So perhaps Catherine had talked to the older woman. That didn’t mean she killed the nurse. Catherine had shared her suspicions with him, so it really wasn’t a secret. Nothing made sense! Nick ground his teeth, his hands itching to hit something, too. But he mustn’t give up in his search for justice.
“Colonel Martin, do you not find it strange that the only woman who can back up your story is now dead?”
The man’s bushy, graying eyebrows pulled together and his lips tightened. “Why am I the one being asked such preposterous questions? I am the victim...or am I on trial now?”
Nick sighed. “No, but I want to find the truth. I must have proof before I believe Catherine is guilty.”
“That will never happen. In fact, I believe it’s time for me to take her back to our home. I’ll make certain she cannot harm another person again.”
Nick’s heart clenched. He couldn’t have Catherine leave. Narrowing his gaze, he shook his head. “You think that taking her away from here will help? I think not.”
“I’ve already spoken with the constable. He thinks it’s a good idea because our house is isolated and away from the public.”
“Did you tell them of your suspicions?”
“No. I love my daughter and want to protect her. Leaving here and returning to our home is the only way. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
Growling, Nick spun around and marched out the door, anger building with each step. Colonel Martin was wrong...and Nick must find a way to prove her innocence. Also, he didn’t want Catherine that far away. How could he keep watch over the woman he loved if she left?
Perhaps Mrs. Berkley knew something that could help him in his search for justice.
Quickening his step, he hurried toward the older woman’s room. In the hallway, his butler stopped him.
“Your Grace, Mr. Adam Lewis, your father’s solicitor, is here to see you. I’ve shown him to the study.”
Inwardly, he groaned. Now was a bad time to go over his father’s estate business and the reading of the will. But he must take care of things as quickly as he could so as to get on with helping Catherine.
“Thank you. Could you please locate Mrs. Berkley and tell her I need to see her posthaste?”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
Nick hurried to the study and entered. The balding, portly man sat on a chair, drumming his fingers on the black leather satchel in his lap. When he noticed Nick, he stood. “Good afternoon, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Unfortunately, it’s not the best afternoon I’ve had.”
“Problems?”
“Yes. Something has happened that seeks my immediate attention. I hope you don’t mind if we reschedule the reading of the will?”
“Of course not. I understand perfectly.” He reached into his satchel and withdrew a letter. “Before I leave, I must give you this. I have one for Miss Catherine as well.”
Nick shook his head. “Miss Catherine isn’t receiving visitors right now. May I take her the letter?”
“No. Your uncle specifically instructed me to hand them only to the recipients.” He put forth Nick’s letter. “But here is yours.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Once again, I apologize for rescheduling our business. I’ll have my secretary contact you for another date.”
The man nodded. “As you wish.”
After the man left, Nick stared at his uncle’s waxed seal of the family’s crest. It hadn’t been broken. The contents were for Nick’s eyes only. He should read the letter later, but curiosity got the best of him.
He dropped to the nearest chair and opened the letter.
“My dearest Nick. I first want to tell you how proud I am of you. Not only have you done what I’ve asked, but you did it with a light and forgiving soul.”
Nick’s heart tightened, but he kept reading.
“Now I would like to ask your forgiveness, and I wish you to know I’ve only done those things any loving and caring uncle would do to see to the welfare of their nephew. For a while now, I have led you to believe I brought Catherine to our estate because I wanted to marry her. But the truth is...I wanted you to marry her.”
A breath caught in Nick’s throat. He clutched the paper as his heart hammered out of control.
“I’ve loved Catherine only as a daughter, and I feared the two of you would never find each other. I remember how you teased her relentlessly as a child, and so I thought I’d help you see how special she really is. Catherine’s father doesn’t know of this plan, although her mother – my dearly departed Sophia did. We wanted to join our families since we couldn’t make it happen all those years ago when we were in love.”
Tears welled in Nick’s eyes, but he kept reading.
