All That Glitters: A Maggie Power Adventure (Maggie Power #2) *Unedited version*

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You have heard the news, I take it?" he said as he marched beyond Emily and into the front room. I had never before seen Blake so furious; he was frantic and paced back and forth, slamming the newspaper against the chair, upon which he refused to sit down, despite Emily's continual invitations to do so.

"It's an outrage! The evidence was there to convict them all. I can't understand how they can be freed," he continued.

I had been immersed in James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, when Blake marched into the parlour that morning. I had no idea what had made him so excitable.

"Do tell us, Samuel, what ever is the matter," his sister enquired once more.

He threw the newspaper down upon the table where I sat. "You have not heard?" He sat down in a chair nearest to the fire. "Of course not," he continued now almost talking to himself.

"I feared this would happen. I've tried my very best, Maggie. I've done all I can to prevent this; you must believe me," he said.

He picked up the newspaper again and moved towards the fire. I quickly stood, and took the newspaper from his hand.

I looked to him. "If it concerns me, I must read it first before it burns," I said. I feared it concerned news of my father or indeed Jack.

From the first few sentences I could see why he was so angered, and why he knew I would be agitated too. I continued to read the story up until its dreadful conclusion. To which there was an audible response of "Amen," from the innocent Countess, once accused of their crimes.

"This cannot be so," I protested. "This cannot be right!" I screamed. "They are killers, murderers!" I let the newspaper fall to the floor and sat back in my chair.

"We agreed to free the journalist, Rickets – who spread so many lies about your father on Whitmore's behalf – chiefly on the grounds that he would testify in court. We had Whitmore. Now I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was the author of this–" he picked up the newspaper and moved to throw it into the dying embers of the fire. I jumped from my chair to stop him.

"I need to keep that. I need it as a constant reminder that I am no longer safe."

 "You'll always be safe here, Maggie," Blake replied.

I took the newspaper and folded it into a square and sat back down upon the chair. Emily moved toward me, saw the evident fear and upset which had taken a hold of my whole being. I shook my head, and thought at one point that I was going to pass out.

I steadied myself, but could not prevent tears: Emily was soon weeping uncontrollably.

"They have escaped justice. Got off scot-free," I whispered as Emily held me, sobbing herself into a state of great agitation once again.

After a few minutes, Emily made her excuses and left the room to get some more tea. She fell easily into upset and my evident distress had had a detrimental effect on her.

Blake continued with his apologies, reassuring me once more that I would be safe. That he would make sure no harm would ever come to me.

Yet, I suppose, all along I knew there would have to be scapegoats; as there always is.

Sexton and Beagle were to be hanged soon for their crimes. Sexton had confessed to the murder of at least ten children, with the judge's gnawing suspicion there may perhaps have been many more in that watery tomb within the Countess' estate. Beagle was to be executed for confessing to the murder of Mr William Turner and for aiding Sexton in his devilish duties.