‘If Lucinda could swim, why did she drown?’
‘She fell from the bridge and hit her head on an iron strut. It was an accident…’ Marguerite’s eyes looked strange. ‘She was laughing…and then she stopped laughing because I pushed her and she fell.’ A queer, high laugh escaped Marguerite. ‘I shouldn’t have told you that, should I? You will guess now and that means you have to die…but it doesn’t matter because you were going to die anyway.’ She looked at Alice Horton and giggled. ‘Shall I push her in the lake? Everyone will think she killed herself because he betrayed her with that slut of a sister of mine. I got away with it once, I can do it again.’
‘Now then, pet, you mustn’t get so upset,’ Alice
Horton soothed. ‘Lucinda was a silly girl, but you didn’t mean to kill her. It was an accident.’
‘Oh, but I did…’ Marguerite’s eyes blazed. ‘I wanted her to die. She boasted that he was her lover. She knew that I loved him. It was why she wanted him. She had the other one—the one who had given her a child—but she wanted
him
too, because she knew I loved him. She always had to have everything, but this time I stopped her.’
‘Who was the other one?’ Amelia asked. She curled her nails into her palms, willing herself to keep calm. She must hear the truth now! ‘What was his name?’
‘Surely you know?’ Marguerite glared at her. ‘He was so angry because he saw her with Gerard that he wouldn’t help her. He had promised to leave his wife. He was besotted with Lucinda, gave her presents of jewellery. He told her that Louisa was a nag and a scold and he would get a divorce, but after he saw her with Gerard he raged at her, told her she was a slut and he wouldn’t see her again. Lucinda told me it all before I—’
‘My brother?’ Amelia stared at her in horror. Suddenly, it all made sense. It wasn’t to protect her that Michael had had Gerard thrashed—it was jealousy, because he believed the woman he loved had betrayed him with Gerard Ravenshead! His hatred stemmed from the be lief that Gerard had taken Lucinda from him!
The sickness rose in her throat as she saw it all so clearly. Michael had been Lucinda’s lover, not Gerard, but he had seen them kiss. It was just a
moment of light flirtation, as Gerard claimed, but Michael had lost his head. He had had Gerard beaten and broken Amelia’s heart because he was jealous.
Amelia’s head was whirling as she tried to take all the new information in. Her brother had seduced Lucinda. He was the father of her child. He had promised to leave his wife, but then he’d seen her in Gerard’s arms that summer afternoon and he had believed they were lovers. Amelia didn’t know what had happened that day, but she imagined it was just a piece of nonsense on a warm afternoon—
because of it Michael had had Gerard thrashed and ruined her life. But what had Marguerite done?
‘Did you kill Lucinda because you believed she had taken Gerard from you?’
Marguerite’s eyes had gone blank, but now they focused on Amelia once more. ‘You stole him from me. I thought it was her, but it was you. She laughed at me and told me he was going to marry you. I flew at her and we struggled and then…she fell and hit her head. I saw her floating with her face in the water.’
‘Why didn’t you fetch help or try to get her out?’
‘I couldn’t swim. I’m afraid of the deep water and—’ Suddenly, Marguerite’s eyes narrowed, became crafty, evil. ‘I wanted her to die. I want you to die. Why should you have everything while I have nothing? My father said I would never marry…it was her fault…your fault…’Marguerite advanced on her, her hands going for Amelia’s throat. ‘If you drown, they will blame him…and he will die too. He will know what it is like to lose everything.’
‘No!’ Amelia tried to throw her off, but Marguerite was too strong. ‘Help me! Help me…’
Alice Horton stood for a moment, seeming undecided, then she pulled at Marguerite’s arm.
‘Stop this, sweeting. It isn’t her fault that you can’t marry. You know what your papa said—’
‘Get off me!’ Marguerite swung her arm back, throwing the older woman off balance so that she fell to her knees. In that moment Amelia struggled free and started to run. Marguerite came after her, grabbing her by the waist and somehow bringing her down. ‘You’ve got to die. You can’t live now that you know.
He
was supposed to help me, but he is a weak coward. So I must do it myself.’
Amelia screamed and struggled to throw Mar-guerite off, but she was very strong. Her hands were tightening their hold about Amelia’s throat and she couldn’t breathe. Everything was going black and then she heard a shout…several voices shouting. People were racing towards them.
