Chapter 18
Helena put her hand on the small of Cynthia’s back, pushing her into the dingy room that served as parlour, dining room, and bedroom for at least two of George Lippert’s many children.
No wonder Sinclair thought of him when he was listing men who might have murdered Hubert Burrows.
Cynthia’s husband was becoming more monstrous by the moment.
Whether he forced his attentions on the girl or used her innocence as a weapon of uninvited seduction, there was no doubt Hubert had abused Lily most grievously.
Then terminated her employment and sent her scuttling back to Cheapside with nothing.
Helena would be more surprised if Lippert hadn’t tried to kill Hubert.
‘You must be George Lippert. We’re here on a very important matter regarding Lily.’ Nothing about their mission had changed. They still needed to determine if George had killed Hubert.
Helena shifted to the left, keeping her gaze on the man as his daughter watched Cynthia.
‘I’m so sorry, Lady Burrows. I didn’t know how to tell ye.’
‘You owe this bitch nothing!’ Lippert spat the words at Cynthia.
Helena felt her power swell. She dropped her hand from Cynthia’s waist but kept it behind her back as she pulled water from the air to form a sphere in her palm.
With one thought, that sphere could turn into a spear of water that would cleave Lippert in two.
She might sympathise with him for the fate of his child, but she wouldn’t let him hurt Cynthia.
She knew her eyes would be changing from grey to silver. Even in the dimness of the poorly lit room, they would see the power glowing in her gaze. But she cared not. She would kill George Lippert before she let him put a hand on her woman.
Helena blinked.
Do no harm. I made an oath. And she isn’t my woman.
But that didn’t stop her from stepping forward. ‘You will remember you are speaking to a marchioness, or I will be forced to remind you of your manners.’ Steel infused her voice.
Lippert flicked his gaze to Helena and froze. No doubt he saw the power pulsing through her.
Good. Be afraid.
‘Father, sit down.’ Lily frowned at Lippert, her small frame hardening as she gripped his arm. ‘Lady Burrows has been nothing but kind to me since I got my post. What happened was none of her doing.’
‘It was ’er husband what put that babe in yer belly. She stood by and let ’im abuse you like a common whore.’
Cynthia’s face had grown deathly pale. Helena took another step closer, intent on throwing a water spear right through George Lippert’s heart. Before she could punish the man for his cruel words, Cynthia reached out and gripped her arm, pulling her back.
‘Don’t.’ She exhaled a shaky breath. ‘He’s right.’ The anguish in her eyes as her shoulders slumped forward almost destroyed Helena.
‘You didn’t do this,’ she hissed, willing Cynthia to listen to reason.
‘Nor did I stop it.’ A bitter laugh shook Cynthia’s chest. ‘Or even see what was right under my nose the whole ten bloody years I was married to such an evil creature.’ She dropped Helena’s arm and walked over to Lily, gripping both of her hands.
‘Please forgive me. I should have known. I should have stopped him.’
‘’e should ’ave stopped ’imself.’ Lily’s lips trembled, but her voice was strong.
Helena wanted to hug the girl for such an honest defence of Cynthia. And she didn’t hug.
‘You can’t shoulder the blame of yer ’usband’s choices. They were ’is to make, and ’is to pay for. I made choices too. Not that I weren’t scared if I didn’t, I’d lose me job.’ Her dry laugh held no joy. ‘Fool that I am. I lost it anyway.’
Cynthia shook her head. ‘You are no fool. Hubert is a bastard and a scoundrel. He hurt you most grievously.’
Lily’s chin wobbled, her eyes filled, but she pressed her lips into a tight line. Not one tear drop fell. ‘Aye. ’e did that. But I’m not the first, nor will I be the last girl from Cheapside ’oo finds ’erself in a bind because of men like Lord Burrows.’
‘’e’s no man, and ’e doesn’t deserve a single one of yer tears,’ her father growled.
Helena understood his rage. If Hubert had still lived, it wouldn’t have been for long.
‘I promise you’ll be provided for after what you’ve suffered.’ Cynthia’s delicate shoulders were hard angles, her voice redolent with power and promise. ‘My bastard of a husband owes you an unpayable debt, far more than I can give. But money I can provide.’
‘We don’t want yer charity, Mrs ’igh-and-Mighty.
You lot ’ave done enough.’ Lippert’s long strides ate the space between himself and Cynthia too quickly for Helena to react.
He grabbed Cynthia’s hands and wrenched them from his daughter’s.
‘Leave me girl alone.’ He leaned closer, his finger jabbing into her chest with blunt force.
