Chapter 27
Rosalind felt like she could breathe as she sat in the pew at the back of the church, listening to the service as the reverend droned on and on.
She hadn’t been attending much since William’s death, but she found herself going as often as she could now she was back in London.
She managed to claim that she was praying for strength to Julian, and he allowed it. There wasn’t even a chaperone.
She could be alone.
And she needed it. Julian had announced the engagement between her and Sir Crispin the night before, and there had been shock and surprise about it.
A few people congratulated her, almost as if they weren’t sure what to do.
If Julian had expected their guests to be delighted, he didn’t get it.
Even Lady Barkwood questioned it, which had lowered the tone for the rest of the evening.
That had finished the evening very quickly, much to Rosalind’s relief.
The wedding was the day after tomorrow, much to her horror. She hadn’t known about that until the announcement, and she was even more aware that her time was running out. She trusted that Cormac would get her out of this mess, that he would save her, but it didn’t stop the fear in her chest.
It didn’t stop her worrying about Theo. If she was going to refuse the marriage again and cause a scene, they needed to get Theo away from Julian and make sure he was safe.
But with Theo being closely watched that was going to be easier said than done.
Arabella had said she would do what she could, but there was only so much that she could control.
It was like Julian knew she wasn’t completely on his side.
Whatever Cormac had found out needed to be revealed soon. Rosalind didn’t want to be kept in the dark. She needed to know.
The not-knowing made her feel sick.
As the service ended, there was a movement in the pew beside her. She glanced over, only to do a double-take when she saw Bea and Hamish settling into the pew beside her.
“Bea!”
“I had to come and see you.” Bea touched her hand, squeezing her fingers. “And Hamish wouldn’t let me come alone.”
“Not when this is a serious situation,” Hamish said gravely. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Rosalind couldn’t help but smile at the sweetness of his words, even if it was protective. She thought about the words Cormac had given her the evening before, how he’d promised to protect her. It made her feel a little better.
“I’m sure Hamish will make sure you’re safe and well.” She winked at Bea. “You couldn’t have chosen a better protector.”
Bea blushed fiercely and looked away. Then Hamish cleared his throat.
“Anyway, we found something. And we thought you should know.”
“What?” Rosalind sat up. “What is it?”
“We found the coachman.”
It took a moment for Rosalind to remember who they were talking about. Their coachman, Hale, had been one of their household staff, and he’d vanished after the accident. She’d been under the impression that, instead of helping his employers, he’d panicked and run away.
“You found Hale?”
“We did. He’s working for a postal service on the outskirts of London in Surrey.” Hamish pressed a note into her hand. “This is from Cormac. You should read it.”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
But the pointed look from Hamish reminded Rosalind where they were. It was the end of the service, but people were getting up and leaving. They couldn’t really talk when there were going to be lots of eavesdroppers.
“Go,” Bea urged. “I’ll be close by if you need me. But you need to go.”
Rosalind didn’t need to be told twice, even though she didn’t want to leave.
Getting up, she stumbled to the door and made her way outside.
Her head was spinning, and the sudden sunshine hitting her in the face made her flinch and shield her eyes with her hand.
A few ladies walked by her, looking at her strangely.
Rosalind was aware that they were staring at her scars, which she had decided not to hide that morning, but she didn’t care.
She had something more important to deal with.
It took a moment for her to get her composure back, and she walked around the side of the church, into the shade.
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
She felt like she was going to be sick. Hale had been alive all this time?
Why hadn’t he come to her? If he’d known something was wrong, why didn’t he let it be known?
Then again, if Julian was involved…
The note was clutched tightly in her hand, and Rosalind managed to open it. Cormac’s handwriting jumped out at her.
“‘Hale was paid to vanish,’” she said. “‘He believed it wasn’t an accident. Someone sabotaged the carriage. But Ellingham paid him money to disappear and never contact you again, otherwise he would make sure Hale regretted it.’”
She read the note twice. And the words barely sank in. After the third time, Rosalind felt realization dawn, and she could feel a pounding sensation behind her eyes.
William’s death hadn’t been an accident. Someone had killed him. And that was his own brother, Julian.
He wanted William out of the way, and he got what he wanted. All because he wanted the money and the title that came with the viscountcy. His greed had caused all of this.
Her scars. Rosalind’s hands touched her face, following the stark ridges of the lines criss-crossing her face. She’d had her face ruined by this accident, unable to look anyone in the eye for a long time, keeping it hidden with everyone around her. She had become reclusive, hiding away from life.
And that was all because of Julian. He’d caused the scars, and then afterward called her his sister, protected her from everything, and comforted her when he was the one who caused everything. He didn’t even show any remorse for it. If he had, he would’ve confessed to it a long time ago.
Julian had no conscience at all.
But it wasn’t over yet. Rosalind knew that with a nauseous feeling swirling in her stomach. Theo was William’s heir, so he was now the viscount. If anything happened to him, then Julian would inherit. And if Julian was more than prepared to murder his own brother…
What could he do to a child?
Then Rosalind remembered something from that dreadful night. Theo had meant to be going with them. They’d planned for him to come along as well, but he’d gotten sick earlier in the day and he stayed home with Bea. If he’d been in the carriage as well, there was a chance he could’ve died as well.
No, he would’ve died. Rosalind remembered what a mess the carriage was when she was able to see. The doctor had said she was incredibly lucky to survive. Theo wouldn’t have come out of that so easily.
