Part 21 (1/2)
She was back in his office on Tuesday morning. John Grant had seen Andrew and talked to him, as well as to the provost's clerk.
”Did my husband have a message for me, Mr. Grant?”
”Yes, he said that he was treated well and urged you not to worry. But to be frank, Mrs. Campbell, things do not look good at all. Your husband suspects that James Drummond from whom he bought the horse did not get it by lawful means-”
Helen nodded in agreement.
”-and without a receipt there is no way to prove his innocence.”
”And James Drummond would deny having sold the horse to him. I know my Balquhidder cousins.”
John Grant raised his eyebrows in surprise. ”You are related to them?”
”Yes, they are cousins of my mother.”
”That won't help either. We better keep that quiet.”
”Can't I testify?”
”The trouble is that your husband was close to here when the horse was stolen which puts him within easy reach of the scene of the crime.”
”But I can testify that he bought the horse in Balquhidder. We both rode the mare from Killin.”
”Where you present when the deal was struck?”
Helen hesitated for a second. ”No.”
”So the provost could claim that your husband left the horse with James Drummond and simply picked it again up on the way through there.” As an afterthought, he added: ”Anyway, as his wife your testimony would not count for much.”
Helen's spirits sank a bit more.
”As I said, things don't look good. The clerk intimated that his Honor has already convicted your husband, at least in his mind. All he is waiting for is to get confirmation from Lord Hugh's stable master that the horse in question is theirs. Apparently, he was rather upset that it disappeared and sees this as another proof of your husband's guilt. It now also implicates you. For this reason I urge you to let me arrange for the horse to be delivered to the authorities. We can easily convince them that you complied with their order the moment you heard about it. So at least you will be in the clear.”
”But giving up the horse will wrongfully convict my husband.”
”I am afraid that you might well be correct there. However, we also have to think of you, and your husband instructed me quite forcefully to see to it that you are not harmed.”
”Do you believe in my husband's innocence? Please, give me an honest answer. I know that all circ.u.mstances seem to point to his guilt.”
”Your husband strikes me as a very honest, right thinking young man. He was very open with me. I believe him. But that is of no consequence. You are correct, the circ.u.mstances make him seem guilty.”
”So the horse will just seal that!”
He nodded.
”In this case I won't give it up.”
”Mrs. Campbell, let me a.s.sure you that your husband wants you to comply with the provost's order of sequestering the horse. It is your duty to obey him.”
”I won't.”
”It will just put you into a bad light too, and I would not be able to do anything to help you then.”
”As long as they don't have the horse, they can't convict him.”
”Probably not, but they can keep him in prison while they look for it, and they are bound to find it sooner or later. They will have you followed. They know that I became your husband's solicitor on your behalf. I really must urge you strongly, in your own interest, to obey your husband and give up the horse.”
Helen cogitated on this for a while. Should she do it? She was certain that Andrew wanted her to comply. To h.e.l.l with the law if it convicts an innocent man so easily while the guilty get off scot-free! There must be another way to get him out of prison.
”What will happen to my husband if he's convicted? Will he be hanged?” The words almost choked in her throat.
”Oh no, my dear lady, nothing so drastic. But he is likely to be transported.”
”To where?”
”To America. Your husband told me that is where you planned to go anyway.”
”But not that way! As free people!” protested Helen.
John Grant chuckled embarra.s.sed.
”Mrs. Campbell, I urge you once more to reconsider your decision. I know I speak for your husband on this... Maybe you should visit him, so that he can tell you himself. I can easily arrange it for this afternoon. The earlier you see him, the better.”
He looked at her expectantly, while she weighed up his suggestion. She knew that Andrew would want to see her, that she too wanted to see him desperately. But this would put her right into the hands of the authorities. She was pretty certain that so far the police didn't know what she looked like. The constable couldn't have seen her distinctly in that dark entrance hall of The Good Shepherd. The most he could tell was that she had red hair, but so did lots of young women in Glasgow. It would also make it easier for them to have her followed.
”No, I think under the circ.u.mstances it's better if I don't. But please let my husband know when you see him next, that I think of him all the time. I'll give you a letter for him tomorrow.”
”Mrs. Campbell, I cannot express my misgivings strongly enough. You are making a grave mistake.”
”We'll see. Good day, sir.” She rose from the chair, s.h.i.+fted the little handbag she had bought earlier that morning to the other arm, and walked to the door. Shaking his head gravely, John Grant showed her out of the office.
Back in Saltmarket Street, she strolled casually along, stopping occasionally at a shop and scanning the people behind her inconspicuously. She was looking for a man, not necessarily in uniform, but still official looking. But n.o.body seemed to follow her. After a while, she entered a close, walked swiftly some fifty feet along it, checked that she was alone, and hid in the recess of a house entrance. She remained there for five minutes. n.o.body pa.s.sed by. So, she continued down the alley and then by various detours returned to The White Heron. There, she found Rose in the bedroom. She gave her an account of what the solicitor had said.
”I guess you're keen to get rid of that horse?”
”Yes, but it's not just getting rid of the stallion, but replacing it with another black horse, so that I can let Sir Hugh's stable master have a look at it. That would clear Andrew.”
”La.s.s, I've made inquiries. I can easily get rid of the horse. We just put it on a boat this very night and have it taken out to one of the islands. But it's not so easy to find a black horse that's for sale. You'd not want to have another one that's been stolen!”
”No!” Helen's disappointment showed all too obviously.
”Don't give up, la.s.s. Just give me another few days.”
Did she have another few days? Was there no other way? Rose seemed to read her thoughts. She came closer and whispered: ”La.s.s, have you ever considered springing your young man from prison? ... You know it has been done before.”
She did not wait for Helen's response and launched into her favorite stories: ”I can still remember how Jamie MacDonald escaped from the tolbooth when I was new in town. He had one of his friends bring along a la.s.s on a visit to the prison. While the hussy occupied the turnkey, Jamie and his friend skipped jail. And you'll like this one! Shortly after the rebellion-in can't be more than two or three years ago-there was this Highland laird, awaiting trial for treason. His good woman visited him with her daughter. The la.s.s was disguised as a cobbler, so-called to show the laird leather work he had ordered. The jailer heard two women scold the cobbler for sloppy work, and a short while later the cobbler left dolefully. Soon afterward the mother and daughter left also, the latter now dressed in women's clothing. Only when they were gone did the turnkey remember that only one woman entered with the cobbler. Needless to say that the Highlander had vanished. Ha ha ha.” She slapped her side with glee.