by KT Grant
“One glass won’t do you any harm. I ordered the most expensive bottle in your honor.” She gripped her glass tight as Eleanor took her seat. The next time Eleanor wouldn’t refuse her, and if she did, she would be punished. She hid her displeasure and drank more of her wine. Eleanor stared down at her plate.
“Take a few sips. It will calm your nerves.”
Eleanor lifted the glass up to her mouth, taking a tentative swallow.
Yvonne’s breath caught in anticipation. All it would take was a few sips and Eleanor would succumb to the effects of the drug.
Eleanor sniffed the wine and wiggled her nose. “This isn’t half bad.” She tipped her glass and took a big gulp.
Yvonne didn’t bother to point out Eleanor’s lacking manners. Elation spread through her body for what was to come. Her hands shook and she placed her glass back down on the table.
She bided her time, dishing out food until one of the signs she was waiting for took its notice. Eleanor’s head dipped forward. She lifted her head back up and stared up at the ceiling, wide-eyed.
“The room is spinning. Do you feel it?”
Yvonne rose from her seat and approached Eleanor. Her breasts grew heavy and her body damped in preparation for Eleanor’s sweet mouth. “Dear, you should lie down. You look like you’re ready to fall asleep.”
Eleanor almost buckled to the floor while Yvonne helped her up. She led Eleanor over to the bed and laid her down on the mattress. She unbuttoned the front of Eleanor’s dress, taking her time to run her fingers across her pale skin.
“So soft and all mine,” she crooned, and reclining on her side, she circled her tongue around Eleanor’s breast.
“That tickles.” Eleanor’s sluggish giggle hit Yvonne low in her stomach.
“I love hearing your laugh,” she whispered and scattered more kisses across Eleanor’s skin. Eleanor stared above at the ceiling, dazed.
When she unlaced her corset and tugged down the top of Eleanor’s chemise and licked her nipple, Eleanor moaned.
“Feels strange…Kristina,” Eleanor whispered and lifted her arms over her head.
Yvonne lifted up, offended. She dares to say another woman’s name? I’ll erase this Kristina from her memory. The only name she’ll call out will be my own from now on!
Swallowing a growl, she pressed her mouth back down on Eleanor’s breast, sucking on a nipple. Her hands crept under Eleanor’s skirt and her nails scratched along the inside of Eleanor thighs when she squirmed. She bit down hard on the distended nipple and dug her nails in deeper as a warning for Eleanor to behave.
* * * *
The moment the carriage came to a halt, Kristina threw open the door and jumped out, ready to barge into the inn and tear it apart.
“Be patient and remain calm. It’s better if we don’t cause a scene. For all we know, the countess and Ellie could be in the dining room, sharing a meal together,” Simon said in a rational voice as he descended from the carriage.
Kristina inhaled deeply though her nose. She didn’t believe for a second the countess would eat with Ellie in public. The deranged woman wouldn’t want any witnesses for what she had planned.
Without waiting for Simon to accompany her, Kristina marched inside the inn and straight into the dining room. It was half filled with patrons eating and drinking. The one man she hoped to find was sitting at the end of the bar, chatting up the bartender.
Instead of confronting Lord Robert, she marched back into the foyer and waited for Simon and their footmen to join her. Soon enough three footmen came in with Simon and the baroness. She looked faint and clutched her box holding the incriminating evidence against the countess.
Kristina tugged Simon off to the side. “Lord Robert is at the bar.”
“Good,” Simon nodded. “I’ll have one of the men locate the constable and then we’ll see to him.”
“I’ll take the footmen up with me to the top floor,” Kristina said, anxious to find Ellie.
“Don’t go rushing into anything until I talk to Lord Robert,” Simon warned.
“By then it may be too late!” Kristina said and sprinted up the stairs.
She ignored Simon when he called out her name. Two of the footmen trailed behind her. She moved swiftly, with the urge to get to Ellie before all was lost.
By the time she reached the third level, she was winded. But she didn’t stop to catch her breath. She hurried over to a wide door, unlike the others on the floor, and turned the knob. It was locked. She pounded on the door. When no one answered, she motioned for one of the footman to step forward.
