Caroline brought her hands up and grabbed Miss Mullens’s wrists, but to no avail. “He was not your husband!” she managed to say as she continued to struggle to move the body that was on top of her. Although she knew the fight was futile—this woman had won in the end—Caroline prayed that Oliver would find help soon, but she did not have much faith it would happen. They were too far away from anyone else, and she had little fight left in her.
Tiny pinpoints of light twinkled in her vision, and images of Oliver being raised by someone else came to her. Would he remember her once he was grown? She hoped he would. Yet, who would be the one to raise him? Did anyone remain who she could trust? Would she even have a say in who that person might be?
No, she did not. She would die here in a cottage no bigger than the one in which she had been born. Besides Oliver, she would have no legacy, nothing left by which to be remembered. That thought saddened her even further.
Then again, she was not dead yet! Reaching deep down inside, she searched for that strength that Philip said would be there and she clutched at it, bringing a newfound sense of life to her. Raising her hips and twisting to the side, she threw Miss Mullens to the floor, but the woman flung a fist at her jaw.
Caroline saw stars in her vision as she landed on her backside.
“When I finish with you,” Miss Mullens said through clenched teeth and narrowed eyes, “I will take Oliver with me. I will tell everyone that I am his mother and bleed his coffers dry!”
The woman’s grin turned in to shock when a man yelled, “You most certainly will not!” Behind Miss Mullens stood a figure, his features darkened by the light coming through the doorway behind him. The man lifted an iron bar and slammed it across the head of the woman who had once been Reginald’s mistress. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell to the side.
Panicked and confused, Caroline looked up at the outstretched hand. It was then she saw the face of the man who had saved her.
“Neil?” she whispered.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded and allowed him to help her stand. Her jaw ached and her sight had not fully righted itself, but at least she was still alive. She glanced down at the woman who had made her life miserable for so many years before following Neil out the door.
“Oliver!” Neil called out, and the boy peeked out from behind a nearby bush.
Caroline rushed to her son and enclosed him in a tight embrace and rained kisses down on his face until he grimaced. “Oh, Oliver!” She pushed him away and looked over him. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?”
Oliver shook his head. “No. She was nice to me and fed me whatever I wanted. She even told me stories. I told her I missed you, but she said that she and Philip were my new parents now.”
Caroline thought her heart had stopped. “Philip?” she asked. “That does not make sense.”
“It will soon,” Neil said as he let out a sigh. “I am afraid he has been behind this all along.”
With weak legs, Caroline stood, her heart beating in her chest. “No! He has helped me this entire time. It was he who led me here.”
Neil gave her a conciliatory look and then turned to Oliver. “Would you allow me to speak to your mother alone? Go wait over by that tree.”
Oliver nodded and walked over to the nearby fallen tree, immediately climbing it.
“I must say, I am thankful that you saved me,” Caroline said. Then a thought came to her and she took a step back. “You should be in France. How did you know where to find me?”
“I never made it to France,” he explained. “I was besieged by highwaymen and held for ransom. Once it was paid, I was released, only to go to Blackwood Estates and learn that you had left…with him.” He shook his head in amazement. “Although I thought it was only Mary behind this act, I began to suspect your gardener. Did you know he was caught looking through my ledgers?”
“I did,” she said in a quiet tone as guilt washed over her.
He sighed. “On my journey here, I wondered why Mary informed me of his actions. That is, if they were working together, why would she tell me such a thing? Now I know she never meant to carry on with the man. It is clear she used him just as she had everyone else.”
Caroline could not believe what she heard. Not her Philip. Not the man who had saved her, guided her, and most importantly, loved her.
Neil seemed to sense her thoughts, for he said, “He betrayed us all.”
“I do not know what to believe,” Caroline whispered.
He snorted. “You said he led you to where Oliver was being kept?”
Caroline nodded. “He did.”
“Do you not find it odd that a simple gardener knew so much about this area?”
“I never thought…” Caroline could not stop her mind from reeling. From the beginning, Philip had been there, guiding her, instructing her. He knew information that a gardener should not know. Could it be true? Was he the man who had concocted this entire plot? “I will ask him,” she said firmly.
“I suggest we leave for home immediately. You cannot trust that man.”
“No,” she said. “I must learn the truth.”
She called Oliver over and embraced him once again. Her worst nightmare was over, for her son had returned to her arms. However, a new nightmare loomed before her, and it would be as horrible as the one she had just left behind.
Chapter Twenty
Returning to see Philip had been a difficult decision. She refused to let Oliver out of her sight, so he rode in the saddle in front of her where she could keep a precious hold on him. He was her responsibility, and nothing would keep the boy from her ever again. That promise she made with firmness as they made their journey through Chudleigh and off toward the inn where she had left Philip.
She felt nothing but bewilderment at what she had learned from Neil. Her heart was torn; who did she believe? Philip suspected Neil, and Neil accused Philip. Both could not be right, but who was the man telling her the truth? She had to weigh what she knew to make a decision.
