by Lisa Campell
That Thomas didn’t understand. Surely, she knew this wasn’t going to be a passing fling. Thomas wasn’t the type of person to do that. When he took someone to bed, he didn’t lead them on with false promises. He followed through on what he should do.
He wanted Emilia to be his wife. He didn’t want it any other way. Emilia was it for him, the first one to make him feel alive since his wife’s death. She had to feel it as well, how they were together. It wasn’t something she could ignore.
But there was something going on. She was holding back, keeping something from him. Thomas wanted to know what it was. He didn’t think Emilia was going to tell him; every time he tried to press further about her past, Emilia did everything but run away. Thomas couldn’t go on with how it was between them until he knew everything. As far as he was concerned, there should be no secrets.
So, when Emilia and Anna headed out for their daily ride, Thomas left and took his carriage over to Baron Chambers home a short distance away. If he wasn’t going to get the answers from Emilia, he was going to get them from the only friend he was aware of. Thomas knew Emilia met Lady Charlotte on her afternoons off. Lady Charlotte was the one, after all, who introduced Emilia to his mother.
She might try to defend her friend, but Thomas wasn’t leaving until he got some answers. Maybe he could get some insight on how to approach it with Emilia. Was she scared of letting herself go completely? Was she so put off by marriage that the idea made her skittish? Thomas didn’t know, and he wanted to. He didn’t want Emilia scared of him.
Because it was there, at the back of all the other emotions Thomas could see. Emilia was scared of him. And he didn’t want her to be.
It didn’t take long to get to Baron Chambers’ home, and Thomas was shown into the morning room. He didn’t have an appointment, only his calling card preceding him moments before. But Lady Charlotte permitted him entrance, and now she was standing in the morning room, greeting him with a friendly smile and a curtsy.
“Mr. Andrews, good morning. I didn’t realize you were coming to visit, so you must forgive me if we’re not quite hospitable at this time of day.”
“I’m not going to be cross about that. I only decided to come out here this morning.” Thomas took off his hat and put it on the table, waving the maid away as she hovered nearby. “You don’t need to take my outdoor clothes. I won’t be staying long enough.”
“I…” The maid glanced at Lady Charlotte before bobbing a curtsy. “Yes, Sir.”
She left the room. Thomas turned to Lady Charlotte, who was looking bewildered.
“I want some answers to a lot of questions, Lady Charlotte. And I know you’re the person to help me find those answers.”
“Me?” Lady Charlotte blinked. “I’ll do my best, but what could I possibly do to help you?”
“You can tell me who Emilia Perry really is.”
Lady Charlotte faltered. Her face paled.
“I beg your pardon?”
Curious reaction. Thomas approached her, only to stop when he realized Lady Charlotte was backing away. He watched her move to put the couch between them, her eyes wide in fear. She was scared of him?
“She’s your friend, isn’t she? You were the one who introduced her to my mother, after all. Now I want to know the truth. And I want it now.”
“I... what…” Lady Charlotte’s mouth opened and closed. She swallowed hard. “What makes you think that there’s something wrong with Mrs. Perry?”
Here it came. Thomas hadn’t admitted it to anyone besides Emilia. Even now, it was still strange to think in such a way.
“I’m in love with her, Lady Charlotte. She’s the first woman I’ve thought about marrying since Olivia died. But she’s pulling back. She’s hiding something, and it’s making her scared of me. I don’t know why she fears me, or what she’s hiding, but it’s big. The only way I’m going to get my answers is for you to tell me what’s going on and what Mrs. Perry is hiding.”
For a moment, he thought Lady Charlotte was going to faint. She was certainly swaying on her feet. Thomas glanced towards the door, wondering if he should get the servants to find Baron Chambers. He didn’t want to be blamed for having a woman collapse on him.
Then the door opened and Baron Chambers himself came into the room. From the look of the wet marks on the legs of his britches and the grass still stuck to his shoes, the baron had just come in from a walk. He stopped in surprise when he saw Thomas.
“Mr. Andrews. Is there something wrong? I haven’t forgotten to pay you back something, have I?”
“What? Oh, no.” Thomas shook his head. “Nothing like that. I wanted to ask your wife something.”
“Oh?” Baron Chambers turned to his wife, only to hurry to her side. “Darling, are you all right? You look like you’re going to pass out.”
“I... I’ll be fine.” Lady Charlotte clutched at her husband. “He’s asking about Emilia.”
“What?” The baron gave Thomas a nervous look. “Now?”
“Yes.” Lady Charlotte rested her forehead against her husband’s shoulder. “I can’t do it, Peter. But he’s got to know. This has gone on for too long.”
