Bride of the Solway by JOANNA MAITLAND Read Free Book Online

This is Captain Graham, is it not? I must ask you to explain why you have this gentleman in custody.'
    Ross frowned in surprise. This colonel knew him. But how? Ross scrutinised the unknown officer carefully, but could not place him. There was something vaguely familiar about the man, but that was all. And yet—
    Seeing Ross's uncertainty, the colonel stepped forward and offered his hand. 'You won't remember me, Captain Graham. I'm Colonel Anstruther. I was invalided home after Badajoz. We did not run across each other much in the Peninsula. But I remember you well enough. General Picton spoke very highly of you.'
    The two men shook hands, totally ignoring the provost and the hovering gaoler. 'Thank you, sir,' Ross said. 'It was an honour to serve with him. You know, I suppose, that he fell at Waterloo?'
    'Aye. I heard. A sad loss.' He shook his head regretfully.
    The silence was broken by the provost. 'Colonel,' he began, stepping forward, 'if you—'
    'You have not told me why this officer is being held, Provost.'
    'I.. .er...' The provost had turned very red. 'Well, Colonel, he is facing a very serious charge. Abduction. Brought by James Elliott, the victim's brother. I would not have confined the captain, you understand, but Elliott insisted. Said he was bound to try to escape. And that he was dangerous, too. Much as I'd be minded to—' he smiled weakly at Ross '—I cannot just release him.'
    Ross ignored the provost completely. 'Colonel,' he said warmly, 'I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have someone to speak on my behalf. In a country with no habeas corpus, it seems I can simply be left to rot and—'
    'Nonsense. Who told you that?'
    'I—'
    'I told the Captain we have no habeas corpus, Colonel,' interrupted the provost. 'And it's true enough, as you know. I was just about to tell him about the Scots law equivalent when you arrived, so he may have misunderstood the situation. Scotland is a civilised country, Captain. Prisoners are not left to rot here, any more than in England.'
    'And now that I am prepared to vouch for Captain Graham, there need be no delay about releasing him, Provost. The Captain will give you his parole and you will release him into my custody.'
    The provost hesitated. He was shuffling his feet nervously. 'James Elliott insisted—'
    'James Elliott may be assured that Captain Graham will make no attempt to escape. Unless you doubt my word in this, Provost?'
    The provost almost cowered before the colonel's ferocious frown. Rubbing his hands together in his agitation, the little man looked from the colonel to Ross and back again. There was no hint of weakness in either of them. 'I must know where the prisoner is to be found, sir,' he said lamely.
    'I shall be in residence here in Dumfries for some weeks now. Captain Graham will be my guest. You may rest assured that I shall not take him out of your jurisdiction.' The colonel turned to Ross and smiled. 'If you are ready, sir, I will take you to my house now. My business with the provost can wait. It was not really important.' He ignored the provost's sharp intake of breath and turned for the door.
    'A moment, Colonel, if you please,' Ross said quickly. 'While I will certainly give my parole to the provost, I cannot possibly accept your generous offer of hospitality when I am in such a dreadful state. I am not fit to enter a gentleman's house. And I do not even have a change of clothes.' He looked down at his filthy breeches and boots, and his shrunken coat. He had not been able to wash for the best part of three days and he had been lying on rotting straw in a stinking gaol. He must smell like something dredged from the quicksands of the Solway. 'Provost, what has become of my mare and my travelling baggage?'
    The provost would not meet Ross's eye. 'Your horse is stabled at the George. There'll be livery to pay. There was no baggage as I'm aware of. Just a horse and a greatcoat. And ye've found that, I see,' he added sarcastically.
    The colonel