Because he told me so, himself, she thought
wildly. He told me even as he plunged forward
to his death at the foot of those stairs.
But she could hardly tell Lucas why she
was so certain of her stepfather's guilt.
Lucas was entirely too shrewd. Once he
had that bit of information, he would
probe for more and she had already learned
she had a bad habit of becoming altogether
too trusting and vulnerable in his arms.
Besides, she reminded herself grimly,
while Lucas was a very unusual man
in some respects, he was not likely to
be so tolerant and understanding as to
welcome the news that he was married to
a murderess.
I have no real proof, of course," Victoria
said cautiously.
But in my heart I am
certain of his guilt."
He let that go.
Riding accidents happen
all the time, Vicky."
My mother was an excellent rider."
Victoria hoped this would close the
matter, but Lucas, in his inimitable
fashion, pushed on.
Did you confront Whitlock?"
This was getting too close to dangerous
territory.
He knew I had no proof. He
laughed at me."
Lucas's hand tightened around her
shoulders.
What did you do then?"
There was nothing I could do. He died
less than two months later and Aunt Cleo
and I decided it was rough justice."
He was found at the foot of a staircase,
I believe?"
She glanced up quickly.
Where did you
hear that?"
Lucas's mouth curved wryly.
Jessica
Atherton."
You certainly obtained a great deal of
information from Lady Atherton."
Let us not start that quarrel again. Did
your stepfather die that way?"
Yes." Victoria picked her words carefully.
He had apparently been drinking
very heavily that night, which was not
unusual for him. He tripped and fell at
the top of a long flight of stairs. That was
the end of the matter."
Not quite."
She started.
What do you mean by
that?"
Merely that you are still upset by
the sight of his initial embroidered on
someone else's scarf or engraved on a
strange snuffbox. What's the matter, Vicky?
Are you beginning to wonder if there really
are such things as ghosts? Did you think
Whitlock had come back to haunt you?"
Do not say that,
She got control of
herself instantly.
Of course I don't believe
in ghosts. What bothered me about the
scarf and the snuffbox was that it appeared
both had been left where I was the most
likely one to find each."
The location of the scarf is particularly
interesting, isn't it? It implies someone
knew you would be coming back into the
house late via the conservatory door."
Yes, that is exactly it, Lucas. Looking
back on it, it makes one wonder if someone
was spying on us the whole time. That
same someone apparently was watching so
closely that he or she saw me leave the
party that night and get into the carriage
you had hired," Victoria concluded.
And followed us to the inn?
Tis
possible."
It could have been Jessica Atherton."
Lucas's tone lightened.
I cannot envision
Lady Atherton climbing the garden wall at
midnight."
You have a point. So that means the
scarf and snuffbox were left by someone
else. Unless'
Unless what?"
Victoria was struck by an idea.
Do you
suppose she hired a Bow Street runner to
follow us around?"
You, of all people, my dear, would
know how easy that is to do."
There was an acute silence following that
remark, a silence during which it occurred
to Victoria that if she'd been thinking
clearly, instead of following her heart, she
might have had the good sense to hire a
runner herself to obtain some information
on the mysterious Lord stone vale.
I wondered, myself, how long it would
take you to get around to doing just that,"
Lucas said.
She frowned, afraid he had read her
mind.
Doing what?"
His teeth flashed in a wicked grin.
Hiring a runner to have me investigated.
It was one of the reasons I wanted to get
the courtship over and done as quickly as
possible."
You are perfectly despicable, stone vale."
I am also perfectly content with our
bargain, madam." He paused outside the
kitchen door to brush his mouth lightly
over hers. His eyes gleamed.
And while
I would not have wanted you put in the
awkward position you were in that night
at the inn, I cannot say I am particularly
sorry things happened the way they did.
All in all, considering the risks we were
running, we got off lightly."
I do not see how we could have gotten
off much worse."
Then you lack imagination, madam. I
used to lie awake nights thinking about all
that could go wrong during our midnight
jaunts." He tipped up her chin.
Are you
really so unhappy with me, Vicky?"
She wanted to rail at him for not loving
her as she loved him. She wanted to
accuse him of having manipulated her
into this marriage where her emotions
threatened to tear her apart while his
seemed under perfect control. She longed
to bring him to a more forceful realization
of his overwhelming guilt, to make him
grovel for her forgiveness and proclaim his
undying love and devotion.
In short, Victoria realized,
she wanted
some vengeance for the situation in
which she found herself. However, she
was realistic enough to know she would
probably never get it.
But she had learned her lesson well,
Victoria vowed silently. She would keep
the secrets of her heart, just as she had
learned to keep other, darker secrets. If
the Earl of stone vale was content with his
marriage, she would strive to be satisfied
also. But she would not give him any more
than what he had set out to trap an
heiress who was obliged to accept the fact
that she had been married for her money
with relatively good grace.
I believe," Victoria said carefully,
that
as husbands go, you are probably not such
a bad one."
You damn me with faint praise, madam,"
he complained softly.
Surely you can do
better than that?"
She licked her lower lip as she looked
up at him. He was a menacing figure
by moonlight. Large and powerful, he
loomed over her. The stark lines of his
face were etched with palest silver and
deepest shadow. His eyes glittered with a
sensual threat that made her recently sated
senses flicker back to life. She ought to be
afraid of him, she told herself instead, she
always felt ridiculously safe in his presence.
Damn the man.
Her instinct was to throw her arms
around him and confess her love. But
her sense of self-protection and her pride
stepped in to cut off such a rash and
useless course of action. She would not
make herself totally vulnerable to Lucas
ever again the way she had that fateful
night at the inn.
I believe, my lord, that I have already
explained to you I will do my best to live
up to my part of our bargain."
Lucas shook his head ruefully and kissed
the tip of her nose.
So proud. And so
determined not to give an inch more than
you must. How can you be so cruel,
Vicky?"
I hardly think
tis being cruel to say I
am willing to accept the situation in which
I find myself. What more can you rightfully
demand of me, Lucas?"
Everything."
You sound as if you talk of my complete
surrender, my lord."
Perhaps I do."
For that I vow you will have to wait
until the world allows women to wear
breeches in public," she shot back tartly.
In other words, forever."
Perhaps not quite so long. But we will
come back to the matter later. For now I
will be content with the progress we have
made tonight." He took her hand and led
her into the dark, slumbering house.
The vicar and his wife were nervous.
It was painfully obvious they were not
accustomed to taking tea in the great
house of stone vale. Victoria decided that
if she were to hazard a guess, she would
say they had never before been invited into
the house for any reason at all, let alone a
consultation about the charity needs of the
district. That irritated her. It was further
proof that the previous earl had not cared
about the people who lived on and near
his lands.
I cannot tell you how very happy we are
to have you and your lovely lady installed
here at the house, Lord stone vale." The
Reverend Worth, a ruddy-faced, solidly
built man in his fifties, spoke very
earnestly.
Yes, indeed. We're delighted to welcome
you," misses Worth, a sweet-faced little wren
of a woman who sat stiffly next to her
husband, said tremulously. The teacup in
her small hand trembled as she took a
very tiny sip. Every now and then she
would steal a quick, timid glance around
the drawing room, as if she could not
quite believe she was inside the great
house.
Thank you," Victoria said gently, smiling