Innocence Ignored

Willie scrambled to his feet and lunged towards the door, pounding his body against the heavy wood and pushing against it as it was slammed shut. Willie dropped down to his knees and looked around the cell. A small sliver of light was coming through the bottom of the door and he laid down on the ground, his cheek pressing into the dirt floor, to see if he could see anything underneath it. He couldn't see anything. Willie sat up and scurried to the middle of the tiny room and looked around. There was just enough light for him to see that there were only a few differences from the time that he lived in the old house. The floor was completely dirt, and there was nothing in the tiny room. No bed, no table, not even an oil lamp on the wall. Willie looked back at the door and he noticed that the door was solid wood, no bars or openings that he could see. As he stared at the door the slim gap of light at the floor went dark, stealing away the little bit of light that existed.

"No…no please leave the light! Please! Please don't take the light…" Willie stood again and pounded his body as hard as he could against the door until he physically couldn't continue. He slid back down to the ground, his heart pounding out of his chest.

Willie sat in the pitch black, his fear deepening and consuming him once again.

"mmmpffff…MMMFFF!" Abigail was screaming into Calem's hand and clawing at his arm as he dragged her down the driveway. Her dress catching the carriages strewn down the road and tearing it at the bottom.

"Quiet down! Abby please!" Calem picked her up as she kicked and screamed to get away. He stood her up against a tree at the end of the long driveway and pinned her against it, still covering her mouth with his hand.

"Please! Abby, promise me, be quiet…please be quiet!" Calem whispered vehemently, and Abigail shook her head to show agreement. Calem lifted his hand and she stood there, shaking and staring into Calem's eyes.

"What just happened? Where did they take him? What are they doing with him? I-I can't leave him. Calem I can't!"

"Abby, stop."

"Let go Calem, I mean it!"

"Abby you can't go to the house! Your mask is gone, if anyone sees you, you know what could happen."

"Calem," Abigail shook her arm violently, causing Calem to lose his grip, "you don't understand, he…I just….this house and what's been done to him here. I can't leave him in there!"

"You don't have a choice." Vernon and Rose were both walking towards her. "He is in their custody now."

"For how long? Vernon! How long will they have him?" Abigail stood surrounded by the three, and she felt completely alone.

"I don't know Abby. I'm going to go to back to the house and speak with Joshua. Calem, take them back to the house, I'll be there soon. And check on the detective too, we need to figure out what to do with him." Vernon shook his head, frustration washing over his face.

"Vernon, I can't leave him." Vernon took one look at her, tears running down her cheeks, and he knew she wouldn't go. "Abigail, stay here. Can you do that? If they see you, you risk everything. Everything you have done to save him, it will all be for nothing if they see your face. You must stay here, do you understand?"

"Y-yes. I'll stay here. I swear."

"Calem, get back and check that detective. Rose, stay with Abby."

Calem left for the village and Rose and Abby watched Vernon head down the driveway back to the house.

Vernon walked into the house and stood in the grand foyer and listened to the servants quietly bickering in the kitchen. He walked towards the heavy wooden door that he knew led to the basement and he opened it. Faintly he could hear Willie's muffled cries from the basement, begging to be given some light and not to be left in the darkness. He shook his head and shut the door, when he turned around he found Joshua standing in the doorway.

"Loose something Vernon?"

"More like someone Joshua. You know he didn't do this. You have an innocent man down there being held and kept away from his wife. You're torturing the poor boy, you have no idea what he has already been through in his life."

"Look, Vernon," Joshua moved gracefully into the parlor, and Vernon followed, "Brandy?" Vernon shook his head and took the snifter from him. "We both know that Josette did this, but there is nothing I can do."

"Bullshit! Release the boy!"

"Vernon, he publicly admitted to stealing from me in front of almost a hundred people. All of whom are the finest and most successful people in Maine. The Collins family will not be known as making up stories. He admitted to it, and so it will be."

"But he is innocent! How can you do this?"

"Our family has had enough embarrassment. Naomi can't be put through more. The gossip around her is already enough, the women talk behind her back about Barnabas and his exploits. It will be too much to have another scandal around Josette."

"Joshua, they are going to punish that boy… they are going to hurt him."

"I KNOW what they are going to do Vernon! I will try and have them go easy on him, but there is protocol in place for those who steal, and he stole from a Collins, the town will be expecting that he is dealt with accordingly."

"He didn't steal from anyone you arrogant prick!"

"Enough! Vernon this conversation is over."

