The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3)
Page 18
But he couldn’t rest, nor would he. If it was the last thing he did, he would find out who killed his brothers. It was the only thing he could do for them at this point. He didn’t know if he’d get to see them again once he crossed the threshold into the next life. He hoped he would, and that there, at last, they could finally be reunited and have peace between them.
He closed his eyes and waited for the urge to cry to pass. It wasn’t that he objected to tears. Tears could be healing for those who were suffering. But there was a time for crying, and now wasn’t it. Right now, he had to figure out who killed them. And while doing that, he had to make sure he wasn’t poisoned.
Once his emotions settled, he opened his eyes. He felt slightly refreshed. His emotions were still on edge, but at least he could focus.
He gave a prayer he often recited at a funeral then turned to leave the cemetery. He made it to the entrance when he realized Didimus had just pulled up in his carriage. He stopped and waited as his cousin got out. He waited to see if Serena had joined him, but she hadn’t. But then, why would she? This wasn’t a place to take a lady.
“I heard James died,” Didimus said as he approached him.
Julian nodded. “Yes, I had to come back here to take care of his funeral.” He shrugged. “I didn’t know enough people to invite. I didn’t think to invite you. I’m sorry.”
“You have so much going on,” Didimus replied. “It’s understandable. And you’re right. You’ve been gone for so long. Who would you have invited? To be honest, your brothers didn’t have any friends. Or, if they did, I can’t think of who they were.”
“Well, some gentlemen had come out for Jonah’s funeral. I didn’t recognize any of them, but someone must have cared.”
“I’m sure they did. Even acquaintances pay their respects for the deceased.”
“Yes, that’s been my experience in presiding over funerals.”
They were silent for a moment then Didimus smiled. “I didn’t intend to be so glum. I realize you weren’t close to your brothers, given everything that’s happened.”
“That was my fault.”
“It was partly my fault, too.”
“But you made things right. I wish I could have done that.”
“Why spend time looking back on the past? You can’t change it. All you can do is move forward.”
“I know. I tell people this all the time in my line of work. You’d think that I, of all people, would be able to do that without any difficulty. I suppose what you know to be true isn’t the same as feeling it.”
Didimus put a comforting hand on Julian’s shoulder. “It’s always different when you have to do it.” He patted his shoulder. “Did you take a carriage here?”
“No, I walked.”
“Why don’t you let me take you home? There’s no point in having to walk all the way back.”
“Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.” Didimus turned his gaze to the cemetery. “I should go in there and pay my respects. Do you mind waiting?”
“No.”
Julian watched as his cousin went into the cemetery and made his way over to the family mausoleum. Didimus stood in front of it for a couple of minutes, his head bowed in prayer. Then he left and returned to Julian.
“It’s not going to be the same without them,” Didimus said.
“No, it’s not.”
“It’s a shame, isn’t it? They were young. I know you and I are younger, but they had more than enough years ahead of them.”
“It is a shame.” Julian didn’t dare say more than that. Detective Hall had warned him not to tell anyone anything to do with the murders. Discretion, he had advised, was the best course of action. As he went to the carriage with his cousin, he added, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“You’ll take over the estate,” Didimus replied. “You’re the Duke of Alwood now.”
“I don’t deserve the title.”
“Whether or not you deserve it, it’s yours. You were the next in line to inherit it.”
Yes, there was no arguing that. He had the title. The estate was now his responsibility. He waited until they were heading back to London in the carriage before he said, “My brothers worked hard to get the estate in good standing.”
“Did they?”
“Yes.” Julian slumped against the side of the carriage and glanced out the window where things seemed much simpler. “They had acquired over half of what I stole.”
“That’s good.”
Julian sighed and shook his head. “The money isn’t mine. I don’t deserve it.”
“You shouldn’t say that. You tried to make amends for what you did. It’s not your fault they didn’t want to listen to you.”
“But that’s their money. I can’t take what belongs to them a second time.”
“So what will you do with it?”
Julian shook his head. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far yet.”
“Well, there’s no rush in making a decision. Even if you don’t feel worthy to take it, you should do what’s best for the estate. That’s why the title went to you.”
“I do want to make sure the servants are provided for. With my job, I can’t come back here to London. I’m needed at my parish.”
“Why? Didn’t you become a vicar because you had nothing else to do? You should leave that profession and come here. Be a part of this world again. You and I had a lot of good times together. It’d be nice to have those back.”
Julian hesitated to answer for two reasons. One, he could never leave his job as a vicar. He loved what he was doing, and he had a responsibility to his parish. The people in that area didn’t have many vicars who were willing to be so far outside of London, and the vicars certainly didn’t want to take so little pay for what they were doing. Two, he wasn’t the same person he used to be. He had changed, and because of that, he wasn’t sure he and Didimus would make good friends anymore. It was best to leave those good times in the past where they could both think fondly on them. He could see visiting Didimus once in a while, but that would have to be it.
