by Laura Landon
CHAPTER 20
Eve knew she should talk to Gideon, but first she needed to speak with Gideon’s father. She had questions only His Grace could answer and she needed to have all the facts before she told Gideon what she’d discovered. Lord Benjamin was with Gideon and the duchess was gone to London. His Grace would be alone. It was the perfect time to speak with him.
She arrived earlier than was normal for calling, but she hadn’t been able to put her visit off any longer. This was too important.
A groom ran to help her dismount the moment she pulled her carriage up to Townsend Manor. She walked to the door on legs that trembled beneath her, and paused. She wasn’t going to tell His Grace what she’d discovered. Not until Gideon knew. But she needed more facts. There were too many unanswered questions. Especially about the days before Gideon’s mother died.
She raised her arm, but the front door opened before she lifted the knocker. The butler admitted her.
“Miss Eve Cornwell to see His Grace,” she said. To her ears, her voice sounded strained, but the butler didn’t seem to notice. He showed her to a bright and airy salon decorated in yellows, warm shades of green, and white. One wall of the room faced east, and the sunshine flooding in through the large paned windows allowed brilliant rays to stream their patterns across the carpeted floor. The room glowed with warmth and welcoming.
The cheerfulness of the room clashed with her dark mood and she let the brightness seep through her to lighten the worry weighing against her.
She didn’t sit, but stood at the window and looked out onto the lush flowerbeds, bright with colors of every kind and shade. Townsend Manor was truly a masterpiece of beauty. She turned when the door opened. The Duke of Townsend came toward her.
“Miss Cornwell,” he said, taking her hands and lifting them to his lips. “I’m so delighted to see you. But tell me you aren’t bearing more bad news.”
“No, Your Grace. No bad news. We’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.”
“You are so right. Gideon is so fortunate he wasn’t hurt more severely. I don’t know how I would have managed if I’d lost him just when we are so close to having him back with us.”
“Yes. Mr. Wallace and his men deserve a great deal of credit for coming in when they did, then for capturing the assailant. At least he will no longer pose a threat to your son.”
“Yes. And, of course, there is the fact that Gideon hasn’t suffered from one of his seizures for months. He tells me you deserve the credit for that. He says you believe the attacks are caused from something he eats or drinks. It breaks my heart that something so simple could be the cause of his seizures,”
Eve swallowed hard. “I know. But we need more time to be completely sure,” she said, although that wasn’t entirely true. She knew that as long as she didn’t allow Gideon to eat or drink anything that had been poisoned by the duchess, it was unlikely that he would suffer another seizure.
“Is there something in particular I can help you with?” the duke asked. “Please, have a seat. I’ve ordered tea.”
He led her to the yellow and white sofa. Eve was barely seated when the butler entered. A maid followed with a tea tray.
His Grace nodded to the butler and the maid poured. When she and His Grace were served, the butler and maid quit the room as silently as they’d entered.
Eve took a sip of her tea, then said, “I must ask you a few questions about your late wife. Would you mind terribly?”
A smile lifted the corners of the Duke of Townsend’s mouth. “Not at all,” he said. “I so seldom have the opportunity to talk about Gideon’s mother. She was a very special part of my life, and she blessed me with a wonderful son.”
A warmth filled His Grace’s eyes. “What is it you would like to know?”
“You can tell me whatever you’d like,” she said. “Such as when you first met. What Her Grace was like?”
The Duke of Townsend sat back in his chair and told her about the first time he’d met Gideon’s mother.
Eve listened intently and was soon caught up in His Grace’s descriptions of his wife. It was obvious he’d truly loved her.
Although he’d nearly reached his fiftieth year, his face took on a sweet youthfulness as he spoke of her. His marriage to Gideon’s mother was truly a love match, and would still be one if Her Grace had lived.
The more His Grace spoke about his first wife, the more Eve regretted what she would eventually have to tell him. She wondered how he would ever recover from what his second wife―the woman he himself had invited here as companion to the woman he loved and lost―had done.
After a certain length of time, he looked at her and smiled. “I’m sure listening to me talk about Rebecca wasn’t the only reason you came. What else is it you’d like to know?”
Eve swallowed. “If it’s not too painful, I’d like to verify when she first became ill, and when she suffered from her first seizure.”
“Of course,” he answered. “I’ll gladly answer any questions you have if they will help you find a cure for Gideon. I feel more hopeful than ever. You can’t believe how long I’ve prayed for Gideon to be free of these horrible seizures.”
Eve smiled. His Grace was a handsome man with sable brown hair and eyes so dark they were almost black. Gideon looked much like him, and at times, like now, the resemblance stole her breath.
“Where should I begin, Miss Cornwell?”
“Lettie told me much about the time after Lord Sheffield was born. About the melancholy from which Her Grace suffered.”
“Yes,” His Grace interrupted. “It was the beginning of my wife’s illness. And I’ve yet to have her illness explained, other than that some women suffer this melancholia after the birth of their babes.”
Eve shook her head. “There is so much we don’t yet know about when dealing with a person’s body, or their mind. But please, continue,” she urged.