“Lady Kristina, what if this is the wrong room—”
“It’s not the wrong room. Break down the door. I’ll pay for the damages.”
The footman gave her a doubtful look but did as she ordered. Along with his associate, they used their shoulders to push in the door. After a few seconds, the door cracked and flew open.
She shoved aside the two men. A scream rose in her throat. The countess lay across Ellie, half-naked. Ellie’s dress was up around her hips and the countess’s hand moved in between Ellie’s legs.
“You witch! Let Ellie go!” she shouted and ran over to the countess, seizing her by her hair.
The countess screeched. Kristina dragged her off the bed and slapped her hard against the face. The countess crumpled to the floor, staring up at her in hate.
“Secure this woman,” Kristina ordered her men. She climbed on the bed and hauled Ellie into her arms. She pulled down Ellie’s skirt and righted her bodice, covering the bruises and red marks on her skin. Ellie’s eyes rolled in back of her head and she moaned.
“Everything will be all right now. We’re here to save you,” Kristina ran her hands around Ellie’s hair and face. She shook with rage over the redness marking Ellie’s throat and the swelling of her lips. She looked like she had been ravished.
The countess cursed and fought between the two men. Kristina held Ellie tighter. Her poor darling acted as if she was drunk or—drugged! For this, the countess would pay dearly.
Simon and Lord Robert walked into the room. The baroness stood in the doorway. Her mouth trembled and her eyes widened as she took in the room.
“How is she?” Simon asked Kristina.
Kristina shook her head. “I think she’s been drugged and abused. We need a doctor.”
“Eleanor hasn’t been abused!” the countess yelled and tried to escape the footmen. Simon pointed to one of the empty chairs near the table. She was thrown into a chair and held down by one of her guards.
“Are you going to deny you drugged her?” Kristina yelled, wishing she could slap the horrid woman across the face again.
The countess curled her lip and crossed her arms.
Ellie whispered Kristina’s name and rubbed her cheek against her arm. Kristina rested her mouth against the top of Ellie’s head. She didn’t want to think what the countess had done to this precious bundle.
A tall man with a salt-and-pepper mustache dressed in black with an air of authority walked in.
“You’re the constable?” Simon asked.
The man nodded. “Yes, your grace. Peter Brauns, chief constable at your service. Now before we jump to any conclusions, can you tell me what type of crime might have been committed here?”
“No crime has been committed!” The countess jumped up from her chair and rushed over to her brother. “Robbie, explain we’ve done nothing wrong and Eleanor isn’t a prisoner, but a new addition to our family.”
Lord Robert stared down at his sister, visibly uncomfortable. He squeezed the back of his neck and stepped toward the bed. Kristina curved her arms protectively around Ellie. He wiped his brow before facing everyone in the room.
“Yvonne, what did you do to the poor girl? She looks as if she drank too much. This isn’t sign of a fatigued woman,” he said in suspicion. “Did you give Eleanor something to make her more receptive to your favors?”
A look of disgust crossed the constable’s fac
e. “Madam, what did you give this young woman?”
“I only gave her wine. How is it my fault Eleanor can’t hold her liquor?” The countess lifted her chin. “I was helping her into bed when we were rudely interrupted.”
“You lie!” Kristina snarled. “You had your hand in between her legs and your face near Ellie’s…” She stopped and glared.
The countess lifted her nose in the air and turned away to find the baroness behind her.
“Geraldine, what are you doing here?” the countess asked in a high-pitched voice.
The baroness ignored her and placed her box on the mattress. She brushed aside the curls away from Ellie’s forehead before Kristina could stop her.
“Explain to everyone in the room what you told me and my brother on the ride here,” Kristina ordered and lifted Ellie on her lap. She rocked, rubbing Ellie’s back.
The baroness and twisted her hands, looking lost.
The countess hissed the baroness’s name but was hushed by Simon, who came over to the baroness’s side.
