Signs of Love and Deliverance

by Tracy Kay

  “That doesn’t mean he didn’t do away with himself, Madeline,” Simon commented. “He may have felt he didn’t need to clean up, or he was so out of sorts, he didn’t think of it.”

  “Yes, Simon, I thought of that too, but people are creatures of habit, and there was the mask and the note.”

  “What mask? What note? There was a note?” Henry asked. This was the first he heard about these things.

  “Madeline found a black, silk mask and a suicide note Nevell left under his chair,” Brandon explained.

  “Yes,” Madeline said excitedly. “And that is the problem. Where did the mask come from? There was no event that required one and Lord Marshall wouldn’t have one sitting about. It would have been in its proper place. As for the note, he didn’t leave it under his chair. He couldn’t have. If someone is going to go to the trouble of writing a note, he would have left it on the desk or a table, which is what Lord Marshall would have done since he hated clutter. Honestly, I have seen him pick up dust off the floor. But the note was under his feet. How could he have placed it under his feet when he was already hanged? It was too perfectly placed,” she explained adamantly. “And the chair, the angle was all wrong. It was tipped forward, not to the side or behind Lord Marshall, but in front of him. How could he have pushed the chair forward? He would have had to lift his legs over the top of the chair and kick it forward. And the mask, it was in between the chair’s rungs. He couldn’t have put it there himself. It isn’t logical. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I think I am beginning to see where you are going with this, Madeline,” Brandon said. “I will look into it some more, discuss it with Raven and Conrad and get their opinion of your theory.”

  “He didn’t kill himself, Brandon. I know it.” Madeline nodded her head and tapped her foot in agitation.

  Brandon swallowed the rest of his brandy before standing. “I will consider it, puss.” He shifted his attention towards Damon. “Damon, I am going to head down to the Snaggletooth and see if Raven and Connie are there. Care to join me?”

  “Yes, I would like to hear what they have to say on the matter. I think Madeline may be on to something,” Damon replied and placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

  Brandon turned to Simon. “Would you like to join us, Simon?”

  “I would be interested, if Gretchen will be all right here for a few hours?” He turned an inquiring eye to Gretchen.

  “I will be fine, Simon, you go. Madeline and I need to plan her wedding celebration and that should take up a few hours. Besides, we truly haven’t had time to visit since she got back,” Gretchen replied.

  “Why don’t you stay for dinner, Gretchen? Simon, you and your brothers are welcome as well,” Madeline suggested.

  “That would be lovely, Madeline. Simon?” Gretchen pleaded with her eyes. She had missed her friend and would enjoy spending the afternoon and evening with her and her family.

  “I would enjoy that, Madeline. We will see you later then,” Simon agreed and he, Brandon and Damon left the room.

  Henry stood, a little perturbed he hadn’t been invited to the Snaggletooth or to dinner. But then again, he was aware that the Cathcarts and Malanys were practically family. He wouldn’t be surprised at all if one of the Malany brothers married Deirdre or one of the many Cathcart female cousins. “I guess that is my cue to leave as well. No offense, ladies, but I would prefer to miss the party planning.”

  “It was nice of you to come by, Lord Henry,” Madeline said as Henry headed to the door.

  “My pleasure. Lady Gretchen, good day.” He bowed his head briefly and departed the room.

  After he left, Gretchen sighed with relief. “I do wish he hadn’t set his cap for me.”

  “I guess it was a bit rude of me not inviting him to dinner,” Madeline grimaced.

  “I am glad you didn’t, Madeline.” Gretchen sighed again and changed the subject. “Now the party, who are you inviting?”

  “My thought is to keep it relatively small. Close friends and family only.” Madeline poured them more tea and got down to the business of planning her party.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “Gretchen, that pale, silver gown is the perfect color on you. It really brings out your eyes,” Madeline said as they were leaving the dress shop after having their fittings for the gowns they were going to wear to Madeline’s wedding celebration.