“No one looked forward to the birth of a child as much as Rebecca and I looked forward to Gideon’s birth. For the first few days, even weeks, she was the happiest woman alive. She exclaimed over and over that she’d given birth to the most beautiful babe ever to be born. But she gradually changed.”
His Grace rose from the chair facing her and walked to the window. Eve knew he was looking out at the beautiful flowers in the garden, but she doubted he saw any of them. He braced one hand against the wood at the side of the window then turned so the sunshine framed him. There was a darkness to him. The light was gone from his eyes and his features were edged with pain and sadness.
“My wife evolved from a state of elation and joy to one of despair and anguish. Her sense of hopelessness was all-consuming. She went from staying near our babe and holding him so much Lettie complained that Rebecca was spoiling him, to not holding him at all.” His Grace shoved his hands in his pockets. “Eventually, she went days without even looking in on him.”
He returned to his chair and folded his tall body into the cushions as if the weight he carried was too heavy for him to support any longer.
“I was at a loss as to what to do. Rebecca no longer smiled, she seldom laughed, and she seemed to resent the babe we’d both looked so forward to having. I tried everything. I took her to London, thinking a change of scenery would help her, but she seemed terrified of the City. She refused to leave our townhouse and finally we returned to Townsend Estate. But Rebecca didn’t improve.
“Then one afternoon, Lettie came to find me. She was frantic with worry. She couldn’t find my wife, nor could she find our son. We searched the house but she was nowhere. Then we searched the grounds. Thankfully, I was the one who found her.”
His Grace stopped as if his words were too difficult to speak. Eve gave him the time he needed, knowing that he was not only telling his story, but reliving the events of that day.
“Rebecca stood at the edge of the pond in the garden, with Gideon in her arms. She looked at him for several moments, then held him out in front of her. Over the water.” The Duke
of Townsend leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. His gaze was focused on some unknown spot on the carpet.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t have dropped Gideon into the water, but the sight of her standing there frightened me so much, that after we returned to the house, I moved Gideon to a separate wing. I placed a footman outside his room with strict orders that the duchess wasn’t allowed to be alone with our son.”
His Grace pushed himself up. “After that horrific event, I sent for Rebecca’s childhood friend, Lady Ernesta Happingly, in hopes that her company would bring Rebecca out of her depression.”
“What made you think of that?” Eve watched the duke ponder a question which was clearly unexpected.
“Well,” he began, “Hm. That’s a good question.” He relaxed back into the cushions. “I suppose it was because Ernesta had already been corresponding with Rebecca, weekly if I recall, and…and…each time Rebecca would get agitated she’d say ‘Ernesta says this’ and ‘Ernesta doesn’t think that’ and I thought she found comfort in Ernesta’s guidance. So…it was just the natural thing to bring Ernesta here so the communication would be easier.”
He paused and looked up at Eve. “I was desperate, you see. Truly, frantically at my wit’s end.”
“And did it help? Bringing her friend here?”
“Did it? Oh yes, I believe it did. Ernesta did everything in her power to cheer Rebecca, and gradually I saw an improvement. By the time Gideon’s first birthday came, I was sure Rebecca’s sickness was gone, and the woman with whom I’d fallen in love had returned to me.”
“Is that when your wife suffered her first seizure?”
“Yes. Ernesta had been here, away from London, for some time by then. But because of Rebecca’s improvement, she was going to return. Ernesta truly loves life in London. She lives for the beginning of the Seasons. But thank God she was here when Rebecca suffered from her first seizure. I don’t know how Rebecca would have managed without her.”
Eve held her tongue. She didn’t need to ask more. She had Dr. Milton’s files—and Gideon’s mother’s journal. She changed the subject.
“I have one more question I’d like to ask.”
“Of course, Miss Cornwell.”
“It pertains to the man who attacked Lord Sheffield last night. What can you tell me about him?”
“I spoke with Mr. Wallace and he’d done some investigating into Clyve Woodman’s background. It seems the fellow had an unsavory past. The authorities were after him in regard to several robberies, as well as the murders of two bar maids from the Cheapside docks.”
“Can you think of any reason that he would want Lord Sheffield dead?”
His Grace shook his head. “Gideon was the one who told us that Woodman was responsible for killing the animals on the estate. He lost his position here and was told not to step foot on Townsend property again. But that was years ago. He's been in London since. I can’t believe he’d waited all these years to exact revenge.”
Eve placed her cup on the table before her and prepared to rise. She had to leave. Woodman hadn’t tried to kill Gideon to exact revenge for something that happened more than ten years ago. He tried to kill Gideon because he’d been hired to kill him. And she knew who’d hired him.
“Thank you for seeing me, Your Grace,” she said as she rose.
“Not at all, Miss Cornwell. I know how interested you are in my son’s wellbeing.”
“I am. You have a son you can be very proud of. Few young men could have endured what he has and yet have grown into such a fine young man.”
“I couldn’t have phrased it better, Miss Cornwell.”
His Grace escorted her to the front entrance. “If there’s anything else I can answer for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Eve took her first step out of Townsend Manor, then stopped. “One more question, Your Grace. How long has Clyve Woodman’s mother been the cook here at Townsend Manor? Did Gideon’s mother hire her?”
