by Aria Norton
“Nash! Oh, thank goodness you came.”
His heart still beating rapidly, Nash went to Freddi, grabbing her close to him.
"What is happening here? Why did these men want to hurt you?” Nash took her face in his hands. “Why are you here, you foolish woman?”
Nash could feel how terribly Freddi was shivering, likely from the shock of being in danger.
“It is him, Nash. Mr Down was the one to kill my parents, Nash. He's also been sending your father threatening notes. Look.”
He watched her take out a vial from her pocket with a trembling hand, giving it to him. Nash could tell that it was poison, but how had Freddi managed to find out that Richard Down was the man behind everything? He took the vial, holding it to the light.
“But how-”
He stopped when Freddi uttered a scream, pulling them both to the floor. He heard a crash from the area they had just vacated, whipping his head around to see the first man with a metal bar. Scrambling to his feet, Nash managed to wrestle the bar from him, throwing it in the far corner of the room.
A sharp left hook sent the man sprawling, hitting his head on the side of a table leg. The toothless man seemed dazed as he clutched his head, muttering all sorts of profanities at Nash. It appeared that Down had come to, because Nash felt an arm close around his neck.
“You are not going to live, boy. Did you think that you could come up against me?”
Nash struggled to move the man's iron-like grip, fighting for a breath of air for his lungs. Suddenly, he was let go of as the man fell to the ground with a thud. Rubbing his neck, Nash turned to see Freddi holding a wooden statue, her eyes on the man on the floor.
“You have just saved me, Freddi.”
“Consider it returning the favour.”
As Freddi sagged, he ran to her, catching her before she hit the ground.
“Freddi!”
“Oh, do not mind me, I simply find myself unable to stand. Where is your walking stick? I might have use of it yet.”
Nash chuckled. “I left it outside as I ran in to save you. Do you know that my heart nearly stopped beating when you shouted my name? What were you doing here?”
Freddi did not get the chance to explain herself as the town's folk came rushing into the cobbler's shop, gasping when they saw the two figures on the floor. Nash stepped out of the room with Freddi, wanting to take her out of the public's eye.
“He's got a knife!” he heard someone say.
Nash pushed Freddi out of the way, dodging the knife that passed dangerously close to his face. The missing toothed man was a clumsy fighter as Nash was able to hit the knife out of his hand and wrestle him to the ground.
“What is going on here?”
Still holding the man down, Nash looked up to see the authorities fill the shop. It soon became a cacophony of voices as everyone tried to explain their version of the story based on what they had seen. Nash could have laughed at the crazy stories the people were cooking up, but he was occupied with keeping the man down. Rather than listen to them, the authorities gathered up the two men, taking him as well.
“Where are you taking Nash?” Freddi asked. “He is not the one to blame.”
“I am sorry, Miss, but anyone found fighting must be questioned.”
“I will tell you what happened, sir, but you just arrest these two men for murder and conspiring to murder, as well as sending death threats to Lord Blackmore. They are dangerous people.”
Nash looked at Freddi with pride. Any other woman would have crumbled and become a blubbering fool, but not his Freddi. This woman would fight until the bitter end for him; he knew this without an inkling of doubt. There is certainly no way that I am leaving her again.
Chapter 17
“Quieten down, everyone!” one of the constable’s men shouted. “If you have nothing better to do than make a ruckus, then I suggest you get away from here.”
A younger man chased off a couple of women and men, but some tried to hide behind furniture in order to stay. Freddi found herself smiling at the determination of the people. They are only looking for gossip.
“Miss Dunn, can you tell me exactly what happened?”
Constable Marshall, an old friend of her father, was the one who spoke to her, his voice soothing but firm.
“Well, I had come to ask Mr Down if he would change his proposal of marriage to employment. I did not wish to marry him, but I did not mind working for him.”
The constable frowned. “He asked for your hand in marriage?”
“Yes, soon after rumours began to circulate about me.”
“I have heard of these rumours. Anyone with sense would know that they were false.”
“That is what I said to her, Constable Marshall,” Nash cut in.
The constable gave him a withering look. “This investigation is still ongoing, Lord Salisbury. As a suspect, you cannot say a thing until you are spoken to.”
