Could it be? Ivy despised herself for even giving that thought any space in her brain, but she did not like believing that the police would make a mistake. The law enforcement was there to keep everyone safe; society needed them, Ivy never had any reason at all to doubt them before. Would Ewan do that?
But she already knew that he would not. Ewan had no reason to do such a heinous thing to the only parent they had left. He had as good a relationship with their father as she did. As far as Ivy was concerned, they were an extremely close-knit family. None of them had any need to do something terrible to one another.
But if it wasn’t Ewan, then who was it? Someone else had to have done it, and it was probably someone who remained in the Winters’ home, exclaiming in fake sympathy as her father was carted off to the hospital to be taken care of by doctors who might not be able to save his life. He could die, and the killer would be here.
“I need everyone to go,” Ivy told Mary rapidly. “I need to be alone; I need to figure this out.”
“Are you sure that you want everyone to leave?” Mary replied cautiously. “Because once they do, you will be completely by yourself. With your father in the hospital and your brother locked up…”
Ivy did not like the idea, she was never one for being completely by herself, but she could not stand these people around her any longer either. She would not be able to trust any of them knowing that someone meant her father harm. The staff would be in the house anyway; there would be people about.
“I want to be alone,” she told her friend determinedly. “I will be able to think then.”
“I shall get my husband to clear the place out; you should get your space now.” Mary knew that Ivy could fall apart now, which could manifest in many different ways. Her family had been through enough tonight, the Winters’ name would be dragged through the mud enough with all of this, she did not want to make it worse. Not that it could get much worse… “Maybe go to your bedroom until the house has cleared out.”
“I think I shall go outside.” Ivy lifted up her skirts and moved towards the door. “I would like some fresh air.”
There was a prickle on the back of Ivy’s neck as she stalked outside, but she refused to give whoever it was the satisfaction of turning back around to face them. Of all the fears that she had, all the ways that she had reeled in her behaviour tonight, it was not her to do any damage to the family reputation at all.
My father has been poisoned, she thought to herself, needing to find some way to process that. Right now, it felt like a horrible nightmare. His life might be in grave danger… and Ewan is being blamed.
It did not make any sense at all; Ivy knew for certain that even if her brother did have troubles, he would never resort to that. He loved her too much to put her through any more than she had already suffered. He would not do it. So, that only left her with one question, and it was one that she did not like: who would do it?
As far as Ivy knew, her jolly, fun father was a well-liked man. She never met anyone who did not like him, but maybe it was not a personal attack, perhaps it was something business related. There could have been people out there in the city who did not appreciate her father’s success, and maybe they wanted him to suffer the ultimate price for it. She had not heard of anything like this happening before, but she had read enough books to know that it did. There were desperate people in the world who would do anything for money.
Whatever was happening, Ivy immediately knew that she needed to find out before her brother got into real trouble. If she could, she would have taken a carriage to the hospital or the jail to find out more, but she could not do that alone at night time, it simply was not acceptable behaviour. As horrible as it would be, she would have to wait until the morning before she could see anyone in her family.
Please, keep them safe, Ivy tilted her head and looked towards the heavens. Keep them both safe until I can see them tomorrow. I will do anything if you do.
Chapter 4
“Lady Winters?” Ivy almost cried out in anger as someone interrupted her quiet moment of prayer. There were plenty of people around her, in the outside area of her home as they all waited for their carriages to leave, but none of them bothered to speak to them. Except for this one person. “I am terribly sorry to disturb you; I understand that this is a very difficult time. I just wanted to see if you are alright.”
As Ivy turned around to see who was attached to that voice, she tried her hardest to keep herself calm. This was simply someone who wanted to offer her some kind words in this challenging time. She could not shoot them down for that. If this entire situation had happened to someone else, she would probably be the same.
But then she realized who it was, and all niceties completely vanished. This was a man that she definitely did not like, it was a man who had treated her badly, and it was also the person that she had sent her father to speak to. Could this be him? The last person to see him healthy? He had a possible motivation for wanting to act in such a way. Maybe he really did not take rejection well, and the news that Lady Winters did not want to marry him was too much. He would have to be a terrible person to always carry poison with him, but it was not impossible.
