Julia ran to the table and picked up the pistol. It looked ridiculously large in her small hands, but he’d never been so grateful to see one. He pushed himself off his brother and within two strides joined her. She quickly handed it over, as if it were made of fire rather than metal.
Weapon in hand, Isaac stepped in front of her and pointed the pistol at Matthew. Whatever was happening, whatever had happened, Isaac was about to get his answers.
Matthew glanced from Isaac’s face, to the pistol, back to his face. Chest heaving from their grappling, a smile slid over Matthew’s face—the same smile he’d employed so many times.
Even in this tense, precarious moment, when Isaac looked at Matthew, all he could see was his father’s face. His own face. Staring back at him. A face he knew so well that he could see beyond the smile. See beyond the arrogance. He saw the boy.
But he also saw something else. Determination, raw and real.
Isaac straightened the pistol.
Perspiration beading, Matthew tossed his head to whisk the hair away from his forehead. “You wouldn’t shoot me.”
“You are attempting a robbery, Matthew. You may be my brother, but I’ll not let you do this.”
For several moments nobody moved.
“The treasure’s mine. I’m going to take it, and you will let me.”
“I see no treasure,” Isaac challenged. “Besides, whatever is in this house now belongs to Lambourne.”
Matthew’s countenance darkened. “Nothing in this house belongs to him. It belonged to Rowe. To Goldweth. On his deathbed Rowe told Miss Prynne where the treasure was. He wanted her to take it.”
“But why?”
“To help the villagers.” A sinister grin slid over his sweaty face. “And I’m a resident of Goldweth, am I not?”
Isaac couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What possibly made you think that?”
Matthew guffawed. “Lambourne’s a fool. You know as well as I that Rowe would turn in his grave at the thought of a man like him possessing the treasure.”
“You were going to take the treasure and leave, weren’t you?” Isaac deduced. “East Indies, is it? Your friend stopped by before you got to Tregarthan and I saw the travel papers. How could you do this?”
“Very easily. With a mine struggling to pay workers? With debt I can’t escape from? Trapped in a life I never wanted or asked for?”
“So you’d take the coward’s way out. And just leave.” Isaac’s gaze shifted to Miss Prynne. Tears moistened her eyes. She was trembling from head to toe. “Why did you have to involve her?”
Matthew extended his hands, as if declaring innocence. “She came to me, not the other way around. Rowe told her of the treasure, and she thought I could help her. We tried to find it before the Lambournes arrived but failed. So with Sedrick’s help we attempted to frighten them away. But then she came.” He turned his eyes toward Julia.
Isaac’s stomach dropped. “Tell me you did not have anything to do with the attack at the inn.”
Matthew shrugged. “They didn’t scare as easily as I thought they would.”
Isaac thought he’d be sick. So that was how he knew where the watch was—and how he got it back so easily.
Matthew’s air shifted, and he tossed an accusatory gaze toward the older woman. “Miss Prynne is involved as much in this as I. She was his special friend, wasn’t she? She knew what room it was in, and she knew of the tunnel to get here, for it was how she got in here all the time to see Rowe.”
At this Miss Prynne sobbed as much as the kerchief around her mouth would allow.
Julia scurried over to remove the cloth around her mouth and arms.
Isaac narrowed his gaze. “You are lucky then, Brother. Lucky it was I who figured this out and stopped you from what you were about to do. You’d be a criminal, and you may very well already be one for what you’ve done. You could hang for this. Caught in the act—not your name nor your position would save you from it. Word will be all over the countryside by dawn. I love you. But I’ll not lie for you. Go, before I come to my senses and change my mind.”
The brothers stared at each other for several moments, and then Matthew hurried from the space, through the door that led to the tunnel.
Chapter 52
Matthew was gone. The library was quiet once again, draped in the dark midnight hours, save for the candles Matthew and Mrs. Sedrick had been using to remove the heavy oak wall panels.
