I Am Jessamine
Chapter 17

Jess awoke to someone opening curtains and letting the sunshine in. Peeping with one eye open she saw another young maid rushing around the room and collecting clothing, another cleaning the bathtub, and yet another stoking the fire. Just then another maid entered the room and whispered nervously, “Have any of you seen the little boy who arrived yester eve with the person who looks like master Deaglan? He is not in his room and I can’t seem to find him.” The poor girl looked about to cry and the other maids didn’t help by telling her she would be fired if she couldn’t find the boy.

Jess mumbled from under the cloudy duvet, “Relax. He is here with me. He could not fall asleep in this strange house so I let him climb into my bed to sleep.” She watched them all look at each other with comical shocked expressions on their faces and Jess rolled her eyes.

“Please may I wake him and take him back to his bed?” asked the young maid nervously.

“No, why would you do that? The child is exhausted from travel and he became accustomed to sleeping beside me. Leave him be, and if anyone has anything to say about it then send them to me. Now go away and let me get another few minutes rest.” Jessie growled and they all scurried out of the bedchamber. Jessie grinned when she heard Gem giggle softly.

A little later, Jess was dressing in clothing that had been left on the bench at the foot of the bed. Gratefully the maids had left brown leather trousers, a white shirt with lacy, ruffled cuffs, a long white scarf that was meant to be wrapped around the neck, black velvet vest, and a long brown leather coat with various slits here and there, and lots of decorative buttons down the front and upturned cuffs. Her thigh-high boots had been cleaned and left on a boot rack of sorts near the fireplace so they were warm and soft and she buttoned and buckled them up easily. Fresh and clean knitted stockings were provided as well and Jess managed to pull them all the way to mid-thigh. When she had tied back her hair she took a look at herself in the long gilded mirror standing in the corner of the room and was surprised at how much she resembled Rourke and that she somehow took on the masculine persona she had wanted to achieve.

Taking a deep breath Jess picked up her tricorne and walked back to the bed where Gem was still sleeping peacefully. The poor child was so exhausted that Jess did not have the heart to wake him for breakfast. The cook could easily fix him something when he woke. A frantic tapping at the door brought Jess out of her reverie and she walked over and opened it to see Willy crouched down. Pushing past her he shuffled over to the window and looked down and Jess frowned at him.

“What the hell are you doing?” she whispered suspiciously.

“There’s a platoon of redcoats heading down the hill and they should be here within an hour or so. Where’s the kid?” Willy asked turning back from the window.

Jess pointed at the bed and Willy lifted the bed covers and Gem did not move a muscle.

“Stay here with him, Willy.” And before he could argue Jess was out the door and flying down the stairs.

Gibbs was standing at the bottom of the stairs and as Jess rushed towards him she asked, “Where’s my father?” Without batting an eyelid he held out his arm to the library and Jess ran across the entrance hall to the door and knocked once before walking in.

Seeing Jess, Rourke stood up, and immediately said, “Your name is Deaglan William O’Cleirigh and you are twenty-three years old. You arrived here last eve and you were riding alone until you were fortunate enough to meet up with a nearby tenant and his little son who had a wagon and you shared your resources. You received that injury to your face when you were attacked by deserters. You have returned from France only for a short while to inform me and your mother of your intent to marry and remain in France. Your betrothed, Angelique, is the daughter of a very wealthy businessman, the Marquis de Lyonese. Do you have all of that?” He asked with a concerned expression on his face.

“Yes, I’ve got it, but what about Willy and Gem? They cannot be seen or taken from me. I will kill the first man that tries.” Jessie sounded as mean as a rabid fox and her eyes were icy cold.

“I believe you will kill, Jess. But never fear, Benjamin has gone up and prepared them for where they need to hide for now.” He said opening the desk drawer and removing something round and shiny.

“How do I know your children will stay silent and not inadvertently let something slip?” Jess asked feeling very nervous and concerned for Willy and Gem.

“They are your kin, Jess. They are not blind and nor are they stupid and besides, they love the whole idea of pretence. They can be quite incorrigible.” He sighed rolling his eyes. “Now, tell me, before those bastards get here, who exactly is Gem then?”

Jessie stared at Rourke wondering if she could trust him because even his limits will be tested upon hearing the truth, but she took the chance and a deep breath. “His name is Germaine William Rancliff. He is Brigadier General Rancliff’s son.”