Her first thoughts were of Philip. The man had been there when she needed him, when she was forced to work without food or water, when Neil had tried to take advantage of her. He had been the one at her side when she went to St. Thomas to retrieve the second note. And it was he who had rescued her from that vile man Pete, even receiving a horrible wound for his troubles. She did not wish to think about what Philip had done to that villain.
On the other hand, Neil had not been kind to her when Reginald was alive. Had he not explained his reasons? He had also asked forgiveness for his past actions, something she had never seen the man do. Furthermore, Neil had been taken himself. How could he have been involved with Oliver’s kidnapping if he was being held for ransom? And was it not Neil who had saved her when Miss Mullens had attacked her? Why would a man who was in league with the woman have done what he had done?
Her thoughts returned to Philip. He held so many secrets, and every time she pressed him about his past, he made promises that the day he could reveal all to him was closer. Had those promises been only a means in which to lead her astray so he could take her money and then leave with Miss Mullens? The last was the most uncomfortable, for that would have meant that he had taken up with the woman long before he had convinced Reginald to employ him.
By the time she reached the inn, her head was aching. So much stacked up against Philip. Was going to see him the best idea? However, she had to see him one last time, to see if she could get the truth from him, or she would wonder for the remainder of her life.
She left Oliver in the common room of the inn, a bowl of stew in front of him.
“You see he is still here when I return,” she told the innkeeper with a stern glare.
The man wrung his apron. “He’ll be in my personal care, Madam.”
Satisfied the man would do his duty, she went upstairs and took a deep breath before opening the door to the room. A fresh bowl of water lay on the nightstand as well a
s a fresh washcloth. Mrs. Blither must have come by to check on him while Caroline was away, for the bed appeared to have fresh sheets. Caroline could not help but feel guilty; what had that woman thought when she arrived to find Caroline gone and her supposed husband left alone in his condition?
Well, what the healer thought should not matter to Caroline. The woman had no idea what she had been through in the past twenty-four hours, so who was she to judge?
Caroline laughed. She was defending herself when no one was about to cast judgment on her. Such thoughts were a waste of precious time, for Oliver had to be the most important person in her life at the moment.
She sat upon the edge of the bed and dipped the cloth in the water. The fever still raged in Philip, and Caroline wondered if she should simply stay and care for him. However, if he was the culprit behind Oliver’s kidnapping, did she truly wish to be in his presence?
As she placed the cool rag on his forehead, he groaned but did not awaken. “I found Oliver,” she whispered as she dabbed at his face. “He is safe.”
Philip did not respond in any way, so she continued to talk, hoping he would hear and let her know the truth.
“It was Miss Mullens.”
With a moan, Philip moved his head but then went silent again.
“Neil saved us,” she continued, hoping the news would incite more of a reaction. “He believes you were working with her all along.” She rinsed the cloth, wrung out the excess water, and returned to bathing his face. “I saw you kiss her. Was I a fool to believe you, that it was for her silence as you said?”
Still no response.
“I do not wish to believe that you were involved, but I must admit that my confusion makes it difficult to believe otherwise. I love you, but I need to know why you have hidden so much from me.”
A small moan escaped his lips, and she hoped he was waking. However, no words followed, and his eyes remained closed.
She gave a heavy sigh as she took his hand and kissed it. “I must return home with my son,” she whispered, her heart heavy. “We will be traveling with Neil, for it is unsafe to stay a moment longer. I pray that when you are well, you will come to me and tell me everything.” Leaning over, she placed a kiss on his lips. “I refuse to believe you would harm me or Oliver, but it is hard to look past that which I have seen with my own eyes. Goodbye, Philip.”
“Betrayed you…”
Caroline’s heart jumped into her throat, and she stood as still as a statue waiting for him to say more. However, he did not.
“Who?” she asked, prompting him to continue; however, he lay silent, the only sign that he still lived the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest under the blanket. She hated to leave him here, alone and in his condition, but if he was the one behind Oliver’s kidnapping, she had to get as far from him as she could. The safest place for the two of them would be Blackwood Estates, at least according to Neil, and she could not agree with him more. There she had others who would protect her.
She stood and took one last look around the room. How strange that this had been the first place they had been as husband and wife, even though it was as a means to hide their identity. Her hopes had been that they would marry, but it was clear that was not meant to be. Glancing at the pile of clothing that was now folded on a chair, she noticed a letter that had fallen to the floor. Curious, she went over and retrieved it, noticing that the seal had not been broken.
Tears filled her eyes. She recognized that seal, for it was hers. It was the letter she had asked him to deliver to the Duke of Ravens.
Truly she was a fool for falling for his words. He had told her the Duke had found her letter convincing but he could not help. Yet, the truth was it had never been delivered, a lie among many he had told her. Everything fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle, and the image on it was clear.
“Goodbye, Philip,” she whispered, her heart breaking as she wondered how a man so kind could be in all reality so cruel underneath. “I wish to never see you again.”
