Cry of the Baroness: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 9

by Jennifer Monroe

  The thought of Harmony suffering further at the hands of this maniac sent Nathaniel into an uncontrollable rage. He reached out and took a handful of fabric into his hands and pulled the man close enough their noses were within an inch of one another.

  “You will keep your distance from my wife,” Nathaniel said in a voice just above a whisper. “Do not speak to her. Do not even look at her.”

  To his surprise, Isaac simply nodded and cast his gaze downward. However, trusting that the man had given up proved to be a mistake, for as soon as Nathaniel released his grip, Isaac struck him in the stomach. All the air left Nathaniel’s lungs and he staggered backward, his hands crossed over his belly.

  Isaac stomped over to the tree. “There shall be no more games in my home,” he said as he withdrew the sword with a grunt. “The story of two brothers ends tonight!”

  “What story?” Nathaniel gasped from his doubled-over position.

  “I told you before that tales of old always speak of rivaling brothers.” He turned around and pointed the tip of the sword toward Nathaniel. “Tonight, your story will come to a tragic end.”

  ***

  Upon Lydia’s arrival at the cottage, the trio — Harmony, Lydia, and Forbes — sat and discussed strategies to convince Nathaniel that Harmony had done nothing wrong. In the end, it was decided the best course of action was to confront him and make him see reason. Therefore, they set for Scarlett Hall to do just that.

  The night was cold yet clear, and the moon filled the sky, creating a soft glow over the countryside. Even Scarlett Hall was visible on the high hill despite the late hour, more majestic than it was in daylight, if that were possible.

  Tonight, Harmony would explain to her husband what had happened that night last week and present him with the document Isaac had his solicitors draw up so he could deceive Harmony to get her in his bed. She had no doubt Nathaniel would see reason, for what she possessed would not only save his title but their marriage, as well.

  She had made a vow to Nathaniel on the day of their wedding to remain by his side, one given in words but sealed with the love in her heart, and she intended to keep that promise.

  When the carriage came to a stop in front of Scarlett Hall, Forbes led them up the front steps and into the foyer. Tonight would be a night of celebration, and Harmony patted her overcoat where she had stored the important piece of parchment, a gift for her husband. The first thing she would see done was have Isaac removed from the house, taking the darkness from the grand home and replacing it once more with light.

  “I see light coming from the study,” Lydia said.

  Harmony pushed past the others and hurried to the room. It was empty. But why were the candles lit?

  Then the sound of voices came to her ear, and she hurried to the window. What she saw made her skin pebble with fear. Nathaniel had hold of Isaac by his coat collar, his face within inches of that of Isaac.

  Then, to her shock, Isaac struck Nathaniel, sending him reeling back. Harmony’s heart jumped. She had to give him aid!

  When she turned, however, she ran right into the tall and stiff frame of the butler.

  “Remain here, my lady,” he said, his voice firm but respectful. “I do not believe your presence will be a very good idea at the moment.”

  Although she wanted to be at her husband’s side, Harmony nodded. What could she possibly do during a bout of fisticuffs?

  As Forbes made his way outside, however, she returned to the window in time to see Isaac remove something from the tree. “Is that a sword?” she asked incredulously. When he pointed the weapon at Nathaniel, she covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. “No!” she whispered.

  “I don’t like this,” Lydia said from beside her. “It’s like I’ve been saying all along. The man’s evil.”

  Harmony nodded absently as a memory came to mind. Eleanor had just revealed the truth about the death of her husband, and she had given Harmony very sage advice.

  “Nathaniel is lost, and you must save him. Never give up, my dear; the strength, the love inside you will prevail.”

  More than ever, Harmony understood the strength of which Eleanor spoke. It was the love a woman has for her husband that can overcome anything. Even a madman such as Isaac.

  Turning, she went to the bottom drawer of the desk and removed the larger of the two ornate boxes. She frowned. One of the pistols was missing!

  “Oh, Harmony,” Lydia gasped from her place at the window, “he’s got a gun!”