Losing the rosiness in his cheeks and looking quite shocked, he rocked back on his heels and then finally leaned back on his desk. “If you have the boy, then there must be a good reason and I will respect your judgment on that, but if you’re caught you must know you will be shot on the spot?”

“I will kill any man, or woman, that tries to take Gem away from me. That boy has no mother and I rescued him out of the freezing ocean when he was left for dead. Not once did his father ask after him, whether he had survived or if we had found his little body. After some of the things Gem has said, that bastard does not want him nor does he deserve such an amazing son. He was, in fact, being sent to live with his aunt in Barbados when the ship he was on went down. So, I tell you again, I will kill anyone, man or woman, that tries to take Gem away from me!” She stood with her hand on the pommel of her sword and Jess meant it.

“I believe you will. But don’t fret, we will send this lot packing. Have you heard of the measles, Jess?” he asked and Jess frowned at him. He stood in front of Jess and lifted the shiny object he had taken out of the drawer. Jess saw it was a silver brooch which he proceeded to clip beneath the knot under her chin, patted it gently, and smiled and Jess. “That belongs to you, my first born.” And he winked.

“Of course I have. I’ve had the measles myself so I am immune now. What has that got to do with this situation now?” Jess frowned feeling rather irritated at her father and lifted her hand to absentmindedly and gently touch the glittering brooch.

“Well, it just so happens some of my laborers, house staff, and wife have come down with it, so my home and the entire estate are quarantined because we are under various stages of the illness.” Grinning at Jess he leaned over and held his hand out towards the door, “Care to meet and greet our unwanted guests out front because they certainly cannot come inside. We have to think of their health and safety, as concerned subjects of the crown, yes?” Jess laughed and bowed and walked with her father to the front doors where Gibbs was standing waiting to open them.

Rourke and Jess were standing on the top stairs when ten redcoats came trotting up the road towards the front of the house. Jess’s heart was in her throat because at the head of the ten redcoats was Daniels. She would never forget that piggy-eyed, sly-looking face. Rourke doesn’t know that I know what Deaglan witnessed when finding Thaliana with Gray and nor does he know that Gray is my lover, my life, the father of my miscarried baby. Jess felt the anger boiling within her at the audacity of this bastard showing his face after causing such pain to her brother and Gray.

“Ah, so there is hate there for this pig of a person?” Rourke noted, “We will talk more once this lot has gone and no longer defiles the air I breathe.”

“You’re a canny old man, aren’t you? You miss nothing, nothing at all. I must get that from you then.” Jess looked sidelong at him and he had a proud lift to his chin and Jess felt comfortably satisfied that her father liked her.

As the horses were reined in Colonel Daniels bounded off his beautiful stallion and started up the stairs, “We were in the area and I thought a quick visit was in order.” And he stopped a few stairs below Jess and Rourke staring at Jess with narrowed eyes.

“Good day to you, Colonel Daniels. I would invite you in, but it appears we seem to be suffering an outbreak of measles at the moment. The good Lord only knows who brought it on to our estate, but my staff, workers and family have been infected.” Rourke held his hands open in a feeble fashion of giving up.

Daniels took a few steps back and frowned up at Jess, “Did I not see you on the O’Murchadha?” he said narrowing his eyes.

Raising her eyebrow and looking down her nose at him she looked out over the fields and in a bored fashion said, “I am afraid you are mistaken, Colonel Daniels. Perhaps your eyes are playing tricks on you?”

Staring back up at Jess, her injury, and then running his finger along his own jaw he said, “I never forget a face.”

“I believe you don’t, Colonel, but I can assure you I have not laid eyes on you for a long while, but until this very moment.” And Jess stared at him so hard and with ice in her eyes that Daniels looked away.

Just when it appeared he was about to say something more, young Marie-Louise walked out the door and Jess nearly dropped her game face. The girl looked terrible and had what appeared to be itchy red patches on her face, neck, and arms. Muttering weakly she said, “Papa, I feel so bad.” And she dropped like a sack of wet washing and Jess sprang forward and lifted the child into her arms. Without a backward glance, she stalked indoors with her.

