The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Lord Wolfe took out a knife and swiped it in a swift motion across Didimus’ neck. Didimus didn’t even have time to protest. He was dead within a couple of seconds.

  Ophelia gagged but managed to hold her dinner down. Lord Wolfe was more of a monster than she’d thought. She bolted to her feet and began running. She could see the lights from the townhouses. They weren’t that far away.

  Darting around a tree, she headed in the direction of London. If she could just get to a residence, she could knock on the door and beg the person to help her. She’d tell them what Lord Wolfe had done. Then, maybe then, Lord Wolfe would be put away in a place that would make sure he never got near her again.

  She made it around several trees before Lord Wolfe caught up to her. She got out another scream before he slammed his hand over her mouth. Recalling his knife, she tried to turn her head so she could see where it was, but he pressed the back of her head up against his chest.

  “You’ve worn my patience out,” he hissed in her ear. “I won’t tolerate this act of rebellion anymore. You’re not getting away from me this time.”

  His hold tightened on her when she attempted to wiggle out of his embrace.

  “No, you don’t. Not this time,” he snapped. “I’m not going to kill you like I killed your parents. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. If you insist on fighting me, keep this in mind: people can live without limbs. I don’t mind making it so that you can’t run if that’s what it takes to keep you with me.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. He would do it. He wasn’t bluffing in order to get her to comply with him. Just look at how cold he’d been with Didimus. He wasn’t the least bit sorry he’d killed him. He wasn’t even the least bit remorseful of what he’d done to her parents.

  She struggled to bring up the memory of her parents’ deaths. All she remembered with clarity was that the servants had said the deaths came as a shock. They’d left to go to a dinner party. They hadn’t come home later that evening. It took a day for their carriage to be discovered outside of London in a wooded area, much like this. The coachman was missing. The horses were gone. There was nothing but their parents who’d died from what appeared to be a fall down a steep hill.

  A tear slid down her cheek and hit his hand.

  “You look so much like your mother,” he whispered, this time his voice growing soft. “I could tell you would grow up to look just like her when you were a child. I was patient, and I waited for you. And now, I’m going to have you.”

  She tried to shake her head, but his grasp was too firm. She could barely move at all, let alone breathe.

  “I have a horse waiting for us,” he said as he led her away from the path that would take her to London. “We’re going to go back to the estate where you grew up. This time, you won’t be getting away. I had the servants put up bars on the windows. I’ll keep a close eye on you. You’re very special to me, Ophelia. We’re going to be together forever.”

  He gave her a kiss on her temple, and her stomach roiled in protest. If he touched her the same way Julian did, she just might vomit.

  They went up a small incline, and at the top, she noticed a horse that was tied to a tree. In a panic, she made another attempt to get out of his grasp, but it was pointless.

  “Stop right there, Lord Wolfe!”

  Her heart leapt in hope. Julian! He’d found them!

  Lord Wolfe spun in his direction, jerking her with him. Had he not been holding onto her so securely, she would have fallen.

  “Let her go,” Julian said as he approached them. “She doesn’t belong to you.”

  “She does belong to me. I reserved her for myself when she was five. You are the one who has no right to her.” Lord Wolfe showed him the knife he was holding. “I won’t let anyone get in my way. I don’t care if you’re a vicar or not. Should God Himself come down and demand her, I would tell Him no. If you want to live, you’ll leave.”

  If Ophelia could speak, she’d warn Julian that he wasn’t bluffing. If he was willing to kill Didimus and her parents, he would kill anyone. The only thing that mattered to him was what he wanted. And, unfortunately for her, he wanted her because she reminded him of her mother. Her eyes filled with fresh tears, and she couldn’t stop them from falling.

  “I’m not leaving,” Julian said.

  At first, she thought he’d directed the statement to Lord Wolfe, but he was looking at her as he said it.

  “You’re not going anywhere with her,” Julian continued, this time his focus on Lord Wolfe.

  “You can’t stop me,” Lord Wolfe replied. “You’re nothing but a weakling, and you don’t even have a weapon. Now, go on back to London while I’m still in a good enough mood to let you live.”

  Lord Wolfe had barely finished speaking when Ophelia felt something push at her and Lord Wolfe from behind. The impact must have startled him because he let go of her. Without thinking, she ran to Julian. Her cloak wrapped around her legs, and she stumbled forward. He caught her before she ended up hitting the ground. It took her a moment to regain her balance. Clutching Julian’s arm, she turned to see where Lord Wolfe was.

  To her surprise, the thing that had pushed Lord Wolfe had been a person. The two were in the middle of a fight. Lord Wolfe was trying to stab him with the knife. The gentleman dodged him. It was hard to see everything that was happening in the dim light, but she finally recognized Detective Hall when he lunged forward to try to get the knife from Lord Wolfe.

  She saw something in Detective Hall’s hand and realized it was a gun. Why wasn’t he using it? Why bother trying to get the knife when he could just shoot Lord Wolfe and get this whole thing over with?

  The two gentlemen tumbled to the ground, and it was even harder to see what was going on. Their movements were so fast they almost blurred together.

  “I should help the detective,” Julian said.