  With only thoughts of saving her husband, Harmony took the second pistol and hurried from the room.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Nathaniel was no coward, but when another man has the tip of a sword pointed at one’s chest, he does not use that time to prove his bravery. Isaac was truly a madman, and Nathaniel knew his brother would take his life without an inkling of regret.

  Yet, his thoughts were not on himself at the moment but rather on Harmony. He was frightened — how could he not be? — but he was also filled with regret. Would his wife truly know how sorry he was that everything had unfolded as it had? That he loved her now as much as when they had first met on the streets of Cambridge? That he now knew that nothing mattered more than she? Unfortunately, he would never be able to tell her.

  “After I take your life tonight,” Isaac said, “I shall find your wife and take her as my bride.” He grinned widely. “We are compatible in so many ways.”

  “You have won, Isaac. The estate, the title, all of it is yours. Allow me to leave this night, and you may remain.”

  His brother laughed and lowered the sword. “It is not that simple,” he replied. “I cannot risk you lurking in the shadows, planning how you will steal back my inheritance. No, it is time to remove you altogether. If you are not alive, you can never cause me any more grief.”

  “There is no need to take my life,” Nathaniel said. “You have what you wanted. And this document, whatever it may be, I do not have it.”

  Isaac studied him for a moment, and to Nathaniel’s shock, he tossed the sword aside with a reverberating clank that pained Nathaniel’s ears.

  “I believe you,” his brother said. “You do not have it. But now I am certain who does.” Before Nathaniel could inquire as to whom, the man reached into his coat and pulled out a pistol. Nathaniel had seen it only once before, when he was but ten years of age. Charles Lambert had taken out the pair of matching dueling pistols and allowed him to hold one.

  Taking a step back, Nathaniel lifted his hands. A thought of how strange that motion was skittered through his mind. His hands would not stop a bullet! Aloud, he said, “There is no need to kill me. I have no desire to fight you for the barony. Or for Scarlett Hall.” When Isaac did not release the weapon, fear coursed through Nathaniel. “Have you gone mad? I have no desire to duel with you!”

  Isaac laughed, a maniacal sound that made the hairs on the nape of Nathaniel’s neck stand on end. “But do you not see? We have been dueling for months. It is now time that I received my victory!” He raised the gun so that the barrel was pointed at Nathaniel’s chest. “This is no longer a duel, Brother. It is the end I promised you.”

  Nathaniel found himself incapable of movement. It was as if his blood had grown so cold he was frozen in place. Gone was the fear, for he could do nothing to stop what was to come. It was the realization of his impending death that washed over him.

  His heart wept for a father he had never embraced because he had allowed pride to guide his steps. And for the loss of a wife he would never again hold. For all the pain he had caused over a title so he could prove who he was. Now, with life hanging in the balance, he finally knew who he was.

  “I am Nathaniel Lambert,” he whispered as he maintained his gaze on his brother. “Who I am is who I was.” A knowing filled his heart. “And that is who I will always be.”

  Isaac frowned. “What is this nonsense you spout?”

  “My mother is Lady Eleanor Lambert, a woman of great strength, her kindness
unmatched. My father is not Charles Lambert but rather a butler, a truth I was unwilling to embrace. Until now. You may take the title, and even my life, but you cannot take who I am inside. For the goodness instilled in me has triumphed.” He lowered his hands to his side. “I shall fight you no more.”

  “Your words are fitting,” Isaac replied, his arm now fully extended. “Goodbye, dear brother.”

  It is strange how a body reacts when faced with death. Nathaniel did not want to be a coward and close his eyes, but they did so of their own accord as he grimaced, perhaps to set one last involuntary line of defense despite the fact it would not save him.

  Yet, a noise preceded the crack of the gunshot — the sound of hurried footsteps and a grunt of desperation. A figure moved ever so quickly to stand in front of him and then cried out in pain when the pistol discharged.