‘She’ll carry the stain of your ’usband’s actions for the rest of ’er life. No amount of money can fix that.’
Cynthia stepped back, rubbing where his finger had poked.
‘Touch her again, and you won’t live long enough to see that baby born.
’ The need to protect Cynthia nearly swept Helena away.
She was a light witch. She never used her magic for violence.
She had taken an oath with her coven to do no harm.
But it would only take a flick of her wrists to destroy this man.
Water brought life, but it could also herald death.
Lippert’s death if he dared touch Cynthia again.
Dear goddess, I’m becoming just like her.
It was the second time in as many hours she felt her mother’s sickness in her blood. It would be so easy to twist her magic into something cruel and lethal. To focus on destroying Lippert instead of trying to solve Hubert’s murder and free Cynthia from this hideous mess.
She was becoming far too infatuated with the woman. It was unforgiveable.
Clenching her fist and reining in her power, she refused to let her emotions hold sway when they were as volatile as a violent sea.
Lippert swung his head to Helena. Whatever he saw in her face caused his cheeks to pale from ruddy red to ghostly white.
She’s the very Devil!
Fear amplified his thoughts, making them easy to hear.
‘Is that why you did it? Is that why you killed Hubert? Because of what he did to Lily?’ Cynthia didn’t flinch. She didn’t pull away. She faced him, brave as any soldier readying to battle a man thrice her size. And just as stubbornly stupid.
Lippert turned back to Cynthia.
What can she possibly know?
Lily gasped, pressing her fingers against her lips as her eyes filled with tears. ‘Father, you didn’t. Please tell me that you didn’t kill ’im. ’is life isn’t worth yours.’
Helena would bet her favourite moon-charged crystals that George Lippert, like any good father, wanted to protect his little girl and make her happy. Hubert’s death had done both.
She tipped her head down to focus her magic on him.
His thoughts of love for Lily dissolved into vicious rage as he looked at Cynthia.
He hated her. Hated Hubert even more. But as Helena sank deeper into his mind, it was hatred for himself that eclipsed all else.
Not because he had taken a man’s life. But because he hadn’t.
Damnation!
George Lippert despised himself for being too late to kill Hubert Burrows.
An image flashed, pulled from Lippert’s thoughts. Hubert, dead on the floor of his study, blood pooled around him like a dark-red halo as Lippert cursed God for denying him the chance to claim his justified vengeance.
‘You were there when Hubert died.’
Lippert’s face flushed red as he let go of his daughter’s hands and turned to her. His large body vibrated with barely leashed rage.
‘You don’t know anyfink,’ he bellowed, taking huge strides towards her.
‘Father!’ Lily lunged for his arm, but he shook his daughter off like a rabid dog and kept moving until he was almost toe to toe with Helena.
He was too blinded by red to see her eyes turn silver.
But not so enraged he would do her any real harm.
Even as he advanced, she heard his mind screaming at him not to frighten Lily.
Scare off Helena and Cynthia, yes. But Lippert didn’t want to hurt these women.
He just wanted to keep his daughter safe.
Refusing to be intimidated by a man she was beginning to realise was more bark than bite, Helena forced calm into her voice.
‘I know you saw him there. Dead on the floor. Lying in a pool of his own blood. I don’t think you killed him, George.
But I’m guessing you have a good idea who might have done the deed.
Help us find Hubert’s killer, and we will leave here and never return. ’
Cynthia stiffened.
Lippert froze and blinked several times. A name surfaced in his mind. As clear as a shiny penny glinting at the bottom of a wishing well. But it was impossible.
‘I ’aven’t a clue.’
‘You’re lying.’ Helena’s words carried the bite of conviction.
Lippert flinched.
‘At least tell us how you got into his office. Superintendent MacDougal’s men questioned all of the staff. No one recalls Hubert meeting with anyone that morning.’ Cynthia refused to back down. It was both admirable and terrifying.
A small, smug smile curled his lips. ‘You so sure ’e didn’t meet with someone in the dead o’ the night?
Answered the door ’imself, I’ll bet. Didn’t want anyone in ’is fine ’ousehold knowing the company ’e kept when the ’onest folks were all sleeping.
Not that you would notice. Can’t rightly remember ’im ever talking about his lady wife.
Too busy chasing after the innocent girls you put before ’im.
Like a lion tamer feeding ’er beast, you were.
Kept ’is attentions busy on ’elpless chits like my Lily while you swanned off to yer next damned ball or salon. ’
Cynthia’s face paled. ‘That isn’t—’