She walked into the parlor with Marie-Louise and set her on her feet and the little girl giggled quietly, “Oh that was such fun. Maybe that horrid, leering lecher will go away now.” Jessie smiled at her and shook her head, “Thank you, precious girl.” And she walked back out to her father.

Daniels was standing beside his horse and spoke up to whom he thought to be Deaglan, “What brings you back here, anyway?”

Jess stood staring down at Daniels with her hands behind her back, a smug smile on her face and narrowed eyes. Just as Jess was about to tell him that it was none of his business really, a young farm hand came rushing forward with a small boy in his arms who was also covered in a rash on his face, chest, and arms.

“Get that thing away from me, man. Good god, O’Cleirigh, do you have all the village idiots here?” Daniels railed.

Jess stepped forward and said coolly and loudly, but with a meaningful stare, “No, Daniels, not all the village idiots.” And she stood and watched his face turn that familiar puce and heard the men around him snicker.

’Do not let any of your workers come near mine!” and with that, he turned his horse around and galloped away with his entourage on his tail.

Rourke and Jess stood for a while longer watching the riders go back up the hill and then together they turned back and walked into the house and Gibbs closed the door behind them.

Seeing his youngest daughter Rourke pulled her into his arms and hugged her, “You were brilliant, my darling.” And the young girl preened under his praise. Jessie smiled and nodded her head and just then Willy came thumping down the stairs, “Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph there appears to be an outbreak of some sort of disease in this house!” and the father and his two daughters burst out laughing. Looking horribly confused Jess quickly filled Willy in and he shook his head. “Crafty bloody lot, you are.” And he laughed with them.

“Right, I will take my leave, for now, and go and have a word with Genevieve.” Looking at Gibbs Jess indicated with an outstretched hand, “Lead the way please, Gibbs.”

With a nod from Rourke, Gibbs said, “Right this way please, uh sir? Master?” and he looked utterly lost for words.

“Call me Jess.” Said Jessie kindly and walked with Gibbs to Genevieve’s wing and knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter. Jess was never good at waiting and she pushed past Gibbs and opened the door. Amazingly he never tried to stop her and Jess closed the door behind her and stood watching Genevieve while she was standing looking out of her bedroom window onto a beautiful sloping lawn and gardens.

“I never thought I would see you again. Ever. But here you are and only mere months after seeing Nicholas. I am not going to apologize for leaving you behind with Ben and Willy because I am not sorry. I did what I felt I had to do at the time for the reasons I had at that time.” Genevieve said without looking back at Jess.

“I don’t want your apology. I want nothing from you except to know what Nick is up to. I want you to tell me everything so that I can understand.” Jess walked slowly into the room. Never once taking her eyes off her mother.

Sighing she turned around and sat down on an overstuffed wing-backed chair. She did not invite Jess to sit down so Jess invited herself and sat down in the chair opposite her and stared at her face. Genevieve could not meet her eyes.

“I cannot believe how much you look like Deaglan. It is quite unsettling really.” She brushed imaginary lint from her skirts, but still did not look at Jess.

“You mean Deaglan looks like me. I am older than him, after all. But enough of the small chit-chat. What is Nick doing here and where is he now? I have to find him before he makes an even bigger mess of things than he already has.” This brought Genevieve’s eyes to Jess’s face.

“What do you mean? What has happened to Nicholas?” Jess narrowed her eyes at her mother and her jaw automatically clenched. Game face, Jessie, she reminded herself.

“Wow! You really are a piece of work, aren’t you? I am not telling you another goddamned thing. Not until you tell me what Nick is doing here.” Jess’s voice was icy cold, but her game face was in place.

“Do not …” but Genevieve did not finish. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Enough! I don’t care if I offend your sensibilities. I don’t care that you don’t love me or even cared about me. I have no wish to take anything from you and I most definitely will not take anything offered of yours anyway. You owe me nothing, I owe you nothing, but clearly, you have a soft spot for Nick. Now, for us both to move on and out of one another’s lives tell me what I want to know, or, believe me, I will make your life a living hell. Are we clear, Genevieve?” Jess was finished with the niceties. She wanted answers and then she wanted to leave.