Julia stared at Isaac and he at her, and she tried to comprehend what she’d witnessed. As it was, books were scattered everywhere. Shelves had been pushed aside.
Julia turned her attention back to freeing Miss Prynne, and Isaac hurried to secure the door.
The knotted rag around her mouth finally fell free, and Miss Prynne cried, “He used me! I’ve known the boy his entire life. And this is what he does? To me? To all of us?”
“It’s over now.” Julia patted Miss Prynne’s arm, trying to keep her voice soft and low. “Everything will be all right.”
“All right? Nothing will be all right. Why, it’s an abomination!”
Julia lifted her gaze to Isaac as he approached. His face twisted in a strange expression she’d never seen before. He was pale. Very pale. He knelt next to Miss Prynne. “Julia’s right. It’s all over now. You’re safe and no one will hurt you.”
“Oh, but the damage is done. Look around you!” Fresh tears cascaded down her wizened cheek. “That ridiculous treasure. Clearly there never was one. Mr. Rowe must have been talking in riddles. I see that now, but your brother could not. He would not.”
Isaac took her other hand in his. “Tell us what happened.”
Miss Prynne shook her head as if to clear cobwebs from her mind. “Now that I look back, I hardly know how we got here.”
“Try.”
“Oh, how I loved Elon Rowe.” She sniffed and dabbed at her nose. “He was my life. My love. He always believed there was a treasure in this house, and after years of searching, he believed it to be in this very room. I never really believed the story, of course, but then on his deathbed, he asked me to find it and distribute it. He had such a heart for those in the village. Of course, I said I would. He said he’d discussed it at length with Matthew and suggested that I ask for his assistance. So I did.
“Your brother was immediately enthusiastic, but I truly believed his heart to be for the good. But the Lambournes arrived before we could find it. I’d accepted the fact that our opportunity had passed and that the treasure would remain hidden, but Matthew changed. Without my knowledge he somehow enlisted Mrs. Sedrick in his plans.
“He began trying to scare the Lambournes, subtly, to get them to leave. And then he attempted to woo Miss Twethewey to further gain access to the house. By the time I realized what he was doing, we had gone too far, and I was too involved.
“He was a man obsessed. He and Mrs. Sedrick began stealing the family items. Matthew convinced himself that the Lambournes did not deserve any of the wealth they had, and in his twisted mind he felt entitled to it. He told me that if I did not continue to help him, he’d inform Lambourne that I’d been the one stealing from them. I was so frightened.”
The pieces slammed together in Julia’s mind. Matthew did not want her. Nor did he care about the mines—any of them. He wanted this house and what was in it. “So that is why he would visit so often and why I found you in here.”
“He’s been manipulating us all, ever since Elon died.”
“Did you ever find the treasure?” Isaac asked.
“No. No. It’s nowhere.” She gestured to the gaping hole in the paneling, and tears gathered afresh. “I believe now it was an old legend, one that time fanned to a flame. But Matthew kept saying that it was his only hope for a different life. His only chance.”
Isaac stood. “We have to inform Lambourne right away. He has to know this was hidden in his home. That his housekeeper was involved. He has to know his family is safe.”
Julia helped Mis
s Prynne to her feet. “We expect my uncle home anytime, for we sent word as soon as Jane’s pains began, but nothing can be done now. Miss Prynne, you should try to rest. Tomorrow things can be sorted and made right.”
“Can they?” she asked. “Nothing will be right ever again.”
Julia smiled, the first real smile she’d felt in what seemed like forever. “Yes.”
At length Miss Prynne returned to her chamber, shaken but unhurt, leaving Julia alone with Isaac.
As soon as her footsteps faded, Isaac reached for Julia and pulled her tightly into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against the rough wool of his coat. His fingers smoothed her hair, and she could feel his heart thudding.
