Chapter 25
“ A nything?”
“Nothing,” Aaron Marner, Duke of Harper sighed, frustrated. “It is still the same story. We need clear-cut evidence to present to them to exonerate Prudence. Without it, they will not even entertain any requests for her freedom.”
The days had bled into one another, each marked by the same gnawing anxiety that clung to William like a shroud. After her arrest, Marina had arrived at the Pemberly estate with her husband Aaron, and together they had thrown themselves into the task of securing Prudence’s release. They had pored over the absurd accusations, seeking any legal loophole, any witness who might have seen something amiss on the night of Anthony’s death. The investigator was also of no help, unable to find solid evidence after so long.
But Clementina’s carefully constructed web of lies, however flimsy, held a disturbing weight in the eyes of the law. Frustration mounted with each passing hour, a bitter taste in William’s mouth that mirrored the fear clenching his heart.
He found himself endlessly replaying his interactions with Prudence, each remembered word and unspoken glance now imbued with a painful significance. Regret gnawed at him, sharp and relentless. He should have been more open, more honest about the feelings that had been steadily growing within him.
The fear of vulnerability, the ingrained reluctance to risk his heart again, had held him captive, and now, the very real possibility of losing Prudence forever was a far more agonizing torment than any potential future hurt.
“We must find something,” William sighed, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly. “It has been two days already. I do not want to imagine what she has had to endure in that time and I would rather we did not leave anything to chance.”
He lowered his hand to his daughter’s hair, stroking it gently, relieved that she had finally fallen asleep on his lap. Melanie remained a constant, heartbreaking presence. She clung to William, her small hand never far from his, her usual bright spirit dimmed by a profound sadness. The absence of Prudence had left a gaping hole in her life. Her quiet grief was a constant, visceral reminder to William of the woman they both desperately missed.
Then, on the third day after Prudence’s unjust imprisonment, and the very day of her planned departure, a carriage arrived at Pemberly at breakneck speed. Johanna descended with a flurry of agitated energy, her face etched with worry and a determined glint in her eyes. News of her daughter’s arrest had clearly reached her with haste.
“Mother?” Marina’s jaw dropped in surprise at the sight of Lady Jaxon.
“In the flesh. I cannot believe this has happened. My poor darling Prudence. She must be frightened out of her mind. Do not worry, everyone, we will put an end to this foolishness right away.”
They all exchanged uncertain glances. And it was Aaron who finally summoned the courage to enquire, “Why do you think so?”
Johanna declared her voice surprisingly firm, “Because I know who killed Anthony.”
Marina stared at her mother, her mouth agape. “Mother, surely you cannot be suggesting… that you had anything to do with his passing?”
The question hung in the air, thick with disbelief and a hint of underlying familial tension.
Johanna waved a dismissive hand, her expression one of exasperated impatience. “Do not be ridiculous, Marina. I did not travel all the way from Scotland for that. But I did notice some… odd things around the time of the wedding. Things that seemed insignificant then, but now… now they paint a very different picture…” She lowered her voice, a conspiratorial tone creeping in. “I had my suspicions, strong ones.”
“Then why did you not say anything before, Mother?” Marina pressed, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Johanna sighed, a flicker of something akin to embarrassment crossing her features. “Well, at the time… I was not completely sure of my suspicions. But with the new duke’s arrival, I had thought it would be best for everyone to begin anew and I hired an investigator to confirm my suspicions. He was able to find a witness to Anthony’s trysts with Henrietta – someone who had worked here and had seen them together when they had thought no one would. And… well, if I am being perfectly honest, I also harbored a secret hope that the new duke would be… agreeable. And easy on the eyes – especially easy on the eyes. Which he is. Quite handsome, if I do say so myself. I had prayed that Prudence might yet find another chance at a life here.”
William felt a flush creep up his neck at her bluntness.
“But then,” Johanna continued, her gaze hardening, “When I heard about this… this preposterous arrest it all clicked into place.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “It was Henrietta. Clementina’s companion. She was Anthony’s mistress and she killed him.”
A collective gasp filled the room.