“Fine, I will tell you. When I left you and Nick with Ben I wrote a letter and left it with our lawyers and asked them to deliver it to Nicholas when he turned twenty-five years old. The letter contained the reason why I returned and why I left him behind. I told him of Rancliff and Daniels and what they took from my family. I told him about the year he was born. I told him of time travel and I told him of my plan to get what belongs to us if he could get to jump through time to help me. You see, Rancliff and Daniels quite literally raided my parents’ home, Broch de Clisson, to try and find proof of their sympathies to the Scottish Highland Jacobites. When they could not find this proof they helped themselves to thousands of pounds worth of family heirlooms. I may not be able to get it all back, but I want to see Rancliff and Daniels fall. I want them thrown into prison and I want them to stay there and rot.” Genevieve was quite literally frothing at the mouth and she looked somewhat demented.

“Fair enough, but how did you plan for Nick to do this for you?” Jess asked concern for Genevieve not even entering her mind.

“My brother, Marcel, was meant to inherit Broch de Clisson, but he died before he could become the Earl so my poor father, who is very old now, has to run the estate on his own. I try to go and help him as much as I can, but the place needs a permanent master. I told Nick that he could become the next Earl when he’s done helping me.”

“So you’re basically trying to bribe your own son to help you, and Nick agreed to this?’ Jess stood up and walked over to the window. “I know about your brother, Marcel. He died of some sexually transmitted disease or something or other.” If Jess remembered correctly, Willy had told her Marcel had been gay. In the twenty-first century nobody really even cared about one’s sexuality, but now in this era, it may have been known, but it was not approved of.

She heard Genevieve gasp behind her, but ignored it. “Right, so what is it that Nick is doing to get your inheritance back for you?”

“Without Rancliff knowing who he was Nick began working for him, but I have not heard from Nick in almost two months.” Genevieve sounded like she was crying, but Jess was cold to her.

Jess walked over and got her face right up into Genevieve’s face and she glared into eyes the same color as hers and she spoke through her teeth because her mouth was so dry from being so angry. “Well, let me fill you in, shall I? Your precious Nicholas is the pirate captain of the Black Coral responsible for attacking the ship Ben, Willy and I was on. This attack took Ben’s life and his body was simply tossed overboard and into the ocean as though he was some inconsequential piece of cargo. This same pirate attacked another ship that almost killed my godson. So, please, tell me how that kind of employment and connection to Rancliff is going to help you, Genevieve?”

Holding her hands over her face Genevieve began to cry, but Jess did not let up, “If Rancliff has any idea who Nick may be, you can bet your ass he is going to use Nick until such time as Nick is no longer of use to him. For all you know he already knows who Nick is and is using him to pillage and plunder for his own personal coffers.” Jess moved away from her mother and stood with her hands on her hips, her mind running like an engine.

Turning Jessie walked back to the door and as her hand reached out to the door handle Genevieve said, “Ben was an honorable, good man.”

Opening the door Jess said over her shoulder, “Yeah, and you happily used him. Don’t ever let me hear you say his name again. If you do,” she hissed between her teeth, “I will kill you!” Closing the door quietly behind her Jess heard sobbing coming from within the room. She felt nothing for her mother, but she shook from anger knowing it was up to her to find Nick. She stalked off briskly in search of Willy and Rourke.

Finding her way back to the library was akin to walking through a maze. Jess walked into an area where there were a whole bunch of women washing clothing and bedding, so she turned back and ended up in the kitchen where she quickly gobbled down some bacon and bread and cheese and then had one of the maids show her how to get back to the entrance hall and library.

Jess saw Gem playing out on the lawn with Benjamin and a dog, so she left them to it and walked into the library after knocking briefly. Sitting at a chess table the two men were clearly in the middle of a brain-eating game so Jess went over to the drinks cabinet and poured herself a whiskey. Sitting on the settee Jess swallowed down a big gulp of the golden liquid and leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

“Hah! That was a brilliant move. I shall need to remember that one. Well done, William” Rourke said happily and Jess thought that these people lived in la-la-land. No one seemed at all perturbed that Genevieve was a conniving cow who had no qualms about using her son for her gain. Money was, yet again, at the root of it all.

“I can see your visit with Genevieve tired you out, yes? She can be a bit exhausting when she has an idea in her head and she always wants her own way.”

