seria 13 Mroczne Przeznaczenie