by Clee, Adele
“How was murdering that man supposed to serve you?” Claudia asked on his behalf.
“I was supposed to follow you outside,” Selina said, ignoring Claudia to address him. “When the thug threatened me, my father said you would realise how much you loved me, would save me and offer marriage.”
Every why hath a wherefore.
Lockhart tried to piece together the snippets he’d learnt from Terence. It had been about money. The rogue had come expecting payment and received a knife to the heart.
“But instead, your father killed the man because he couldn’t afford to pay his debt.” Bile bubbled in Lockhart’s throat. “Garthwaite blamed me for the crime, and his loyal coachman concealed the evidence.” Judging by the brusque nature of the coachman, perhaps he was the one who delivered the fatal blow.
“That is what I am trying to tell you,” Selina said. “I wanted to come with you, but my father knew of our secret liaisons. When you didn’t offer to marry me, he realised Terence was the better option. My father had mortgaged the house. I would have lost everything had he gone to debtors’ prison.”
Parts of the puzzle slotted into place. Terence was the easier target, the man with more integrity, the greater conscience. No doubt Terence offered to marry her on the journey back from Portsmouth. And she’d spent years funding her father’s gambling habit, not her own.
“You used my brother to pay your father’s debts,” he said. Guilt surfaced. In his mind, he had made his brother his enemy when in truth they had both been betrayed.
“If only you had married me.” Selina reached out her hand to him as if expecting he might grasp it, might save her. “We could have paid the debts, freed my father from his obligations and then lived happily.”
Deluded did not even begin to explain her thought process.
“Happily?” he mocked. “Knowing that you value your position in society over all else. You watched me board that ship a broken man when one word from you could have saved me. For five damn years, you let me wallow in confusion, let the bitterness of vengeance consume me, blacken my soul.”
“That is not love.” Claudia’s sweet voice breezed over him.
No. It was cruel.
The abominable act of a heartless harpy.
“What did you hope to achieve by telling me this?” Daresay, whatever her reason there was no logic involved. “If it was to prove that you loved me, you have done the opposite.”
The echo of footsteps racing along the stone bridge captured their attention.
Lockhart grasped Claudia’s hand. He considered bundling her into the carriage so Drake could spirit her away. For a few seconds, he stared at the thick, rolling fog, as blind as he had been for the last five years, watching, waiting.
Relief, tinged with a sliver of apprehension, took hold when Terence and Justin burst through the bank of grey cloud. His brother took one look at Selina balanced on the bridge and came to a crashing halt.
Justin, his face a rainbow of blues and purples, gasped in shock. “What the devil?”
Silence descended, as suffocating as the swirling mist clawing at their throats.
Selina looked dazed. She reached out to Terence, her shaky hand mimicking the tremble of her bottom lip. “Save me. Your brother is beside himself with rage and won’t rest until I’m lying dead at the bottom of the Thames. He blames me for what happened that night.”
“Blames you for what?” Justin sounded confused.
She ignored Justin and focused on Terence. “But I had to send Hudson away,” she said, gripping the post as another gust of wind whipped at her hair and cloak. “It was the only way we could be together.”
“Will someone tell me what is going on?” Justin persisted. “Come down from there, Selina, before you do yourself an injury.”
“Oh, Justin.” Selina feigned a sob. “Can you not see what’s happening here? Hudson wants rid of us. He’s kidnapped Alfred and won’t rest until he’s stolen every damn penny. Twice, he’s tried to push me off this bridge.”
Drake growled. He threw off his hat and lowered the collar of his greatcoat. “The woman is lying. She lured us here under some misguided notion of love. Every word from her lips is riddled with deceit.”
“Your aunt is right. They’re all heathens.” Selina choked on her fake tears. “Call the watchman, Justin. Tell him these men are trying to kill me.” She turned to Terence, bared her teeth and glared. “I should have known you’d stand there looking gormless.”
While Terence retaliated with numerous accusations, Lockhart glanced at Drake.
His friend sidled next to him and whispered, “Perhaps we should call the watchman. He patrols the bridge nightly. Anyone caught causing malicious damage risks transportation to one of His Majesty’s colonies.”
“You think we should shout vandal?” The thought of Selina serving a sentence abroad had vast appeal.
“Are you going to stand there and let him insult me?” Selina had turned her beady stare on Justin. “You said you loved me. You said once you inherited you would keep me in the luxury I deserve.” She stamped her foot. “You said all of those things. Deny it.”
Justin shuffled uncomfortably. “That was before Terence told me you’ve been stealing money from my uncle. Goddamn, at this rate, there’ll be nothing left once he passes.”
“So that’s it,” Selina complained. “You’re all so consumed with money you’re willing to turn on those you love.”
Drake bent his head and whispered, “The woman has lost all grasp of reality. I’m beginning to think an asylum might be better than the colonies. Either way, we need to get her down from that bridge.”
“Agreed.”
“Let me try,” Claudia said, having been a party to their hushed conversation. Lockhart had reservations, but before he could air them, Claudia said, “Selina, why don’t you come down. We’ll find a quiet inn and take supper, talk about this in a calm, rational manner. I’m sure we can resolve our differences.”