His Grace stopped to think for a moment. “Now that you ask, we had a different cook when Rebecca and I were first married. It was Mrs. Barley. She made the most delicious barley soup, and Rebecca would always giggle when we were served Mrs. Barley’s barley soup.”
Eve smiled. “When did Mrs. Woodman come?”
“Actually, Ernesta brought her from London. She said she’d been with her for years, and she was certain her cooking would help Rebecca’s disposition. I hated to replace Mrs. Barley, but she was anxious to spend her remaining years near her children, so it worked out perfectly.”
“I see,” Eve said, feeling the weight of an immense tumbler falling into place, slipping forward, pressing a lever of understanding and unlocking the final cog in a deadly mystery.
She turned to make her escape before the truth spilled from her.
“Thank you, Your Grace. You’ve been very helpful.”
CHAPTER 21
Eve clutched Dr. Milton’s files and Gideon’s mother’s journal in her arms as she and her father walked to Gideon’s cottage. They were almost there. She’d never been so afraid in all her life.
She’d rehearsed over and over again what she was going to say and how she was going to say it, but no matter how many ways she tried to put the words together, nothing softened the blow of telling Gideon that his stepmother was responsible for his mother’s death. That his stepmother had killed Dr. Milton. And that she was to blame for the seizures that would have eventually killed him.
She tried to think what his reaction would be. She knew without doubt that finding out what his stepmother had done would devastate him. Knew that he’d be furious. Knew he’d want to take steps to have her punished for what she’d done. How could he want anything else? This is the woman who had killed his mother. Who’d tried for years to kill him. And she’d almost succeeded.
Yet, how could she tell him? The news would destroy him. The news would destroy his family.
“Lord Sheffield has to know, Eve,” her father said when they neared the cottage door. “We can’t keep this from him.”
“I know, Papa. But it’s going to kill him.”
“He’s strong. He’ll handle this.”
“But will his father? And his brother, and sisters?”
Her father knocked on the door. “They have each other. And they’ll have you.”
Before they could say more, the door opened and a smiling Lord Sheffield stood before her.
The confident set of his shoulders and the noble cut of his high cheekbones made him seem even more handsome than ever. Every feature was pure perfection.
The creases on either side of his mouth deepened when he saw her. “Eve,” he said, holding out his hand to usher her into the house. “Dr. Cornwell. Come in. I’m so glad you’re here.”
She and her father entered, and Gideon showed them to the salon where she spent most of her time when she was here.
“Lettie was here earlier,” he said. “She left a kettle of water on the fire and some pastries. I can attest to their perfection. I’ve already sampled them. Would you care for some tea?”
“No, thank you,” her father answered.
Eve couldn’t find her voice. She only shook her head as an answer.
“Sit down, then.”
Gideon led her to the sofa. Her father sat beside her.
“Now, tell me what’s wrong. And don’t tell me nothing’s wrong, Eve. I can see by the expression on your face you’ve come with news you don’t want to share with me.”
Eve swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her heart was breaking inside her. She’d give anything not to have to tell him what she’d discovered. But she couldn’t put it off any longer.
She looked at him and tried to convey as much compassion as she could. She hoped he saw it as such. Hoped that he would know she was here for him. That she always would be.
“Not all of my news is bad, Gideon. Part of what I have to tell you is the best news possible.”
He lifted his eyebrows and looked at her with an expectant expression.
“Your seizures are gone. You will never suffer from one of them again. You’re free of them.”
A look of shocked disbelief covered his face, then the biggest smile imaginable brightened his face. “They’re gone? You’re telling me that the seizures I thought would kill me are gone?”
“That’s what we’re telling you, my lord,” Eve’s father confirmed.
“You are saying that I am free? That I no longer have to live at Shadowdown, but can live with my family at Townsend Manor?”
“If that is what you want, my lord,” her father added.
The humor in her father’s voice transferred to Gideon and the marquess laughed. It was the first truly open laugh she’d heard from him and Eve couldn’t describe the amazing feeling that surged through her. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry, and tears of happiness filled her eyes.
“You are free to live wherever you choose,” her father continued.
Gideon bolted from his chair and paced from one side of the room to the other. His strides were rapid, almost as if he intended to break out in a run at any moment. He stopped in front of her. “Are you sure? How can you be sure?” He waved his hand through the air. “Of course you’re sure,” he said, “or you wouldn’t say the seizures are gone. That would be too cruel.”
He leaned toward her and placed his fingers around her arms. He lifted her from the sofa and held her before him. “Oh, Eve. How can I thank you? You’ve saved my life.” He brought her to him and hugged her, then held her before him. “Does Father know? Benjamin? Anyone?”
She shook her head as the first tear spilled down her cheek. “No one knows yet. Only you.”
She couldn’t stop a smile from lifting the corners of her mouth. She’d been so consumed with the terrible revelations she’d uncovered, she’d forgotten the wonderful news she would give Gideon. That he would never suffer from another seizure was the best news imaginable.
He wrapped his arms around her again and held her close. Then he pulled her away and locked his gaze with hers. “But there’s more, isn’t there? You haven’t come only to give me good news, have you?”
