Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The crowd gasped at the sound of Richard’s fist coming into contact with Arnold’s face.
They had barely recovered when another blow landed. Then another, followed by a fourth that brought Arnold down to his knees. Her cousin raised his gaze helplessly, blood dripping from the corner of his lip down to his jaw as he put his hands together as though he wanted to beg for mercy.
“Y-Your Grace – did I upset you somehow? I do not –”
“Be quiet, you coward,” Richard growled, grabbing Arnold by the collar. “Your worst mistake was trying to harm her. I’ll make sure it is your last.”
Isobel winced as Richard continued to beat her cousin, feeling scared as she watched his tense form deliver blow after blow. But more than that, she was worried for Richard. He was always so calm and collected, ever the picture of poise in public. But here he was now, impulsive and disheveled.
Because of her.
“Richard,” Isobel called, her voice somehow cutting through the shocked, silent atmosphere, rising above Arnold's whimper for mercy. “Please… stop. He will not be able to account for what he has done if you hurt him any more than that.”
Richard paused, his fist drawn back but still in the air. He glared down at Arnold’s sniveling form, his expression one of disgust. With a deep exhale, the duke lowered his hand completely, but used the one clutching to Arnold’s collar as leverage to drag him to where Isobel was seated.
“You have much to answer for, you coward,” he spat, clearly still seething. “You had better tell us the truth, if you know what is good for you.”
Isobel wanted to hold Richard’s hand, wanted him close for her own comfort. But she had been selfish for too long, and any more would take more out of her than she could give.
So she forced her gaze ahead, settling on Arnold instead. He had bruises forming around his face, and his left eye was swelling as the cut on his lip continued to bleed. He looked pathetic, a far cry from the man who had complained bitterly about his mother’s inability to support him fully.
Isobel could not help but wonder if perhaps he had complained then because Deborah had been against his misdeeds. Ultimately, there was only one way to find out.
“Why did you do this? Why poison me and then start a fire when that failed to do the job? What great offense did I commit against you?”
Arnold glanced around before he shook his head,
“I-I do not know what you mean, cousin. Why would I – how could you think such of me? I would never –”
“Consider this your final warning,” Richard cut in darkly. “If you do not tell us the truth, I will kill you with my bare hands.”
Arnold’s mouth snapped shut, and his eyes took on a dark glint, but after a few moments, he questioned with a snark-imbued tone.
“Do you have any proof of these accusations? Everyone has just witnessed you beat me as though I were a filthy beggar when I have done nothing to deserve such treatment. Now you hurl such baseless accusations at me?”
Wordlessly, Isobel held out the handkerchief, feeling oddly satisfied as the color drained from his face. Deborah broke into a fit of sobs, and as Bridget reached for her mother in an attempt to console her, Arnold rose to his feet and approached them.
“You stupid wench! After I have done everything I could for this family! I was trying to restore our glory!”
“We did not need it! We have survived fine enough without it for years! You are simply trying to make excuses for your greed!” Bridget snapped back, much to Arnold’s clear disdain.
He raised his hand with an angry roar, and his mother screamed, but Richard intercepted the attack before it could land on Bridget, shoving Arnold backwards.
Bridget stared at her brother in disbelief, then an angry light filled her eyes. She turned to Isobel and pointed at her.
“He was not after Valerie. He was never after Valerie. It was Cecil he wanted to kill. And he failed twice.” She said.
Isobel felt her blood run cold. Next to her, Cecil went still, his arms tight around Nora’s small frame as the girl slept.
“I don’t — what do you mean?” Isobel asked in disbelief.
“You shut your mouth!” Arnold screamed at her.
Bridget continued, unfazed by her brother’s outburst.
“Arnold wanted the title that would fall to Cecil after Uncle Gregory’s passing.
At first, he had plotted to marry Valerie so he could obtain her dowry, but Uncle Gregory found her a Duke.
