“So you are telling me it was Sarah who paid you to get rid of her husband?” Richard really wasn’t surprised. All the evidence was pointing towards her; he just didn’t want to believe it.
“She asked if I could make it look like an accident. I thought weakening the girth was the obvious answer. I knew how much his lordship loved to hunt. She didn’t want me to do the deed, because that would be too obvious and it would be traced back to her. But if we could find someone else who was desperate for money, someone who we could influence.... I had no idea Davey had worked on Sarah’s father’s estate and knew me—it was a big mistake. I should have killed the lad.”
“We have made sure he is well protected.”
Hornsbled looked him in the eye and said, “Killing Wrentham is something I will never regret, but killing an innocent boy with a family to feed is not something I would ever do. Wrentham was a sadist. The man won’t be missed. The things he did to Sarah, I mean Lady Sarah.”
Richard swallowed back a curse. If he was honest with himself, he probably would have wanted to do exactly what Hornsbled had done for her, but they could have found another way. They could have got a divorce on the grounds of cruelty if Sarah had only come to him. But he supposed, with Sarah being pregnant, she didn’t wish to take the risk. If the child was a boy, the Marquess would claim him, and Sarah would lose her child.
Richard looked at Hornsbled. And he didn’t really know what he was going to do. If he arrested Hornsbled and took him to the Magistrate, Sarah would hang once the child was born. Richard didn’t think he could stand to see the mother of his child hang. What a position to be in.
Hornsbled must have read his thoughts for he said, “What are you going to do?” Richard said nothing and Hornsbled continued. “I have heard she is with child. And I have also heard it could be yours. If you arrest me, she will hang as well.”
“They won’t hang her until after the child is born.”
“Could you really see the mother of your child hang?”
Richard knew the answer to that, and so did Hornsbled. No, he could not.
“What do you suppose I should do then? What would you do if you were in my position?”
Hornsbled looked at him and gave a wry smile. “But I am not in your position. You could drop the investigation now you know the reason why I had to agree to her plan. She’s safe now, and only you and I know the accident wasn’t an accident.”
Richard ran his hands through his hair trying to think. He looked at Hornsbled and said, “I’m going to take you back to London with me. You’ll stay in the cellar of Craven House until I’ve decided what we are going to do from here.
As they headed back to London, Hornsbled restrained and with Richard’s gun at his back, all he could think about was the child Sarah carried. Whatever happened, the child would need to be protected. A man like Timothy Chesterton as guardian of a babe who could dispossess him was not a good idea. Children were known to die of illnesses or accidents.
If the child was his, he couldn’t risk Timothy getting control of him or her.
However, what really made Richard’s heart heavy was as soon as he arrived home, it was imperative he told Madeline the truth. The child could be his. He should have bloody done so right from the beginning. He should have ignored Anthony’s advice.
She would be upset, and not only about the child. More importantly she would know he’d withheld important details from her.
He hoped she could forgive him. The idea that she wouldn’t excuse his deception scared him more than a bullet straight through his heart. He couldn’t bear to have to live with a woman who despised him, especially a woman he now realized he loved. Her good opinion of him meant more than his next breath. Her happiness was his happiness.
If she asked to leave this marriage, if she could not bring herself to love him anymore, he would have to give her a divorce. It would kill him to do so, but he wanted her happy. She deserved to be happy because none of this mess was of her making.
He just hoped he was strong enough to let her go should she wish it.
Dear Richard,
I understand why you left Hascombe so abruptly. My brother has misunderstood our friendship. I will never forgive him for embarrassing me at dinner. My gown was totally appropriate; it was based on one of the sketches you sent me when I asked for descriptions of the fashions at Lady Skye’s ball.
Please, please, don’t avoid me because of Rufus. He’s likely to leave soon. It’s not him who is stuck here with no one to talk to.