Vernon took his glass of brandy and slammed it down on the table, its contents sloshed out of the glass and onto the finished wood. Vernon knew he would not be able to convince Joshua to change his mind. But he was hopeful that they would just do in the privacy of their own home.

"Will you do it here, in private?"

"No. He will be brought down to the square." Joshua looked slightly ashamed as he said the words and stared into his glass at the amber liquid within it. "It is too public of an incident. The news will spread like wildfire."

"When?"

"A week."

"What?! Joshua please… a week? You can't keep him down there for a week. Why can't you just do it tomorrow? Get the boy's suffering over with. He is an innocent man for God's sake!"

"I'm sorry Vernon. Things are already in motion. Tell the girl I'm sorry."

"You should be sorry. Joshua, you and I have disagreed many times over the years, but the hell that you are going to put that young man through is unforgivable. Open your eyes, Josette is a menace and Barnabas is no man, he is an adolescent. Their relationship is a farce, the perfect couple is a perfect mess. Consider our business relationship over after this."

"Now Vernon wait… there's no need to drag our business into this."

"Joshua, you are a better man than this. What would Naomi think if she found out that the boy did nothing and you had him beaten anyway? Is this what you would want Sarah to witness? Is this the man you would want her to know? Ever since her death your family has been falling apart, and I am terribly sorry for that, but this is shameful. That boy did nothing to you, to any of you."

"Vernon, it's not up to me."

"Goodnight Joshua. Please give Naomi my condolences on her failure of a family."

Joshua stood, opened mouthed and staring at Vernon as he walked down the driveway, pushing his way between the exiting, and somewhat drunk, party goers who were all laughing and climbing into their carriages. Joshua scanned the driveway and spotted Josette, tossing her hair back and smiling at everyone, saying her goodbyes. Barnabas was nowhere to be found. He then turned and shut the doors to the house. He walked towards the basement door and opened it. He took several steps down the dark stairwell and could hear quiet sobbing coming from the darkness. Josette, what have you done.

Joshua turned back up the stairs and shut the basement door. He walked over to the desk in the parlor and pulled out a leather book and a pen. He sat down, flipped to an open page in the book and began to write.

"A week! A WEEK! No. I won't let them keep him. I know how to get in, I can get in and get him out. A week is far too long." Abigail spun around, pleading with them. "He won't make it a week down there. How can they do this?" Her sobs suddenly turned to rage. "Where is she? This is her fault! I am going to kill her."

"Abby NO!" Vernon managed to grab her hand and turn her around. "I agree, a week is too long. We will go get him tomorrow. Think about it, what will happen? You will make things worse. Come back to the cabins tonight, we need to figure out what we are going to do."

Abigail knew he was right, but the thought of Willie alone again and being in the belly of that house made her sick. Reluctantly she returned to the cabin, sobbing into Roses shoulder as they rode back. Calem met them as they pulled in front of the cabins and Vernon slowly climbed down as Calem was opening the carriage doors.

"Is our guest secured?"

"Yes. Mad as hell too."

"I imagine."

"What about Willie?"

"They said a week."

"Shit a week? We can't leave him there for a week. How is she?" Calem pointed at Abigail who was getting out of the carriage and gripping on to Rose, her face still buried into her side.

Vernon shook his head. "Scared."

The sun began to rise and beat through the small cabin's windows. When Rose opened the cabin door she found Abigail sitting at the kitchen table, her head resting on Willie's jacket, which was cradled in her folded arms.

"Abby, darling, are you awake?"

"Yes." Abigail looked up with tired and swollen red eyes to find Rose standing in the doorway. She was holding a kettle and set it down on the table.

"Tea?"

"Yes please."

"Oh Abby dear, did you sleep at all?"

Abigail shook her head no. "He's petrified of the dark…do you think they left him down in that cell in the dark? I should be there." Abigail once again began to cry and Rose pulled a chair next to her and pulled her into a motherly embrace, allowing Abigail to loose herself.

The mask was starting to itch terribly. Willie tried several times to pull his hands around and remove it, but the bindings would allow him to. He found his way to a wall in the dark, and was able to hook the side of the mask to a jagged brick. He scraped is face down it several times until finally the mask fell down around his neck. Willie stared into the darkness, he wasn't sure how long he had been down there, but every second seemed like an eternity. Both his arms had fallen asleep from being pulled back so tight and his shoulders ached. He managed to huddle himself into the corner of the cell, his legs pulled up tight against his body, and his head resting on the wall. It was cold and damp and his body was shuttering involuntarily.