“Someone saw them arguing, quite fiercely, during the wedding celebrations,” Johanna explained, her eyes narrowed. “They told me about it afterward, a bit of gossip they thought nothing of. I dismissed it at the time, it seemed so unimportant amidst all the festivities. Your sister had seemed so content. I wished she was happy but if content was all she had then and she did not mind, I was prepared to be happy enough for both of us. So, I let it go and deemed it as insignificant. But now…”
William’s heartbeat echoed in his ears as apprehension filled his mind.
If… if this was true, it would explain quite some things. Especially the reason for Anthony’s death. They had always wondered why and proof of the motive could be exactly what they needed to free Prudence.
“We must have her chambers searched at once,” William stated, before calling out, “Jefferson! Mrs. Fairfax!”
The both of them came running as soon as they were called and William wasted no time instructing,
“Take some maids and footmen with you and search every nook and cranny of Henrietta’s room. Every orifice, every corner of that room. Bring me anything you find suspicious. Do it now.”
Accompanied by Marina, Aaron, and a determined Lady Jaxon, the servants conducted a very thorough search of Henrietta’s small chambers. William stayed behind, knowing he would not be of any use to them, and fine with simply keeping out of their way.
Still, waiting for answers with no promise that they would come made him anxious. After what felt like an eternity, there was a shout of surprise, followed by a flurry of voices.
“What? What is it?” William called expectantly, tightening his hold on Melanie’s hand.
“I found something!” Marina’s voice spoke up excitedly. “A packet of letters, tucked away beneath a loose floorboard.”
“What do they say?” Aaron asked his wife, voicing William’s thoughts.
William heard her tearing into the envelope, followed by a silence that told him perhaps she was reading the letters. And then she gasped.
Apparently, the letters were in Anthony’s writing – Lady Jaxon had confirmed that – were filled with declarations of passionate love for Henrietta, and promises of a future together that never materialized. There was also a desperate letter from Henrietta to Anthony, seemingly from a year ago, written in a frantic scrawl, filled with accusations of betrayal and thinly veiled threats. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place with chilling clarity.
Armed with this damning evidence, William and Aaron wasted no time in presenting it to the authorities. The letters provided a clear motive for Henrietta to wish Anthony harm, and the timeline aligned with his sudden death. The flimsy case against Prudence began to crumble under the weight of this new revelation. Within hours, word arrived at Pemberly: Prudence was to be released.
The reunion was an emotional one. Prudence was pale and visibly shaken, but a flicker of relief shone in her green eyes as she embraced Marina and offered a polite, if somewhat distant, nod to William. The duke was not having that, however, immediately pulling her into his arms.
“I am sorry. I should have done more to protect you. I should have shielded you from them and I did not. I am so sorry, Prudence.”
Melanie joined the embrace, clinging to Prudence’s skirts firmly.
“Do not ever leave me again,” the child pleaded tearfully.
Prudence said nothing, but she held them back as tightly as they held her.
As soon as she was settled, William told her what they had discovered. Prudence had listed, shocked by everything she had heard.
“So… what do we do now?” she asked afterward.
“We end this. Once and for all. I will never let those people hurt anyone I care about, ever again,” William stated, resolute.
The next day, Clementina and Henrietta had been summoned back to Pemberly estate. William had sent out a letter saying that he had seen the errors of his ways and now understood that Prudence was trouble. And he felt bad about casting them out without a penny and wished to change that.
Clementina and Henrietta arrived at noon, their expressions open and expectant, and inevitably crushed by the shock of seeing Prudence in the estate, as free as a bird.
“What? What is the meaning of this? How are you here?” Clementina demanded.
“Be silent, you old crone. I have had enough of your squawking. There is only one thing I wish to hear and that is an apology to Prudence and to my daughter, for your vile accusations and treatment toward them,” William stated coldly.
“Y-Your Grace, I do not understand. I really–”
William wasted no time. He presented the letters, his voice steady as he laid bare Henrietta’s secret affair with Anthony and the evidence of her vengeful anger. Faced with the undeniable proof, Henrietta’s carefully constructed composure finally shattered.