  “But you don’t have a knife or a gun,” she argued.

  He paused as he considered her warning. She could tell he felt conflicted. He wanted to help, but, as she’d pointed out, he had no weapon. After a moment, he said, “I can pin Lord Wolfe down and give the detective an advantage.”

  She wanted to protest that his plan might not work, but she figured his sense of honor demanded he help. He would regret it if something bad happened to the detective and he hadn’t done anything to stop it. With a nod, she released her hold on him.

  He rushed over to the two gentlemen. She’d had a hard enough time making out what was happening before, but now she couldn’t keep track of who was doing what. She heard some grunting and twigs snapping. She shivered and pulled the cloak closer around her. She then scanned the area around her to make sure no one else was there. She only relaxed a little when it occurred to her they were really alone out here.

  A gunshot rang through the air, and she gasped. Had someone been shot? She peered into the darkness, doing her best to make out who was who among the three gentlemen huddled together on the ground. One of them collapsed to the ground, face first. The other two were hunched over him, which made it impossible for her to tell who’d been shot.

  She held her breath and prayed it hadn’t been Julian.

  After what seemed like forever, one of the gentlemen bent over the fallen one and touched the side of his neck. She took a few steps closer to them so she could better see them. The gentleman rolled the fallen one over, and she cried out with relief when she saw that Lord Wolfe had been the one who’d been shot.

  “He’s dead,” Detective Hall said. Panting, he got to his feet and slid the gun into his holster. “I was hoping to put him in prison. I don’t like it when things resort to this.”

  Julian stood up, and that was when Ophelia noticed the upper part of his coat was bloody.

  She hurried over to him. “Are you injured?”

  He opened the coat. “I don’t think it’s serious.”

  “Where were you stabbed?” Detective Hall asked.

  Ophelia was glad he asked the qu
estion because she couldn’t tell by the large amount of blood on his shirt.

  “Just below my shoulder,” Julian replied. “I didn’t even realize I’d been stabbed when it happened.”

  “I saw him strike you,” Detective Hall said. “That’s why I shot him.” He tore off a part of his coat, wadded it up into a ball, and slipped it under Julian’s shirt. “Hold that in place. It’ll help slow down the bleeding.”

  Julian sighed and did as instructed. “I should have stayed out of the way. You had things under more control than I thought.”

  “You were doing what you thought was best,” the detective said. “No one can fault you for that. The important thing is you’re all right. Do you think you can ride a horse back?”

  Julian nodded. “The wound isn’t as bad as it looks.”

  “I can ride a horse, too,” Ophelia offered. She didn’t relish the thought of taking Didimus’ carriage or walking. Plus, she wanted to stay with Julian in case he grew weak. Someone had to be there to watch after him.

  Julian glanced at her. “Maybe we should take the same horse. You can ride it, and I’ll lean into you for support.”

  She indicated she liked the idea and put her arm around him, relieved he was going to be fine.

  “Make sure you go to a doctor,” Detective Hall told Julian. “You don’t want to risk an infection.”

  “I’ll do that,” Julian replied.

  “Didimus is out here somewhere,” she said. “Lord Wolfe killed him.” She scanned the area. “I can’t tell where we left Didimus.”

  “We saw him,” Detective Hall told her. “We heard you scream. You led us right to him.”

  “And when we heard you scream again, we followed you to Lord Wolfe,” Julian added. “It’s a good thing you screamed. We might not have found you otherwise. It’s almost like a maze out here.”

  “We’ll speak more about this tomorrow morning,” Detective Hall said. He glanced at Lord Wolfe’s dead body. “I’ll get him and Didimus to town. You two go to the doctor.” He gestured to Lord Wolfe’s horse. “Take that steed since it’s the closest.”

  Ophelia followed Julian’s lead and went to the horse. She didn’t relish the idea of having to be on a horse that Lord Wolfe owned, but at least she was returning to London with Julian instead of going to the estate with Lord Wolfe. They could discuss everything that had happened later. For now, she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was get to the doctor and then go to bed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Julian didn’t feel right about burying Didimus close to Jonah and James, so he bought the plot that was on the other side of the cemetery. He had consulted Serena on the type of monument she wanted him to have for his headstone, but she didn’t seem to care. All she’d wanted was to see his body to make sure he was really dead. Julian didn’t know the details of Didimus’ marriage to Serena, and after some consideration, he decided he didn’t want to know. Some things were best left to ignorance, and this was one of them.

  It was enough to know Didimus had poisoned his brothers in hopes of sharing the inheritance with him. And it was enough to know Didimus had been willing to kidnap Ophelia and hold her for ransom. Maybe he should have been relieved that Didimus had cared enough for him and Ophelia that he hadn’t planned to kill either one of them, but he was too exhausted to feel much of anything.

  The past couple of days had tied up many loose ends. Detective Hall had put his case to rest, and he had arranged for Lord Wolfe’s burial. If it was up to Julian, Lord Wolfe wouldn’t have even been given the respect of a proper burial. So, he handed that task to the detective who wasn’t emotionally involved in the situation. Julian might have dedicated his life to serving the Lord, but he was still human and could only handle so much.

