Chapter 66
Graham knocked on the bright blue door and waited, Cam beside him.
He knew he had to accept it, as his father had, there was no choice.
He only wished Cam didn’t have to be part of it, but of course there was no way to keep Cam away and safe, short of tying her down.
As for his father, Graham hadn’t told him what they planned.
Did his father guess he would face down Uncle Tally himself?
Graham hoped he didn’t. They’d left him in his study, staring out onto the east garden, and knew he was trying to figure out what to do.
As they’d left the study, Graham looked back at this man who was his father, this man who’d accepted him without hesitation, who’d welcomed him, loved him immediately with his whole heart.
It didn’t matter Graham had no memory of this man, he would do anything to protect him as much as he could.
Which wasn’t much at all, really, but Graham knew he had to deal with this himself.
As they waited, Graham felt the burn of renewed fury because Cam could so easily have been killed, and all because of this man who was supposedly his loving uncle.
Like his father, Graham had not a single memory of this man, no memories of his growing-up years with him.
Was his father right? Was Uncle Tally mad?
Or was it all a lie? For years this man had lied, believed his nephews were dead and he was indeed his father’s heir?
Biding his time, waiting, content that all would come to him? What was one more murder, namely Cam?
He knocked again. He felt Cam stiffen beside him at the sound of light bootfalls, a man’s whistle. The door opened.
“Graham, Cam—oh my dear, are you well enough to walk all the way from the house here?” He paused, cocked his head to the side. “You both look very serious. Is something wrong?”
But he knew, Graham and Cam saw it in his eyes. He knew. Tally stepped back, said in a calm voice, “Do come in. I’ll bring you some tea, just made and not too strong.” He turned away.
Graham called after him. “Uncle Tally, we do not want tea. Come with us to the parlor.”
Tally looked at them, slowly nodded. “I must turn off the kettle. Go into the parlor, I will join you in but a moment.” And he walked away.
Cam said low, “What if he runs away?”
“No, he won’t run. There’s no place to run to. He cannot know we haven’t told people we were coming here. No, Uncle Tally knows it’s over. Come, let’s sit down.” He hugged her close, said gently against her temple where the beam had struck, “This must be done.”
When Tally joined them a moment later, he said in a deep, calm voice, “I was waiting for someone to come but I believed it would be my brother, not you two.” He sat opposite them.
“Yes, my dear brother—he was more like another father to me growing up. He was always fussing over me, so careful he was—” Tally shrugged.
“I believed he loved me but you see, he stood in my way, always. After our father died, I knew I should be Earl St. Lucy, not he. I thought about killing him but knew it would be too dangerous. And so I left to fight Napoleon. Years I was gone but finally I came home. At last your mother, Madeline, birthed you and Simon—little interlopers, that’s how I always saw the two of you.
Of course I pretended to love you, pretended to enjoy playing with you, teaching you, but I knew I had to, else what would my brother think?
I knew I could do it and I did. I waited until I knew the time was right.
The two of you disappeared.” Tally paused, smiled.
“Gone, just like that,” and he snapped his fingers.
Graham looked at him emotionlessly for he felt no betrayal since this man was a stranger. “But you failed, you didn’t manage to kill me. I am here and healthy and your reign of terror is over.”
Tally tapped his fingertips together. “Yes, I failed with you. For the longest time I believed you drowned, that you’d probably floated dead and fish-eaten up to the shore of the Thames in London because I’d struck you down and simply tossed you overboard.
There are always dead bodies floating in the Thames, what was one more?
“I had no idea you’d survived until you returned here and I heard the story.
Imagine Ryder Sherbrooke saving your life and then he whisked you away to that orphanage of his and raised you.
I knew of Sherbrooke, of course, he’s a fool.
Can you imagine taking in the worthless dregs from the gutters then foisting them on the world? ”
Graham’s hands fisted. He wanted to smash this man, but he held himself still. He had to hear it, hear it all.
“I will admit I was flummoxed. Why hadn’t Sherbrooke brought you immediately back to King’s Head?
I was ready to leave England because you would accuse me before I could kill you.
I will admit it, I was afraid. And then I learned you had no memory at all, you were nothing more than a blank slate, one of those worthless brats Sherbrooke took home.
“At first I believed it an amazing stroke of luck for me, but then I realized it was more, I realized my plans were blessed. But I also realized once surrounded by all you knew as a boy, you would remember and you’d know, so I had to act fast.” He searched Graham’s face. “I had to, now didn’t I?”
Cam said, her voice vicious as the winds in January, “Yes, you acted fast but yet again, you failed, both in Ventnor and breaking that overhead beam hoping it would fall on Graham and kill him. Listen to me, you insane monster, you will never be Earl St. Lucy.
“You call Mr. Sherbrooke a fool. Well, you’re a failure, so inept even given three times, you couldn’t kill Graham.
I would kill you myself if I could. But I will smile knowing you’ll hang and your evil will die with you.
” She paused. “It is a pity but I doubt my father-in-law will agree. Unlike you, Vereker is good. Despite everything you’ve done, I know he could not bear to end your life.
He will probably give you money and send you off to the Continent.
Me? I would gladly see you exterminated, one less evil, twisted creature to prey on innocents. ”
Tally laughed. “Graham, I must say you married a hard young lady. Evil, am I? Twisted? Tell me, does she want your title or does she love you?”
“Of course I love him, you idiot.” She stared at him. What was in his mind? What was he planning? She said easily, “What other reason could there be, you worthless excuse for a human being?”
“You mock me. Such a mouth on a young lady. You are silent, Graham.”
Graham said, his voice remote, “My wife has been quite thorough in her assessment of you and what you are. What I do not understand, however, is if you wanted my father’s title so desperately, why haven’t you killed him?
It’s been years since you tried to kill me and Simon and I assume our tutor as well. ”
“Ah, he has come close several times, but it appears he’s as lucky as you were.
For how much longer? We’ll see. There’ll be mourning of course.
As for you and your little bitch, your luck is at an end.
” Tally slipped his hand in his pocket and brought out a pistol, pointed it at Cam’s head.
“No, Graham, you will not move or I’ll shoot her dead.
If you but remembered, you’d know I never miss.
The benefits of being trained as a soldier.
” He studied them a moment. “I knew time was fast running out, but now actually facing the two of you I can’t decide which of you to shoot first. What do you think, Graham? Would you like to die first?”
“You are insane,” Graham said, his eyes never leaving Tally’s. “You will never be Earl St. Lucy. If you kill us or don’t kill us, you will still have to flee. It’s over, Tally. Rather than killing us I suggest you escape instead.”
The gun quivered but a moment, then steadied. “I plan to bury you two deep, very deep. You will never be found. Will I run? We’ll see. It will hardly matter to you.”