” She glanced at Richard momentarily. “First, it was you, Your Grace. And then eventually, the Duke of Norwich. It became obvious that he would never measure up to either of you, so he planned to kill Cecil. But… Valerie had mentioned that she would be taking her younger siblings with her once she had gotten married and was now living with her husband, and that proved to be a problem for my brother, who needed Cecil within reach so he could finish him off easily. And so, he needed to do what he could to finish him off here, within the period of this house party. He’d hoped to get away with it because the house was full of guests. ”
In some ways, Bridget’s explanation made a lot of sense, especially when Isobel recalled what Cecil had told her before he had fallen asleep.
“You slipped the poison into his water, ok the first night of the party. But Valerie had finished hers, so she took his cup and drank the whole thing. That was why she had fallen so severely ill.” Isobel realized vocally.
Bridget regarded her with a strange look, but still added.
“I’d written a letter to Valerie in hopes of warning her about my brother’s intentions, but my mother found out and confiscated it. I truly am sorry.”
All eyes shifted to Deborah, whose cries had fallen silent, and at once, she knew it was her turn to confess her misdeeds.
“Is that true?” Richard spoke up, somehow sensing she might need to be prompted to speak up.
With a sniff, Deborah nodded.
“I knew his intentions. I-I did my best to care for and provide for the family after my husband’s passing.
I thought it would be enough — if we merely went on living the best lives we could.
But Arnold was bitter that his father had lost the title that he was meant to inherit.
That was all he wanted. I couldn’t dissuade him, no matter how I tried.
So I simply tried to protect him instead.
He didn’t want my involvement, but what sort of mother would I be if I did not at least try?
You should know the importance of family, Isobel.
After all, you stepped in to protect your sister after she had been poisoned. ”
Hearing her name mentioned so boldly in public caused Isobel’s body to freeze. The guests were now murmuring and glancing at each other, no doubt wondering what Deborah was talking about.
A wave of pity washed over Isobel as she regarded her aunt.
Deborah might not have had any malicious intentions, but she had willfully enabled all of Arnold’s malicious actions.
Whatever sympathy her aunt felt she deserved was unwarranted.
A good mother would have held her child accountable for his actions because she believed she had raised him right.
Still, Isobel wanted to indulge her.
“How did you know?” she asked quietly.
Deborah dabbed at her eyes and grimly said,
“I suspected as much when I saw you walking about the day after the poisoning attempt. You seemed too healthy, and after having conversations with you for days, I surmised you were not who you claimed to be.”
The task was over, and there was no need to hide who she was anymore, so Isobel told her aunt sincerely,
“I wish we had met under different circumstances.”
Deborah smiled, her eyes slowly losing their light as she replied,
“As do I, dear.”
Richard beckoned a servant who had been by the door watching the situation unfold and ordered,
“Call the constables, right away.”
The maid scurried off, and Richard leveled a stare at Arnold, who had sunk to the floor in defeat after his crimes had been exposed.
“It would be wise of you to simply relent and wait for your arrest. And thank your stars that someone was willing to intercede on your behalf. It was more grace than you deserved and even more than you had shown.” Richard told him.
Shortly after, the constables arrived, and they took Arnold and Deborah with them. Bridget cast a look of shame around the room, then she walked off to her room.
Gregory stepped forward for the first time since the debacle began and faced his guests with an expression that bore regret and dismay. Then he cleared his throat and began to address them.
“I am grateful that you were all willing to take the time to dwell with my family and friends to celebrate Valerie’s wedding.
However, recent events have shown that perhaps some matters need to be handled before we proceed with them.
The party has come to an end, ladies and gentlemen, and the wedding will be postponed for a few days.
You will be informed of the ceremony when it is to take place.
I bid you safe travels as you return to your homes. ”
Richard watched Isobel from her chair and left the room, his body already moving to stop her so they could talk. But before he could reach her, Gregory stepped in his path and grabbed his hand in a firm handshake.
“I wanted to thank you, Your Grace, for your insurmountable assistance. You have spared my family and me great losses.”
Richard knew the loss he referred to was not his children but rather his title and property falling into the hands of someone other than his heir. Irritation bubbled within him, but Richard had already lost his patience once today. So he inhaled deeply and stated through gritted teeth.
“The one you should thank is your daughter. Do not waste your breath on me, when I barely made any contribution to the matter.”
Gregory frowned.
“My daughter? Do you mean Valerie?”