  “I was worried a bit about the color, but it does seem to do nicely,” Gretchen replied, trying to juggle the packages in her arms and maneuver around the busy sidewalk. She was regretting taking home her three new, day gowns and not having them sent. “Where is Simon with that carriage? I am glad this season is coming to an end. I hate July. It is hot, sticky, and it smells. I can’t wait until Simon lets me go to the country estate. It is so hot, and why are there so many people out today?” Gretchen complained irritably. She truly hated crowds and the summer heat. Gretchen tried to blow away the stray lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes.

  “Gretchen, let me take those for you,” Damon offered, noticing Gretchen’s frustration. With her grateful nod, he took the packages out of her hands.

  “Gretchen, the carriage is over there and Simon appears jammed up. There is an overturned wagon. I hope no one is hurt.” Madeline pointed at the carriage a half a block away, which was behind a wagon that was lying on its side with barrels spilling out. The gray horse hitched to the wagon jerked at his harness and brayed loudly as the driver tugged at the reins and shouted, attempting to control the horse.

  Gretchen looked up the street and watched her brother help the man with the overturned wagon try to calm his horse. “It appears he might be awhile.” She frowned. She desperately wanted to go home, but as she watched her brother, she realized they had a bit of a wait ahead of them.

  Madeline sensed her friend’s agitation. She knew Gretchen was uncomfortable with so many people around her and her friend needed a distraction. “Damon, why don’t you take Gretchen’s packages to the carriage and help Simon?” Madeline suggested. “I need to stop at the jeweler’s. Deirdre’s birthday is coming up soon and I want to get her something.”

  “Madeline, I can’t leave you alone.” Damon raised his chin and surveyed the busy street with apprehension. “It is too dangerous.”

  “Damon, I will be perfectly safe. The jeweler is right across the street and I can’t imagine what harm could come of me.” Madeline placed a hand on his arm.

  “You could be shot again. I can’t let you go off on your own,” he argued.

  Madeline waved off his concern. “That is unlikely to happen. I will be fine,” she reassured.

  Damon looked at Madeline, then back at Simon who was struggling with the driver and his horse. They needed help and no one on the busy street was willing to assist them. The traffic was backing up and the situation was turning ugly. Reluctantly and against his better judgment, Damon agreed. “Fine, but you only go to the jeweler. Do you understand?” He ordered sternly and waited for her answer.

  “I understand, my love,” she said and leaned up to give him a kiss. She watched him turn and head towards Simon. She turned back to Gretchen and linked her arm with hers. “Come on, Gretchen. I want your opinion. Should I get Deirdre a bracelet or a necklace?” Madeline asked, stepping out into the congested street. As they began walking across the street discussing the merits of a necklace versus a bracelet, there was a loud crack and chaos ensued. Startled, the women looked up at the loud noise. The carriage came out of nowhere and headed straight for them. Madeline froze in place and stared in bewilderment at the on-coming vehicle.

  Damon turned to glance back at Madeline and dropped the packages, running towards her yelling her name. “Madeline!” He should never have left Madeline and Gretchen alone. “Madeline!” His heart was in his throat, fear running up and down him. He couldn’t lose Madeline. He had to get to her before the carriage did, but he was too far away. He would never reach her in time.

  Gretchen stood still
for a moment before moving into action. She grabbed Madeline around the waist and pulled her backward with all the strength her small body could muster. They fell and Gretchen rolled them away from the deadly wheels of the carriage speeding past them. It had all happened so fast, she was unsure if they were safe or not. Breathless, she asked, “Maddy, are you all right?”

  Dazed, Madeline stared up at her friend lying on top of her. “I will be when you get off me,” Madeline said wryly before hugging her friend. “Are you injured?” Madeline asked in return.

  “I am all right,” Gretchen replied, taking Damon’s offered hand to help her up. As Damon turned to Madeline to assist her up, Gretchen looked back at the runaway carriage disappearing down the street. A tingle of fear and uneasiness ran through her. The realization hit her that what had occurred was not an accident.