He listened into the darkness and when he thought he heard footsteps coming down the stairs he scrambled deeper into the corner. He heard a scraping against the door, metal on wood, and was then startled by a beam of bright light was shining through the door in a perfect circle. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes squinting from the bright light, and he tried to peer through the sudden hole in the door.

He was petrified that it would be Barnabas or Angelique, and that they would see him. He backed away and stood like stone in the center of the room.

"Bon Jour? Hello?" A woman's voice echoed through the cell. "Hello, are you in there? I know you didn't do it. I know you didn't. Are you there?"

Willie stared into the beam and answered.

"Please… let me out."

"I - I cannot. You should not have admitted to this."

"What... What should I have done? Should I have allowed it to be my wife in here instead of me? For something that you did?" Anger resonated in Willie's voice. "I would die before I let her go through this."

"I was angry. You don't understand what it is like to have your fiancé shame you with other women. He has made a joke of our relationship. When I saw him with her I went mad with jealousy. But now, you have admitted to the crime."

Willie interrupted her. "Please, let me go, you - you can tell them it was all a big mistake, a misunderstanding. Please, I have to get out of here before it's too late."

"No, I cannot. The entire town expects justice, and they expect that the Collins family will uphold the law."

"Uphold the law? But you lied! How can you do this?"

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Josette stood on the other side of the door, peering in through the hole trying to get a glimpse of the man. She could just barely see Willie standing in the middle of the cell. She then slid the metal over the hole in the door and the light disappeared from within the cell.

"NO! Please, Josette, please don't leave me here! I'm begging you! Please!"

Josette ran up the stairs, running away from his pleas for mercy. When she reached the top she slammed the door shut and ran to her room. She dropped down in front of her dressing table and stared into the mirror. Her eyes caught a glimpse of color in the reflection. She looked down and there was a brightly colored box wrapped with several purple ribbons. Her favorite color. She pulled the ribbons off and opened the box. Inside she pulled out a folded piece of paper and read it.

My Love Josette,

Please forgive me.

Yours Always,

Barnabas

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she lifted the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen from the satin cloth that lined the bottom of the box. She instantly put the locket around her neck and saw it sparkle in the mirror against her long, ivory neck.

Vernon and Calem were standing beside Abigail, who was vehemently arguing with them about Willie.

"Like hell I'll wait." Abigail was pulling on her pants underneath the torn party dress.

"You can't just go get him. We need to put a plan together."

"Well I am certainly not going to just wait a week either." The dress was now thrown on the bed and she had her back to the two men as she stripped off the slip and then dragged her sweater over herself. She then turned to face them again. "I am done waiting. It's been nearly 24 hours. No more waiting."

All three turned their startled faces towards the door when someone banged on it repeatedly. The door was then flung open.

"Joshua," Vernon was surprised to see him "What the hell do you want?"

"I- I just stopped by to let you know that your brother will be brought to the square tomorrow morning. He will serve out his punishment and be free to go tomorrow evening. It was the best I could do."

"Tomorrow?! No! I want him out now! He didn't do anything!" Abigail raged towards Joshua and stood before him. "You are punishing an innocent man!"

"I am sorry. Calem, if you would like to go visit him you may. You can ride with him during his transport to the square tomorrow. It will be very early, before sunrise." Calem's eyes sprang wide open with surprise, he then dashed a look at Abigail.

"I want to see him. I will go. Not him."

"Abigail you can't go, you must stay here."

Abigail knew why, she couldn't risk being seen. But the thought of Calem taking her place made her furious and ache with frustration. She turned around and sat quietly down on the bed.

"Vernon…have…have you seen Barnabas?"

"No."

"We haven't seen him since the party last evening. We can't find him anywhere. His room is untouched. Naomi is worried sick. I hate to ask, but is Angelique still here?"

Abigail looked up and caught Vernon's gaze, she suddenly felt nauseous

"No, she left yesterday evening. We do not know where she went."

Joshua shook his head and turned to walk out the door. "I am sorry for the trouble that Josette has caused." With those final words he walked out of the cabin.

Barnabas walked into the parlor, he had no idea where Angelique was and he didn't much care. Every day and night since Willie and Abigail disappeared off of the bridge his thoughts were consumed with them. He feared the worst, that they were dead. He understood Angelique was already on to her plan B, but what that was he didn't know.

Barnabas pulled open the drawer to the old desk and pulled out the old leather book of his fathers. He had read every entry a thousand times, but his father's written words managed to give him comfort. He sat down in the chair and began to page through the entries. As he thumbed each page he cocked his head to one side, confused for a moment. Barnabas suddenly sat straight up in the chair and frantically opened the book wider and began reading. A new entry had been made, one he had never read.