“Everything has happened so fast,” Didimus said. “I’m sure you’re overwhelmed.”
Julian nodded. That was most definitely true. All he could do right now was follow the detective’s advice. Beyond that, his mind was a jumbled mess. “Even if Jonah and James never would have forgiven me, I wish they’d been able to live a full and long life. It’s not natural for someone to die while in the prime of youth.”
“You did all you could. That’s what matters. In the end, we do what we need to.” The carriage came to a stop, and Didimus added, “Why don’t you come by my townhouse for a dinner party this evening? We won’t make it a big deal. It’ll be a quiet meal and time spent with friends.”
Considering the situation, he was safer having dinner at Didimus’ residence than at his own, so Julian agreed to stop by at six that evening.
As Julian stepped out of the carriage, Didimus said, “Everything will be all right. Give it time. Things will work out like they’re supposed to.”
“Yes, I know.” Julian offered him a smile then headed up the stairs of the townhouse.
Chapter Eighteen
Ophelia’s stomach twisted in dread. They had to go to Didimus and Serena’s townhouse for dinner? They couldn’t stay home or, better yet, go visit Lewis and Marcy? She had sent them a calling card, so they knew she and Julian were in town. She had hoped they would have responded by now. It would have been nice if she could have at least told Julian they had an offer to go to Lewis and Marcy’s instead.
But since no invitation came, she was stuck spending another evening with Serena. It was a shame there would be no other couples there. If there was another lady or two, she could sit back and listen to Serena talk with them instead of trying to come up with something to say.
“Do we have to go?” she asked Julian as he buttoned his frock coat.
He glanced over at her. “It�
�s important we don’t have dinner here.”
“Why?”
He paused, and she thought he might finally tell her what was going on. He’d told her some things that were going on with the detective, but he was holding something back. She had no way of knowing if it was one thing or more. She debated if she should keep pressing him about it when she, herself, hadn’t told him about Lord Wolfe for the longest time.
He looked back down at his frock coat and finished the last button. “I have a good reason, but I don’t want to put you under any more strain than you’re already dealing with. You’ve been through so much already.”
Maybe she should come out and tell him she didn’t like Serena and that having to spend an entire evening with her was going to cause her the strain he worried about. But she hated to do that when Serena was married to his cousin. If she had a cousin she’d been friends with since childhood, she would want to go to the dinner party.
She slowly exhaled and committed herself to the evening. She picked up her gloves and put them on. This wasn’t going to be as easy as the evening at the theatre had been, but she’d get through it. All she had to do was remember this was better than being married to Lord Wolfe. No matter what she faced, it couldn’t be worse than being with him.
She turned to Julian, and he gave her an uncertain smile. “You’re not upset with me, are you?”
“No, I’m not upset.” On impulse, she hugged him. “I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone. I’d do anything for you.”
He clasped her tightly to him. “I feel the same way about you.”
After a moment of bliss passed between them, there was a knock at the door.
“The carriage is ready, Your Grace,” the footman called out.
Julian let go of her and led her out of the townhouse. They spent the ride to his cousin’s in silence. He held her hand, and the way he stroked the palm of her hand with his thumb helped to soothe her unease. It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to stay with her all evening. If he did, she might not feel so nervous.
The carriage came to a stop, and she readied herself for the evening ahead. As she stepped out of it, she scanned the people who were out. Was Lord Wolfe hiding somewhere among them? He’d found out she was with Julian. He’d been watching her since then. He’d almost succeeded in abducting her. She had no reason to think he’d given up on his plan to make her his wife. And all because she looked like the lady who’d once rejected him.
“Ophelia?”
She turned away from the others and faced Julian. She accepted his arm and proceeded up the townhouse steps.
“I know it may not seem like it,” Julian whispered, “but this is the best way to stay safe.”
He was right. It didn’t seem like it. But then, she didn’t know everything he did. She would just have to trust that he was right.
The door opened, and the footman guided him to the drawing room. Ophelia had held out for the faint hope other people might be at this dinner party tonight, but as she feared, Didimus and Serena were the only people in the room.
“How are you this evening?” Didimus asked as they rose to their feet to welcome them.
“We’re doing as well as can be,” Julian answered. “My brothers were so young. They should have had the rest of their lives ahead of them.”
“As a vicar, I’m sure you’ve seen your share of death for people of all ages,” Serena said.
Julian nodded. “I’ve had the misfortune of presiding over the death of an infant once. That was more tragic than this.”
Ophelia hadn’t known this, but then, she hadn’t thought to ask how many people he’d buried in his time as a vicar. Having lost her parents at an early age, she never thought they had died sooner than they should have. She’d accepted it because she was five when it happened. Now, however, she was starting to question the fairness of it all. They should have lived much longer, just as Julian’s brothers should have.