Jess looked at Rourke with a frown on her face and she leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, “Do you have any idea what your wife has done?” Jess asked him with an incredulous look on her face when he shrugged his shoulders. “She has roped her eldest son into assisting her to get back from Rancliff and Daniels what they stole from Broch de Clisson, and he is doing this by working for Rancliff and the idiot thinks Rancliff won’t cotton on to who he is and what he is up to. Rancliff did not get to where he is by being stupid!”

Jess stood up shaking her head and walked to the windows, “If Nick is found out and Rancliff can connect him to Genevieve you do realize what that will mean, don’t you?” Jess looked at Willy and then Rourke who cocked his head to one side and then stood up.

“Sweet Lord, I could lose everything!” Walking over to the rope near the door he tugged on it and Gibbs appeared within moments. “Please go to my wife and tell her I wish to see her in the sitting room right now.” Gibbs opened his mouth to say something, but Rourke cut him off. “Go! Now!” With a haughty tilt to his chin and a sour look on his face Gibbs walked off, “Sir.”

“Excuse me, please. I need to have a word with my wife and then take care of financial and family matters.” And Rourke left the room.

“Jesus, Willy. She’s promised Nick the Earldom of Broch de Clisson if he can infiltrate Rancliff’s organization and get her birthright back. Nick is a thief, he steals shit and he’s good at it, but this is nothing like stealing a painting or jewelry. Someone has to come up with a plan for Rancliff to do a nefarious deed and be caught red-handed.”

Jess walked around the table, to the window, and back again, and took another swig of whiskey. “Come on Willy, help me figure this one out, please?”

“Jess, I have some news for you. About Gray?” he said hesitantly and Jess felt her stomach fall through her nether regions.

“What about Gray, Willy? What has happened to him?” she asked in a throat-crushing whisper.

“According to what I have been told, he was arrested about a week after we left for obstruction or some such nonsense. It took his lawyer about a week to get him out of prison, but he suffered greatly. He was beaten daily and when he was finally released he was near death. That was the first message I received and then today another message arrived. Would you like to read it?” Willy held out the piece of paper and Jess reached out with icy fingers.

Sitting down Jess unfolded the paper and saw the untidy scrawl across the paper and looked up at Willy and he murmured, “Yes, well, clearly Jock did not have much schooling.” Nodding she looked back down at the paper too afraid to speak and too afraid to read.

Taking a deep breath she read the few lines and closed her eyes as she felt hot tears building up. He was alive. He was whole. She kept saying these words over and over again in her mind. Rancliff had charged Gray with harboring fugitives and impounded his ship, O’Murchadha, and the warehouse with all of his trade goods within. The crew who lived in the rooms above were evicted and scattered to try and find lodgings and work. Gray managed to intercept the Flying Fox and is presently sailing that vessel to a place of safety so that Rancliff could not get his hands on the ship. According to Jock, he says Grays’ injuries are healing as expected and Jessie cringed inside just thinking about what injuries Gray must have suffered. Jessie leaned her face in her hands and rubbed gently as her wound was still sensitive even though she was doing what Nell had told her and she was using the slimy aloe regularly.

“He’s alive, Willy. That’s what is most important. How will we ever know where he will hide out? Willy, we need an influential friend and we need official letters of complaint against Rancliff and Daniels. I know they are well connected, but surely one voice can start a revolution?”

The door had opened and standing in the doorway was Rourke with a look on his face that Jess couldn’t read. “You, my child, have just said a mouthful there. I believe we can find those letters and I think I may know an influential person who will help us. I had no idea things were so out of hand and that Rancliff was still murdering to keep his position. One hears rumors, but you cannot base actions on rumors.” He said and put his hands on his hips.

“I know of wars that were started over far less!” muttered Jess sullenly.

Rourke ignored her and walked forward and asked, “Now, are you going to tell me how you know Grayson Murphy and why he is of so much concern to you?”

“Were you eavesdropping?” Jessie asked flabbergasted.

Shrugging and pouring a whiskey he said frankly, “It’s my house.”

Still feeling irritated that he listened in on a private conversation, Jess found it unbelievably easy to tell her father how they met, what had transpired, and the reason for their rushing across the land with Gem to his front door.