“You need to leave,” she told him coldly. “Everyone is leaving now as you can see, and I want you to go.”
Royce took a step closer to Ivy, almost as if she had not spoken at all. He was such an arrogant man that even the words go now were not enough. It really seemed like it could have been him…
“I just want to make sure that you are alright first. It is not right to leave a Lady in distress.”
“I do not have time for this.” Ivy’s shoulders hunched up around her ears as she became increasingly defensive. “I do not know if you are aware, but my father has been taken to the hospital and my brother has been arrested for a crime that he did not commit. I am left alone with this mess. I do not have time to talk to a stranger.”
Royce flinched at the word stranger, it appeared to Ivy that it hurt him. Just because they had shared a short conversation, did not make them acquaintances, never mind friends. As far as Ivy was concerned, he was a stranger and that was all he would ever be. Unless the worst had happened. If he had done what she feared he might have, then he would become her enemy and she would do whatever it took to ensure his punishment.
“I wanted to see if there is anything that I could do for you, but if you are going to be like that…”
“Duke Merrick, your company is unwelcome,” Ivy snapped. Everything that she had been holding in since the moment she first met him came spilling right now. “You were incredibly rude to me earlier, the way that you spoke to me as if I was a lesser being made me feel very uncomfortable. Then, I learn that you have a lot of dark secrets including a gambling problem and a lot of debt, so I shall make myself very clear now. I will not give you a dowry; you shall not marry me for my family’s money. If that is your aim, then you should stop now.”
“That is not what any of this is about…” Royce looked genuinely shocked. “I cannot believe that you would say that. I do not know where you are getting your information from, but it is untrue.”
Maybe if the situation had been different, Ivy would have taken the time to hear him out. She was not usually one to jump to conclusions about other people’s characters without at least giving them a chance, but this was not another situation, and Ivy had a whole lot of other things to deal with.
“People do not tell me things that are untrue.” She would not spill her name, but Ivy trusted Mary’s words implicitly. She did not think that her friend would lie to her. Mary had no reason to do so. “I believe that you are not who you portray yourself to be, and with everything else that has happened tonight, I do not think that this is a conversation that should even be happening.” The anger bubbled and boiled, it burned in Ivy’s stomach. “Did you not see my father being taken away on a stretcher to a hospital, nonetheless? Does that not tell you how serious this is? Did you not see my brother being arrested?”
Ivy had led a very carefree life, aside from the loss of her mother, she had never had anything really negative to deal with. If the Winters family had ever faced problems, her father had shielded her from it. Probably even more so than Ewan, who even though he was younger, was male and treated differently. This was exactly why she should not have been treated differently for being a female because now there was not anyone around and she did not know how to cope. Ivy wanted to do something, but she did not know where to begin.
“I can help you,” Royce continued softly, ignoring all the insults that she had just thrown his way. “I know this must be a difficult mess that you find yourself in, and I can help you out with it.”
The offer was so tempting, it was exactly what Ivy wanted to hear, but because she had a lot of suspicion for this person, she simply could not take it. If Duke Merrick was willing to poison her father because she turned down his marriage proposal, then what would he be willing to do to her? This could be a dangerous man.
“I do not wish for anyone to do anything,” she told Royce wearily. “I simply want to be left alone.”
Royce nodded slowly, looking as very uncomfortable. Ivy narrowed her eyes as she attempted to work out what that look meant. Was it guilt or was it because he did not want to leave her so helpless.
“I shall write down my address for you and leave it by your front door,” he eventually said. “That way, if you need any help I can be there for you. I do not want you to think that you are alone.”
Ivy parted her lips, ready to reply to this kind comment even if she did not think much of Royce at the moment, but she could not seem to manage it. A thick ball of emotion had lodged itself firmly in her throat, and she knew that the moment any words burst out of her lips, she would burst into sobbing tears. She could barely hold it in any longer, she needed to have that cry, but that was something she wished to do alone.
“Goodbye, Lady Ivy Winters,” Royce sounded reluctant. “I hope that I shall hear from you soon.”