‘Damn you! You murdering bitch!’
Gerard’s voice! Amelia heard it through a haze of mist, as if she were far away. Several men were shouting and there were the sounds of a struggle. She heard Marguerite screaming and then water splashing, more screaming, shouting and then sobbing. A woman was weeping bitterly.
‘Is she dead, sir? My poor little mad girl.’
Amelia’s throat hurt, but she struggled to sit up. She couldn’t see clearly, but she knew that Gerard wasn’t alone. There were other men there…some of
them had guns. She thought one voice might have belonged to the Marquis of Northaven, but she wasn’t sure, because it was distant, blurred. Everything was going hazy again as she fell back on the damp ground.
The woman was still sobbing. She thought it was Alice Horton. Men were talking, calling for someone to go for the doctor. Things seemed to be going on around her. She was being lifted and carried in someone’s arms, but she couldn’t see or hear any more…
Gerard stood looking down, his heart wrenched as he saw Amelia throw out her arm and cry out something he could not hear. Her body was drenched in sweat. However many times they changed the sheets she became wet through again and the doctor was worried that her fever would turn to pneumonia.
‘If the fever turns putrid, she may die,’ he had told Gerard before he left. ‘All you can do is to watch over her and pray.’
‘Don’t let her die…’ The anguished words were torn from him. ‘If I have sinned, vent your anger on me—let me take her place. I beg you, do not let her die.’
Gerard was not sure who he was praying to, for long ago he had felt that God was a myth, a fairy story. How could a gentle God allow the things he had seen in battle?
Tears trickled down his cheeks as he bent over Amelia and kissed her damp brow. ‘Live for me, my
darling,’ he whispered. ‘Live for me. I cannot bear it if you leave me…forgive me…forgive me…’
His expression was wintry. This was his fault. If he had spoken to Amelia earlier she would not have gone out alone. He should have made her believe that he’d had nothing to do with Lucinda.
Amelia opened her eyes to see a woman bending over her. The mist cleared for long enough for her to see that it was someone she knew…Susannah. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Her throat hurt too badly and every part of her body ached. Susannah touched her hand, a tear sliding down her cheek.
‘You’ve been so ill, dearest,’ she said. ‘You had a fever. The doctor said it was a putrid infection of the lungs. We thought we were going to lose you. Gerard has been out of his mind.’
‘Marguerite…’ The word was a harsh whisper.
Susannah gripped her hand. ‘Do not worry, dearest. She can’t hurt anyone again. Her father has agreed to have her sent to a secure place where she will be properly cared for as long as she lives. He says he should have done it years ago, but her mother would not have it.’
‘Not dead? I thought…’ Amelia sighed.
‘No…she tried to drown herself, but the Marquis of Northaven pulled her out of the lake. Gerard met him a few minutes earlier as he left the house to search for you. He had brought news and they were talking as they walked to the lake—and then they
saw what was happening. Some of Gerard’s men were already racing to your rescue, but he was the first to reach you.’
‘She wanted to kill me…’ Amelia’s head was spinning as she tried to remember. ‘She was so…strong…’
‘She was ill, Amelia. Northaven has discovered the truth from Lieutenant Gordon. She is his cousin and he has always sloved her, though he knew she was wild even as a girl. Miss Horton has told us more. As a child Marguerite was prone to tantrums. That is why they had a strict nanny for her. When she grew up she seemed better, calmer, but when Lucinda became pregnant their father started to forbid the girls to go anywhere—and Marguerite had become moody. She sneaked out at night, walking in the woods alone and she was prone to bouts of melancholy. Mr Ross suspected that she had killed her own sister and decided that she ought never to marry, though he was too proud of his good name to admit it to the world.’
Amelia closed her eyes for a moment. ‘She was the one who planned all this, the abduction of me that went wrong and the rest…wasn’t she?’
‘Lieutenant Gordon says that she persuaded him; she said that he had to abduct you and kill you in front of Gerard—and then kill him. Only then would she give him what he wanted from her. He believed that Gerard was responsible for Lisette’s death and agreed, because she had bewitched him, manipulated him—but in the end he couldn’t go through with all the things she asked
of him. When Northaven accused him of trying to shoot him in the back, he broke down and confessed that he had taken a pot shot at him, but swears it was more in the hope of scaring him off than killing him.’