“Nick, I know you’re in love with Catherine. Since bringing her to the estate, I’ve seen the way you are when she is near. I’ve heard the tenderness in your voice when you speak to her. Please forgive a meddling relative who only wanted the best for his nephew. I sincerely pray both you and Catherine can learn to forgive me and go on with your lives...as husband and wife.”
Nick stared at the letter, his vision blurred from the liquid in his eyes. All this time she had been his for the taking and because he thought she was his uncle’s, guilt had made a permanent mark on his conscience. He gritted his teeth until his jaw ached. How dare his uncle keep this kind of information from Nick? How could his uncle let him agonize over loving Catherine for so long?
A light tap on the door shook him from his seething thoughts. He glanced at the door. “Enter,” he snapped.
His butler walked just inside the room. “Your Grace, I have tried to locate Mrs. Berkley, but it appears the woman has disappeared.”
Nick scrunched his forehead. “Why? What’s happened now?”
“Her clothing and personal items are still in her room, but the staff haven’t seen her at all today. In fact, the last time they saw her was when she was with Miss Catherine in her room, right after the policemen put her under house arrest.”
Releasing a gush of air, Nick pushed his fingers through his hair. What was happening around here? His chest clenched. He needed to gain control not only of his emotions but his estate...before everyone ended up dead.
Chapter Eighteen
Nick pulled his weary body out of bed and slugged to the bathing chamber. He’d stayed up to the wee hours of the morning trying to locate Mrs. Berkley. Nobody knew anything.
He scrubbed his hands over his face before splashing it with cold water. Today he needed to see Catherine before her father took her home. He had to tell her he loved her, and to assure her he’d find the true killer. And...to ask her to become his wife. Probably not in that order either, and probably on his knees begging her forgiveness the whole time.
He loved her more than life itself, and if he lost her now, he was as good as dead, for his heart would never function again.
An hour later, he walked out of his room dressed and ready for the day. Each step closer to Catherine’s room, his heart picked up rhythm and beat a little faster. In his mind, he rehearsed what he’d say to her. He’d take her in his arms, kiss her endlessly, and tell her he loved her and couldn’t live without her. As always, she would melt against him. She’d forgive him and they could live happily ever after.
The guard sat on a chair in front of her room then stood as Nick grew closer. Before he said anything to the man, Gregg stepped out of her room, adjusting his cravat. When his brother’s gaze met his, he stopped. The smile that had been on Gregg’s mouth disappeared.
“Nick, old man. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see Catherine, of course.”
Gregg shook his head. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she doesn’t want to see you.”
Pain shot through Nick’s heart and he clenched his hands. “And why is that, may I ask?”
“Because, my dear brother, you abandoned her in her time of need. You did nothing when everyone pointed the accusing finger. To
her, that was the worst thing you could have done.”
The pain twisted deeper, and Nick’s stomach lurched. “I was in shock – just as we all were, Gregg. I didn’t know what to think, what to do.”
Gregg folded his arms. “But she doesn’t see it that way. You are dead to her now, just as Ian is dead to her. I’m the only person she wants to see.”
Taking in a deep breath, Nick tried to make the pain in his heart leave. Tears stung his eyes and he blinked to keep the liquid back. “Gregg, I need to talk to her. I need to tell her that I haven’t given up on her and that I’m looking for the killer.”
“I’ll be certain to pass that information along.”
Nick gritted his teeth and narrowed his gaze. “Gregg, I demand you let me in that room.”
The guard stepped closer, folding his arms over his beefy chest. Gregg shrugged. “Demand all you like, but she doesn’t want to see you. Besides,” he said smoothing out his vest, “I won’t let you be upsetting my future wife in such a way. She’s in enough turmoil as it is.”
Nick gasped. “Future wife? When did this happen?”
“Just last evening. Catherine needs a man who’ll stay by her side no matter what.” He stepped closer to Nick. “And I’m that man. I have never doubted her for one moment.”
