Chapter 26
When Arabella received a note to meet Helena at a cafe, she wasn’t about to turn it down.
She needed to get out of the house, especially with Philip watching over her.
He’d told her at breakfast that morning Vaughn would be coming over to have tea with her, and she needed to be on her best behavior.
It didn’t matter if she complained of a headache and pretended to be ill; she was going to sit with him and get to know him better.
There was no chance of doing that. Things were going the wrong way and far too fast. Philip had thrown the shocking news of her engagement on her the night before, and now he was talking about an engagement ball at the end of the week. It was too much, and Arabella wanted to scream.
She wasn’t about to sit around and listen to Vaughn talk and speak ill of Alastair. She wouldn’t let that happen.
So when Philip was distracted with business in the library, Arabella left the house by the side door, hurrying to the end of the street before hailing a carriage and giving the driver the address of the cafe.
She knew this was daring, going out without a chaperone, but she didn’t care.
As long as she got away from the mayhem that was at home.
Helena was outside the cafe when Arabella arrived. She pulled Arabella into a hug and then took her hand.
“Come with me,” she whispered. “We need to go somewhere else.”
“Where?”
But Helena simply gave her a smile and led her down the alley along the side of the cafe. It was long and the walls seemed to close in around them, making Arabella feel like it was pressing down on her. She gripped Helena’s hand tightly, willing herself to remain calm.
They came out the other side, into a small courtyard that had a patch of grass and a stone bench, surrounded by black iron railings.
“This is a private place,” Helena whispered as she led Arabella through. “Not many people know about it.”
But Arabella barely acknowledged her. There were three men standing by the bench. One was a tall, thin man in his early twenties who looked nervous. The other two were Edmund and Alastair.
Arabella’s attention was focused on Alastair. She hadn’t seen him for some time, and her heart leapt at the sight of him. He stared back at her, but he didn’t move. It was like time had frozen for them.
Then Alastair moved, approaching her slowly. Arabella’s heart leaped into her throat, and she swayed. She wanted to reach out and grab onto him, but she didn’t. Even so, her hands itched.
“Are you all right?” Alastair asked, standing before her but not too close, his eyes searching her face.
“I… I’m fine.” Arabella swallowed. “Please believe me that I knew nothing about the engagement. I didn’t want it, either, but Philip isn’t listening…”
“I believe you.”
She blinked.
“You do?”
“I know you wouldn’t go into that. Especially given our suspicions on Sebastian.” He took a deep breath. “But let’s discuss that later. We’ve got something more important to focus on, and it’s imperative that you’re here.”
“Why?”
He gave her a slight smile and took her hand. Just the feeling of his hand on hers made her weak at the knees, but Arabella concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as he led her over to Edmund and the stranger.
“This is Richard Lloyd,” Alastair introduced him. “He works at the gambling halls across London. And he was working the night your father died.”
Arabella stilled. Had they actually found something? Instinctively, she felt her fingers tightening around Alastair’s fingers. Mr. Lloyd cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with her presence.
“I want to offer my condolences about what happened to your father, Lady Arabella. I understand it was a shock.”
“What do you know?” she demanded.
She didn’t want to go through the formalities. She needed to hear what he had to say. Mr. Lloyd glanced at Edmund, who nodded solemnly.
“Tell her. You know you should.”
Mr. Lloyd bit his lip, and then his words came out in a rush.
“I normally work at different gambling halls every day. It pays well, but I can’t work as much as I’d like in one place, so I bounce around and take advantage of the extra work. And the night Viscount Fairleigh died, I was there. I saw him gambling with the Duke of Hartwood,” he nodded at Alastair.
“And he lost badly. The duke was sympathetic toward him, even trying to get him to stop and keep his money, but Viscount Fairleigh was adamant about continuing. And Lord Vaughn didn’t step in either.”
Arabella glanced at Alastair, who gave her a slight nod. He’d mentioned that Sebastian had been there that night, but it was still a shock to hear it.
“Viscount Fairleigh was in usual spirits coming in and out. They were more subdued when he left, but that was normal. Shortly after he left, I finished work and headed home. I was heading in the same direction, and I… I saw them.”
“Who?” Helena asked.
