The Sweetest Love (Sons of Worthington Series) (36 page)

A few tears leaked from Diana’s eyes.
Her poor, misguided friend.
What had caused Lady
Dashwood
to go mad like this?

Diana glanced at Tristan. His gaze met hers and he pulled her tighter against his side. Comfort washed over her, yet she knew he was losing too much blood, and he wouldn’t be strong if they couldn’t convince Claudia to stop this insanity.

She looked back at her friend. “Claudia, please put the knife down. Killing Tristan will not help cleanse the world of ruthless men, because he is nothing like your husband or Ludlow. Tristan is a kind and loving and
gentle
man…unlike any I’ve met before.”

Claudia stepped closer and into the moon’s light. Her scowl was deep, and frightening. “Diana step away so I can do what I came here to do.”

Diana moved in front of Tristan. He tried to pull her away, but his grip wasn’t as strong. Definitely, he was losing his strength fast.

“If you still intend on killing him then you shall have to kill me first. I refuse to move!”

“Diana,” Claudia said in a harsh voice, “I beg you, move away from Lord Tristan.”

Diana lifted her chin stubbornly. “I will not.” She studied her friend closely and although Lady
Dashwood
was determined, her bottom lip quivered.

“It will sadden me greatly to kill you.”

“Then don’t, Claudia. Just leave us be.”

“You know I cannot.
Especially now.
If I don’t kill Tristan, he will have me put in prison. And if I leave you alive, you will hate me.” Lady
Dashwood
shook her head. “Both of you must die!”

Just as Claudia lunged toward them, Tristan pushed Diana to the ground and stumbled in front of her. He captured Lady
Dashwood’s
wrist and struggled with the lady to make her drop the weapon. Diana could tell Tristan was losing his strength, but he tried his hardest to fight Claudia.

Diana’s vision blurred from her tears, and she swiped the liquid away as she stood. Claudia and Tristan had moved farther away as each one fought for control. But just as Diana feared, Tristan’s weakened body crumbled to the ground. Victory shone on Claudia’s face as she raised the knife toward Tristan.

“No!” Diana screamed, and could have sworn someone else had screamed with her.

From out of nowhere, the sound of a pistol boomed through the air. Seconds later, Claudia cried out as the knife dropped from her hand. She fell to the ground, clutching her bloody hand.

Diana swung toward where the sound of the pistol had come from as Tabitha ran closer, holding the still smoking weapon.

“Tabitha?” Diana gasped. “What are you doing here?”

Tabitha peeked down at Claudia lying on the ground and kicked the knife away from the woman, and then turned her focus on Diana. “Is that the only thing you can think of to say at this moment?” She arched an eyebrow.

Diana wanted to laugh…wanted to cry…wanted to run to Tabitha and hug her. But before she did all that, there was one thing more important to do.

She hurried to Tristan. He was very weak but still alert. She fell to the ground beside him and lifted his head to place on her lap. She grasped the end of her petticoat and ripped a long piece off the garment. “Give me your arm, Tristan.”

Without waiting for him to fully
raise
it, she carefully wrapped the strip of her cloth around the wound tightly.

More footsteps padded on the dewy grass followed by wheezing of air flow coming from a man. Diana looked up and met the wide-eye stare of Sir Felix, the magistrate.

“It’s about time you showed up,” Tabitha snapped. She pointed to Lady
Dashwood
who appeared to have passed out. “There is your killer.”

“Yes…I know,” Sir Felix huffed.

Diana shook her head.
“How…how…when did you release Tabitha?”
She looked to the maid. “What is going on?”

“Not too long ago, I received a visitor,” the magistrate began. “Sally—a former servant of Lord Elliot’s—came to see me, begging for Tabitha’s release. Sally had witnessed Lady
Dashwood
killing Lord Elliot, but feared to tell anyone because the young girl thought she would be the next to die.” He took a deep breath, his large chest lifting and falling slowly. He knelt beside Claudia and slapped wrist irons on her arms to keep her from doing any more harm. Letting out a slow breath, he turned his attention to Tristan. “Worthington? Are you all right?”

“He has been stabbed,” Diana answered for Tristan. “He will need medical help immediately.”

“I shall fetch a doctor,” Tabitha said before taking a step to run.

“Tabitha, don’t go yet,” Tristan said weakly.

The maid slowly turned back as her gaze fell on Tristan. “Why?”

“Sir Felix, will you please go fetch a doctor for me?” Tristan asked. “Now that Lady
Dashwood
has wrist irons on, I don’t think she’ll be going very far.”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll hurry.” He stood and rushed up the hill toward the house.

“Tabitha,” Tristan continued, grimacing as he held his hand tighter. “I want to know why you saved me when I was the one who accused you of murder last night.”

“Because…because I knew Diana loved you with all of her heart and you two deserve to be together.”

Tristan shook his head. “It’s more than that. Tell me, Tabitha. What made you change your mind about me when I know you have always loathed me?”

Diana watched as different emotions flittered across Tabitha’s face. Tears filled her eyes and she bit her bottom lip. Diana also wanted to know why her maid had saved Tristan’s life. “Please Tabitha, tell me. Tell Tristan. I have known for a while now that something has been bothering you, and I think it’s time to let us know so we can help you.”

A tear slipped from Tabitha’s eyes and her expression changed to relief. Diana held her breath…anticipating Tabitha’s confession.

