Yesterday's Promise (49 page)

Silence filled the dim pantry for the first time.

“Then you didn't kill Henry Chantry at Rookswood that night?” Evy asked her first question.

“No.” Heyden looked at Rogan. “There's your murderer right there.”

“If that were true, I wouldn't waste my time talking to you,” Rogan said dryly. “But you haven't convinced me, Heyden. I think you did come to Rookswood that night. You didn't know about Dumaka back then. You thought Henry had the Black.”

There was a commotion at the front door. Wally rushed in, dragging Beth Hooper behind him. Both were flushed with excitement and their eyes wide.

“Tell 'em what you know and seen, Beth. Don't be afraid.”

Beth looked up at Evy. “I've seen Mr. Heyden around the village the last few weeks, Miss Varley. I even talked to him down by the inn. He told me all about the Boers and said the British are cruel and unjust to them. He talked about a whip called a sjambok, saying they would whip the British into obedience with it in the next war. He said if I told anyone what I saw at the barn that he would use that whip on Digger, Wally's dog, and kill him.”

Wally glared at Heyden.

Heyden started to get up from the chair, but Rogan shoved him back down.

“Go on, Beth,” Evy urged. “What did you see at the barn?”

“I saw Mr. Heyden around the carpenter shop in the barn belonging to Wally's father the day before I saw him at the inn. Mr. Heyden came riding by, keeping close to the woods, as if he didn't want anyone to see him. Then I went to hide behind a tree. I saw him sneak in through a window. Then Wally's dog Digger started to bark. Mr. Heyden took off in a hurry, got on his horse, but he saw me as he rode off into the trees.
He was gone before Wally arrived. But the next day Mr. Heyden found me alone and said what I just told you about Digger.”

Evy was furious.
To threaten a child with killing a pet!
Her eyes shot from Heyden to Wally. “That was where you hid the sack with the dark blanket, wasn't it, Wally? In the barn?”

“It was, Miss. I told you yesterday someone's been following me for two weeks or so, and it was him.” He pointed at Heyden. “I'll wager he was trying to find out if I suspected anything. If I still had the blanket, and if I did, where I put it. I recognize his yellow hair.”

“You are certain, Wally?” Evy asked, keeping her emotions under control.

“Yes, Miss. Sure of it now.”

Rogan's dark brows were drawn together with intense curiosity. “Blanket? What blanket?”

But before Evy or Wally could say anything, Heyden gave an icy stare at Wally and Beth. “You both think you're ruddy clever little brats, don't you?”

“Intimidate the children again, Heyden, and you'll soon be missing a few teeth,” Rogan warned, his voice cold and steely. “All right, out with it. You did come to Rookswood on the night Henry was killed.”

“Absurd! I wasn't anywhere in England that night. I've already told you. I didn't kill him.”

Rogan's dark eyes were glittering. “I think you did, Heyden.”

“You're mad, Rogan. See for yourself, Cousin Evy. Yes, quite stark raving mad. He is the insane one in the family.”

Evy felt drained. “I don't think so, Heyden. Rogan, I have something I think is important. I found it in Uncle Edmund's desk.” She turned her back to them, and when she faced them again, she held the sealed envelope.

The two men looked up at her. Rogan watched intently. Heyden seemed to stop breathing, and his gaze dropped to the envelope.

Heyden cried out, “Careful, Evy! That's exactly what Rogan's been
looking for.” He stood, and this time Rogan didn't push him back down into the chair, for he was staring at the envelope.

“Rogan's been in Grimston Way for weeks now, sneaking about. Just as he did when he was a boy. And yet he dares to accuse
me
. He's the one who really killed Henry. I told you Rogan was here, didn't I? I warned you. I was right, wasn't I? Don't let him get that envelope, Evy. It was Rogan who was searching the attic for something incriminating when you came home unexpectedly on Allhallows Eve. It threw him into a panic. He lost his head. And when you started up those steps, he was so frightened you'd recognize him that he pushed you down! You're on crutches now for the rest of your life because of him.”

Rogan whirled and looked at her in shock. “Pushed?”

Heyden went unexpectedly pale.

Rogan took a threatening step in his direction. “
You
just stated that Evy had been
pushed
down those steps.”

Heyden was speechless.

“Yes,” Evy cried. Her gaze fixed on Heyden. “How would you know I was pushed, Heyden? How would
you
know?” she repeated. Her heart thudded as she started down the steps without her crutches, leaning against the wall for support, emotion seizing her. “I've kept that horrifying nightmare to myself. I've told no one except Mrs. Croft, and she would
never
tell you. She doesn't trust you. It was you, wasn't it? I never thought of you, but I did fear it could be Lord Anthony Brewster.

“And now—it was this letter you wanted, that you were searching for when I came home and surprised you. It was
you
who lost your head and came at me in a panic…with the blanket over your head. That hideous dark blanket that came at me…and shoved me backward. But Uncle Edmund outsmarted you! The letter you found in his desk was a decoy. The right envelope, but the wrong letter. Henry's letter to Edmund is here inside this envelope. Edmund outsmarted you—good was wiser than evil. Uncle Edmund was as wise as a serpent, though harmless as a dove.”

Rogan seemed to be in shock for a moment more. Then, blazing
with anger, he turned toward Heyden, but too late. Heyden caught up a chair, bringing it down with a sickening noise against Rogan's head.

Evy thought she screamed but heard nothing come from her throat, just the pounding of her heart in her ears. She watched in frozen horror as Heyden kicked Rogan in the head and then started toward her with wild eyes. Wally and Beth tackled his legs and brought him tripping to the floor with a
thud
. Wally swung a chair against him, but not powerfully enough. Beth began hurling cups and glasses and pans at him as Evy fought her way up the steps with the letter to lock herself inside the attic. As Rogan started to stir, Heyden decided to flee while he had the chance. He broke from the pantry, rushing through the parlor like a crazed demon. Wally went out after him.