A bullet through the heart wouldn’t have hurt as much as his brother’s words...or the realization that Nick might have truly lost Catherine this time. But did he blame her? After all, he had a moment of doubt the other night. Instead, he should have been at her side, fighting the police and Ian. But Nick hadn’t. His feet had stayed rooted to the floor, his mind an empty void.
Gregg shook his head. “Nick, you weren’t by chance having ideas about making Catherine your wife were you?”
Nick shrugged, wondering whether he should voice his thoughts. Then again, hadn’t Gregg already suspected this? “And what if I was?”
“I fear you are disillusioned.” Gregg chuckled. “Although Catherine is a sweet, beautiful woman, the new Duke of Ashton needs to marry a woman of abundance. Catherine is a country girl with no dowry. She wouldn’t make you a fitting wife, and you well know it.”
Anger boiled behind Nick’s eyelids and he squeezed them shut. Fighting for control, he breathed deeply and opened his eyes. As much as he wanted to argue the point, he was too drained – mentally – to do it. “Then I suppose congratulations are in order. Please tell Catherine I hope the best for her...and for you, of course. Also let her know I will not give up searching for the killer. I won’t stop until the culprit is found.”
Nick turned on his heels and walked away, trying not to step on his broken heart in the process.
* * * *
They would be leaving within the hour.
Catherine’s heart clenched when realizing she wouldn’t be able to say her farewells to Nick. Of course, he didn’t love her enough to believe in her innocence, so why should she tell him goodbye?
She glanced over every item in her room...the room that would no longer be hers. A heavy pressure gathered in her chest, making it painful to even breathe. The past several weeks had been hell for her. Yet at times, it had been heaven. Running her fingers along her vanity, she exhaled deeply. She’d come to think this was all hers...or at least knowing it would be some day. Now, that too, was just a memory.
On the corner of her vanity, a letter caught her eyes. Grant’s solicitor had given this to her last night. Mr. Lewis said Grant had written it. Dare she open it to see what he wanted to tell her after his death?
Her mind had been deviated once Mr. Lewis had started asking her questions about the murders...and her whereabouts during those times. She couldn’t help him much. She didn’t remember.
Pain had sliced through her head as she tried to recall where she’d been those times. The more questions he’d asked, the more his tone had turned harsh.
Her throat tightened with emotion, and she willed the tears not to come, but her eyes watered nonetheless. By the way he’d talked, her future had seemed bleak. She didn’t think he believed her either. Thankfully, the police could find no solid proof, and so they wouldn’t take her to jail, especially when her father promised she’d be in his constant care.
She had remembered a little about the night her father had been attacked. She’d gone to his room to confess her wrongdoings in hopes he’d let her stay so she and Nick could marry, but didn’t find him. The next thing she recalled was awaking in her bed, dressed and dizzy with bewilderment. Yet, bits and pieces from her memory let her believe she had argued with him at some point.
A throb began in her temple and she rubbed the growing pain. Her gaze fell to Grant’s letter again. No better time than now. Her father – and the guard – would be here any moment to escort her to the carriage that would take her home.
Taking great care, she broke the seal.
“My dearest Catherine. The days until I leave this world are numbered, and I feel I need to be truthful with you before I die. I haven’t been fully honest about anything. I brought you to the estate under a false pretense. Although I led you to believe I wanted to marry you, I had no plans of doing that. Instead, I brought you here hoping you and Nick would fall in love.”
She hitched a breath and placed her hand to her hammering heartbeat.
“You already know how much I loved your mother. When I was younger, I didn’t follow my heart. My parents pounded into my head that it was my duty to marry a woman of wealth. Because of this, I’ve realized what I’d lost. I don’t want Nick to make the same mistakes. I’ve known he’s been in love with you since childhood, but society has dictated to him that he marry someone with an abundance of wealth. Nick has always been an obedient boy, and I worried he would follow society’s expectations. That’s the very reason I brought you here.”