“So, you travel all this way and meet the love of your life,” he frowned slightly and then added, “your soul mate? You are an honorable woman, Jess. You have integrity and commitment and you place your loved ones above all else. That, my dear, makes you incredibly loyal. That is very rare indeed.” Sitting behind his desk he began writing and Jess sat and stared at Willy raising her eyebrow. She was amazed at how unflappable her father was and wondered how it was that the gene skipped her. A few minutes later, when he was finished, he folded up his letter and sealed it with a wax seal, stood up, and pulled the chord again. Gibbs appeared and Rourke said, “As quickly as you can, thank you.”

Turning back to Willy and Jess, Rourke opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Genevieve who rushed in crying, “You cannot do this Rourke. What about my children? This is insanity, please, I beg you do not do this?” and she held pleading hands up in front of his face.

Frowning and pushing her hands away Rourke said, “My children will be well taken care of because I will be leaving everything to Jess and a trustee,” and he motioned to William, “I know they will do right by Marie-Louise and young Benjamin. You know as well as I do that Deaglan wants nothing from us and he is making his fortune in France with wine. What you choose to do for Nicholas is entirely up to you, but by the sounds of things you have whipped that right out from under Benjamin and promised Broch de Clisson to your eldest.” And he walked away from her and back to his desk.

Jess and Willy stood staring at each other and Genevieve rushed over and raised her hand as though to slap Jess, but Jessie caught her wrist and squeezed as hard as she could and her mother yelped, “You bitch! You came here to cause problems, didn’t you? Why did you come here?” She screeched almost hysterically.

Jessie pushed her away and shook her head, “God help you because I won’t. Get away from me and if you ever raise your hand to me again, I will cut it off! I came here to save my brother at the cost of my own happiness. If I find out that you and Nick have conspired to do something of a nefarious nature and put others at risk, I will bring you down, mother.”

“Don’t call me that! I am not your mother. You are nothing of mine and I will never admit you are my child. I want you to leave, right now!” Turning to Rourke Geneviève screamed hysterically, “Tell her to leave.”

Sighing sadly and shaking his head, Rourke said in a very quiet tone, “Geneviève, I will have the staff pack up your belongings and anything else you wish to take with you back to Broch de Clisson. If anyone is going to leave this place, it will be you, my dear. I knew you were capable of many things, but this? Using your son for your own ends is too much. You have wanted for nothing and your parents have never left you wanting. This is all about money and it makes you no better than Rancliff himself.” Rourke looked at his wife sadly as she stood staring at him speechless. “We were all guilty of treason when we helped the Scottish Highlander Jacobites and we should just be lucky Rancliff took only jewels and gold and not our lives or our homes. Broch de Clisson and my estate have been very fortunate. Many others were not so fortunate and they lost everything.” Looking at Jess she knew he was speaking of Gray and Willy and their homes and lands.

“I should have stayed with my first love, B …!” but she never said his name and moved quickly behind the settee as she saw Jessie step closer to her with a thunderous expression on her face. “He loved me and he was my real love,” Geneviève shouted hurtfully

“Yes, maybe you should have, but sadly you are greedy for wealth and you saw me as your personal cash cow.” Turning away from Geneviève he looked like a broken man and sat heavily behind his desk.

Geneviève tugged the rope beside the door and a chubby lady came rushing in. Genevieve instructed her to start packing her things and before she could continue Rourke interjected, “Only the mistress’s items, please Beatrice. The children will be staying here with me.”

Letting out a sob Geneviève rushed from the room and Jess heard her start wailing as she went up the stairs.

“Rourke, I appreciate and understand what it is you are doing, but are you sure this is what you want to do?” Willy asked.

“William, I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. My children come first and I know you are a fair and honest man. I knew your father before he lost his land to Rancliff and I know that he made a success of his business in Dublin. I also know that Gray and his family lost more than their land and home, they lost Thaliana. Deaglan loved that girl so very much. Her murder nearly ended that boy and I won’t tell you how Gray suffered. It was too much for everyone and I was happy to hear Gray and your father, James, had each other. Now, it will be my honor and privilege to have you take care of my children one day when I am gone. I love my wife, but right now, I think it is best she goes away and seriously thinks about what she has done. She can be very foolish at times because she thinks wi her heart and not her head.” He sighed and asked Jess to pour him a whiskey.

Raising his glass he said, “Here’s to the fall of Brigadier General William James Rancliff, landowner, thief, murderer, fraudster, and charlatan.” And the three of them raised their glasses and drank to the toast and the promise Jess made in her heart.

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