Loud voices came from downstairs again, this time from men. “There she is, up there in my brother’s arms.” Ian’s tone clipped harshly.
She pulled her focus from Nick to the men rushing up the stairs. The police. Her heart dropped. Were they really going to arrest her? What proof did they have that she was the culprit Ian had accused?
Nick’s arms tightened around her, and she cherished his protection. How long would it last?
“Miss Catherine?” The first man of the law stood in front of her, softly whacking his club against his leg. “Would you please accompany us outside so we may ask you questions?”
A growl came from Nick and he pulled her further away from them. “You cannot be serious. Look at her! Does she appear like she’s strong enough? She’s just received a head injury.”
The first man traded glances with one of the other men then gave him a nod. He met Catherine’s stare again. “Very well, but we need to ask you some questions.”
Booming footsteps clamored on the stairs. She lifted her gaze in time to see Gregg rushing toward her. The men of the law stopped him.
“You’re making a terrible mistake,” he shouted. “She is innocent of these accusations, I tell you.” Gregg faced one of the police, lifting his chin as he straightened his shoulders. “I demand you let her go.”
The man shook his head. “Forgive me, but we need to ask her some questions first.”
Nick stroked her hair, and she turned her focus to his. Slowly, her heart crumbled. The look of his face let her know he was as confused as she.
“Darling? Can I take you back to your room and have them talk to you?”
She nodded as tears pricked her eyes.
He stood and helped her to stand and Gregg scrambled to take her other arm. Her head pounded and dizziness tried to consume her vision again, but she took her time in moving back into the room where the Fielding brothers sat her on the cushioned chair. When the policemen came inside, Nick stepped to the door and peeked out into the hall.
“Mrs. Berkley? Please come inside and assist us.”
The older woman hustled in, her face tight, lips pinched. Catherine’s heart sank. She doesn’t believe in my innocence, either.
Nick hurried back to Catherine’s side and held her shaky hand. Before the lawmen could say anything, Ian appeared at the door.
“Your Grace?” Ian sneered. “I believe you have another injured guest you need to see to at this moment.” He arched a critical brow. “Mrs. Berkley will be just fine with Miss Catherine.”
She glanced up and gave Nick a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. Please see to the care of my father.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. I’m sure he needs help more than I do.”
He bent and kissed her cheek. “Gregg, would you come with me?”
“But...Catherine needs me.”
She touched his arm before strength left her limb and she dropped it to her side. “Gregg, I shall be fine. I assure you.”
Gregg nodded, kissed her cheek as his brother had, then with a straight back, left her room with Nick.
The man of the law who tried to act intimidating while he tapped his truncheon against his leg narrowed his gaze on Catherine. “Where were you earlier this evening?”
She swallowed hard. “I...I believe I was here in my room.”
He arched a judgmental brow. “You believe?”
She nodded. “I don’t remember. When I awoke this evening, my head was in pain and I couldn’t remember what I had done to make it this way.” She ran her fingers over the knot on her cheek. “I haven’t a clue how this happened.”
“What was the last thing you remembered?”
Releasing a frustrated sigh, she covered her face with her hand as her fingertips gently massaged her forehead. “I remember the funeral this morning. Afterwards, Mrs. Berkley and I were here in my room packing to leave on the morrow. I left in search for my father.” She hesitated, because this is where her memory became fuzzy. “I think I found him. I vaguely recall talking to him.” She tried to remember more, but her mind drew a blank. She shrugged. “That’s all I remember. When I awoke this evening – not too long ago – I felt disoriented and very light-headed.”
The other officer took a step forward. “Miss Catherine? Did you by chance drink any spirits today?”
Her head pounded harder. “Heavens no. I have never touched anything of the sort.”
“Well, Miss Catherine, you haven’t told us anything of importance.”
She glared. “Don’t you think I know this?”
“So for now, we’d like you to stay in your room for the rest of the night. You are under house arrest for the time being while we question the others in the estate.”
Her stomach twisted. “I understand.”
After the men left, Mrs. Berkley muttered and excuse about having to check on something in her room before she hurried out, closing the door behind her.
Coldness seeped in Catherine’s body and she shivered. On shaky legs she moved to the bed and lay down, pulling the wool blanket to her chin. Now she awaited her sentence. Would the authorities find her guilty or innocent?
Closing her eyes, this evening’s events rushed back to her. Everything had seemed like a dream...a nightmare, actually. Instead of being inside her body, it was as if she floated above everything and watched the horror unfold. More than anything, she’d never forget the panic on Nick’s face...especially the doubt.
Gregg, on the other hand, had pleaded with the lawmen, trying to convince them of her innocence. Why had Gregg believe her and Nick couldn’t? Her heart cried out to the man she loved that he would rescue her from this hell. But her pleas went unheard as the brass key ground in the lock, imprisoning her in her room after Mrs. Berkley left.
Tears stung her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t kill anyone. How could she do all they had accused her of? Then again...she couldn’t remember. Did that mean she was guilty?
She pulled her knees to her chest and curled on her bed. Who had beaten her father? They suspected her, but she couldn’t have done it. As a child, she’d been the one on the receiving end of his brutal hand. Her strength would never compare to his.