Thomas frowned. “Know what?”
“Do it, love.” Baron Chambers stroked his wife’s head. “I’m here. I’ll stay with you.”
Now Thomas was really confused. They did know something, for sure. But what? He held up his hands.
“Just stop talking in riddles, you two. What is going on? What do I need to know about Emilia Perry?”
Lady Charlotte looked up and stared at her husband. Baron Chambers nodded sagely and kissed her forehead. Then still holding onto him, Lady Charlotte turned to Thomas. She looked very unhappy.
“Emilia isn’t a widow. She’s never been married.”
“She what?”
“She…” Lady Charlotte looked up at the baron. “I can’t, Peter.”
Peter sighed. He looked equally unhappy.
“Emilia Perry’s real name is Emilia Hill.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It took a moment for Thomas to remember where he had heard the name before. And the realization slammed into him hard.
“Emilia is Jonathan Hill’s daughter?”
Charlotte nodded. “She was so sure that you were guilty of killing her father that she wanted to find what the authorities couldn’t.”
So, she had lied her way into his household. Thomas was struggling to get the words to sink in. Emilia was Jonathan Hill, the woman who had been pestering Constable Bowers to get Thomas to confess to the death. She had believed the rumours completely, and when there was no more talk about the daughter, Thomas had believed she had finally seen sense and was retreating to grieve properly.
That hadn’t been the case. She had been right under his nose the whole time. And Thomas had fallen for her lies.
“Mr. Andrews?” Baron Chambers hurried to him. “Are you well? You look pale.”
“I…”
Thomas’ legs were feeling weak. He swayed as the baron reached for him and led him to the couch. Thomas sat down heavily, his chest tightening. He felt nauseous. How could he have not known? But it had been there. The vague way she discussed her past, catching her trying to get into his study, following him to Drake’s and spying on him. It had all been there, but Thomas had missed it.
“She lied to me. She lied to my daughter. I…” He pressed a hand to his chest, but it didn’t ease the tightness. “I fell in love with a liar.”
Lady Charlotte gave him a sympathetic look as she sat beside him.
“Take deep breaths, Mr. Andrews. Peter, get him a drink.”
Moments later, a glass of brandy was being shoved into his hands. Thomas didn’t want a drink. He wanted all of this to be a lie, that they were playing with him. But he knew that wouldn’t do anything to make him feel better.
“If it’s any consolation, Mr. Andrews,” Lady Charlotte went on, “Emilia had begun to believe you were innocent.”
&nb
sp; “That doesn’t make me feel any better, Lady Charlotte,” Thomas grumbled.
He poured the whole glass down his throat, grimacing at the burn that went all the way to his gut. God, he hated brandy.
“If she was beginning to believe I was innocent, why didn’t she just leave?”
Lady Charlotte sighed.
“She knew she would always have that niggling doubt, so she kept looking. Just to settle her mind before she told you everything.”
“Tell me everything.” Thomas snorted. “When was she going to tell me everything? Before or after?”
Lady Charlotte frowned. “Before or…” Then her eyes widened, and realization dawned. “Oh.”
“Before or after?” Baron Chambers looked confused. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s best that you don’t, darling.” Lady Charlotte waved her husband’s confusion away, focusing on Thomas. “Have you told Emilia that you love her?”
“I have.”
“I see.” Lady Charlotte hesitated, and then put her hand over his. “I know this won’t make you feel any better right now, but she loves you, too. She’s admitted to me as much.”
“She’s got a strange way of showing it.” Thomas grunted. He stood, almost throwing the glass onto a nearby table. It spun around and was about to topple onto the floor when Baron Chambers caught him, putting it down properly. Thomas began to pace. “Why didn’t she tell me once she began to realize? There had to be a point where she could have turned back, and we passed that some time ago.”
“Would you have entertained her? Or would you have turned her away?” Lady Charlotte gave him a knowing look. “Especially considering how angry and accusatory she was in the beginning?”
That did give Thomas momentary pause.
“I would have scoffed at her accusations and told her to go away and never come near me again. But that would have been back then,” he protested, “Not now.”
“But how were either of you two going to know this was what would happen between you?”
She did have a point. Neither of them knew they were going to fall for each other. Thomas had certainly never expected to have his head turned by a governess. No, Emilia is not a governess. She never was, although she was very good at pretending to be one. Of all the people to fall for, why did it have to be the daughter of the man he was accused of killing?
“She shouldn’t have lied to me. Now I feel like I love a fraud.”
Lady Charlotte was silent for a moment. Then she looked at her husband.
“Peter, would you leave us alone, please?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, dear.”