“Yes, sir.”
The constable returned his attention to her. “What else did Mr Down say to you regarding the proposal?”
“Only that he wished to help me as I was all alone.”
“And that was the reason you came to his shop?”
“Yes, sir. I wanted to ask him to reconsider his proposal, but he was not here. Mr Beyers invited me in and told me to wait for Mr Down while he went to fetch him. I think that I must have been rather nervous as I found myself in his study without meaning to enter the room.”
“And what did you find upon entering the room?”
“There were ledgers and papers scattered across the desk, and so my eye naturally roved over them. I saw Lord Blackmore's name, and it intrigued me. I also saw his initials on another piece of paper, and that was what truly alerted me.”
“Why?” the constable asked. “What was so special about his initials?”
"My father often wrote things down on pieces of paper and then forgot about them once they went into his coat pockets. When I cleaned out his coat, I noticed the initials AD with a number next to them. I now know that the number is actually an amount of money owed to my father. You see, I had completely forgotten that Mr Down was usually referred to as Andrew by those who called him a friend. My father called him Richard and Andrew, but I did not remember that at first. Once I found out that AD and Mr Down was the same person, I knew that I had to gather more evidence against him. I managed to break open a locked drawer, and that is where I found this."
Freddi took the vial out of her pocket, having picked it up after it dropped from Nash's hand. The constable took it, opening it to sniff it.
“Yes, I know exactly what this is. Tell me, how did Lord Salisbury come on the scene?”
Freddi looked at Nash. “I would imagine that he saw me through the window?”
Nash nodded, motioning her to carry on. He smiled at her encouragingly, not in the least bothered that his hands were tied.
“And then?” the constable urged.
“He came crashing through the front door to save me. If not for him, Constable Marshall, I would not be here. Those two men are the criminals here, not Nash.”
“I see, Miss Dunn.” The man stood up. “Thank you for your time. It is clear to see that Lord Salisbury is something of a hero.”
“No,” Nash denied. “The true hero is Miss Dunn, constable. She is the one who solved the case single-handedly.”
Freddi's cheeks coloured, looking away as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I think that we all played our part, Nash. Let us leave it at that.”
Nash was released, and the other two men were taken into custody.
“Constable, is there perhaps a physician? I would like Freddi to be examined to ensure that nothing has happened to her.”
“Nash, that is hardly necessary. You are the one who have hurt yourself kicking through that door. Constable, please, have the physician look at him before we leave.”
"I shall have the physician examine you both," sa
id the constable. "He has been called from his sleep, and he should be here at any minute. Excuse me while I gather evidence."
They both thanked him, leaving him to go through the papers in Mr Down's study.
“This has been quite a night, would you not say so?” Nash commented.
“A particularly memorable one. I do not think that I shall forget it for as long as I live.”
It was bittersweet for Freddi as she now knew precisely how her parents had died, but their killer had been caught. Nash was likely happy as well, as he would soon have his inheritance. And if he meant his word about giving me some of it, I shall go to London and start up my business.
“What are you thinking, Freddi?”
"That life can change in the blink of an eye. For a second, I had believed that I would lose my life, but you came to me and saved me." She wrinkled her nose. "You are sober, and yet I can smell alcohol on you. Did you bathe in it?"
He chuckled. “Let us just say that I had my time with alcohol, and now I am cutting ties with it.”
The physician came soon, and Freddi insisted that Nash go first. She had seen him wince as he moved his leg, but she did not wish to draw attention to it because she knew how sensitive he was about it. The physician poked and prodded, while Nash gritted his teeth, holding her hand.
No one seemed to take notice that their hands were linked, but eventually, she knew that they would have to separate before words were said about them. I have only just recovered from the first lot, I do not need anything else to be wrongfully said about me. After some minutes, Nash pulled away from the physician.
“Enough, I am fine. Please, take a look at Freddi.”
“But, Nash, you've clearly injured yourself after beating down the door.”
“I will be fine once I know that you are fine.”
“Stubborn man,” she muttered.