With that, she left the room, and the man she loved, forever.
***
Caroline had been in the carriage for several hours before she and Neil spoke of what had taken place. Oliver needed time to recover from the trauma he had endured, and speaking of it so soon would only intensify what had happened. Now, however, the boy lay asleep, his head resting on her lap.
Her son had been returned safely, and for that she was happy. However, the betrayal she had undergone with Philip had stung deep, and she knew it would take time for her to recover. Perhaps as long as it would take Oliver to recuperate.
“I had thought by allowing Mary into my home,” Neil said with anger in his voice, “she could receive instruction and become a better person. What she did was not only unforgivable, but the shame I shall bear knowing it was happening around me makes me ill.”
Caroline glanced over at his wrinkled face. “You were not aware of how far she would take her deception, Neil. Like you, I tried to do the right thing,” she glanced down at her sleeping son, “and that decision was used against me.”
He sighed. “You are right. Although, I will not forgive myself. To think they wanted to take Oliver as their own and raise him! The madness in the world is frightening.” He shook his head and then gave her a smile. “But at least you are now safe, and that is all I wanted.”
Caroline returned his smile. “Thank you once again for saving us from harm. I am in your debt, and I am sorry to have doubted you.”
“Nonsense,” he said with a snort. “My actions from before forced you to be cautious, and that was wise. You have a good heart, and I am sorry it was betrayed.”
She gave him a nod. “Thank you.”
He chuckled, but it lacked mirth. “We have both been betrayed. Now we have a bond I never would have thought we would share. I believe in the future we should take advice from one another. Would you not agree?”
“I believe that would be wise,” she replied. Then she turned to look out the window. It would be dark soon, and they still had some distance to travel. Without warning, her thoughts turned to Philip, and she winced. Had his fever broken? Would someone be at his side when he woke? Or if he died? She shook her head. He had betrayed her; he deserved whatever was coming to him.
But death? Did he deserve to die?
She looked down at Oliver’s sweet face and knew the answer immediately. If he was the guilty party, then yes, he deserved more than death.
Just having such a thought made Caroline sit back in her seat. Never had she wished death on someone. Even through years of abuse she never wished death on Reginald. However, Philip had betrayed her with her son, and that was not something she would accept. She had to harden her heart to him, for if she did not, he would return and break it again.
“When we return to Blackwood Estates,” Neil was saying, “I shall send word to the magistrates to collect Philip. He will pay for what he did.”
“I understand,” Caroline said. Yet, it still tore at her heart. Did a chance still remain that he was innocent? Perhaps there had been some sort of misunderstanding. If not for the undelivered letter, she could believe so, but that letter spoke volumes.
“Know that I will never allow harm to come to you and Oliver again,” Neil said as he placed a hand on her knee. “My life will be dedicated to protecting you both and making certain that one day Oliver becomes the Duke he is meant to be. And I promise you, no one will stand in my way.”
Smiling, she gave his hand a squeeze, and then he moved back into his seat.
“There is an inn not far from where we are. I suggest we stop for the night so you can get some sleep. It is unsafe to travel after dark.”
She looked out at the setting sun and sighed. What she wanted was to be home where Oliver could be put to bed as he had before he had been taken. She wished for everything to return to normal in her life. However, what Neil said made sense; it was unfair of her to ask the driver to take them straight home and expect him to navi
gate the roads in the dark. Not to mention that the chances of highwaymen attacking a lone carriage in the night would be high.
“Very well,” she agreed, “but I hope to leave first thing in the morning. Do you believe that can happen?”
He gave her a warm smile. “Of course,” he replied. “For you, anything.”
Chapter Twenty-One
It was a relief when the carriage turned into the drive the following day. Caroline had never been so happy to see Blackwood Estates in her life.
“Mother!” Oliver cried, “Our home!” He could barely contain his excitement, yet nor could she.
“Yes, my dear boy,” she said with a laugh. “We are home at last.” Home, where they could begin again, forget about the past and move on into the future she wanted. All her troubles were now gone, and only happiness would remain.
The carriage came to a stop, and Quinton opened the door with a bow to greet them. “Welcome home, Your Grace,” he said.
“Thank you so much,” Caroline told the butler as he helped her alight from the carriage. Once out, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exalting in the familiar smells of Blackwood Estate. “We are home,” she whispered.
“That we are.”
She had not heard Neil walk up behind her, and she turned to face him.
“I imagine you will be wanting to go to your room to rest.”
Caroline nodded. “Yes. I must admit that, with all that has happened, I am fatigued.” She turned to Quinton. “Would you see…”
A rider came down the drive, and Caroline could not stop the fear that gripped her. Would this be another man coming to kidnap her?
“Neil?” she asked in a choked voice when she saw the troubled look on his face.
“Oliver, go inside,” Neil said without taking his eyes off the man on the horse.
Quinton took Oliver by the hand and led him inside, the boy glancing over his shoulder and giving his mother a fearful look.
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