Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
James had always admired his wife for her intellect, courage, and quiet dignity.
Yet he’d never been prouder of her than now.
It was after lunch, and they were in the drawing room of Bottoms House.
Seated beside him on the settee, Evie finished telling his assembled kin about her past. Even though she hadn’t gone into detail about the abuses she’d suffered at the hands of Wilmington, she’d shared enough.
James saw the protective fury on the faces of his papa, brothers, and even his brother-in-law and knew he must look the same way.
The women were no less affected. Gigi and Mama’s eyes were bright with emotion.
On Evie’s other side, Xenia was dabbing her cheeks with the handkerchief Ethan had passed her.
Evie, herself, had lost her color, yet she pressed on, sharing about the blackmail: the notes and her payments, including the hundred gold sovereigns and the delivery of the pearls last night.
He didn’t know what it cost her to lay herself bare to his kin—to their judgment—but her willingness to do so humbled him.
He made a silent promise to be worthy of her trust in him and the future they were building together.
“I know how shocking and despicable this must all sound.” Despite Evie’s composure, the tremor in her voice betrayed her.
“I can claim no defense but fear. I have been afraid for so long—of Wilmington, of what I had done, intentionally or not, and of my secret being exposed. Most of all, I was afraid of…of losing James.”
He tightened his grip on her hand. “That will never happen, my love.”
The look she gave him—glimmering with love and hope—constricted his chest.
She turned back to the family. “I understand if you find it difficult to forgive me. In your shoes, I would feel the same. It was selfish and wrong of me to marry James”—she shook her head when he tried to interrupt—“but I do not regret it. I cannot regret loving him as I do. And I pray you will understand.”
Rising, Mama came to Evie, who shot to her feet.
“My dear girl.” Mama’s voice was husky with emotion. “You love my son, and he loves you. What is there to forgive?”
James, who had also risen, saw Evie’s eyes well up.
“After what I’ve done, I don’t deserve—”
“No.” Mama cut her off sharply. “Do not blame yourself. It was an accident, borne of fear and desperation. That monster Wilmington deserved what he got, and I only wish he would have suffered more. I understand why you felt you needed to keep this a secret, but the shame was his and never yours.”
“Thank you,” Evie whispered. “Thank you for…for standing by me. For understanding.”
“My dear, I understand all too well.”
James saw a flash in Mama’s gaze before she drew Evie in for a hug.
His wife clung to his mother, her lashes spiked with moisture.
After, Mama went over to Papa, who tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes.
Something passed between the two that James didn’t quite understand.
Then Papa kissed her, tenderly and rather thoroughly.
James exchanged awkward glances with his siblings; knowing one’s parents were in love was one thing, witnessing it quite another.
“Mama, as always, is quite right,” Papa said, his arm around her waist. “You are not to blame, Evie, and I hope you know you may rely upon the support of this family.”
The gratitude on Evie’s face wrought a pang in James’s chest.
Never again, he thought fiercely. Never again will I allow her to feel alone.
When everyone settled again, the discussion turned to dealing with the blackmailer.
James took the lead, explaining his plan to set a trap.
Evie told the group about the possible suspects, including the valet Merrow and the physician Murdoch.
Unsurprisingly, she made no mention of Harkness, and James let it go for the time being.
While he didn’t like the old battle-axe, he respected her loyalty to Evie and Evie’s judgment on the matter.
Moreover, Evie had shown him the extortion notes, and the handwriting did not resemble Harkness’s.
James passed around the glove for everyone’s inspection.
“We must show the glove to Duffy.” Gigi was referring to Mr. Duffield, the village draper, who was her good friend. “He is an expert in such matters and might be able to shed light on its origins.”
“Whilst we are there, we could ask around and see if anyone noticed a stranger in the past few days,” Xenia added. “The villagers are quite observant.”
Godwin snorted. “If by observant, you mean nosy, I could not agree more.”
“Be nice,” Gigi said under her breath.
With a roguish wink, he kissed her fingers.
“The storm last night knocked down several trees.” This came from Owen, who was folded into a wingchair and tapping his foot restlessly. “An elm blocked the main road just past Chudleigh Crest. The blackmailer might be trapped there or in Chuddums.”