She swiped the tear rolling down her cheek and continued reading.
“I have written Nick a letter explaining my deception. I sincerely pray the two of you will forgive me and follow your hearts. Forget what the members of society think, and go with your feelings. Please forgive me for any misconduct that I may have shown toward you. I’m aware my illness makes me think things I know are not right. Rest assured your father doesn’t know what I had planned, but I confess your mother did. Catherine, I will always love you...as Sophia’s daughter.”
Closing her eyes, the tears gushed down her face as she held in the sobs she wanted to release. This had been Grant’s plan all along? Why had he put her through so much heartache? Why couldn’t he see she was indeed in love with Nick, as he was with her? Now it was too late. Nick’s love wasn’t strong enough to fight the accusations thrown at her the past couple of days. For that, she may never forgive him.
A knock came upon the door, and she jumped, clutching the letter to her chest. “Who is it?”
“It’s your father. Are you ready to leave?”
She scrambled to her reticule lying on the bed and stuffed the letter inside. “In a moment, Father.” Using the back of her hand, she wiped away the tears then patted her face and pinched her cheeks.
Holding her chin erect, she walked to the door and pulled it open. Her father wouldn’t meet her eyes. Her heart twisted. So similar to the way he’d acted right after her mother was killed.
Beside him, the guard stood, his gaze bearing down on her.
She tried to keep an outward serenity about her as she walked down the wide staircase toward the waiting carriage. Her trunks had been packed in the accompanying conveyance, which would make their departure quicker.
Gregg waited beside the carriage and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “My darling, please know I’ll obtain a special license for us to marry as soon as possible. We will be together very soon.”
Stiffly, she nodded before climbing in, her father and Hodgson entering afterward. As the wheels crunched on the road, she kept her eyes on Gregg, his image shrinking with each second.
Nick hadn’t come to see her off. She glanced at the
windows of the manor, but couldn’t detect his shadow anywhere. Her heart sank lower.
A few months ago, she’d thought her life would be a dungeon, but it was nothing compared to the misery promised for her as she lived her life without the man she loved.
* * * *
Nick had enough of waiting. His patience couldn’t handle it. He must find the person trying to frame Catherine. He’d watched his servants closely when the policemen continued to ask questions. So far, none had given any leeway to being fraudulent. They all seemed honest.
Then there was Anne. She and Sara, the other laundry maid, were the two who’d first happened on Colonel Martin after his beating...and who had found Mary. Today Anne acted differently. While they were questioned, Anne’s wide eyes made Nick pause. Sara talked mostly, Anne only nodded on occasion, but it was the ashen color of Anne’s skin, the shakiness of her hands, and her gaze that couldn’t stay on anyone which made him suspicious. Anne had always been a shy girl. If she knew something, she for certain wouldn’t tell the lawmen.
Nick breathed a sigh of relief once the man of the law left. After waiting a little while, he hurried downstairs to the laundry room. Anne wasn’t there.
“Sara? Do you know where Anne is?”
The maid shook her head. “No, Your Grace. She wasn’t feeling well, so she went for a walk.”
“Do you know where?”
“No, but she usually goes toward the pond.”
He thanked her and hurried out of the house and to the stable. After he had his horse saddled, Nick rode hard to the place Sara had indicated. When he approached, a figure of a woman stood near a tree as she faced the body of water. It wasn’t until he was almost upon her when she spun around. The sun’s rays reflected off the knife she held, and he squinted against the glare. When he finally rested his gaze on her, she held the knife to her chest. Her face paled.
“Don’t come any closer.” Her voice shook.
Grumbling under his breath, he brought the animal to a halt. What could she be thinking? The knot in his stomach warned him it wasn’t good. “Anne? What are you doing?”
Love Me Always (The Fielding Brothers' Saga) Page 23