Your friend,
Madeline
Richard arrived home to find his household in an uproar. Both Anthony and Rufus were there to greet him, which made incarcerating Hornsbled in the cellar easier.
As they locked the cellar door, Richard told them, “Hornsbled has confirmed it was Sarah who asked him to help dispose of Charles. He’s the man who hired David.”
The silence that followed his statement surprised Richard. “I did expect a positive response to what I’ve learned.”
The other two men looked at each other as if a secret code was being spoken.
“What is it? What’s happened?” Richard’s heart missed a beat, and then began racing wildly. “Where’s Madeline?” There was an ominous, uncomfortable silence.
Richard sprinted up the stairs, calling out Madeline’s name in desperation. His stomach clenched and he felt nausea rise, and bile flooded into his mouth.
A steadying hand on his shoulder stopped his panicked ranting. “Madeline is fine. Let’s go to your study and have a brandy while I explain the situation.” Rufus’s words saw Richard’s world go back to an even keel. But his hand was still shaking as he accepted a glass. He took a long drink, the alcohol warming the cold that was seeping into his bones.
“Where is she?”
Anthony sighed and moved to stand near the door. “You’re going to hate me. I’m sorry…Christ, this is difficult.”
He looked over at Rufus. Rufus cleared his throat. “Sarah has told Madeline that the child she carries might be yours. To say Maddy didn’t take it well was an understatement, but Anthony told me how you’d wanted to tell Maddy from the beginning, so I forgive you for keeping this secret.”
The glass slipped from his hand and smashed onto the wooden floor with a thud. He glared at his twin, not needing to voice ‘I told you so’. “
Where
is she?”
Anthony’s eyes filled with pain. “I’m so sorry…”
He stood up and approached his brother with fists clenched. “Where—is—she?”
“She’s left you.” Anthony breathed deeply. “Go on, hit me. I deserve it. You told me you should tell her. I’m so sorry.”
Richard stood stunned by the words his twin had just uttered. “Left me?” He rubbed his forehead. “No, she would never leave me. She promised never to walk away. She would talk to me about this, not simply leave.” He looked at the two men who knew him better than anyone. “I ask again. Where is she? I have to talk with her.”
Rufus merely handed him a missive written on quality paper. “I suggest we give her a few days to calm down and then we go and find her. Of course you’re not going to divorce her.” He turned to look at Richard through narrowed eyes. “You’re not, are you?”
“Of course I’m bloody not. I—I…”and he gulped down his rioting emotions. “I love her,” he said quietly and sunk on to a chair and lowered his head in his hands. “God, I love her. I can’t lose her over this—over Sarah.” He let the sadness in. He’d hurt Maddy. Maddy would be devastated and would see his omission as a lie and he’d promised her he would never lie. He knew her. Maddy’s brain would be running wild, thinking all kinds of terrible thoughts. She’d be reading so much more into this. She’d possibly think all his other declarations were a lie too.
“We will leave you to read the note in private.”
He waited until the door had shut behind his friends, before plucking up the courage to break the seal.
Dear Richard,
I never thought I’d see myself writing what will be my last letter to my best friend, let alone the fact you are my beloved husband.
Our wedding day was a dream come true for me. I was marrying my best friend, the man I had worshipped since I was a young girl.
I have always been able to tell you anything, but it seems I am only brave enough to tell you what’s buried within my heart in a letter. I love you. I always have.
I still have every one of your letters. They are worn and ragged from the number of times I have re-read them.
On our wedding day, we said we would be honest with each other. I can only think that you did not tell me Sarah’s child might be yours, because you did not wish to hurt me. That gives me some comfort.
However, learning that you may have a child you will not be able to acknowledge, must be eating you up inside, especially as I know you love Sarah so much.
Richard stopped reading. Loved Sarah? Nonsense. He’d told Maddy he had no feelings for Sarah, and now Maddy obviously didn’t believe him. His chest tightened at the thought. He hurriedly read on.
