The Sweetest Love (Sons of Worthington Series) (33 page)

“But until that time comes, you must say here with me. I cannot have you at your grandmother’s cottage unprotected. My servants are devoted to me and they know what hell you went through, as well. They will not say anything, I assure you. Both Tabitha and Sally can be maids here during our wait. They will have nothing to fear.”

“Oh, Claudia.”
She reached over and hugged her friend. “You truly are a gift from God.”

Lady
Dashwood
chuckled. “I don’t have many close friends, and I will do anything I can to keep my friends protected.”

At long last, Diana’s future was starting to look clearer. Now she needed to pray that Tristan and Hawthorne could find the killer quickly.

* * * *

Tabitha huddled in the corner of the coach house and pulled her overcoat around her neck a little tighter before lowering her hat. A few of the grooms mulled about and only glanced at her a few times. Thankfully, they didn’t act as if they knew Tabitha was a woman.

She prayed Lady
Dashwood
had ideas of where Tabitha could hide. She didn’t want to bring harm or more suspicion on Diana, but Tabitha also didn’t want to go to prison, either. Diana was correct when she said Tabitha turning herself in was not the right thing to do because the true killer was still out there and might kill again.

A servant walked into the coach house carrying trays of food. The young woman stood with the other two men as they partook of the meal. Tabitha pulled her gaze away from them as she looked out into the grand gardens of the estate. Although she had only been to a few estates in her life, one of them remained foremost in her mind. The Dowager Duchess of Kensington had the most beautiful flower gardens imaginable. Tabitha didn’t know the woman personally and had certainly never met her, but just that one time of seeing the gardens was enough to stay in Tabitha’s memory.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, she glanced back at Lady
Dashwood’s
servants, still chatting and chomping down food. In a way, Tabitha wished she could talk with them just to keep her mind occupied. It was hard to think of other things when the fate of her future hung by a thread.

It had almost been a week since she talked to Lord Hawthorne. Hurt and anger still ruled her emotions and fueled her melancholy. She’d thought he would do the right thing and convince Lord Tristan not to turn her in, yet because neither she nor Diana had heard anything—or even seen the magistrate—she still worried that at any minute Sir Felix would come to the door and arrest her.

She blamed Lord Hawthorne for her fear and sleepless nights.

Feeling restless, she strode out of the coach house and into the yard, but there was nothing there to keep her busy, either. She turned and slowly walked around the coach house, trying to waste her time. When she passed by one of the open windows and heard Lady Hollingsworth’s name, Tabitha stopped and moved closer to the window. Slowly she peeked inside. The driver, another man and the woman who’d brought the food were standing together talking.

“I feel sorry for that wee woman,” Lady
Dashwood’s
driver said. “The
lass has
lived in a home where her husband hated her and her servants loathed her as well.”

“Impossible!” the other man said.
“That kind, sweet woman?
It’s unbelievable the servants
wud
give ‘
er
grief.”

“Aye, that is true,” the woman spoke up. “I heard that her lady’s maid had been raped by Lord
Hollin’sworth
because his wife
cud not satisfy
him.”

“Just horrid!” the driver exclaimed. “That monster should have been horsewhipped.”

“Aye,” the other man said.

“But that’s not the worst of it for Lady
Hollin’sworth
,” the woman continued. “The reason her servants hated their mistress was because she
wud
not
go to her husband’s bed. If she had given him an heir, his lordship
wud
not have taken the lady’s maid or the other women
workin
’ in the estate.”

“Was the lady’s maid Martha Whitehead?”

“Aye,” the woman answered.

“I ‘
ave
‘
eard
of Martha.”

“She has a daughter who worked for the late Lord Elliot. I’ve heard that her daughter, Sally, wasn’t treated kindly by that lord, either.”

“How utterly sad.”

“Tis sad, indeed,” the woman continued. “I have heard that Martha is now a very angry and bitter woman.”

“And who would blame ‘
er
?”

Tabitha sucked in a quick breath and moved away from the window. Good heavens! This explained a lot. But not only did it explain the older woman’s hatred for Diana, pieces to the unknown puzzle started fitting together in Tabitha’s mind. Martha could have killed Lord Hollingsworth…and because Martha’s daughter had been abused by Lord Elliot, the mother could have killed him as well. Everything was so very clear now!

Hope budded in Tabitha’s bosom as she hurried around the coach house and to the carriage. She needed to tell Diana, and she didn’t think she could wait for her to finish with her visit first.

Tabitha prayed this was the answer to the end of their torment. She also prayed that Martha wouldn’t lie to the magistrate when he dropped by to ask her questions.

As she paced the drive, she thought for sure she’d wear out the bottom of her boots before Lady Hollingsworth came out. She was ready to scream with frustration, and if she had to hold this information inside her for much longer, she would be barging in Lady
Dashwood’s
house just to let them know what the servants had said.

From up the drive, another coach came her way with two riders beside it. Immediately, she recognized the emblem on the vehicle…and one of the men. What was the magistrate doing here? Her heart sunk, and fear expanded in her chest.

As the coach neared, she gradually stepped back underneath a tree and lowered her hat on her forehead so they would not be able to see her face. The footman hurried out to greet Sir Felix and they chatted for a few moments. Although she couldn’t hear what was being said, she was anxious to get away…and to find Diana and get her away from these men as well.

Just as panic consumed her, she turned and darted toward the back of the house, but because her hat was blocking her vision, she ran into a low hanging limb. The branch knocked the hat from her head, and immediately, her long hair tumbled down her back and over her shoulders.

She held in a frightened cry as she bent to retrieve the hat. But as she peeked toward the magistrate, he and the footman, along with the third man, were staring at her with wide eyes.