Rogan pushed himself up from the floor, staggering, trying to regain control. He went after Heyden and Wally.

Evy came back down the steps, her hands trembling, gripping the envelope.

Wally burst back into the pantry from the front parlor.

His eyes were wide and his face flushed. He pointed behind him. “The blond fellow jumped on his horse and took off. Master Rogan did the same, and now they've galloped off into Grimston Woods. Rogan was close behind. That black horse of his rides like the north wind!”

Evy sank to the step. She couldn't think clearly. Heyden, a murderer—

And Rogan—

And she loved him desperately, but—

She dropped her head into her palms and out of desperation started to pray. “Oh, Father God, help Rogan, protect him, help us
all!
”

She felt Beth's trembling arm around her shoulders and raised her face. The girl's eyes were anxious, and she was trembling and breathing hard. “Don't be afraid, Miss Varley. He's gone now. Master Rogan will stop him. Remember what you told me about God having plans for us, even if they're different than we expected? They're good plans, because God loves us.”

Evy's heart melted. She put her arms around Beth, and they held on to each other tightly.

“Thank you for being brave enough to speak up, Beth. You did the right thing. And you were right to hurl those dishes at him. Even if we won't have any more cups and saucers for a while.” She laughed nervously, and Beth suddenly grinned.

Beth touched one of Evy's crutches. “There's a reason for painful things, even if we don't always know what it is at the time. You were right, Miss Varley.”

“It's the Lord who is right,” Evy said. “He will be our confidence.”

Wally came up and grinned at Beth. “Say, Twin, we done pretty good together, didn't we?”

“We did. How's Digger?”

“Chewing on a bone.”

“You both are heroes,” Evy said with a smile. She held up the envelope intact.

“Are you going to open it?” Wally urged.

“No. I'll wait for Rogan. We know Heyden was the culprit, but we still don't know if he killed Henry Chantry. I think this letter will answer that question.”

Mary Hooper came rushing through the parlor. She stopped short when she saw the broken furniture and dishes.

“Drat, I missed it.”

“We'll tell you all about it, Twin,” Wally said. “Won't we, Beth?”

Beth nodded. Mary sighed. “Mum's having a fit. You better come with me. You, too, Wally.”

Beth followed her twin sister, but Wally shook his head. “Not till Master Rogan gets back. I'm staying with Miss Evy.”

“Tell Mrs. Croft to come here to the cottage,” Evy said to the twins as they went out.

“Yes, Miss Varley,” they called in unison over their shoulders.

When Wally came down the steps with her crutches, Evy walked into the parlor and sank tiredly into a chair to wait for Rogan.

When Rogan rode into the front yard an hour later, Wally called out from the parlor, “Master Rogan's back, Miss. He's alone. Everyone's saying Mr. Heyden got away.”

Evy waited anxiously. Beth had gone home, and between Beth's and Wally's reporting, the village was astir with the news. A “cracking fight” had occurred in the cottage between Master Rogan Chantry and the newcomer, Heyden van Buren. Already people were out in the lanes talking about it, and a small gathering stood in front of the gate. Wally said Lord Brewster was contacting Scotland Yard.

Mrs. Croft had come hurrying over with Vicar Osgood, who consoled Evy and persuaded himself she was doing well. Afterward, he'd taken the jingle and returned to the rectory to be with Mrs. Osgood, who was down with a summer cold and quite upset that she hadn't been able to accompany him to the cottage.

Mrs. Croft muttered to herself as she cleaned up the mess of broken porcelain and glass in the pantry so she could get tea on. Always the practical one, Mrs. Croft had managed, on her way over with the vicar, to bring a plate of cakes and sandwiches from the rectory kitchen.

“I always knew it was that blond Dutchman,” she had commented to Evy. “Never trusted him. Gave me the willies when he'd come calling to see you in London.”

Evy was feeling so much better now that the ordeal was over that she let the exaggeration pass.

Rogan entered the front door looking grim. His shirt was torn, and he had dried blood on his temple and forehead. But his unwavering gaze told her not to be alarmed.

“He fired his pistol, first at me, then at my horse. He grazed the stallion's leg, but I think he'll come out of it all right.”

His horse, his beautiful black stallion, the one she'd first seen him riding when they met years ago in the woods. “Oh, Rogan, I'm so sorry.”

A hint of a smile appeared. “Just like us, isn't it? We're both more worried about my horse than Heyden getting away.” He touched his head and winced. “But I'll hunt him down. He'll try to get out of the country and back to the Transvaal.”

Then he looked at her…

Weakness washed over her as his dark, earthy gaze caught and held hers.

He came toward her and stopped midway as his eyes deliberately confronted the crutches she held beside her.

She cringed inside. This was the moment her pride had recoiled from, had dreaded to confront—face to face with Rogan Chantry.

Rogan took the remaining steps two at a time until he stood before her. The warmth in his eyes could not be denied. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her to him as she looked up into his face. His aggressive approach sent her head spinning.

He cupped the back of her head and brought her face to his as their lips met passionately. Abandoning her crutches, she wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders in a moment charged with wild sweetness.

“Darling, remember I told you to wait for me? That I would come back?”

“Rogan…” she whispered, holding him tighter, resting her head against his chest. “It's been dreadful…without you.”

“I'm sorry I'm so late returning,” he whispered warmly against the side of her face. “There were reasons I can't explain now, but they were
chains that bound me, that kept me from you. But I'll allow nothing to tear us apart again, Evy. You're mine. You've always been mine from the first time I saw you in the thunderstorm in Grimston Woods. I've loved you ever since. And I'm going to love you forever.”