  Julian spent considerable time in front of Didimus’ grave, wondering how their lives could have changed so much and if there might have been something he could have said or done to somehow change the outcome. After almost an hour, he came to the conclusion that, like with Jonah and James, everyone had to make their own choices. Whether good or bad, they had to make them, and they had to live, or die, as a result of them.

  He went to his brothers’ mausoleum on his way out of the cemetery and paid his respects. Then he went to his family’s townhouse.

  The footman greeted him even before he reached the front door. “We have done all that you’ve asked, Your Grace.”

  Noting the hesitation in his voice, Julian entered the home and turned to him. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to make sure this is what you really want to do. Do you really want me to handle the sale of this townhouse?”

  Julian nodded. “My place isn’t here. It’s at the parsonage. This place needs to go to someone who can use it. And I also want you to disburse the money from the sale of this townhouse amongst yourself and the other servants. It should be enough to provide for everyone for many years.”

  “I understand why you’re doing this, but all of us have plans to find employment. We’ll be fine.”

  “You and the others have been loyal to my parents and brothers. I want to do it to thank you for taking good care of them.”

  The footman smiled at him. “If your father could be here right now, he would be happy with the way you turned out. He never gave up hope.”

  Julian swallowed the lump in his throat. “I know.” He took a deep breath and released it. “Is my wife still upstairs?”

  “Yes. She hasn’t been downstairs since you left.”

  Julian thanked him and went up the stairs. He opened the door to the bedchamber and saw that though Ophelia had finished packing, she was sitting by the window, her gaze fixed on something outside. He went over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  She jerked and turned to him.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “Are you ready to leave?”

  “Yes.” She stood up, but she didn’t go to her valise. After a moment, she continued, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you told me about your brothers and how they never forgave you. I don’t want what Lord Wolfe did to my parents and what he tried to do to me make me bitter. I want to be free from all of that, but I’m having trouble forgiving him. I’m so angry at him that I don’t know what to do about it.”

  “The anger won’t last forever. Some days will be easier than others, but some day in the future, you’ll wake up and realize you’re no longer angry. You can’t rush the process. It doesn’t happen right away. It’s going to take time. The important thing is that you’ve determined to forgive him. That is what will free you.”

  “I wish it could be immediate.”

  He brought her into his arms. “I do, too, but I promise even though it’s not going to be easy, it’ll be worth it. You’re doing this for our future. Forgiving him will free you to fully love those around you. You and I are going to be very happy together.”

  “It’s no longer just the two of us. I wasn’t sure about it before, but now I know for sure that I’m expecting a child.”

  He smiled. “You are?”

  Her cheeks grew pink, and she gave him a shy smile. “I thought you might like hearing that.”

  “I do. I can’t think of anything better to help us move on from all of the bad things that have happened. A baby will give us something good to look forward to.” He gave her a kiss. “Are you ready to go?”

  She nodded, and they went to their luggage. He picked up the valise with the arm that wouldn’t aggravate his wound. It was still a little sore, but the doctor had assured him he would be fine. He went to the door and gestured for the butler to come in and pick up the trunk. He would have done it himself had he not been warned to watch how much he carried for the next few weeks. It was difficult to be waited on by the servants. He was looking forward to getting back to his cottage. Even if he had the title of a duke, it didn’t fit him.

  At heart, he was a vicar, a simple man who would live a simple life. And that was
exactly the way he wanted it. Perhaps his son would want to manage the title and the country estate that went with it. Julian had made sure there was enough money in the estate before he donated the rest of it to places that cared for widows and orphans.

  He let her go out of the bedchamber first and followed her down the stairs. To his surprise, the servants were all lined up in the entryway. They offered a farewell and other well wishes to him and Ophelia. The footman was the last one in the line to do so.

  On impulse, Julian put the valise down and hugged the footman. “Take care of yourself,” he whispered, thankful for the man’s kindness.

  “You, too, Your Grace,” the footman replied.

  Julian released him, wished everyone a prosperous and happy life, and left the townhouse. His old carriage waited for him and Ophelia. It was a far cry from the nice one his brothers had owned, but it suited him and Ophelia just fine. All someone really needed was a roof over their head, food on their table, and clothes on their back. The other things weren’t a measure of happiness. True happiness was being content with what someone had, and with Ophelia, he couldn’t ask for more.

  He helped Ophelia into the carriage then put their valise on the floor by her feet. The butler set the trunk in its proper place then thanked him for taking care of the staff.

  Once the butler left, Julian asked Ophelia, “Do you want to see Lewis and Marcy one more time before we head out?”

  She nodded. “Do you think they’ll mind?”

  “I think they’d be disappointed if we didn’t see them again, especially when we can tell them some good news for a change.”

  They’d already told Lewis and Marcy all about his brothers, Lord Wolfe, and Detective Hall yesterday. It’d be a nice change of pace to discuss children, especially since Marcy was also expecting a child. After all the deaths surrounding them, it was a relief to look forward to bringing new lives into the world.

  With a smile, he shut the carriage door then got up on the driver’s seat to lead the horses to their friends’ residence.