Freddi allowed herself to be examined, all the while looking at Nash. He is hurt, but he is worried about me. What does this mean? Is this friendship, or is it more than that? The physician gave her a clean bill of health, giving them the go-ahead to leave. Nash immediately pulled her to her feet.
“Come, it is time to go home. You are no longer Freddi the Heroine, but a woman in need of rest.”
“I could not agree with you more. Let me find your walking stick- you said that you threw it outside?”
“Never mind the walking stick, Freddi.”
"No, Nash," she insisted. "We are not leaving without it, and that is final."
She hurried ahead of him, finding the stick remarkably in one piece just a few paces from the door. Dusting it off, she handed it to him, pleased when he took it.
“Shall I walk you to the Black Horse? I am sure that you wish to rest that leg.”
“No, I am taking you back to the cottage, and I do not want to hear your excuses.”
“But your leg-”
“Will be fine. Come, Miss Dunn, stop wasting our time. Night will soon turn to day without a single wink of sleep.”
Freddi made sure to steer clear of his hand. The last thing she wanted was the town's folk to see her holding hands with him. Which reminded her of a question that had occurred to her during the investigation.
“Do you reckon that people are aware of your true identity now? It is wide in the open.”
“I imagine so, but I do not care much for the opinion of others, Freddi. The only opinion that matters the most to me is yours. Now come, let us reach the cottage soon.”
They walked in silence, the only sound being woodland creatures and his stick hitting against the ground. Freddi was the one to break the silence minutes later.
“Will you return to France?”
It was a burning question in her mind, she just had to know.
“Nothing is certain yet, Freddi. I am still here, am I not?”
Freddi was disappointed. That was not an answer at all. He is evading the question, that can only mean yes. She did not say a word for the rest of the walk to the cottage, feeling sorry for herself. I can sleep easy knowing that he will likely receive his inheritance soon, and when he gives me the promised amount, I shall immediately go to London and start afresh.
When they walked up to the cottage, Freddi was expecting Nash to leave, but instead, he asked for a pillow.
“Whatever for? Does the Black Horse not have pillows?”
“They do, but I do not have one with me at the moment.”
“Where exactly do you plan to sleep, Nash?”
“Right here on your front doorstep. It is not a cold night, but a blanket and a pillow would do me some good.”
The man was absolutely raving mad! Bonkers! Sleep on her front doorstep?
"There is no way that I am allowing that, Nash. Why would you even wish to do such a thing? It makes no sense. If it is your leg, then I am sure that Lady Blackmore will arrange a room for you to sleep in."
Nash shook his head. "No, I shall sleep right here. Do not argue with me, Freddi. I will sleep better, knowing that you are safe."
“But on my doorstep? What will your father say?”
"Whatever he pleases, it makes no difference to me. Please, fetch me a pillow and blanket, I wish to sleep now. I suggest that you get some rest as well, tomorrow will be a big day."
What did he mean by big day? Freddi did not bother to ask him as she knew that he would only be vague with her. This is becoming an annoying habit of his. She left the door open as she fetched his requested pillow and blanket, getting him two blankets so that he could sleep on top of one.
“I shall arrange them for you, it is the least I can do for you sleeping on my front step.”
He chuckled. “It almost feels as though we are going through domestic bliss. The only difference is that I am sleeping outside.”
Freddi did not find his words funny at all. "Goodnight, Nash. Do wake me up when you need something?"
“Do not count on it. Go, have your beauty sleep and leave me in peace.”
Freddi was tempted to stick her tongue out at him, but she did not. I do not wish him to think me childish. Rather than sleep on her bed, Freddi took the pillow and sheets off the bed to sleep on the other side of the door. She wanted to be as close to Nash as she could possibly get with still a note of propriety between them. I do not know for how much longer I shall have him by my side, but I will take moments spent with him in any form they come in. Freddi touched her palm to the door and fell asleep.
Nash was being shaken awake, but who on earth would be in his room?
“My Lord, please, Lord Blackmore wishes to speak to you.”
His father? Nash opened his eyes, no longer fighting to remain asleep. A young man stared down at him, his innocent-looking face amused.
“My good man, what are you doing in my room? And what is this about my father?”
“My Lord, you are not in your room, but outside Miss Dunn's cottage.”