Despite Claudia’s charitable protestations, Lockhart would never forgive Selina. He would never speak to her again.
The prolonged and pained silence should have told him something was amiss. They were all waiting for Selina’s reply when the crazed woman drew a small pistol from the pocket of her cloak.
“Oh, we can resolve this,” she said, waving the pistol back and forth between Claudia and Terence. “The only way I can marry Hudson is if I shoot both of you.”
“You’ve only got one shot,” Claudia countered. “Who will you choose?”
As Selina considered her dilemma—and Lockhart debated how the hell he would grab the pistol out of Selina’s hand without knocking her into the Thames—the echo of booted footsteps rendered them all frozen to the spot.
“Help!” Selina blurted. “They’re trying to kill me!”
The approaching figure broke into a sprint.
Curse the devil!
The watchman appeared through the mist, puffing and panting. He scanned the scene, noted Selina waving the pistol and gasped.
“They’re trying to kill me,” Selina repeated.
Claudia turned to the watchman. “She lured us here and then threatened to shoot us. I fear she is unstable. My husband has the letter she sent, and any one of these gentlemen can testify to her insanity.”
Lockhart wasn’t entirely sure what happened next, but he would replay the event over and over in his mind for some time to come.
The gust of wind struck at precisely the same moment Selina fired the pistol. Claudia crumpled to the ground, and yet it was Selina’s scream that pierced the air.
Good God!
“Claudia!” Lockhart dropped to his knees. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” Claudia panted, her face deathly pale. “At least I don’t think so.”
Lockhart glanced behind him at the sudden flurry of activity. The shock of firing, coupled with the sudden wind, forced Selina to release her grip on the post. Arms flailing, she fell back, back
over the bridge. Her fearful cries died as soon as she hit the water.
While Terence, Justin and the watchman raced from the bridge to the water’s edge, Drake calmed the horses, and Lockhart checked every inch of Claudia’s body searching for signs of blood.
“I think she hit the lamp,” Drake said, pointing towards the opposite side of the bridge. “I heard the glass shatter.”
“Christ, I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared.” Lockhart took Claudia’s hand and helped her to stand. He captured her cheeks and kissed her on the mouth. “For a second, I thought I’d lost you.”
She smiled. “There’s no chance of that.” Her expression turned sombre. “We should go down to the waterside and see if we can help.”
Keeping a firm grip of Claudia’s hand, they crossed the bridge and descended the flight of stone steps leading down to the riverbank. It took a few minutes to find Terence in the fog. Indeed, the weather had prevented them from locating the place where Selina had plunged into the water. The watchman roused the help of two men in a boat. After an hour spent searching, one shivering and soaked fellow dragged Selina’s body onto the shore.
They spent the next few hours giving statements to the magistrate. No one mentioned the incident at the inn five years ago. With the information Terence had discovered from the bank clerk, and the watchman bearing witness to the madness, the magistrate concluded that guilt had robbed Selina of her mental faculties.
Drake drove them back to Russell Square.
“Fleet will take you home, Drake.” Lockhart stood with his friend on the pavement as they watched Claudia enter the house. “I’m sure Juliet will be keen to know you’re safe and well.”
Drake gripped Lockhart’s shoulder. “It must be a relief to know the truth. Now you know what happened that night at the inn you can put the past behind you.”
Indeed, he had to stop thinking about the injustice of it all. Despite Selina’s treachery, he would not have wished for her death.
“The truth is always enlightening.” Lockhart clutched his friend’s arm. “I cannot thank you enough for your help tonight. Now that my return is no longer a secret, you should all come to dinner.”
Drake’s smile reached his eyes. “It will be good to eat a meal together without talk of retribution and vengeance.”
Lockhart laughed. “What the devil will we talk about?”
“We could talk about our love for our wives. I think we all have that in common.”
The comment brought a rush of euphoria when he thought about Claudia. It brought a pang of anxiety, too, for there was still the matter of the fake marriage to address.
“Except for Dariell,” Drake added.
“I’m not so sure. The last time I saw Dariell, he looked besotted. But I’m sure he’ll tell you himself when he returns to town.”
Drake arched a brow. “What will you do now?”
“Do?”
“About the fact Claudia is your wife in everything but name.”
“There is only one thing to do. I shall make Miss Darling an offer.”
One he prayed she would not refuse.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Perhaps it was the traumatic events of the last few days that forced them to slide into bed as soon as the doctor waved goodbye at the door. Perhaps it was lust that caused them to strip naked amid frantic pants and groans, lust that made Claudia take Hudson’s impressive erection into her mouth.
The urge to control and dominate proved to be a powerful thing.
But it was love that brought tears to her eyes when Hudson entered her body. Love that made her wrap her legs tightly around him, not wanting to let go. Love that split her heart in two when she realised the grave error she had made by not being completely honest with him in the beginning.
Everything had come to a climax quickly. She was speaking of betrayal and deceit, for the man lying sated between her damp thighs had a stallion’s stamina.