“That’s her!” The footman stated. “That’s Lady Diana’s maid.”

Sir Felix flew off his horse. “Halt, Miss Tabitha,” he yelled as he hurried toward her.

She wouldn’t give up without a fight…and a good run. The chubby man was definitely not fit to run as fast as she was.

Tabitha turned and sprinted across the lawn as fast as she could. Terror pumped through her legs and helped with her flight. She came closer to the corner of the house, and just as she darted around the bush, two strong arms reached out and grabbed her.

“Sir Felix, I got her.”

Groaning, she struggled against his hold. Tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t understand how she had forgotten about the third man—the one who’d come with the magistrate?

He pulled her toward the front of the house where Sir Felix met her. His scowl was fierce.

“Miss Tabitha, I have come—”

“What is the meaning of this?” Diana demanded as she flew down the front stairs, Lady
Dashwood
close on her heels. Diana rushed to Tabitha and tried to pry her wrist from the magistrate’s grip. “Release her at once, Sir Felix,” she demanded.

“I fear, Lady Hollingsworth,” he said, lifting his chin arrogantly, “that I cannot release her. I have come to arrest her for the murders of your husband and Lord Elliot.”

“No!” Tabitha yanked her hands, but the other man’s grip was too strong. “I didn’t kill them.”

“We have witnesses that say otherwise.” Sir Felix arched a bushy eyebrow.

“Then they are wrong!” Diana folded her arms over her chest. “My maid did not kill those men, I assure you.”

“Forgive me, my lady,” he replied smugly, “but your
assurance
holds no strength this time. Now, if you will step aside so I can do my duty, I promise not to arrest you as well.”

Lady
Dashwood
huffed. “This is highly irregular, my lord.”

The portly man threw a glare at the other lady. “And I suggest, Lady
Dashwood
, that
you stay out of my business as well.”

The portly man and his
partner,
tugged Tabitha to the coach. Horror like she’d never imagined clawed its way from her stomach to her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. She turned pleading eyes to Diana. “I didn’t do it.” Her voice broke.

“I know you didn’t.” Diana cried and clutched her hands to her chest.

“Not to worry, dear Tabitha,” Claudia assured, “I will hire a lawyer and have you released.”

Helplessly, Tabitha was shoved into the windowless coach as a chain secured the door. There was no escaping now. If Diana couldn’t find a way to release her, Tabitha would surely die in prison.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Laughter chimed around the room as the Worthington brothers and their wives sat at the dowager’s large dining table for a family dinner. Tristan tried to smile, but it was so hard when his mind was occupied on trying to figure out this mystery of who killed the two lords. What made him that much more upset was not coming up with any leads. Tabitha wasn’t a suspect on his list any longer, but Sally was. Now he wondered how he could find out what really happened that night after Elliot had beaten her.

Tristan glanced around the table, trying to act as if he were involved with the conversation. The oldest Worthington brother, Trevor, sat near his wife Louisa, their eyes sparked with love when they gazed at each other. Louisa was midway through her pregnancy, and simply glowing. Trevor and Louisa had a rough patch at the beginning of their relationship, but now Tristan could see they were destined to be together, forever.

The youngest brother, Trey was just as happy with his wife, Judith. The two of them were either holding hands or Trey’s arm was around his wife’s waist. Sometimes they were this way in public, which made all the matrons’ tongues wag with gossip. Tristan wasn’t around when Trey and Judith were courting, but apparently it was quite the scandal.

Earlier tonight, Trey had announced Judith was pregnant. Tristan’s mother was as ecstatic as any woman could be as she clapped cheerfully as tears of joy swam in her eyes. Tristan prayed that one day he and Diana would have children…yet for some reason fate had not been smiling on either one of them lately.

Tristan frowned. Maybe fate was never going to be a ray of sunshine in his life. Mentally, he shook the thought from him head. He must stay positive. Diana was destined to be his wife! And Tristan would do all he could to see it happen.

“What is going on with the murder investigation, Tristan? Do you know?”

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Trevor who’d asked the question. All eyes around the table were now on Tristan, so he tried to replace his forlorn expression with a cheery disposition, although he knew he failed miserably.

“The last I have heard, the magistrate has no leads to the killer, I’m afraid.”

“Does he still suspect you?” the dowager asked softly.

“Yes Mother, but I’m doing my best to try and change his mind. We all know I didn’t do it, but for some reason, the magistrate now has it in his head that Lady Hollingsworth and I were working together to rid the world of her husband and my cousin.” He shrugged. “What a wild imagination that man has.”

Murmurs of agreement went around the room.

“However, just this past week, Hawthorne and I overheard a conversation between Lady Hollingsworth and two of her maids.”

Both Trey and Trevor’s wide-eye gazes bounced back to Tristan.

“It seems,” Tristan continued, “Lady Hollingsworth has a maid who was recently in Lord Elliot’s employ. He had been very abusive to this girl. Hawthorne and I are suspecting she might be the one who killed Elliot, but were not sure if she had the motive to kill Lord Hollingsworth.”

Gasps burst through the room. “Did Diana’s maid confess to anything?” Trevor asked loudly.

“Her name is Sally, and she didn’t confess, but she did state how she’d wanted Elliot dead.”

“Did you say anything to Lady Hollingsworth?” Judith asked, swiping a light, chestnut ringlet away from her ear.

“Indeed, I did. Unfortunately, we still need to find the proof before anything can be done.”

“Oh, dear.”
His mother fanned her face. “Tristan, you must make certain the girl is indeed the killer before you lay blame.”

“Yes, Mother. I do know this, but I heard her practically confess.”

“
Practically
?”
Trey asked. “But that’s not going to hold up very well with the magistrate, my dear brother.”