“Good thinking,” Papa said. “Whilst the others see about the glove, why don’t you and I visit Chudleigh Crest?”
Owen nodded. “Capital.”
“Discretion is key,” James said with emphasis.
“We must not alert the villain to the fact that we are on his scent. He knows that his power lies in Evie’s silence.
For us to snare him, he must continue to believe that she is too afraid to speak out.
If he suspects that she has confided his scheme to anyone, he will run. ”
“Bloody coward,” Ethan muttered. “How long do you think he’ll wait before contacting Evie again?”
“A fortnight separated the first two blackmail notes. The bastard knows he cannot bleed her dry all at once. He’ll give her time to recuperate resources before striking again.”
“A covert search for the suspects would be aided by physical descriptions.” Mama turned to Evie. “I know some years have passed since you last saw Merrow and Dr. Murdoch, but could you give us your best impressions?”
“Harkness helped me to recall the details,” Evie replied.
“I shall start with Dr. Murdoch. A tall and long-limbed fellow, he would be in his early forties today. His hair was wavy and auburn. He had pale skin that showed his veins and watery green eyes. Wilmington claimed that Murdoch attended the crème de la crème in London.”
“I, for one, have never heard of him,” Mama said.
“My stepfather insisted that Murdoch replace my mama’s longtime physician. Her health deteriorated under his care.” Evie balled her hands in her lap. “His prescription of bed rest and isolation made matters worse, and she died within a year.”
Despite the afternoon sun pouring into the drawing room, shadows seemed to gather around Evie. James laid his hand over hers, interlacing their fingers, anchoring her to the present. She took a breath and gave him a squeeze back before continuing.
“As for Merrow, he would be in his early thirties, a sandy-haired man of medium height with blue eyes. He had clean-cut features that some might call handsome. Harkness remembers that he had a reputation for chasing housemaids, and they all avoided him.”
“That is helpful,” Mama murmured.
“What do we do if we find the bastards?”
Godwin’s casual inquiry landed with the subtlety of a boulder dropping into a pond.
“Not that.” Gigi wagged a finger at him. “Get the idea out of your mind.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “How do you know what I am thinking, duchess?”
“Because I know you. I know all of you”—she turned her gaze on her menfolk, who looked blandly back—“and you must not do anything that will make matters worse. The villain must be brought to the proper authorities, where he will be judged and punished for his actions.”
“Spoilsport,” her husband muttered.
James didn’t disagree. He had to force himself to relinquish the fantasy of beating Evie’s tormentor to a pulp. In the end, he would hand the bastard over to the police…but not without bloodying him first.
“Gigi is right.” Mama knitted her brows. “But what if the blackguard reveals Evie’s secret? Once he is captured, he will have nothing to lose.”
“There is no proof that Evie did anything wrong,” James said. “The physician ruled that Wilmington died of apoplexy. It is just the blackmailer’s word against Evie’s—the word of a criminal against that of a countess. She will deny the accusation, and that will be the end of it.”
“Will it? The smallest spark can give rise to a scandal.” Evie’s eyes turned bleak. “What if my past harms your future?”
“Our future,” he corrected. “Nothing between us, remember? Whatever happens, we will face it together.”
Exhaling, she smiled tremulously before turning back to the family.
“There is something else I must share,” she said. “It has to do with Thomas Mulligan and Rosalinda.”
She told them about her dreams, including the most recent one.
“Dear heavens, Rosalinda was with child?” Xenia breathed. “And she was taken…by some villain? Do you know who he was?”
Evie shook her head. “I only saw flashes of him, and they were filtered by her fear and rage. I do know he was powerful, respected, and married with children.”
“Did he drink the poisoned tea?” Gigi’s eyes were rounded.
“I don’t know. I woke up before I could find out what happened.”
Remembering her terror, James put his arm around her.
“Don’t think of it now, love,” he murmured.
“On the contrary, I think Evie should contemplate what the dreams mean.” Xenia nibbled on her lip. “These visions that she, Gigi, and I have had…I think they’re meant to help us. To guide us in some way. When Ethan and I were courting—”
“Is that what we were doing, sweeting?” Ethan drawled. “I thought I was being grumpy and you were giving me indigestion with your cooking.”