The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3) Page 16

  Relieved, she left the window and went to the trunk where she’d packed her things. Thank goodness she wouldn’t have to stay in the den while she waited for him. She hurried to put her gowns and grooming supplies away while he took care of his things.

  ***

  Julian looked at the coffin where James had been laid out in his best suit. Though the servants had done their best to make him look like he was sleeping, it was obvious he wasn’t. His neck was twisted at an odd angle, and despite the fresh flowers, the smell of decay lingered in the air.

  Julian experienced a surge of regret over knowing he’d never get to make amends with James, just as he hadn’t been able to do with Jonah. Both had died with the burden of unforgiveness weighing them down. While he understood they had made their choices, he was aware he’d also made his. If he hadn’t been so greedy and selfish, he would have spared them all a lot of heartache and pain.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat then forced his attention to the footman. “Are you sure James didn’t fall down the stairs by accident? It looks like he did break his neck.”

  “Yes, I know he broke his neck, but I think someone pushed him.”

  “Who would do such a thing?”

  He shrugged then said, “I think someone snuck into this townhouse. It was raining the other night, and I’m sure I saw wet marks just inside the servants’ entrance. It looked like someone had wiped their feet on the rug. At the time, I assumed one of the staff had taken out the garbage, but when I asked around, no one said they’d used that entrance.”

  Julian paused as he considered what he’d just learned. It was possible someone could have slipped into the townhouse. The place wasn’t highly staffed. His brothers had been simple gentlemen. They hadn’t been given to excessive living, and they didn’t entertain many people.

  “How many people were under my brothers’ employment?” Julian asked.

  “There are four of us. There’s me, the butler, the cook, and a maid,” the footman replied.

  Just as Julian suspected, his brothers hadn’t needed a household that was largely staffed. “You knew my brothers better than I did. Was there anyone who didn’t like them?”

  “No. I can’t think of a single enemy they had. Everyone who came by was pleasant.” He paused. “Well, the only person they didn’t seem all that pleased to see was you. I’m sorry.”

  “I know they weren’t happy to see me. You don’t have to apologize for saying it. I suppose the detective will think I’m the most logical suspect. I was out of London all day yesterday and last night, though. My wife can attest to that.” Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so quick to let Ophelia run off to visit Lewis and Marcy. “When my wife returns, she can tell the detective.”

  “I know you wouldn’t murder your brothers. You’re not that kind of person.”

  “No, but I did steal the family fortune and run off with it. It didn’t matter to me if my father and brothers would have enough to live on for the rest of their lives. I didn’t return in time to apologize to my father, and I wasn’t even able to pay my brothers back.”

  Julian closed his eyes for a moment to remind himself that even if the guilt of his past had a tendency to weigh him down, God had still forgiven him. It wasn’t always easy to push past the wrongs he’d done. How many times had he told others they didn’t have to hang onto guilt, and yet, he had a terrible time letting his own go?

  “I know you weren’t a saint,” the footman said, “but you aren’t a murderer.”

  “It will seem strange that they died after I came back to London, though, won’t it?” Julian asked, suddenly thinking that if he was a detective, he would definitely suspect him of the crime.

  “As you said, your wife was with you, and you weren’t even in London.”

  Yes, that was true.

  After a few seconds of silence, the footman said, “When I spoke with the detective, he suggested taking a look at your oldest brother’s body in addition to taking a closer look at this one.” He gestured to James’ corpse. “He said if there was poison involved, we might still have time to find it.”

  A shiver ran up Julian’s spine. “You really think someone poisoned Jonah?”

  “For all we know, both of them were poisoned. The fall down the stairs could have been an additional tactic.”

  “But that would mean someone would have had to sneak in here twice unless it is one of the other servants,” he said, making sure his voice was still low.

  “It wasn’t raining the night your oldest brother died. I only suspected someone crept into this townhouse because there was evidence of it. Both of your brothers died late at night. The staff had already retired for the night. The butler didn’t even know your oldest brother was vomiting until he summoned him around four in the morning.” After a moment, he added, “I’m going to secure all of the entrances around this townhouse to keep people out. In the meantime, the butler is sending for someone to put a lock on your bedchamber.”

  “Those are all excellent ideas.”

  “I wish I had thought of them before this brother died.” He turned to James’ body, his expression one of regret. “If the thought had even occurred to me that someone had murdered your oldest brother, I would have been diligent with this one.”

  “You didn’t know. I didn’t know. None of us could have expected this.”

  “Well, now that we do know, we must be on our guard at all times.”

  “I will be careful.”

  “While we’re waiting for the detective, you should acquaint yourself with the details of the estate.”

  The footman was right. Sitting around until the detective showed up would be a waste of time. Julian would be better off looking over the ledger and finding out what he could do with the assets his brothers had managed to build up during his absence. With a nod in the footman’s direction, he headed for the den.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ophelia checked both ways before she crossed the street. Since this was her third time in London, she didn’t feel so overwhelmed by the slew of activity going on around her. People were all over the place. They were walking up and down sidewalks, going into carriages, leaving carriages, talking, and laughing. She couldn’t keep track of all the people who offered a greeting as she passed them, but she made sure to return their greeting with one of her own.