‘You mean the marquis forced him to confess?’ Amelia’s head was clearing a little. She sat up with Susannah’s help and sipped a little water. ‘I wonder why Marguerite decided she would kill me herself.’
‘It was an impulse. You were in an isolated spot, alone—and she took her chance. She was always a little unstable…her nurse knew it. She said that both the Ross girls were inclined to be wild at times, but Marguerite got much worse after Lucinda’s death. Perhaps it was her guilt because she killed her.’
‘Poor Marguerite…’
‘Do not pity her, Amelia.’
‘I can only feel pity for her despite what she did.’
‘Alice Horton was resentful because you had her dismissed, but when Marguerite tried to kill you, she attempted to stop her. She might have agreed to help with an abduction for a ransom, but she drew the line at murder.’
‘Did she?’ Amelia’s brow wrinkled. ‘I cannot remember…’
‘You have been very ill, Amelia.’
‘Did they send for you?’
‘As soon as I heard what had happened, I was determined to come. Helene is here—and so is Emily. She put off her visit to Sinclair’s. We all love you, dearest Amelia.’
‘Helene should not be worrying over me. She must take care of herself and her baby.’
‘We haven’t let her nurse you. Emily and I have done most of it—and Martha, of course. Everyone wanted to do their best and Lisa has been crying for you. Gerard has been here much of the time, but today he had to see some people. Lieutenant Gordon has made a full confession. They are deciding what should be done with him—whether he should be sent abroad or given up to the magistrates.’
Amelia nodded. She closed her eyes. She was so very tired.
‘Thank you for explaining…but I think I should like to sleep now.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Susannah said and kissed her cheek. ‘Go to sleep, dearest. You will soon begin to feel better now…’
‘Well, it is over,’ Harry said as they sat together in the library. ‘I am of the opinion that Gordon has learned his lesson. When he discovered that Mar-guerite had murdered her own sister, I thought he would be sick. The look of revulsion on his face tells me that he will not be drawn into such an affair again.’
‘I still think he should have stood his trial,’ Max said. ‘You were too lenient with him, Gerard—he was behind the attempted kidnap on Amelia and the abduction of Miss Barton—and that shot outside the church at Pendleton, though he says it was no more than a warning.’
‘The shot might have been meant for me. Amelia suffered no ill effects and Emily was returned unhurt thanks to Northaven. I have a great deal to thank Northaven for…and I believe we all owe him an apology.’
‘Not certain of that,’ Harry objected. ‘His careless talk was almost certainly to blame for what happened in Spain.’
‘Yes, I am sure it was—but he did not deliberately betray us and we ought to show some mercy. I let Gordon go because he is genuinely remorseful. Besides, it was Marguerite who planned it all. He was merely her tool.’
‘I hope you have for given yourself too.’ Max laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘Lisette had been through a great deal, losing her lover, the rapes and then giving birth. Her mind was disturbed when she took her own life.’
‘And I refused her when she asked me for love.’ Gerard looked grave. ‘Perhaps that is why I am being punished. If I lose Amelia…’
‘Ridiculous!’ Harry said. ‘You cannot blame yourself for what happened to Amelia the other day. She invited that mad woman into your home.’
‘If she had not, I might not have been there when she needed me. She could have been attacked at any time…perhaps months after we were married.’
‘Amelia will pull through,’ Max told him. ‘She is surrounded by people who love her, and they will all do whatever they can to help. Just give it time, Gerard.’
‘Yes, I know—thank you.’ Gerard forced a
smile. ‘You are the best friends a man could have at such a time.’
Gerard said no more. It was impossible to explain that he was afraid that when Amelia recovered her senses, she would not wish to marry him—that she might still believe the lies Marguerite had told her.
Amelia was dreaming. She was in the water and something was dragging her down. When she looked beneath the surface, she saw the eyes of a dead girl staring at her. Then the girl’s skinny claws reached out to pull her to the bottom. She could feel the air draining from her lungs…
‘Amelia…’ A gentle hand shookher shoulder. ‘It’s just a nightm are, my love. I am so sorry she hurt you. Please forgive me.’
Amelia opened her eyes. For a moment she could not focus, but then she saw Gerard. His face were pale in the candlelight and tears were wetting his cheeks. He was crying…for her. She lifted her hand as he bent over her, touching his face.