Fear over what would happen now Hudson had satisfied his need for retribution played havoc with her mind.
“You’re quiet,” he said, lifting his head to look at her. He could not mean during the act of lovemaking for she had writhed and moaned from the dizzying heights of pleasure. “Are you thinking about the problems at Falaura Glen, about Emily?”
Claudia gave a weak chuckle. “I have my lover’s sweat-soaked body between my legs, and you imagine I’m thinking about the repairs to the cottage roof?”
“I don’t like it when you use that term.” Disapproval rang heavy.
“What? Lover?” Oh, she’d give anything to say “husband.”
“There’s more to our relationship than that, and you know it.” He sighed. “You were thinking about something. You had that hazy look in your eyes.”
She could say it was the look of desire but decided on the truth.
“I cannot help but feel sad that things are coming to an end.”
“Coming to an end?” Hudson came up on his knees, a frown marring his brow. “Love, it is only the beginning.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, drinking in the sight of his bare chest and the flaccid manhood she could tease to attention in seconds. “We learnt the lines, played the part. Now, it’s as though we’re reading from a blank script.”
“Then we make our own scenes. We decide on a structure, what form our lives will take. And then we live, and we love, and we make a life together.”
How could she make a commitment when bound by Mr Thorncroft’s ridiculous contract?
Foolishly, Claudia had put the problem to the back of her mind. She had not felt the need to tell Hudson, believing that the fantasy of becoming his wife would come to naught, and so she would pay Mr Thorncroft and go back to her quaint existence.
“It sounds like a wonderful dream,” she said, her heart heavy, aching. “But I cannot consider my own needs when there are problems at home.”
“Of course you must consider the upkeep of your home, the welfare of your sister.” Tension radiated from the hard muscles in his shoulders. It clung to every word, every syllable. “I’m not asking you to abandon your responsibilities.”
What was he asking?
She was frightened he might tell her, might make a beautiful declaration for her to trample over, spoil and ruin. How could she tell him she had made a commitment to marry another man? How could she tell him she had accepted this role because she cared only for the money?
Heaven help her!
Did she not sound as cold and conniving as Selina?
Honesty is a rare trait. You have it in abundance.
The truth would alter his opinion.
And yet her heart was honest and true. Perhaps he would understand her intentions were good. Perhaps doubt and mistrust would surface, and he would forever wonder if she truly loved him or if she had married him simply to escape her debts, escape marriage to a devilish fiend.
Water welled in her eyes.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but they failed to wash away her fears.
“Don’t cry,” he said, his voice softening. He moved to settle on the pillow beside her, used the pad of his thumb to wipe away the evidence of her pain. “Our lives have been whipped up by a whirlwind. It will take some time to adjust.”
Oh, why was he so wonderful, so understanding?
Love burst from her heart like the sun’s powerful rays.
“The problems at Falaura Glen relate to money,” she said, knowing she had to find some middle ground between lies and truth.
“I know. I spent a month in the cottage.” Hudson snorted. “When the raindrops hit the metal bucket, it’s like a weird form of torture.”
“The money you’re to pay me for playing your wife is to cover a debt not fix the roof. Mr Thorncroft is rather anxious to see the matter settled.”
“Then if you need more money, you only need ask.” He raised his hand when she was about to protest. “What you’ve done for me, what you’ve had to endure, it’s worth more than
a king’s ransom.”
Endure? Every single moment had been sheer bliss. Perfect beyond belief.
She placed her palm on his chest. “Oh, it’s not been such a hardship.”
Hudson captured her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “No, together we make a remarkable team. Still, let me settle your debts.”
A painful lump formed in her throat. “This is something I must do on my own.”
“You don’t want my help?”
Claudia cupped his cheek. “I must solve the problem that I created. It took courage to accept your offer, a little foolishness, too. We’ve been so engrossed in playing fictional roles, a few days apart will give us both an opportunity to consider where we go from here.”
He came up on his elbow, his brows drawn together in confusion. “You doubt the depth of my feelings?”
“No, not at all.” Claudia would have knots in her hair the number of times she shook her head whilst lying on the pillow. “You’ve never lied to me.”
Suspicion flashed in his eyes.
Claudia shuffled closer. “I love you. I am in love with you. I want to be with you in any capacity—friend, lover—” She daren’t be so presumptuous as to say “husband.” “But you must let me deal with the issues at Falaura Glen.”
Besides, she could not make any decisions without speaking to Emily. The problem with Mr Thorncroft affected her sister, too.
“You tell me you love me and yet I feel a great weight crushing my chest.” He dragged his hand down his face and sighed. “Love should be easy. So why is it proving so damn difficult?”
It was because she loved him that she could not be completely honest. If she told the truth about Mr Thorncroft, Hudson would ride to Flamstead and throttle the man. And yet, lies weakened the foundation of any relationship.
“You must trust me,” she said. “Have faith that I will deal with this dilemma and then return to you.”
He flopped back on the pillow. A weary sigh burst from his lips as he stared at the ceiling. “The signed banknotes are in the leather satchel in the armoire. I am in debt to you for seventeen hundred pounds but take what you need.”