“I’m tired of keeping secrets. Angelica’s spirit haunts me while I sleep.” The baroness clutched Simon’s arm. “I was forced to remain silent because of Yvonne’s threats and blackmail.”
“You can’t believe a thing she says! She’s a liar,” the countess cried out.
The baroness gave her a smile. “Think what you will, but your good name will be ruined and the investigation into Angelica’s death will be reopened.”
The countess pressed her lips together. “If I’m ruined, you will be also.”
The baroness released a combination sobbing laugh. “I’ve been ruined for years. Now it’s finally caught up to me.” She crossed the room and gazed out the window. “The moment I met Angelica, I was jealous of her. Louis loved her deeply and I wanted the same love they both shared. I had just lost my husband a year before and was left to fend for myself. After the de Saltins were introduced to me at church, of all places, I became so enamored of Louis and wanted him. I purposely befriended Angelica in the hopes of getting close to Louis. I was so stupid, and confided in Yvonne, who wanted to help me. Why she did, I had no clue, but then she revealed she desired Angelica as much as I did Louis.”
“You stupid bitch,” the countess snarled her insult. No one hushed her. Everyone waited for the baroness to continue her story.
“We were petty, jealous women. I thought Louis would be a wonderful father for Mina. I allowed Mina to become friends with Ellie, and in turn I hoped I would become a trusted friend to Angelica. It worked. While Yvonne would spend as much time as she could with Angelica to keep her away from Louis, I would show up at their house, unexpected. Louis would invite me in for tea. I thought he was falling in love with me because he would go out of his way to smile and touch my arm or press his thigh against my own.”
“Tell them how you forced a kiss on Louis and Angelica caught you,” the countess announced, her smile cruel.
The baroness rubbed her brow and leaned her shoulder against the window pane. “During one of Yvonne’s parties, I asked Louis to come with me into the gardens. The silly man went with me, and the moment we were out of sight, I kissed him. He responded, I could tell he wanted more, but he stopped and admitted he desired me but loved his wife. By then the damage had been done. Angelica witnessed the entire exchange behind some shrubbery with Yvonne by her side. She was devastated and ran away. I thought I had succeeded in destroying their marriage.”
“Get to the point, how you and the countess caused Angelica de Saltin’s death,” Kristina demanded. Ellie shifted in her arms. Her eyes were clearer and she was more alert than before. Kristina brushed the side of her hand across Ellie’s cheek.
The baroness turned away from the window and paced across the room. “Days went by and I hadn’t heard from Louis. Angelica didn’t confront me for trying to steal her husband. Then one day I received a note with her signature, asking me to join her on the outskirts of the town near the river, where we could talk alone and undisturbed. I found out later the letter was forged by Yvonne. I rode out at the designated time. Angelica and Yvonne were there. Angelica was shocked to see me and called me the most wretched names. I tried to apologize, but she wouldn’t hear of it. At one point she slapped me across the face. Yvonne watched the entire episode, patting and feeding Angelica’s horse. Yvonne purposely loosened the saddle. She said it was meant to be all in jest after…”
“After what?” Simon asked.
The baroness stared straight at the countess with tears in her eyes. “Angelica threatened to tell all our friends and acquaintances what I had done, and I would be known as a pariah who seduced married men. She would run me out of town. As she climbed on her horse, I tried to stop her and we struggled. Her horse suddenly lifted in the air and she tumbled off and fell near the river.” The baroness’s shoulders shook and she rubbed her arms. “It was too late to save her. The fall broke her neck. Yvonne said we had to leave or we would be blamed for her death. I left Angelica in that cold, muddy water. We ran back to Yvonne’s house and made up a story. No one came to arrest us. We did such a ghastly thing and got away with it.”
The countess leapt from her seat and charged toward the baroness. Lord Robert caught her around the waist as her fingers curled into claws aimed at the baroness’s face. “You lie! You have no proof I did anything. You’re the one who killed Angelica so you could possess Louis, which you did!”