  For a moment, time stood still, and when Nathaniel glanced down at the now crumpled form of Forbes, he thought he was dreaming. Then the reality of what had happened set in and Nathaniel fell to his knees to gather to him the man who was his father. He touched Forbes’ chest, the once crisp white shirt now thick with blood.

  “Father,” Nathaniel whispered, surprised at the comfort the word gave him. He wished he had not waited so long to accept this man for who he was. “Father, I am sorry.”

  Forbes reached up and touched Nathaniel’s cheek. “My son,” he said, his words faltering. “You have no reason to say you are sorry. You are a baron. Never apologize.”

  Grief filled Nathaniel as Forbes’ fought for breath as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He who was always there willing to listen with a ready ear to every complaint. The man who never stopped watching over his mother and sisters. This was the man Nathaniel had always wanted to be.

  “I understand everything now,” Nathaniel said. “The love you had for Mother and her children. And for me. I rejected it, but now I realize it is what I needed all along. I swear to you that I will be a better man and will one day make you proud.”

  His father gasped for breath, his hand squeezing Nathaniel’s, but despite his pain, he smiled. “My son, you…already have.”

  And with that, the old man closed his eyes and his chest ceased its movements. Nathaniel gently laid Forbes on the ground and rose, only to find the tip of the sword once again pointed at him.

  “Two lives shall be taken this night!” Isaac said, spittle spraying from his lips. He laughed. “His sacrifice shall be in vain!”

  Any remaining fear fled, and Nathaniel charged his brother, catching the other man off-guard when his fist connected with his nose.

  However, Isaac’s surprise did not last long. As the stronger and faster of the two, he tripped Nathaniel, sending him crashing to the ground. Then he reached over and picked up the pistol.

  Was there not only one charge? Nathaniel was uncertain, yet even as he thought it, Isaac swung the pistol around just as another shot went off.

  The world came to a stop. Nathaniel reached out to Harmony, her face contorted in pain, as the cry of the baroness echoed throughout the grounds of Scarlett Hall.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  With Lydia at her side, Harmony hurried through the house and out the door that led to the gardens. The cool air of the night struck her, but she ignored it as she took in the sight before her and came to a stop. Her legs would no longer function as her eyes fell on the two figures before her.

  Isaac had a pistol, the second of the set, aimed at Nathaniel. In her urgent need to protect her husband, it had not occurred to her that it had been missing from the box!

  “I am Nathaniel Lambert,” he said as he maintained his gaze on his brother. “Who I am is who I was. And that is who I will always be.”

  Harmony rejoiced. Her husband had found himself once more! He had embraced what was good and cast aside all that was unneeded. She could not have asked for anything more.

  “What is this nonsense you spout?” Isaac demanded.

  “My mother is Lady Eleanor Lambert, a woman of great strength, her kindness unmatched. My father is not Charles Lambert but rather a butler, a truth I was unwilling to embrace. Until now. You may take the title, and even my life, but you cannot take who I am inside. For the goodness instilled in me has triumphed. I shall fight you no more.”

  “Your words are fitting,” Isaac replied with a light chuckle.

  A movement caught Harmony’s eye, and to her horror, Forbes emerged from the shadows of a nearby bush.

  “Goodbye, dear brother.”

  As the pistol went off, Forbes threw himself in front of Nathaniel. The butler grasped at his chest as blood seeped from a gaping wound, spreading bright red across his white shirt.

  Beside her, Lydia whimpered, and Harmony covered her mouth as she watched Forbes crumple to the ground. Tears filled her eyes as Nathaniel pulled his father into his arms.

  Why was she unable to move? Her husband needed her! Yet her body refused to do her bidding as Nathaniel rose, and despite the fact the sword was once again pointed at him, he struck Isaac in the face with a distinct crunch. Blood began pouring from Isaac’s nose, and he doubled over in pain.

  Harmony moved to comfort her husband, but Isaac once again raised the pistol.