  Madeline brushed the dust off her dress and pushed Damon’s hands off her. “Stop fussing, Damon. I am fine,” she snapped angrily. Damon crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head to the left, and regarded her with a stern expression. She blushed in shame. “I am sorry, Damon. It is just . . . where did that carriage come from?” She was unsettled by the near miss. She didn’t want to dwell on what could have happened. If Gretchen hadn’t gotten her out of the carriage’s path, she would have been seriously hurt. “If it wasn’t for Gretchen’s quick reflexes . . . we would have been in a terrible accident.” Madeline trailed off and gripped her hands to keep them from shaking.

  Damon softened his features, put his arm around her, gathered her to him, and kissed her forehead. “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened without Gretchen’s quick action.” Damon kissed her forehead again, not willing to let her go.

  Gretchen looked at Madeline and Damon with fear in her gray eyes. “This wasn’t an accident. Someone tried to run us down.” She, again, looked back down the street in the direction the carriage had disappeared to and shivered with apprehension.

  “I am sure it was an accident, Gretchen. No one would do something like that on purpose, on a busy street?” Madeline stated, not wanting to believe it was intentional.

  Damon studied the ladies with concern. He was afraid Gretchen was right. This was no accident. “Accident or not, ladies, we are getting you home. I will take you to the jeweler’s another day, Madeline.” Reluctantly letting go of Madeline, he leaned down to retrieve the packages he had dropped moments before.

  “Good idea, Damon. Here is our carriage,” Simon added, rejoining them after the problem with the overturned wagon had been finally resolved, much to his relief. He was annoyed that he hadn’t been able to help his sister. Simon noticed blood on Gretchen’s gloved hand. Taking it in his, he removed the torn and bloody glove and examined the cut on her palm with worry. “Gretchen, you are hurt.” He took out his handkerchief and wrapped it around the bleeding wound.

  Gretchen gazed down at her hand quizzically. She did not remember cutting herself. “I must have cut it when we fell. It is a scratch, Simon.” She shrugged, ignoring the now throbbing pain. “I will be fine. I want to go home, please,” she said as they reached the carriage. She had had enough excitement for the day.

  Simon helped her into the carriage with Damon and Madeline following them, fussing over her. She so hated being the center of attention, and now, Madeline was suggesting that she have Brandon examine her wound. Honestly, it was a simple cut. She wasn’t going to die from it. She frowned at her hand, then crossed her arms as the carriage made its way to the Cathcart’s home.

  He was furious. She should be dead. Gretchen wasn’t supposed to save her. That bitch! The outraged man paced around the room. Unable to contain his anger, he grabbed the china vase on the small table and threw it against the wall. It shattered into pieces. A feeling of mild satisfaction came over him. That is what he would do to Madeline, that bitch. He would shatter her into pieces. He would put his hands around her throat and squeeze until there was nothing left of her. He picked up the invitation to her wedding celebration. He smiled slowly with satisfaction. That was when he would do it. That was when he would finally rid himself of Madeline Cathcart.

  “I tend to agree with Gretchen that it wasn’t an accident,” Damon told the men sitting around the table in Conrad’s cabin on the Deliverance.

  “If Gretchen said it wasn’t an accident, I believe her,” Raven agreed, concerned with the recent attack. “I am worried,” he added, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “For Madeline’s safety and Gretchen’s. When I visit the Malany’s home something doesn’t seem right to me. I can’t say what for sure, but something is off. And I am concerned.”

  “What do you mean, Raven?” Like Raven, Conrad was worried. He was tired of his family being in danger, and it was frustrating that they couldn’t discover who was threatening Madeline, and now, Gretchen Malany. He and Raven had been quietly observing, allowing Brandon to manage the situation, but it was time for them to intervene. Even though he had complete faith in Brandon’s ability to protect his family, the danger was increasing. He wasn’t going to let the people he cared about face it alone.