  She didn’t experience the sensation of being watched until she was within two blocks of Lewis and Marcy’s townhouse. She glanced over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone she recognized. With a frown, she turned forward. Soon, she’d be at their townhouse.

  She picked up her pace. This time she was less inclined to greet people as they passed, but she forced herself to be polite. She thought she heard a gentleman call out to her, so she glanced over her shoulder, wondering if perhaps Lewis or Julian was trying to get her attention. No one was summoning her. It was only a gentleman who was waving to another lady as she stepped out of the carriage in front of a townhouse.

  Ophelia turned her attention forward and almost ran into someone. She took a step back, ready to utter an apology when she realized she was standing right in front of the last person she’d ever wanted to see again.

  “What a clever ruse you pulled, my dear,” Lord Wolfe told her in a low voice. “I had no idea you were the one who was vomiting into a bowl the day I went to inquire of your whereabouts. I hear you go by Mrs. Roskin now.”

  She glanced around them. The people passing by didn’t even look over at them. They all seemed to be involved in their own conversations.

  “Does it bring you pleasure to humiliate me?” Lord Wolfe asked.

  She swallowed, feeling more like a child than a grown lady. “I never meant to humiliate you.”

  “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Because that’s exactly what you did. You married the vicar who was supposed to marry us. If that’s not humiliating, then I don’t know what is.”

  Unable to keep eye contact with him anymore, she lowered her
gaze. “Were you standing outside the cottage last night while it was raining? Did you follow us to London?”

  “If you are asking whether or not I was biding my time until I could take back what was mine, the answer is yes.”

  Noting the anger underlying his pleasant tone, she made a move to step around him, but he grabbed her arm and pushed her toward the street. She opened her mouth to protest, but she was so scared that no sound came out. Before she knew it, he was shoving her into a carriage. He barked out an order to the coachman and got in behind her. He slammed the door and scowled at her.

  “You will not make a fool of me,” he hissed. “You belong to me. Ever since you were a little girl and I realized how much you looked like your mother, I was determined to marry you. Your mother refused my proposal and married my cousin instead. That was humiliating enough. A vicar who’s a simpleton and a wayward ward will not outwit me. I waited sixteen years for you. I gave you time to mature into a grown lady before I came for you. I gave you the best clothes, the best accommodations, and the best education money could buy. I made sure you were protected every day of your life. You owe me.”

  “I’m already married to the vicar.” She squirmed to the other side of the carriage as it moved forward.

  She reached for the handle on the door, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. “I don’t care what you did. I am your guardian. I’m the one who’ll make your choices for you.”

  “No!” She pushed at him. “I will not go with you.”

  He tightened his hold around her waist. “What’s happened to you? You were so docile before. And now look at you. You’re acting like a wild harpy who hasn’t been brought up properly.”

  “Let me go!”

  “I will not let you go. Once I get you under the care of those who can tame you, you won’t speak to me like this ever again.”

  She wasn’t going to go with him. She didn’t care what he had planned for her. She wasn’t safe with him. She was safe with Julian, and more than that, she loved Julian.

  In an act of desperation, she reached up under her hat, removed a pin from her hair, and stabbed him in the arm with it. As soon as he let go of her, she pushed on the door handle. The door opened. Without thinking, she jumped out of the carriage and fell to the street. She didn’t even feel the impact of her fall until she came to a stop on her side.

  “Are you all right?” someone called out, followed by another person voicing their concern, and yet another.

  All at once, she was surrounded by gentlemen and ladies. Two gentlemen helped her to her feet.

  “What happened?” one of them asked.

  She peered around the people who had gathered around her to see if Lord Wolfe’s carriage had stopped, but she didn’t see Lord Wolfe or his carriage anywhere. Trembling, she said, “I took a tumble out of a carriage.”

  “Which carriage?” a lady asked.

  “It was a brown one with gold trim,” a gentlemen answered her. “But I don’t see it anymore.”

  “I don’t, either,” another gentleman said.

  “Do you need the carriage?” one of the gentlemen who’d helped her up asked. “We can track it down. Your coachman must not be aware that you fell out.”

  A lady shook her head. “Some of those doors are not as secure as they should be. Tell us who made the carriage. We’ll lodge a complaint.”

  Overwhelmed by how fast everyone was talking, Ophelia forced out, “I don’t know.”

  “The poor thing needs to lie down,” another lady said. “Someone should take her home.”

  “Where do you live? We’ll take you there,” a gentleman told Ophelia.

  “I’m at the Duke of Alwood’s residence,” Ophelia replied. “He’s my husband.”

  “I didn’t think he had a wife,” he said.

  “No, that particular gentleman just died. He had a younger brother. I bet she’s married to him,” the lady next to him replied. Then she looked at Ophelia. “Are you married to the youngest brother in that family?”

  “Yes,” Ophelia said. “We just arrived here today so my husband can arrange for his brother’s funeral.”

  “What a tragic time it is for you,” the lady replied. “And to think you took a terrible fall on top of everything else.”