They stood there in silence, clinging to one another for several moments. It seemed now, in his arms, was the first time her tensed muscles relaxed. Her breathing slowed. She closed her eyes, memorizing the way he felt against her.
Finally he looked down at her.
What could be said in such a moment? How could one begin to address the pain—the betrayal—they both felt?
“What will happen now, I wonder?” she whispered. “Do you think Matthew will leave Goldweth?”
Isaac drew a deep breath, and the lines on his face tightened. “If he’s smart he will, and he’ll never return. Word of this will get out. How could he begin to explain what he’s done?”
“But what about the mine? His house? Surely he can’t just disappear.”
“I saw the travel papers, Julia. A man delivered them just a few days ago. Matthew was planning to leave anyway. My guess is he thought he would get this treasure and escape.”
“But it doesn’t make sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He smoothed her hair away from her face and let his finger linger on her cheek. “I am sorry he pretended to care for you. I hope it didn’t distress you.”
She gave a little laugh and leaned back into him. “I’m not sorry, for truly, you must know by now that my affections are aimed elsewhere.”
He lowered his lips and kissed her, there in the darkened library. His touch made the cares of the day slide into the background of her thoughts, pushing her future to the forefront. How different this feeling was than what she’d felt with Percy. She felt whole. Complete. Trusting and true.
But even so, she detected a sadness behind his hazel eyes. She laced her fingers through his. “And you?”
His mouth eased into a half smile. “I suppose I have my answers too. I knew Matthew wanted to befriend your uncle, but I believed it was to strengthen our mine. It seems we’ve all been deceived.”
She rested her head against his chest for several moments. Then he stepped back. “You should go to your chamber.”
She frowned at the sudden sobering of his tone. “But I—”
“I’ll be back in the morning. It’s only right that I be here to explain what I know.”
“But you are leaving now?” A sense of panic tremored through her. She wasn’t ready for him to leave. Not yet.
He looked at her for several seconds. That strange twist returned to his face—not quite pain, not quite sadness, but a mixture that almost frightened her. “A lot has happened tonight. And I’m not sure I’ve entirely understood it all yet.”
He offered her a weak smile and freed his fingers from hers. He placed his hands on her shoulders, stroked a finger down her cheek, and then went back through the tunnel door.
And Julia stood in the library alone.
Chapter 53
Isaac rarely felt nervous. But then again, he’d never told another man about how he’d been the target of an attempted robbery.
In spite of the storm brewing within his head and heart, the sunlight slid bright and fresh through the window behind him, and somewhere in the distance the newborn baby cried.
He’d not slept. How could he? His brother—his partner and, yes, his friend—had betrayed him.
Betrayed them all. And not just in a minor manner, but one that had the power to cause the entire community to crumble.
Yet Isaac held his head high and clasped his hands behind his back. He could say with all honesty he had no part in it—and he’d do what he could to make it right.
He glanced to his left. Julia, clad in a pale-yellow gown and with her hair bound loosely at her neck, stood next to Miss Prynne, whose tearstained face and swollen eyes told a story all their own.
He’d always considered Lambourne to be a little foolish and not much of a threat, but the unnerving, authoritative hardness in his blue eyes reminded Isaac that Lambourne was a businessman in his own right, and one capable of more than he’d thought. In one night the foundation of an entire family had been shaken, and the relationship between the Blakes and the Lambournes had been severed.
“And are you taking responsibility for this?” Lambourne demanded.
“No.” Isaac fixed his gaze on the red-faced man, refusing to be the one to look away. “My brother acted independently. And I believe Miss Prynne is a victim as well.”
Lambourne snorted, sarcasm twisting his tone. “I suppose Mrs. Sedrick is a victim too.”
Miss Prynne’s chin jutted in defiance, and her high-pitched voice squeaked with passion. “Mrs. Sedrick’s an evil, vile woman capable of things even worse than Matthew Blake. I daresay you’ll ne’er see sight of her again, for she knows what she’s done.”