Slowly, she drifted in and out of sleep until the sun peeking through the curtains woke her. Realizing she’d been locked in her room all this time without anyone coming to let her know what was happening, her heart crumbled and tears streamed down her face. A sob broke from her throat and she cried hysterically. Her future looked bleak. Nobody could save her now. How could they when she couldn’t recall anything? All she remembered about her mother’s death was the dizziness that had consumed her when she found the woman lying in a pool of blood. The same dizziness had washed over her as she’d awakened from her nap last night.
Voices in the hallway brought her head up and made her hold her breath. Straining, she listened, but only detected mumbling as the footsteps came closer. As the voices grew, so did the beat of her heart, until they reached her door. She grasped her shaking hands and waited.
A different lawman opened the door and more light streamed into her room from the hallway. Squinting at the form filling the doorway, she tried to adjust her vision to the sudden brightness. Then he said her name, and her heartbeat picked up rhythm.
Gregg.
She jumped from her bed and ran to him. He opened his arm and she barreled into his chest, crying out relief. His arms tightened around her as he buried his face into her neck.
“Oh, Gregg.” She sniffed. “I didn’t think...I thought you’d never...” She looked up at him. “I didn’t do what they’ve accused me of. You have to believe me.”
His tender smile eased her slightly and he wiped his thump across her cheek, removing the moisture. “I do believe you. That’s why I’m here.”
As they walked toward the two-seat sofa, she clung to him, afraid to let go. She didn’t want to think this was all a dream. She wanted to know he did care...and that he
believed her. He sat beside her, still holding her tight. Across the room, the guard stood by the opened door, arms folded as he watched her through narrowed eyes.
Laying her head against Gregg’s chest, her sobs diminished and she breathed easier. “Gregg? Is my father all right?”
His hand stroked her hair. “Yes. No broken bones, just a few scratches and bruises.”
“Did...” She swallowed hard. “Did he say what happened?”
“No. He’s not talking about it.”
Her chest clenched and her heart ached. “Does...does everyone think I did it?”
“Not everyone, love.” He kissed her forehead. “Ian does and I cannot understand why. There’s no real proof against you. Even the police can’t find any proof.”
She tilted her head back and met his gaze. “What about...Nick?”
Gregg shrugged. “Right now, Nick doesn’t know which end is up. He’s locked himself in his room and refuses to speak to anyone.”
Tears blurred her vision. “Do...do you think he...believes the awful rumors?”
He wiped the moisture from her cheeks again. “I think he doesn’t want to, but he’s confused.”
“But...you are here.”
He braced his hands on each side of her face. “That’s because I love you.”
Doesn’t Nick love me, too? Her body shook with silent cries and she buried her face in Gregg’s chest again.
Nick couldn’t doubt her innocence. He just couldn’t.
“Shhh...I’m here now. No need to fret.”
Gregg didn’t understand how much she loved Nick. She wanted Nick to be the one holding her, stroking her hair and calming her fears. The man she loved wasn’t here, and agony twisted in her heart.
She gulped in some air. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“We’ll have to wait to see what the constable’s men find. Right now they are questioning our servants. I have hired a solicitor – the best in London – who will help.”
She nodded and wiped her nose with a handkerchief. “You are a godsend, Gregg.”
Using his hands, he tilted her head. When she met his gaze, he smiled. “I’ll do anything for you, Cat. I don’t want my future wife to be taken to jail.”
Her bottom lip trembled. Future wife. She hadn’t agreed to marry him, so why had he assumed? “Gregg, you shouldn’t say such things. You cannot predict the future.”
“Shhh...” He touched his finger to her lips. “I don’t want you to think anything but positive thoughts. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. Now I need to leave, and when I return, I’ll have that solicitor I told you about. He wants to ask you questions. Is that all right?”
She nodded. “I’ll tell him everything I know...everything I can remember.”
He bent his head and brushed his lips across hers. Although grateful for his assistance, she didn’t want to kiss him like that, so she pulled away.
“Thank you, Gregg. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
He smiled and stood. “Rest assured, I’ll not let anything happen to you.” He winked, turned and left the room before the guard closed and locked the door.
She inched back to her bed and curled in a fetal position. If fear of the unknown didn’t kill her, the empty ache in her chest from losing Nick’s trust would.
* * * *
It had been the worst forty-eight hours of his life.
He hadn’t eaten, hadn’t drank anything, hoping he’d sink into oblivion because it lessened the pain in his heart. He needed release soon before his heart stopped beating and he joined his uncle in heaven.
Confusion filled his mind more than he could imagine. Was Catherine guilty? The evidence against her didn’t look good, yet in his heart he knew she couldn’t possibly be the one doing all these horrendous crimes.
He’d been in his study for two days, not knowing what to do. He needed a bath and a fresh change of clothes, but didn’t have the ambition to move. Silently he prayed the Lord would listen to his pleas. Closing his eyes he continued to ask God for help. Soon peace settled in his chest as comfort spread through him. Nick now believed the Almighty wouldn’t allow anything unspeakable to happen to such a wonder woman like Catherine.