The baron didn’t look too convinced, but he kissed his wife’s cheek and left the room. The door closed with a click behind him as Lady Charlotte rose to her feet and approached Thomas.
“Look, Mr. Andrews...Thomas... Emilia’s emotions were all over the place. She had lost the only parent she’s had in years, and she was led to believe that you were the culprit. There were loads of accusations flying around and she grasped onto one of them. Emilia is strong-minded. It was best that she found out for herself instead of listening to rumours.”
“I didn’t consent for her to go snooping in my home and my family!”
“There’s nothing to prove you killed Jonathan Hill, is there?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“There you go. You have nothing to hide.” Lady Charlotte spread her hands. “She knows the truth now. And she’s in love with you. Maybe it’s best that you two sit down and talk it out. Find level ground to sort all this distrust between you.”
She made it sound so easy that Thomas began to feel a little hopeful. His initial thought when he realized who Emilia was to be filled with rage and make sure she was removed from his house as quickly as possible the moment he got back. But now the anger had begun to fade a little, he knew that he couldn’t do that. It would mean the woman he loved disappearing from his life completely.
She should have come to him. If she had been decent about it and talked to him like a decent human being, they might have found even ground and come to an understanding. Doing it this way had only just made things worse.
“Come, Mr. Andrews,” Lady Charlotte took his hand and urged him back to the couch, “Take a few moments to gather your thoughts and then head home. The quicker you discuss it, the quicker you can sort this out.”
“You think so?”
The young woman gave him a gentle smile.
“I know so.”
Emilia was shaking. How could she have fallen for a man who had killed her father? She had to be mad to have let her guard down for even half a second. Now she had proof that the man she loved was a killer. Her father’s watch was clutched in her hand, the evidence clear to see. Thomas had to be taking it out every now and then to gloat over it. That had to be why he locked the door all the time.
She had to get out of there. Get as far away from the house as possible. Then she would have over the evidence to Constable Bowers. It was up to him to make the arrest. Emilia had gone to find the proof that Thomas was a killer, and she had it. Now she had to get away before he got back.
Emilia practically ran out of the study. Her bags were already packed. She just needed to get the carriage to come around and the footmen to load up her belongings and then she was gone. Thomas still believed that she was a widow and nothing to do with anything except being the governess. He would just chalk this one up to bad luck and move on with a broken heart, but he would move on.
But could she move on? Emilia wasn’t sure.
She was at the foot of the stairs when a sharp voice behind her freezing to the spot.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Oh, God. Thomas. Emilia turned. Thomas was coming through the front door, practically slapping his hat and cane into the butler’s chest, his eyes never leaving hers. He was angry. It was practically simmering in the air around him. Emilia shivered. Did he know? He couldn’t know. Lady Andrews said she would give her a day. Had she broken her word?
“I thought you were out today.”
“I’m not anymore.” Thomas advanced across the foyer. His hands were clenching at his sides. “Now, answer my question. Where are you going?”
“I…” Emilia drew herself up. She would not cower. “I’m out of here.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes.”
Thomas stopped before her. There were barely inches between them and even standing on the floor with Emilia on the bottom step, he was taller than her. Emilia swallowed. God, he really was imposing.
“Why are you leaving?” Thomas sneered. “Because you can’t keep up the lie any longer? Miss Hill?”
Emilia’s stomach dropped. Oh, God. Lady Andrews had to have thought Emilia wouldn’t say anything. She lied.
“It’s not even been a few hours! She said…”
“Who said?” Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “Lady Charlotte Chambers?”
“I…” Wait a minute, Charlotte had told him about her? What was she doing? “What has Charlotte told you?”
“You’re here trying to find out if I killed your father.”
How much had Charlotte told him? Emilia knew she was going to have a few words with her friend. She matched Thomas’ angry glare with one of her own.
“I was looking for something. And I’ve found it.”
“Found it?” Thomas frowned. “Found what?”
“Evidence that you did kill him.” Emilia blinked back her tears. She would not break down now. “And I was beginning to think you were innocent of everything. I really thought you were. And then…”
“Whoa, slow down, Emilia.” Thomas held up his hand. “I’m trying to keep up, but I’m struggling. Start at the beginning and tell me what this evidence is.”
Emilia snorted. “Why bother? You’ll have an explanation for it that you think will cover everything. How can I believe anything you say?”
“Beca
use I…”
Thomas’ voice died away when he saw the watch. Emilia still had it clutched in her hand. Before she could get away, Thomas gripped her wrist and uncurled her fingers. Emilia tried to pull back, but he was too strong. Thomas plucked the watch from her hand and stared at it like he had never seen it before. A lot of emotions passed across his face before he settled to stunned outrage.