“Yes, I was partially responsible for killing her, but it was an accident! I never meant to for anything like that to happen. But I was weak, and because of your manipulations, I kept silent. I expected God to strike me down, but he never did. And when he rewarded me by giving me Louis, I repented and begged him for forgiveness.”
Ellie hid her face into Kristina’s lap. Her harsh sobs filled the room. Kristina started to cry also. She didn’t know how Ellie would ever get over this horror.
The baroness stumbled toward them. Simon caught her arm, and she hung onto him as she became hysterical. “Eleanor, I was selfish and despicable. I know I’m going to burn in hell for all I’ve done. Yvonne will join me and be punished as well for her crime and her immoral lust for your mother and for you.”
“You have no proof! It’s your word against mine. No one will believe you, a dried-up, pathetic woman with nothing to her name,” the countess shouted.
Simon let go of the baroness and she folded to the floor in a heap. The other men in the room didn’t rush to her aid.
Simon went over to the box on the bed and flipped open the lid. He pulled out a handful of envelopes and lifted them in the air. “That’s where you’re wrong, Countess Tremaine. Baroness de Saltin kept every single correspondence between you and her, leading up to the first baroness’s death and after. Your ego and conceit was your downfall. The baroness shared her letters with me and my sister. What you both wrote to each other will be enough evidence presented to a judge when you’re both brought up on murder charges.”
The countess grabbed lapels of her brother’s jacket. “Robert, you must believe me. I was at home the day Angelica’s body was found. The staff can speak on my behalf. Geraldine was the one to visit, acting nervous and jumpy. You were there. I never left the house that day.”
Lord Robert flung his sister’s hands off of him and backed away. “I was asleep in until early afternoon because the night before we had too much to drink, or rather I had. You kept plying me with alcohol in celebration of my graduation from university.” Revulsion crossed his face. “Was it to trick me in order to act out this evil plan and kill an innocent woman because she wouldn’t return your feelings?”
“You don’t understand! It’s all lies. Geraldine has been jealous of me all these years and this is her revenge.” The countess stumbled forward.
Lord Robert tugged on his hair. “I’m going to be sick.” He covered his mouth and ran from the room.
The countess cried out for him, falling to her knees. The baroness continued sobbing into her
hands. Kristina whispered softly to Ellie, who had quieted down.
A much older man holding a medicine bag appeared in the open doorway. “I was told someone has been taken ill?” He scrutinized the two distraught women. “Or perhaps now it’s three? Did they eat something bad?”
“No, doctor, I’ll explain. Give us a moment,” Simon said and went over to Kristina. “We need to take Ellie to another room where the doctor can inspect her for any…damage.”
Kristina nodded and brushed aside the hair failing over Ellie’s face. Ellie moaned and wrapped her arms tighter around her.
“I’ll take her.” Simon drew Ellie away. Ellie struggled, but when Simon lifted her in his arms, she grew quiet. Kristina halted in her tracks and stared down at the two women who were still putting on quite the show.
“I hope you both rot in a small, dank room with only your thoughts to keep you company. Your guilt will drive you insane before you’re sentenced to hang.”
She then spat on the floor, cursing the two heinous women to the bowels of hell.
Chapter Seventeen
Kristina paced down the hall while she waited for the doctor to finish his examination of Ellie. She had tried to help the doctor, but he refused, and instead his own female assistant stayed with him in the room with the door closed.
She had bitten her nails down to the quick in her agitation. She would never leave Ellie’s side again. She planned on doing whatever she could to be with Ellie, even if it meant leaving the country.
Simon turned the corner and walked to her side. He fisted his hands on his hips and drew aside the sides of his coat, which was in need of a good pressing. “The constable and his men took both women to the local jail. They’ll stay there overnight while Lord Robert rides forth to London for his lawyer. He was quite shaken up over the whole thing.”
She rolled her eyes. “How do you know he wasn’t involved in his sister’s deceit? He would lie for her.”
Simon squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Robert stayed behind instead of accompanying the countess and baroness to the jail. When he and I were the only ones left, he broke down in tears. I’ve never seen a grown man cry so much before. I truly believe he’s innocent in all of this.”