  “The energy in the house is different from what it was before we left. It was bright and light, now it is dark. I can’t explain it. It is a feeling. And Gretchen is anxious about something, but she hasn’t confided in me as of yet.” Raven didn’t want to push her, but he was determined to find the cause of her fear. He wanted Gretchen to trust him, so he was being patient. However, at some point, that patience would wear thin, and then, he would have to take matters into his own hands. His concern for Gretchen was increasing, and it was starting to irritate him that he couldn’t figure out what was distressing her. It was not usual for him to be so preoccupied with one person, but regardless of what he was doing, she was in the forefront of his thoughts. He knew from experience that his preoccupation with her wasn’t simply desire, but rather, something much deeper. He couldn’t seem to control his overwhelming need to protect her; so instead of resisting the urge, he was allowing it to play out.

  “Simon tells me that Warren has been pushing her to marry. Perhaps the prospect of marriage has her nervous,” Brandon suggested. He knew from experience not to brush off Raven’s feelings, but Brandon had noticed that Raven was becoming attached to Gretchen, which was unusual for him.

  “I am aware of that. I walked into an argument between them the other day. Gretchen was very distraught. Simon stepped in and is giving Gretchen more time, but she is frightened of something and I don’t believe it is the marriage bed,” Raven replied, his concern obvious in his voice.

  “It is not surprising the ladies are frightened,” Damon said. “The threat to Madeline is a real one. Someone wants to hurt her and it is possible he wants to hurt Gretchen as well. The real question is who and why.”

  “And it is not only Farrington,” Brandon added. “Farrington hasn’t returned for this latest attempt to be his doing. He is a real threat to us, but I think there is someone else out there who wants to harm Madeline.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair. It was time they solved this mystery. He wanted his family safe.

  “It is not Farrington’s sons. His eldest followed us and is still somewhere out at sea or possibly in St.Thomas. Alfred is being watched by one of my men and he hasn’t left his townhouse since we returned. If not Farrington, then who?” Conrad asked calmly and placed a hand on Brandon’s arm. He needed Brandon to get control of his emotions. They couldn’t afford for Brandon to lose his temper and do something foolish.

  “That is the real question, isn’t it,” Damon responded. “Madeline is sure that Nevell didn’t kill himself, that he was murdered. Perhaps we need to explore why someone would want to kill him.”

  Brandon took a steadying breath and met Conrad’s eyes, understanding the quiet admonishment, and inclined his head slightly at him. He had to work at the situation with a rational mind. “Which means we need to go back and examine the threats that Joselyn was receiving, and eliminate Farrington from the equati
on. He killed her, yes, but he may not have been the one causing all the threats and murders,” Brandon added.

  Conrad removed his hand from Brandon’s arm.

  “We need to consider the possibility that her brother, Zachary, was murdered and why.” Raven noted the exchange between Conrad and Brandon. He was relieved that Conrad was dealing with Brandon’s temper; otherwise, he would have had to dealt with it, and he wouldn’t have relished that conversation.

  “We have two possible unsolved murders and three possible attempts on Madeline’s life, the attack in the park, the shooting, and this new incident,” Conrad said. “We need to include Gretchen in this last attack. We can’t discount the danger to her.”

  “You are right, Connie. We can’t discount the danger to Gretchen. According to Madeline, there are four murders, all made to appear like something else,” Brandon continued. “There is Zachary, a shooting disguised as a hunting accident, Beatrice, a suffocation disguised as a death in sleep, and Nevell, a hanging disguised as a suicide. Henry Cummings’ brother, Roger, who was a good friend of Zachary’s, may have also been murdered. Henry said his brother was in good health and doesn’t believe he could have died of a heart attack. There are poisons that can imitate that condition.”

  “That is four possible murders, if we include Roger Cummings and Nevell’s deaths,” Damon commented. “Madeline believes Farrington had her shot, but there is no proof of that, only speculation. It could have easily been someone else.”

  Conrad pushed himself away from the table. “There isn’t much we can do at this point, but to continue sorting through the evidence we have and keeping close watch. I will put more guards on the Malany’s home and yours, Brandon.” He put his hand up when Brandon would have spoken. “No arguing. It seems to me your family is in danger. No one is to go anywhere alone, that includes both you and Damon. I want everyone close to home and under guard.” Conrad left no room for argument in his voice. He expected them to obey his commands.