“Viscount Fairleigh and Lord Vaughn. They were standing by the wall, and Lord Vaughn seemed to be offering the viscount something to get him out of his financial situation.” Mr. Lloyd looked even more nervous as he glanced at Alastair. “Do you really want me to say this?”
“Yes.” Alastair’s tone said he wasn’t about to argue. “She needs to know.”
Arabella felt like she’d missed something. Mr. Lloyd swallowed and continued.
“Lord Vaughn said that he could help pay off all of Viscount Fairleigh’s debts, but he wanted your hand in marriage in return.”
Arabella blinked. What did he say? She stared at him, the words sinking in. “I was being used as a bargaining chip?”
“Apparently so.”
“And… what did my father say?”
“He said outright absolutely not. He wasn’t about to bargain with you to pay off his debts.
And that he wouldn’t allow someone like Vaughn to marry his daughter…
you.” Mr. Lloyd cleared his throat. “That was when they began to fight. I saw Lord Vaughn push your father, and he went down, and there was a splash…”
He broke off, but Arabella could guess what he’d said. Her father had fallen to his death, hitting his head on the way down. That would match up with an accidental death.
But, surely, if Sebastian had pushed him, didn’t that mean it was now murder?
“I was frozen. I couldn’t move. Didn’t know what to do.
Then Lord Vaughn realized that he’d been spotted, he chased after me and collared me in an alley.
I thought he was going to kill me, too. But, instead, he told me that he would let me go if I accepted his money to keep it quiet.
And if I stayed away from the inquest and said nothing about what I’d seen, then he would pay me again. ”
“You sold my father out for money?” Arabella whispered. She felt sick to the stomach. Mr. Lloyd shuffled from foot to foot.
“I thought he would kill me as well. He’s known to be erratic when he doesn’t get his own way. I’ve heard what happens to anyone who crosses him. I was scared!”
Alastair squeezed her hand, and he glanced at her. His expression said that he believed in the fear. Arabella would have to trust him; he would know his cousin better than anyone.
“Why now though?” Helena asked curiously. “Why would you want to say anything about it now?”
Mr. Lloyd stared at the ground. He looked miserable.
“I kept my promise and said nothing, but that didn’t satisfy Lord Vaughn. He had people working for him watching me, following me around. I noticed after a few days, and I knew what was going on.
Then he came to see me a few days ago. Said that he was concerned with putting trust in me not saying anything about what happened.
I think it was because he heard the Duke of Hartwood asking around about him.
” Mr. Lloyd looked at Alastair pleadingly.
“You’re going to make sure she’s safe, aren’t you? You won’t let her get hurt?”
“You have my word.”
Arabella frowned. She felt like she’d missed something. “What? Who are you talking about?”
“My wife,” Mr. Lloyd answered. “She’s pregnant with our first child. And Lord Vaughn said he’d make sure something bad happened to my wife if I ever spoke to anyone about what happened. I was terrified that he would do it, and I agreed. But then… my wife was knocked over by a carriage the next day.
She was clipped by a horse and fell. Luckily, she and our baby are fine, but she’s very shaken. She told me that she recognized the crest as Lord Vaughn’s carriage, and he actually looked out of the window at her before he left.”
Arabella felt the shivers up and down her spine. She could see Vaughn threatening someone to get what he wanted, but to physically harm a pregnant woman to get the point across was too far.
“I couldn’t let her go through that, especially when Lord Vaughn promised he wouldn’t hurt us if I did as I was told. I knew I couldn’t trust him, and even if I kept my mouth shut my wife and child were still in danger.”
“When he heard that I was asking around, he approached me,” Edmund added. “We made sure that we weren’t seen, and he was eager to tell me what he saw. We thought you should know.”
Arabella didn’t know what to say. Her head was spinning from what she’d heard. Stumbling away from the group, she sagged onto the stone bench, staring at nothing as she let the words sink in properly.
Lord Vaughn had killed her father. Whether it was an accident or not, he’d covered it up, and then he’d threatened someone to get what he wanted.
He had all of the answers, and if he’d owned up and been honest about it, then they wouldn’t be here right now.
If it had been an accident, Arabella would’ve understood, even if she was angry about it.
But, instead, he’d chosen to make things worse.
“Arabella?”
Alastair was walking toward her, looking hesitant to join her. Arabella chewed on her lower lip, trying to fight back the tears.