No more would Nick stand aside and accept the answers given him since his beloved had been locked in her room. From this day forth, he’d find the truth no matter who stood in his way.
Right now, that person was Colonel Martin.
Nick rushed out of the study and to his bedroom to bathe and dress in clean clothes. Within an hour, he was searching through the house for Colonel Martin. For being brutally beaten, the man’s wounds recovered sooner than expected. In fact, Nick didn’t think the colonel had been hurt that badly. A few scratches marred his face, and only a couple bruises still darkened his cheek and jaw. It surprised Nick that the man hadn’t overpowered his attacker, considering the minimal amount of damage that had been done.
Catherine’s bruised and scratched face looked worse than her father’s.
The colonel sat in the parlor sipping tea as he stared out the window. Nick took a deep breath and continued into the room. The older man’s head snapped toward him. Slowly, he lowered his cup to the saucer on the table.
“Good morning, Your Grace. I must say you’re looking well.”
Nick nodded. “And you seem to be healing nicely. Are you up to talking about the accident yet?”
The other man frowned and turned his attention back out the window. “No.”
Nick wouldn’t accept that answer. Not when the life of the woman he loved hung by a thin rope. He strode to the empty chair across from the man and sat.
“That’s regrettable, Colonel Martin, because I have had enough of your secrecy.” When the older man met his gaze, Nick arched a brow. “And I’m not leaving until I get the answers I seek.”
The colonel shrugged. “I don’t know what you want me to say then.”
Leaning his elbows on the table, Nick linked his fingers. “I want the truth. Do you, or do you not know who attacked you?”
The man’s jaw hardened. “I know.”
“Then why aren’t you speaking about it? What are you hiding from the law and from those who want the truth?”
The color in the man’s gray eyes grew cold, piercing Nick with a chill.
“Because you won’t accept the truth.”
Nick pounded his fists on the table, but the other man remained still. “If you’re going to tell me it was your daughter, I’ll tell you it’s utter nonsense.”
“Then you are a fool, Your Grace.”
“I don’t believe so. I’m an excellent judge of character, and I know Catherine is innocent.”
Colonel Martin’s shoulders straightened. “You saw her the other day...when I was attacked. Did you not notice the bruises on her face as well?”
Nick’s chest clenched, fear crawling across his skin. “Yes, I noticed. She told me she didn’t know how she received it.”
“She received them from me. I was trying to ward off her attack.”
Nick pushed away from the table and paced the floor, fisting his hands by his side. “I cannot believe such a small woman could attack with the intent of trying to kill a man of your intensity.” He shook his head. “It’s impossible.”
“Not when the small woman has the strength of ten men when she’s gone mad.”
He stopped and faced the older man, Nick’s breath ragged with frustration. “I’ve seen her upset before and she’s never acted the way you say.”
The colonel squeezed his eyes closed. “You don’t know because you have never seen her while she’s in this state of mind.” He took a breath. “Sophia was insane. Her whole family had been that way. Now the disease has moved to Catherine. She killed Sophia, and now she kills everyone else who’ll stand in her way of true happiness.” His voice broke.
Nick marched to the table and slapped his hands on the wood, making the colonel jump, h
is eyes widening.
“Stop lying!”
Colonel Martin scowled. “I’m not. It’s the truth, I swear. I was raised by a man of God. I do not lie.”
“What reason would she have to kill me? She loves me.”
“You were leaving and she didn’t want you to go. I feel she didn’t want to kill anyone, just cause the accident that would bring you back home.”
A painful throb began in the base of Nick’s skull and worked its way up his head. He rubbed his neck and took a deep breath. “Did you see Catherine kill your wife? Did you see her do the actual deed?”
Silence lasted for a few moments. “No, I didn’t see her kill my beloved, but Catherine had my wife’s blood all over her and she was holding the poker from the fireplace.”
Nick turned away from the table and resumed his pacing. “And did you see her injure my uncle in any way?”
“Of course not.”
Nick glanced at him and arched a brow. “What about me? Did you see Catherine ever try to hurt me?”
“You know I didn’t.”
Nick stopped and faced the older man, folding his arms. “And what about Mary? Why do you think Catherine would want to harm my uncle’s nurse?”
Sighing, the older man leaned back in his chair, his body no longer stiff. “I think you know as well as I.”
Nick cocked his head. “Humor me.”
“The nurse was in love with Grant.” The colonel scratched his chin. “And Catherine knew it.”
Nick’s heart sank another notch. “Did she tell you she knew it?”
“No.”
“Then how can you be certain she knew this?”
The older man jumped to his feet, knocking the chair over. “Why do you insist on doubting my story? Do you think I want to admit my daughter is insane? Do you think it pleases me to know she killed her own mother?”
“I’m searching for facts. I’m trying to find ways to keep your daughter out of jail and away from the hangman’s noose.” He paused then continued, “So tell me. How did Catherine know about Mary?”
The colonel huffed. “I don’t know. Mary told me Catherine had confronted her about her feelings for your uncle.”
Love Me Always (The Fielding Brothers' Saga) Page 22
