Chapter Twenty-Seven #3
Annie laughed and decided that before this incredible day was through, she would tell him the truth about Leopold and what had taken place at Freya’s Farewell.
There would be no more secrets, no more deceit.
For now, however, there was something else she needed to say.
“It nearly killed me writing that letter, Julian,” she said, gazing into his eyes.
“I swear it was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Please forgive me.”
“Nothing to forgive, my love.” He regarded the bouquet as if he’d just remembered it was there. “We need a vase for these. I don’t suppose you happen to have some tea in the house as well, do you? I’m parched.”
*
In truth, Julian couldn’t have given a damn about a vase for the flowers, or a cup of tea.
What bothered him to the depths of his soul was the pallor of Annie’s face, the uncertainty in her beautiful eyes, and the dark shadows lingering beneath them.
She’d lost weight, and her hand, clasped in his, had felt like ice.
She had suffered and it showed. Thankfully, she looked a little better now, seated beside him at the messy dining table, her cheeks faintly pink, hands cradling a cup of tea.
His proposal of marriage had chased the uncertainty from her eyes, though the shadows beneath still lingered.
He hadn’t intended to propose on the street.
He’d envisaged somewhere a little more romantic.
Beneath the spreading branches of a handsome oak, perhaps, or beside a sparkling fountain in a park.
But the way Annie had looked at him, hopeful and fearful at the same time, had clawed at his heart.
Asking her to marry him, at that precise moment, was almost instinctive.
She needed to be assured of his commitment, of where his heart lay.
What could be better than a promise of forever?
But he hadn’t quite finished yet. The promise needed to be sealed, and he wasn’t about to do that on the street.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, green leather box he’d tucked in there that morning.
“Annie, my love, I hope this is to your liking. If not, please say so.” He opened the box, removed a ring from its velvet cushion, and reached for her left hand. “May I?’
“Yes, of course!” Annie’s eyes widened as he slid the ring, with its cluster of diamonds, onto her finger. “Oh, Julian, it’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “It belonged to my maternal great-grandmother. Her name was Margaret, and that center diamond was originally in a brooch owned by Queen Elizabeth. At least, that’s the story that’s been passed down, though no one seems to know exactly how the stone came to be in our possession. Does it fit?”
Annie held up her hand, a look of wonder on her face. “It fits perfectly. I hardly know what to say. I can’t believe all this is happening. You here, like this. It’s more than I hoped for. More than I prayed for.”
“Your happiness is all I want, Annie.” Julian took her hand again, gratified by its warmth. “Now, as I mentioned earlier, there are things that need to be discussed. Will you hear me?”
She regarded him for a moment and then looked away, but not before Julian saw something else reflecting in her eyes. Fear? No, surely not.
“May I begin, please, Julian?” She regarded him once more. “There is something I must tell you before we go any further.”
A prickle of apprehension wandered across Julian’s scalp. “Of course.”
She gave a quick smile. “Did Jan… that is, did my mother and my aunt tell you how I came to learn of my illegitimacy?”
Julian nodded. “They said you’d remembered things from your childhood and found the documents and letters while they were at church. Why? Was that not how it happened?”
There followed a short stretch of silence, then, “Sort of, but there’s a bit more to it than that.”
“Oh?” Julian raised a brow. “What didn’t they tell me?”
“It’s not what they didn’t tell you,” she replied, looking down at her teacup. “It’s what I didn’t tell them.”
A sense of unease had him shifting in his seat. “Go on.”
She released a slow breath and met his gaze once more.
“On the Saturday after you left, I set out on a walk to Freya’s Farewell.
I thought to revisit our Thursday outing.
To relive it in my mind.” Another smile came and went, followed by a touch of deeper color in her cheeks.
“It was a fine day, but terribly windy. Ruffy was with me, as usual, sniffing here and there. As we were walking along the edge of the stream, he halted suddenly, pointed his nose into the woods, and began to bark. His hackles lifted as well. I’d never seen him do that before, so it was unsettling, especially since I couldn’t see any reason for it.
There was no sign of anyone or anything in the woods.
Anyway, after a few moments, he stopped barking and his hackles went down.
I told myself he must have spotted a fox or some other creature.
In any case, he went off across the fields and I continued on my own, though I confess my uneasiness never quite left me. ”
As she’d been speaking, a seed of suspicion as to where this was going had sprouted in Julian’s brain. Something he hardly dared to contemplate. The mere thought of it chilled his blood.
“When I got to the top, I hesitated to venture onto the ledge because of the wind,” she continued.
“It was so strong and so loud, which is why I didn’t see him, why I didn’t hear him.
” Her lip quivered. “I was looking at the view, Julian. I was looking at Myddleton and thinking about you. Not for one moment did I suspect someone was there, that I wasn’t alone.
Not until someone grabbed me from behind.
A man, obvious from his size and strength.
He pushed me onto the ledge, and I thought…
I thought I was about to die.” She closed her eyes briefly and pressed her hand to her mouth as the sweet blush in her cheeks faded.
“Christ.” Julian pushed his chair back and went to lift her into his arms. “Leopold?”
Trembling, she all but fell into his embrace. “Yes, but I didn’t know that at first.” She gazed up at him. “It was only when he spoke that I realized who it was.”
Molten rage coursed through Julian’s veins. It took an effort to keep his voice steady. “Did he hurt you?”
“He frightened me. I mean, he implied he was going to push me off the ledge. I feel sick just thinking about it.” She shook her head. “I never once saw his face. I asked what he was doing there, and he said he’d been watching me for some time. Watching us. You and me and the twins.”
“How did he know where to find you?”
“I can’t be certain. Inspector Taggart said Mr. Mason’s office was broken into, but didn’t think it had anything to do with Leopold.
Yet he knew about our day at the river, my night at Myddleton, and our outing to Freya’s Farewell.
He even mentioned our kiss. Then he laughed in my ear and told me I’d been wasting my time, because once the truth came out about who I really was, you’d abandon me.
He said my entire life had been a lie, that I was not who I thought I was, and that Hattie and Janet knew the truth of it.
I asked him what he meant, but he just laughed again and said I had to ask them.
I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought he’d lost his mind.”
Julian’s arms tightened around her. “Promise me you’ll never go out alone again. At least till this cad is caught.”
“I don’t think he will be caught.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I remembered the ring that Hattie mentioned, and I looked at his hands to see if he was wearing it, but he wasn’t.
He wasn’t wearing any rings at all. So I asked him if he killed Karl Hoffman.
He denied it immediately, but said he had to leave England because the police were looking for him and he didn’t want to hang or be transported.
Then he released me, but demanded I close my eyes and count out loud to fifty without stopping or I’d regret it.
I got as far as twenty, by which time I knew he’d gone.
I stayed up there for quite a while afterwards, trying to make sense of all he’d said.
I was so confused by it all and knew I needed to gather my wits before returning to Ferndale, because I’d already decided I wasn’t going to tell Hattie or Janet about any of it. ”
Julian frowned. “Why? Surely you don’t harbor some kind of sympathy for the fellow.”