Finally, he left, taking a warmth with him, but Ivy knew that was only because he was the last person around. From the sound of it, Mary and her husband had cleared out the rest of the house so that she could be alone. Now, it was only her and the house staff, and the memory of what had just happened.
Sucking in a deep breath of the fresh air, Ivy worked up the courage to head back inside. She hoped that without everyone around her, staring at her as if she was some sort of exhibit, which she would be able to work out a little bit more of what had happened. Ivy was angry at herself; she could not believe that she had been upstairs wallowing in something that really meant nothing, while her family was torn apart. She shook her head angrily at herself, promising that if things turned out alright in the end, that she would not behave so childishly and selfishly again. She would start to grow up and act more like her age. Maybe she would even do what her father wanted and actively look for a husband. Anything to take the pressure off his shoulders.
Nothing, Ivy thought to herself as she wandered through the hall, searching for some sort of meaning. Even if it was some sort of stirring in her chest. Absolutely nothing. Disappointment consumed her, almost swallowed her up whole, making the tears flow harder. Why is there nothing? I need something!
“Lady Winters?” the quiet voice of one of the handmaidens called out to her. “Would you like some help getting ready for bed? I know that this is not the best time, but I am sure you need to sleep.”
Ivy did not think she would ever be able to sleep again, even though there was an exhaustion in her body, her brain buzzed with alertness. It was either that or wander around this hall all night long just waiting for the morning light to burst into the room so she could go to the hospital or the prison. At least if she was lying in her bed, she could work out a proper plan in her mind.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Thank you very much.”
The young girl went with Ivy up the stairs to her bedroom and helped her undress. They did this in silence, not even speaking as the girl washed Ivy’s body. Ivy did not have the energy to speak, she could not think of anything to say, and it seemed that the handmaiden was lost for words, as well. This whole evening had been a real shock to everyone; no one saw it coming, so now they were all utterly lost.
It was not until Ivy climbed into the sheets that she finally spoke out. “Will you stay with me for a while?” she asked quietly. “Just for a little bit, I know that you have things to do…”
The handmaiden nodded and took a seat by Ivy’s bed. Eventually, the girl also reached out and took the Lady’s hand in hers, in what she hoped was a comforting way. All the staff in the Winters’ home knew that Ivy was fiery, but also a little lost. None of them knew how the Lady would cope without her father and brother and they were all frightened for her. As the girl watched Ivy lying there -- like a scared child in her bed -- she hoped that this would all be some big misunderstanding and that everything would be okay in the long run, for all of their sakes. Everyone would suffer if things completely fell apart.
Ivy stared up at the ceiling, clinging to this girl’s hand as if it was the only thing keeping her fixed on the Earth. She knew that it was pathetic and childish, certainly not the more adult way that she wanted to begin behaving, but just for tonight, she was afraid. In just a few short moments, her entire worlds had been turned upside down. If this did turn out to be the work of Duke Merrick, then she had no idea what she was going to do. Fury would not even begin to cover her emotions; she would lose it completely. But first, she needed to be sure. Just because he had a potential motive and an opportunity, did not mean that he had definitely done it.
Somehow, Ivy would have to be patient.
Want to know how the story ends? Tap on the link below to read the rest of the story.
http://emmalinfield.com/uni2
Thank you very much
Also by Emma Linfield
Thank you for reading The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor!
I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean very much to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read!
Some other stories of mine:
The Betrayed Lady Winters
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Thank you for allowing me to keep doing what I love!
Emma Linfield
About the Author
Emma Linfield has always been passionate about historical romances. Ever fascinated with the world of Regency England and being utmost inspired by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s work, she decided she wanted to write her own stories. Stories of love and tradition being mixed in the most appealing way for every hopeless romantic, much like herself.
Born and raised in Southern California, Emma Linfield has a degree in Creative Writing and English Literature, and she has been working as a freelance writer for the past 10 years. When she isn’t writing, Emma loves spending her time with her own prince charming and two beautiful children, all the while enjoying the famous Californian sun and ocean.
So, hop on to this exciting journey of Dukes, Earls and true love with Emma and find pleasure in the old fashioned world of Regency - an Era of pure romance, elegance and high fashion!
The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor_A Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 31
