Story: After Horton's Death (Spoilers for Retribution)
After Horton's Death.
Hannah's hands shook as she poured the wine. Lucinda noticed. After the meal, she drew Hannah aside. "What is troubling you? Horton is dead. Tom has avenged Walter for you. Are you sorry?"
"No!" whispered Hannah, "But I am afraid."
"Tom is safe. He and Frances are well away from this place by now."
"Lady Ferrar, you are the only one I can tell what I have done. I trust you and no other."
Lucinda took her hand, "Dear Hannah, we have faced so much together. As you are a true friend to me, so I will be a true friend to you. Speak whatever you would speak and it will go with me to my grave."
"I thank you, Lady Ferrar, but I dare not speak it here."
"Come to my chamber." said Lucinda, leading the way.
When they got there, Hannah wrung her hands and looked so wretched that Lucinda offered her a cup of brandy. She took it and sipped and almost choked. Then she said, "I killed him, Lady Ferrar."
"No, Tom did."
"Indeed, he did not. I put poison in his drink. I stole the poison from Minty and used it."
Lucinda knew that sweet honest Hannah was lying. She would never say anything to harm Minty, but it was clear Hannah did not know much of poison. Besides, she looked away when she lied, she did it so rarely, she had never acquired the gift for hiding it. Lucinda smiled and decided not to say that she knew. Hannah would be even more tortured with guilt if she believed she had betrayed Minty. She put her arms around Hannah. "Then you saved Tom! Be proud of what you did!"
"It was a shameful thing, to murder by stealth!" said Hannah.
"You could hardly fight a duel with him." said Lucinda.
"He would have suffered."
"Have not you suffered, these last few years? Have not I? Is his time of suffering to be compared with ours?"
"I'll surely go to Hell."
"Is Walter in Hell?" asked Lucinda.
Hannah's eyes grew wide. "No! No, not my Walter."
"He was a soldier."
"In the King's cause! In God's cause!"
"Aye, as were you when you avenged him and saved my brother. You showed courage, Hannah, courage such as Walter always showed. He'd be proud of you, could he see you now. That man was a murderer. He widowed us both and how many more? Did he care for the suffering he caused? He disgraced my sister and shamed both Laceys and Fletchers. He served the tyrant, for whose kind Hell is all that awaits. Hannah, you had not sword or pistol to fight him with. What you had, you used. I will protect you if any dare to accuse you and if Old Nick comes looking, he'll have to kill me before he can lay hands on you, and the Laceys do not die easily, or alone."
They looked into each other's eyes and Hannah offered a tentative smile. "I feared you would call me a witch or murderer."
"You were God's messenger. My husband is avenged, my brother lives. I account you as blameless as any angel! God bless you, Hannah!" Lucinda kissed Hannah's cheek and hugged her tightly.
Hannah's hands shook as she poured the wine. Lucinda noticed. After the meal, she drew Hannah aside. "What is troubling you? Horton is dead. Tom has avenged Walter for you. Are you sorry?"
"No!" whispered Hannah, "But I am afraid."
"Tom is safe. He and Frances are well away from this place by now."
"Lady Ferrar, you are the only one I can tell what I have done. I trust you and no other."
Lucinda took her hand, "Dear Hannah, we have faced so much together. As you are a true friend to me, so I will be a true friend to you. Speak whatever you would speak and it will go with me to my grave."
"I thank you, Lady Ferrar, but I dare not speak it here."
"Come to my chamber." said Lucinda, leading the way.
When they got there, Hannah wrung her hands and looked so wretched that Lucinda offered her a cup of brandy. She took it and sipped and almost choked. Then she said, "I killed him, Lady Ferrar."
"No, Tom did."
"Indeed, he did not. I put poison in his drink. I stole the poison from Minty and used it."
Lucinda knew that sweet honest Hannah was lying. She would never say anything to harm Minty, but it was clear Hannah did not know much of poison. Besides, she looked away when she lied, she did it so rarely, she had never acquired the gift for hiding it. Lucinda smiled and decided not to say that she knew. Hannah would be even more tortured with guilt if she believed she had betrayed Minty. She put her arms around Hannah. "Then you saved Tom! Be proud of what you did!"
"It was a shameful thing, to murder by stealth!" said Hannah.
"You could hardly fight a duel with him." said Lucinda.
"He would have suffered."
"Have not you suffered, these last few years? Have not I? Is his time of suffering to be compared with ours?"
"I'll surely go to Hell."
"Is Walter in Hell?" asked Lucinda.
Hannah's eyes grew wide. "No! No, not my Walter."
"He was a soldier."
"In the King's cause! In God's cause!"
"Aye, as were you when you avenged him and saved my brother. You showed courage, Hannah, courage such as Walter always showed. He'd be proud of you, could he see you now. That man was a murderer. He widowed us both and how many more? Did he care for the suffering he caused? He disgraced my sister and shamed both Laceys and Fletchers. He served the tyrant, for whose kind Hell is all that awaits. Hannah, you had not sword or pistol to fight him with. What you had, you used. I will protect you if any dare to accuse you and if Old Nick comes looking, he'll have to kill me before he can lay hands on you, and the Laceys do not die easily, or alone."
They looked into each other's eyes and Hannah offered a tentative smile. "I feared you would call me a witch or murderer."
"You were God's messenger. My husband is avenged, my brother lives. I account you as blameless as any angel! God bless you, Hannah!" Lucinda kissed Hannah's cheek and hugged her tightly.