“He killed him,” she whispered. “Pa died because of Lord Vaughn, and he just chose to cover it up. And he’s been lying to me about it all.”
She could feel her body beginning to shake, and she wrapped her arms around her waist, trying not to rock back and forth.
Alastair sat beside her, putting his arms around her shoulders and holding her close.
They sat in silence, Arabella fighting back the tears that were threatening to overflow.
Once she calmed, she looked up and saw they were alone.
“Where are the others?”
“Edmund took Mr. Lloyd away, and Helena went with him. They figured you might need a moment alone.” Alastair brushed her hair from her face. “I wish you didn’t have to go through this. It has to be terrible to experience.”
“I needed to do it. Nobody asked me to.”
“But it doesn’t make it any easier.”
He was right, and Arabella knew the discomfort in her stomach wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. She pressed a hand to her stomach.
“Do you think my brother knows?” she murmured. “Do you think he and Lord Vaughn…?”
“I don’t believe your brother is involved. He’s just easily manipulated by Sebastian.” Alastair’s voice was grim. “He must be a means to an end for Sebastian, given that you’re the one he’s fixated on.”
“He’s wanted to marry me for a while?” Arabella frowned. “I don’t understand. He’d barely approached me before now, and I didn’t know he existed. Even then, he makes me uncomfortable. I wouldn’t have seen him as a potential suitor.”
“That’s not how he thinks, Arabella. As soon as he sees someone, or something, he wants, he’s going to have it.”
Arabella shuddered, and Alastair’s arms tightened around her.
“I’m not going to let him hurt you, all right? I won’t let him get near you.”
“How are you going to do that when I’m now engaged to him?” Arabella looked at him. “The engagement ball is at the end of the week, and no amount of protesting is going to get it to stop. Philip isn’t listening to me, and I can’t avoid Vaughn forever. I can’t… I just…”
Alastair shushed her gently, urging her to lean on him and rocking her gently. He kissed the top of her head.
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I wish it was our engagement ball that I was going to.”
The words were out of Arabella’s mouth before she could stop them. Alastair froze, and for a moment she thought he was going to pull away.
“Do you mean that?” he asked.
She had put her foot in it now. She might as well continue doing it. Straightening up, Arabella turned to him.
“I do mean it,” she said. “I would rather be with you instead of Lord Vaughn. Unlike him, you’ve never lied to me. You’ve actually been the most honest person I’ve had in my life apart from Clara. And I don’t want to lose that.”
Alastair blinked slowly at her, as if he was taking in what she said and letting it settle. Then he leaned toward her, cupping her jaw in his hand as he kissed her.
It was a soft, sweet kiss that Arabella almost didn’t realize had happened.
She gasped and pulled back, her eyes widening as she stared at him.
Had that really just happened to her? In her mind, she imagined that she’d kissed Alastair.
But when she touched her lips, she felt the pressure of his mouth on hers.
He really had kissed her.
“Arabella?” He sat up a little. “Forgive me if…”
“Don’t apologize.” Arabella shook her head. “Don’t ever apologize for that.”
She leaned in and kissed him back. Alastair started, but then he relaxed and pulled her into his arms. She could’ve happily stayed there for much longer, but a pointed cough made them both jump apart. Helena was coming toward them, giving her brother a bemused look.
“I’m glad you two are happy,” she remarked dryly. “But we’ve got to figure out what to do next. Plus, Arabella will have to get back home soon.”
Alastair frowned. “Surely, her brother can’t be upset with her spending time with a friend.”
“He will this time.” Arabella grimaced and stood up. “I snuck out. Philip doesn’t know I’m here.”
“You what?”
“I’ll take her home,” Helena said before Alastair could say anything further. “It’s best that you’re not seen around her house for a while.”
“Even if I want to see Arabella?”
“We’ll figure it out.” Helena smiled at Arabella. “Viscount Fairleigh can’t stop her from seeing friends. And he can’t keep her a prisoner. I’m sure we’ll sort it all out.”
Alastair didn’t look convinced, but Arabella was confident they would get it back into some sort of order they could cope with. She was loath to walk away from him, but she had to.
They had something important to do, while their own issues were to be dealt with another time. They had too; otherwise, the man who caused her father’s death was going to walk away, and he would end up marrying her as well.
Arabella was not going to let that happen.