Lambourne cast a dubious glance toward the older woman before he returned his attention to Isaac. “Do you know where he is?”
Isaac shook his head. “No. I went to Tregarthan last night and waited, but he never returned. I daresay he won’t.”
“So you admit Matthew is behind this all?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Mrs. Lambourne jumped from where she was sitting, a fluster of purple silk and cream lace. “I always told you this place was a mistake. But would you listen?” She stomped to her husband’s side. “I’ll not stay here another day among these thieves.”
“Consider, Aunt.” Julia’s voice was soft. “Jane cannot travel. She likely will not be able to travel for weeks, maybe months.”
“I never trusted these people. Not for a moment.” Mrs. Lambourne’s cheeks shook with indignation. “Our housekeeper was stealing under our very noses. Our friends plotted against us. Mark my words, the Lambournes will never return to this godforsaken country. We’re leaving as soon as arrangements can be made.”
“My wife is right.” Lambourne leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his gray side whiskers as if in contemplation, then leaned forward with renewed vigor. “I’m loath to do it, but I admit defeat. This situation is beyond impossible, and it’s time to cut my losses. I intend to write Elliot as soon as we are done here and accept his offer for Bal Tressa and Lanwyn Manor. He can have it, the whole mess of it, and good riddance, I say.”
Isaac stiffened. So Bal Tressa would be in the hands of yet another outsider. But did it matter anymore? For what would become of Wheal Tamsen with Matthew gone?
With a condescending sniff, Mrs. Lambourne tossed her silver hair. “That’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard in months. The more distance we can put between all of us, the better.” She stormed past Isaac on her way toward the door, and he stepped back to avoid being trampled, her sharp lily-of-the-valley scent strong as ever.
He winced as the door slammed behind her. It was time to put an end to this once and for all. “I’m genuinely sorry my brother treated you so vindictively. I only hope my explanation will offer some answers, and I’ll see to the costs to repair your library.”
“You may not be responsible, Mr. Blake, but I think you will understand when I say that I want nothing from you.”
Isaac slid a glance toward Julia.
“I think it best if you leave now,” Lambourne growled.
Isaac nodded, gave a quick bow to the ladies, and turned to leave the room.
He felt sick. Was this how it would end?
He was retr
eating down the corridor when footsteps padded behind him. He turned to see Julia, small and pale, behind him. She’d been crying. There was no denying it. Her hair was wild about her face, and her eyes still glistened with tears.
“What will happen?” she whispered, her lower lip trembling.
The pain in her voice only emphasized the war within him. He could ask her to come with him, and she might say yes. But would she understand the cost, and would she be willing to pay it?
He wanted to tell her that he loved her. That she had touched a place in his heart he never knew existed. That she alone held the key to his happiness—his present. His future.
But how could it be now?
His brother—his family—had betrayed hers completely. The shadow of it would forever hang over them. Even if she could look past it, he feared he could not.
“I think it best, Julia, if you do what your aunt suggested.”
“What?” Surprise colored her cheeks.
“This—you and I—’tis not good for you.”
She shook her head, her brow furrowing. “But you said—”
“I know what I said.” His throat tightened. “I know, and I meant every word. But after what has occurred—”
“No one blames you.” She leaned forward and gripped his hands in hers. “I certainly don’t. This will pass, this will—”
“He is my brother, Julia.”
At this she dropped his hands. Pain replaced confusion. Her eyes narrowed.
“My brother—my family—did this to your family.” He did not know what to say after that. Matthew had betrayed the Lambournes, yes, but he had also betrayed Isaac and the life he knew. And that fact twisted in him like a knife.
He cleared the emotion from his throat. “All I know is that I’ve no idea what’s to happen next, but I cannot ask you to stay mixed in this odd, broken situation.” He drew a sharp breath. “I think it best that you go with your aunt. For your sake.”
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
The Thief of Lanwyn Manor Page 27