“I know it sounds trite, but try not to let it trouble you,” Didimus said. “There was nothing you could have done to stop it.”
“You’re right. There was nothing I could have done,” Julian replied.
For a few awkward seconds, no one spoke. Then Didimus said, “I got a new map of the world today. Would you like to see it?”
At first, she thought Didimus was making the offer to her and Julian, but then she realized he was only looking at Julian. She glanced at Julian, hoping he might say no. Unfortunately, he agreed to check it out, which left her alone with Serena.
Ophelia hid the urge to panic. She hadn’t thought they’d separate until after dinner.
“You might as well have a seat,” Serena said.
Ophelia forced her gaze off of the empty doorway and toward Serena, who was pouring tea into two cups. Since there was no getting out of this, she sat in the chair next to her.
“I suppose we might as well get used to being friends,” Serena continued. “It appears that our husbands will be spending a lot of time together.”
There was no sense in denying that, so Ophelia nodded and accepted the cup of tea Serena offered her.
“How do you like being a duchess?” Serena asked.
Ophelia finished taking a sip of the tea then shrugged. “It doesn’t feel any different than how things were before my husband inherited the title.”
“You only say that because you don’t get around London much. Being a duchess is much better than being a lady who’s married to an untitled gentleman.” She settled back in her chair and stared thoughtfully at the wall across from them. “If it was me, I’d be elated. People treat you with respect when they address you as ‘Your Grace’. You should go to a ball. Let your husband introduce you around. Pay attention to the way people talk to you. I guarantee you it’ll be a wonderful experience.”
Ophelia hadn’t been to a ball before she became a duchess, so she didn’t think going to one now would reveal anything. But she had no desire to go to a ball. It’d be too public. Lord Wolfe would find her much too easily. It was best to keep to private gatherings like this dinner party, even if she didn’t enjoy being here.
Serena drank some of her tea then gave her a wink. “Don’t be shy about insisting your husband buy you better clothes. I heard his brothers did very well for themselves.”
Ophelia bit her tongue. Did Serena know about Julian and Didimus running off with Julian’s family’s money in the past? Or had Didimus refrained from telling her that? Julian had told her that his brothers had acquired substantial wealth since then. Did Didimus know? Probably not. Julian was the only one who’d looked in the financial ledger. He hadn’t told her how much money there was, but even if he had, she’d never had to calculate up the cost of things, so she had no frame of reference to tell her if someone had a lot of money or not.
Besides, it didn’t matter. Julian had asked her if she was content with the life they already had, and she was. There was nothing she lacked. She just hoped she could always be with Julian. Her biggest fear was that Lord Wolfe might somehow get his way.
“If I were you, I’d enjoy the money,” Serena said. “Pamper yourself. You’re a duchess. You deserve it.”
Ophelia wasn’t sure how to respond, so she opted to take another sip of her tea.
“I wish Didimus had more money,” Serena muttered in a voice so low that Ophelia almost missed it.
Ophelia was sure Serena hadn’t intended for her to hear her. Serena wasn’t even glancing her way. She was, once more, staring at the wall, her mind probably on all the things she wished she could afford.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before Julian and Didimus returned.
Serena snapped her attention to them and offered a pleasant smile as she set her cup down. “Did you like the map?” she asked Julian.
“Yes,” Julian replied. “The illustrator did a fine job.”
“It’s the most current one, too,” Didimus said. “It was worth every farthing I spent on it.”
“The butler informed us that dinner is ready,” Didimus told Serena and Ophelia.
Good. They were one step closer to getting out of here. Ophelia set her cup next to Serena’s and took Julian’s arm so he could escort her out of the room. With any luck, the rest of the evening would go as quickly as this part of it had gone.
***
“I know you feel guilty for what you did to your brothers in the past, but do you really think giving away all of their money is a good idea?” Didimus asked after dinner.
Julian was sitting in a chair in front of a nice, warm fire that helped to take the edge off the cool autumn air. He took a sip of the water Didimus had given him and stared at the flames for a few seconds. “I can’t take the money. It would be wrong.”
“How could it be wrong?” Didimus, who was sitting next to him, leaned toward him. “You’re not stealing it. Your brothers died. The title and everything that goes with it are rightfully yours.”
“Yes, I understand that, but I didn’t earn the money. If anything, that money is what I owed the estate.” He took another sip of the water and shrugged. “I’ll set aside enough to give to the staff who’ll be at the country estate. But I’ll sell the townhouse and give the money I make from that, along with the rest that’s left over, to the church.”
Didimus laughed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. I think it’s something my brothers would have wanted. This way the money they earned will be put to good use.”
“And meanwhile, you’ll do what…? Live like a pauper?”
“I deserve to live like a pauper, but the parish I’m in has given me better than that.”
“Not by much. I know that a vicar lives on very little when he works as far outside of London as you do.”