That made her feel so incredibly cold. Rosalind began to shake, panic, fear, and shock setting in. Julian had wanted the title, and he’d used murder to get his own way. But he hadn’t killed everyone involved. Now he was keeping Theo close and under his care to make sure he could finish it properly.
She had to get her son away from him. Rosalind couldn’t afford for this to happen. She had to get her son to safety.
But how was she going to do that? If she looked at Julian the wrong way before the wedding happened in two days, he would know she knew what he’d done. That could mean he would do something drastic. She couldn’t let that happen to Theo. He wasn’t aware of how much danger he was in.
She needed to think of something. Maybe there was a way out of this. Cormac had to know what to do.
She turned her mind over and over, trying to think of different things she could do.
Then she thought of Sir Crispin, a drunkard who spent more time with drink than with her, about how he complained about being a part of this arrangement.
She could still recall the interaction between him and Julian that she’d overheard.
Could she exploit that? He was bound by a debt, but could he be made to talk and back away?
She had to find out. Someone had to try.
“Lady Ellingham?”
She gasped, bumping her back against the wall as the reverend walked toward her. He looked concerned at her appearance.
“Are you all right, my lady? You look like you’ve had a shock.”
“I… I suppose.” Rosalind pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “Forgive me, Reverend. I wasn’t paying attention. My mind is… elsewhere.”
“Is there anything you want to talk about?”
“No. Nothing at all.” Rosalind pushed off the wall, tucking the note into her glove, the paper scratching against her skin. “I was just a bit lightheaded.”
“Would you like me to walk you home?”
“You don’t need to put yourself out. I’ll be fine.” She managed a smile and stepped around the reverend. “Good day, Reverend.”
She didn’t look back as she hurried down the street toward the townhouse. She knew she couldn’t dawdle too much, otherwise Julian would want to know where she was. Rosalind knew if she stood up to him again he was going to start reminding her about Theo’s safety. She didn’t want to go through that.
Not now she knew that Julian was a murderer, and he had no qualms about killing a child.
An image came to her, and Rosalind found herself back on the Highland moors. Theo and Julian were on horseback, Cormac alongside her. Then Theo’s horse bolted toward the edge of the cliff.
Had that been an accident? Or had Julian had something to do with it? Theo hadn’t said anything about his horse being spooked, but Julian could’ve made it very subtle.
Rosalind felt a chill down her back, knowing that she might’ve seen her son die before her eyes.
She couldn’t let that happen.
She was still shaking as she entered the townhouse, handing her coat to the butler without a word. The servant frowned at her.
“Are you well, my lady? You’re shivering.”
“I… I guess I’m not feeling well at the moment,” Rosalind mumbled.
“Would you like me to fetch you some honey and lemon?”
“No, I’ll manage. I’ll just… I’ll just take a moment on my own. Just let me know if Mr. Ellingham needs me.”
“Yes, my lady. Mr. Ellingham’s gone out, so he’s not going to be needing you so far.”
Rosalind frowned. “He’s gone out? He never said anything.”
“He simply called for his carriage and left. About an hour ago, I believe.”
Murmuring her thanks, Rosalind made her way to the stairs, picking up her pace as she ascended. If Julian was gone, then maybe she could see Theo without anyone listening in. She could have a moment of two with her son.
Should she tell him about his uncle? That he was a bad man?
Rosalind didn’t know how she was supposed to do that.
How could she tell him and expect Theo to keep quiet?
It would be practically impossible. But knowing Theo could be walking into a trap and she couldn’t warn him made Rosalind want to burst into tears.
She really needed to get him out of there. She had to do something.
Pushing open the door to the nursery, Rosalind expected to see Theo either at his school desk doing his lessons or playing on the floor with his toys. But he wasn’t there. The room was empty.
Confused, Rosalind checked the adjoining rooms. Nothing. And she couldn’t see Theo in the garden from the window, either.
Hurrying out, she was heading toward the stairs when Arabella appeared in the hallway, coming from the opposite direction. Rosalind skidded to a stop.
“Arabella! Where’s my son?”
Arabella slowed, frowning in confusion. “I thought you were with him.”
“What?”
“Mr. Ellingham came hurrying into the nursery about an hour ago and said he was taking Lord Ellingham out with him in the carriage. He wanted to have a drive to the park. When Lord Ellingham asked where you were, Mr. Ellingham said you would be waiting for him in the carriage.”
Rosalind shook her head, dread setting in. “I wasn’t. I was still at the service in church. What… what happened then?”
“That was enough for the young master to follow Mr. Ellingham.” Arabella’s face fell, her eyes widening in horror. “I didn’t know, my lady. I told him that he wasn’t to go anywhere without you, and Mr. Ellingham must’ve…”
Rosalind knew she couldn’t panic, but it was difficult to stop it from bubbling up. Julian had Theo. He had to have suspected that something was going on. Or he’d decided to keep Theo close as insurance in case Rosalind tried something. And he used the time she was in church to take him.
“How…” She tried to keep her tone level, but it wasn’t easy. “How did he seem when you saw him?”
“He looked… worried.” Arabella tilted her head to one side as she thought. “He was close to snapping his words at the master when he didn’t immediately obey, and he looked a little rattled.”
“Did he say why they were going to the park?”
“No. And he didn’t say which park, either.” Arabella swallowed. “I honestly didn’t know…”
Rosalind squeezed her arm and hurried away. She needed to find Theo as soon as possible. Julian thought he had the upper hand, and he was going to make it clear to her. He was going to hurt her son if she tried anything.
She wasn’t about to let that happen.