“It was supposed to be me!” she wailed. “He had promised. Every night as we lay together, he worried about me and fussed over me. He told me that he wanted to marry me! That he did not need for anyone else but me! Then he came home one afternoon and said he had been engaged. I begged him not to leave me. I reminded him of all the promises he had made, but he told me that there was nothing he could do. I gave him one last chance at the wedding but he ordered me to stay away from him and his new wife. That was when I told him that I could not have him, no one would. He did not believe me and I showed him just how serious I was!” Henrietta wailed.
Tears streamed down her face as she confessed to poisoning the late duke, her voice choked with sobs and a bitter resentment that had festered for a while.
There was a sharp sound and Henrietta clutched her cheek in shock as Clementina slapped her.
“How dare you? You greedy wench–”
“Oh, come off it, you cruel hag! You knew I was responsible! You took what was left of the poison in the vial from my belongings and planted it amongst the duchess’ things!” Henrietta cried, pointing a trembling finger at Clementina, and glancing at the others in the room. “She knew all along! She was bitter because Anthony did not care for her as much when he was with me or when he prepared to marry the duchess! And she… she fabricated the evidence against the duchess! The journal, the vial… it was all her doing!”
Clementine’s face contorted with a fury that mirrored Henrietta’s. “You lying creature!” she shrieked, raising her hand to slap Henrietta again, shocked when the younger woman caught her arm before it could land. “How dare you accuse me!”
Despite Clementina’s vehement denials, the authorities, who had been discreetly present during the confrontation, stepped forward. Both Henrietta and Clementina were arrested – Henrietta for the murder of Duke Anthony, and Clementina for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and the fabrication of evidence. They were led away, their reign of malice at Pemberly finally at an end.
In the aftermath, a fragile peace settled over the estate. Prudence, however, remained withdrawn, the ordeal having taken a clear toll. Now, more than ever it seemed, she was in dire need of space and time away from Pemberly.
“Thank you, William. For all you have done. I will never forget your kindness. And I will do all I can to repay you. But… for now, I think I will stay with my sister. Only for the time being, seeing as my country house is still undergoing repairs. I need to find my footing and regain some sense of self.”
Melanie, however, was having none of it. Seeing Prudence preparing to take her leave, her small face crumpled with distress. She tugged insistently on William’s hand, her eyes pleading. “Papa,” she said, her voice filled with a child’s unwavering hope, “You have to tell Prudence how you feel. Ask her to stay. We can be a family. A better family, with her.”
Melanie looked up at her father, her gaze earnest and encouraging, silently urging him to finally be honest with his feelings.
Spurred by Melanie’s innocent plea and the stark terror he had felt at the thought of losing Prudence forever, William finally confronted the walls he had built around his heart. He turned to Prudence, his voice filled with a vulnerability he had rarely allowed himself to show.
“Prudence,” he began, his voice a little unsteady. “I… I have been a fool. I have allowed my past hurts to dictate my actions. I was afraid to admit… how much you have come to mean to me.” He took a deep breath, her scent filling his senses, a scent he realized he could not bear to live without. “I have been selfish and guarded, and for that, I am truly sorry.”
He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing against hers. “Please, Prudence. Do not leave. Give me a chance. Give us a chance. Melanie is right. We could be a family. A real family. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to give you the life you deserve, a life filled with happiness and… and love if you will allow it.”
Prudence looked at him, her green eyes filled with a mixture of surprise, emotion, and a dawning hope. She saw the vulnerability in his expression, the genuine remorse in his voice. And in that moment, the last vestiges of her resolve to leave Pemberly crumbled.
“W-What are you asking of me?” she asked, small and insecure.
“Marry me, Prudence. Become my wife. And Melanie’s mother. Our family would not be complete without you.”
A soft smile touched her lips, a smile that reached her eyes and banished the shadows that had lingered there.
“Oh, William,” she whispered, her hand closing around his. “I thought… I thought you would never…”
He did not let her finish. He pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace, relief, and joy flooding through him. Their lips met in a tender kiss, a promise of a future filled with love, forgiveness, and the quiet happiness they had both unknowingly been searching for.
Melanie, watching them with a radiant smile, threw her arms around both of them, her small voice filled with pure joy. “We are a family!”