  “Well,” the gentleman began, “the best thing we can do is get her home. You are welcome to join me and my wife in our carriage. You shouldn’t walk all the way back there.”

  “Yes, that’s a good idea.” The lady who was his wife led the way to the carriage.

  “We do hope you’ll be all right,” someone called after Ophelia.

  Ophelia wasn’t concerned about the aches or bruises on her body. She’d dealt with those things before. She was concerned about Lord Wolfe. He’d tracked her down. He was following her. He was keeping an eye on everything she was doing. He must have been at theatre that evening when she felt as if someone was watching her. That was probably when Lord Wolfe had found her. Up to then, he hadn’t been aware she’d even been to London.

  If she could go back in time, she would have implored Julian not to go to the theatre. She would have tried to come up with another activity they could do with Didimus and Serena. She should have kept her activities private. She shouldn’t have assumed Lord Wolfe wouldn’t find her or, if he did, that he would leave her alone.

  The footman and gentleman helped her into the carriage.

  The lady sat next to her and patted her hand. “We can send for a doctor to check on you if you’d like.”

  Ophelia moved her arms and legs. “That won’t be necessary. I can move without difficulty. I’m just sore.”

  “Who was in that carriage?” the gentleman asked once the carriage was moving forward.

  She hesitated to tell them. She didn’t know these people. Who knew if she could trust them? Sure, they were being nice, but if they were friends with Lord Wolfe, they might not be sympathetic to her plight. She had no idea how many people Lord Wolfe knew or what his influence was in London. She only knew that her circle of influence was so small that she was surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces whenever she came to town. Julian didn’t seem to know many people, either.

  In the end, she opted to say, “I don’t know who was in the carriage. He forced me in and tried to abduct me.”

  It was a partial truth, and because of that, she was convincing enough so that they let the matter go.

  “Thankfully, you’re all right,” the lady said. “That’s the main thing.”

  “Yes, and I advise you to take your husband or a friend with you when you leave home,” the gentleman added. “This could have been a random event, or someone might be fixated on you. Either way, you’d be wise to show some caution.”

  “I will show caution,” Ophelia assured them.

  She didn’t want to come across Lord Wolfe ever again, and if she did, she definitely didn’t want to be alone. She’d barely gotten away from him just now. If she hadn’t put a hairpin with a sharp point in her hair that morning, she didn’t think she would have succeeded in shocking Lord Wolfe long enough to get out of the carriage.

  He’d tracked her down. He knew where she was. He knew she was married to Julian. Her stomach tensed into knots. What else did he know about her? She recalled what he’d told her right after he forced her into the carriage.

  Ever since you were a little girl and I realized how much you looked like your mother, I was determined to marry you. Your mother refused my proposal and married my cousin instead.

  So he wanted her because he hadn’t been able to marry her mother? He had transferred his plans for her mother over to her?

  Ever since you were a little girl and I realized how much you looked like your mother, I was determined to marry you.

  She shivered.

  “Are you chilly?” the lady asked. “You can use my shawl.”

  Ophelia shook her head. “I’m not chilly. I’m just grateful I made it out of that carriage when I did.” She swallo
wed. “I was so scared.” As a matter of fact, she still was.

  The lady put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “No one can blame you for that. I would have been frightened, too, if that happened to me.” The carriage came to a stop, and the lady peered out the window. “Are we at the right place?”

  Ophelia leaned toward the window then nodded. “Yes, this is where my husband is. Thank you for taking me here.”

  “Would you like us to walk you to the door?”

  Ophelia scanned the street around them. She didn’t see Lord Wolfe or his carriage. “No. I’ll be fine from here.”

  “Just to be sure,” the gentleman began, “we’ll stay here until you’re inside the townhouse.”

  Ophelia nodded and stepped out of the carriage as soon as the footman opened the door. Despite the fact that she was trembling, she made it up the steps and to the front door. Julian’s footman opened it and offered her a greeting. She glanced back, and since the couple waved, she returned the gesture before she went into the townhouse.

  “Your Grace, are you all right?” the footman asked. “You suffered some bruises while you were out.”

  Before he could take a good look at her arms, she crossed them and said, “Where is my husband?”

  “Your husband is with Detective Hall,” the footman told her. “They’re in the drawing room. It might be best to go to a different room. I’ll tell him you’re here when he and the detective are done.”

  Ophelia hid her disappointment. She had wanted to go straight to Julian. Now, she would have to wait. She released an uneasy breath. She didn’t feel like being alone all the way upstairs away from everyone else. “Where can I go that is close to the drawing room?”

  “Your husband’s brothers liked to spend a lot of time in the den. I can have the butler bring you something to eat and drink to make you more comfortable in there.”

  “Where’s the den?”

  “I’ll take you to it.”

  She followed him. The room was smaller than the drawing room, but it was still larger than the cottage. It wasn’t too much unlike the den in the manor she grew up in. Lord Wolfe’s manor. Everything in that place had belonged to him. She forced back a shiver and went into the room. She didn’t want to think of Lord Wolfe or the place she used to call home. She wanted to forget all of it. If only she could wipe the slate clean and start over.