  No! Harmony screamed in her head. If there was any time that the love she had for her husband was needed, it was now, for the darkness had to be dispelled once and for all. Therefore, she gave Lydia a nod and walked toward Isaac. As she did so, she raised the pistol and aimed.

  Memories from her childhood flooded her mind. Her parents expressed their disappointment in her every day. When she was older, Lord Miller made every attempt to woo her, and when she did not fall for his charms, he resorted to violence against her. Then, one day on a chance outing, she passed a man so handsome, her heart leaped into her throat, taking her breath away. She knew from that day that he was the man for her.

  All these thoughts, all these memories, filled her heart with love. Forbes had been right; Harmony was not Lady Eleanor Lambert. She was Lady Harmony Lambert, a woman who would do anything to save the man she loved.

  It was as if everything around her slowed. Isaac wore a wide grin as he glanced over at Harmony and turned the gun toward her. Yet, although his heart was filled with evil, hers was filled with love. It was for that love that Harmony squeezed the heavy trigger.

  The sound was much louder than she had expected, and gunpowder stung her eyes and filled her nose, but she was able to witness Isaac taking a half-step back and collapsing to the ground.

  Realizing what she had just done, Harmony dropped the gun and let out a cry. It was the cry of the baroness, who would do anything for her baron. Even if it meant taking the life of another to save him.

  As her cry abated, Nathaniel gathered her into his arms. And as the stars and moon rained down their light on them, Harmony sobbed into the chest of her husband, relishing in being returned to where she belonged.

  ***

  After sending Lydia off to Rumsbury in search of a constable, Harmony sat beside her husband in the drawing room. She dared not glance at the window, for doing so only made the events that occurred in the gardens all the more vivid, and her mind was already consumed enough by them as it was.

  Tonight, she had taken a life. Granted, it was to save the life of her husband, and the act in itself was terrifying enough, but something else disturbed her.

  “I killed a man,” she whispered, “yet, knowing what he did to Forbes,” she glanced up at Nathaniel, “to your father, and what he was about to do to you…” She paused and looked down at her hands. “It is strange, but I have no regrets. Should I not have some sort of remorse? Or has murder been on my heart all along and I never recognized it?” She gave Nathaniel a beseeching look. “Am I as evil as Isaac?”

  Nathaniel smiled. “No, my love. You did not kill him in malice but rather to protect me. You should not feel guilty for what you did. If you are concerned you may be held for murder, do not be, for I have devised
a plan to see nothing happens to you.”

  As her husband held her, Harmony drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Her mind and body ached, and she prayed Lydia would return soon. This matter needed to be put to rest once and for all so she and Nathaniel could return to their lives.

  “I must tell you about the night you saw Isaac leaving my room,” she said. “So you can understand the truth about what transpired.”

  “It no longer matters,” Nathaniel said. “No matter what occurred, I cannot stop loving you.”

  His words brought tears to her eyes, but still she said, “Please, listen to my story, for it is a story that includes not only us but our friend Lydia.”

  Nathaniel frowned. “Lydia is not a friend. You must realize what she has done.”

  Harmony nodded. “That night, Isaac made me an offer. If I allowed him to come to my bed, he would forfeit all rights to his inheritance. That was when I realized how little he cared for anyone but himself. I went to Lydia to ease my burden, as I do often. She offered me sherry, and more sherry, until…”

  “Please, do not say it,” Nathaniel said, closing his eyes. “I do not need to know.”

  “But you do!” Harmony insisted. “For it was Lydia who lay beneath my covers in my bed.”

  Nathaniel stared at her and for a moment said nothing. Then he frowned. “You mean to say that the figure I saw in your bed was not you?”

  She giggled. “No. She took my place so our home – and our marriage – could be saved.”

  The room fell quiet as the flames on the candles danced. Harmony reached into her overcoat and produced the folded paper. “When she realized that Isaac would never follow through with his promise to give me the document, she remained here in order to earn his trust and gain access to his room. Then she stole this,” she held up the paper, “and brought it to me, leaving him waiting for her.”