I should have done this in person, I know, but like the coward I am, I was too scared to see your reaction. If you’d looked at me with pity in your sparkling, beautiful eyes...
I know you never wanted this marriage. You loved Sarah and you obviously still do. It was my meddling, which trapped you into a marriage with me. Since Sarah was already married, you honorably obliged.
You were not to know her husband would have an accident shortly after our wedding.
Richard’s mind was trying to grasp something about the letter…Maddy knew it wasn’t an accident.
I don’t believe you should be punished for the rest of your life for doing the right thing by me.
I know you didn’t start out to dishonor our wedding vows, or me, but I feel such a fool for not seeing what was before me. A good friend has made it clear the rumors about your affair with Sarah are true. I was blinded to the truth by my love for you—and my hope; hope that we could make a wonderful life together.
But three in the marriage bed is one too many-for me, anyway.
I love you. When you love someone you put his or her needs before your own. You’d give anything to see them happy. You want the best for them. You’d give them the world.
And your world appears to be with Sarah.
Therefore, I’m stepping aside. I am leaving you, and will ensure you have grounds, and just cause, to divorce me.
Scandal has followed me all my life—so what’s one more? I never wish to marry again anyway.
You own my heart.
And always will.
Be happy, my dearest. For if you are happy, I’ll be content in the knowledge that I have contributed in some small way.
Let me do this for you, as you have done so much for me over the years, starting with befriending a very lonely little girl many years ago, when she was stuck in the bog.
Don’t try to find me.
Yours always,
Madeline Knight
Richard stood so quickly the chair tipped back, the crash causing Anthony to anxiously re-enter the study.
“It’s a ruse. Maddy is in terrible trouble. Who sent the note and where has she gone?”
Anthony called over his shoulder for Rufus before asking Richard, “How do you know?”
“Read the letter. She sent me clues.” Richard handed him the note, pacing anxiously as Anthony read the words.
Anthony crumpled the note in his fist. “Madeline knows you are not having an affair with Sarah. However, due to appearances, most of the
ton
thinks you are. The person who made her write this note isn’t privy to the situation with Sarah.”
“There are many clues in the letter. She wasn’t stuck in the bog. She was hiding up a tree the day we met. I never told her I was still in love with Sarah, and she knows damn well Charles’s death wasn’t an accident.” He slammed the desk with his hand. “Someone has forced her to write this letter.”
Rufus’s face went white. “She’s been gone since this afternoon. Rheda told me I should go after her, but I thought it better to wait for you.” He slapped his forehead several times. “I’m so stupid.”
“At least we know she’s not in Sarah’s clutches, and it wasn’t someone connected with Sarah, because she would know you haven’t continued ‘an affair’.” Anthony’s observation was valid. “It’s someone else. But
who?
Who would want to take Madeline?”
“I think this makes it worse. If it was Sarah we’d have some place to start at.” The men sat in silence, the frustration levels growing as the quietness lengthened.
Some time later, Rheda popped her head round the study door. “It’s awfully quiet in here.” She walked over and hugged Richard. “Don’t look so glum. She loves you. She probably just needs a bit of time to come to her senses.”
Richard stood and moved to the window. He couldn’t speak. He felt as if he should be doing something, but what? Who would she have turned to for help? Who could have taken her? She could be anywhere by now.
If he lost her… She’d been a part of his life for the last six years and it had taken him compromising and then marrying her to realize the treasure that she was. His soul ached at the idea she was scared and alone, and without him. He’d always wanted to help people, but this wasn’t simply about rescuing an unfortunate. This was his wife, his lover, his—heart.
He drew up short. As if lightening had struck, he instantly knew that Maddy was his soul mate, and if he lost her, he’d lose himself. Fear gripped his innards with its cold, clammy fingers.
He heard Rufus explain what they thought had happened and heard Rheda’s cry of distress. She was now quietly sobbing in Rufus’s arms.