* * * *

Tristan waited for the maid to speak. His arm hurt terribly, and he had lost a lot of blood already. He really should not worry about Tabitha and seek medical help as soon as possible, but something in his heart told him to hear her out.

“Please, Tabitha,” he said. “I would like to know. You have done a very heroic thing by saving my life. Will you not think of me as a friend now?”

Indecision played on her expression for the longest time, and he wondered if she would say anything at all. Finally, she took a deep breath. She remained standing as she stared down into Tristan’s eyes.

“For many years,” she began, “I thought of you and your brothers as irresponsible men who didn’t have a care in the world. I wanted to believe all three of you were carefree, foolish men with no sense of decorum. In my mind, you were all worthless creatures who slithered along the ground and it wasn’t worth my time to even spit upon you.”

Shocked, Tristan’s eyes widened. What on earth could have made her feel that way toward his family? “Go on,” he urged, wondering if he even wanted to hear more.

“But then I got to know you a little and I realized you were not as I had expected. I heard stories about your brothers, but they were different as well.”

Shaking his head, he still couldn’t understand.
“But why, Tabitha?
What have I ever done to make you think that I was such a terrible person?”

“Because growing up, I’d heard how much you and your brothers were just like your father. Forgive me of speaking ill of the dead, my lord, but your father was the scum of the earth, and since his sons were supposed to be just like him…” She shrugged. “Naturally, my first instinct was to hate you.”

“Tabitha,” Diana inquired, “why would you even care about the Worthington brothers, and more importantly, their father?”

“Did you know my father?” Tristan asked warily.

Hesitantly, Tabitha nodded. “When I was a little girl, he visited my mother quite frequently.”

Tristan groaned as sadness filled his heart. He figured he knew her story already, but he decided not to say anything, and to let her continue.

“My mother was extremely naïve, and she believed the old duke when he told her he would leave his wife and marry my mother.” Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Even as a girl I knew he would never leave a wife of good-breeding to marry a servant. Regardless, my mother continued to wait for the time she and the duke could be together. He would bring me trinkets and try to win my love and acceptance. At first, I wanted to since I had no father. Thankfully, within a few years I learned the truth.” A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

“What truth?” Tristan asked.

“That the Duke of Kensington…was my f—father.”

Stunned, Tristan lay still not believing what his ears had heard.
She couldn’t possibly have said what he thought she said…that she was his sister? Beside him Diana gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. Her shocked gesture confirmed everything. He hadn’t imagined the words coming from Tabitha.

“M—my
sister
?
You…you are my s—sister?”

“Yes.”

Tabitha pushed her fingers through her dark brown hair, pulling it off her face. Tristan could now see her facial features…eyes that resembled Trey’s…a mouth that reminded him of Trevor’s. And he couldn’t forget her stubbornness that was too much like
his.

“I have a sister,” he muttered to himself, still not quite believing. Yet looking at her now, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she indeed was relation.

“I have a sister,” he exclaimed and struggled to sit up. Diana helped him until he was steady to stay aright by himself. He held out his good hand toward Tabitha. “I
finally
have a sister!”

A sob tore from Tabitha’s throat as she fell to her knees and grasped his hand. He pulled her in for a hug and she wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck. Hot tears dampened his skin, but he didn’t care. Emotion clogged in his throat and he didn’t dare say anything without his voice cracking.

Diana sat back as she let brother and sister share a tender moment. He smiled at her and gave her a wink. Tears streamed down her face and she covered her mouth with her hands, but he could see her happiness through the twinkle in her eyes.

Tabitha pulled back and wiped the tears off her face. “For years I hated you and your brothers because you were living the life I would never have. I knew the old duke wouldn’t tell his family about his illegitimate daughter, and I really didn’t want to claim the
Worthingtons
as family, either.”

He cupped her face. “Can I share a little secret with you? I had a difficult time claiming my father, as well.”

Tabitha
hiccupped
a laugh.

“However, I shall be very proud to tell all of England that you are my sister.”

Tabitha shook her head as color left her face.
“Oh no, my lord.
I don’t want you to do that. I wouldn’t be able to handle the ridicule.”

“We shall talk about this later.” He smiled through the pain in his arm that made his limb turn numb. “But right now, if the two of you will help me into the house, I would love to lie down as I wait for a doctor.”

“Oh, heavens.”
Tabitha stood and dried her face. “I shall go help the magistrate fetch the doctor—”

“No.” Tristan quickly grabbed her hand. “Stay. I would like my sister to assist Diana.”

As Tristan struggled to stand with an arm around each woman, he felt complete for the first time in his life. On his right he held the woman who would always be in his heart, and soon to be his wife, and on his left, he held the one thing he’d wanted when he was a young boy…
A younger sister.

Epilogue

Two days later, Tristan was finally able to move around. He didn’t like feeling weak—both mentally and physically—and he was very happy when he found the strength to dress
himself
and leave his bedroom.

Since the night he was stabbed, his beautiful Diana had been coming to the house every day, caring for him. More so than the good doctor, thank heavens. Indeed she was an angel.
His
very own angel.

When he walked into the dining room and saw his two brothers sitting at the table, Tristan paused at the door. His brothers wore expressions that Tristan didn’t like. They didn’t appear gloomy, but more confused or frustrated.

“Good day,” Tristan greeted and he walked in and took his seat at the table.

The other two nodded greetings.

“I must say, Trey, I’m surprised that Hawthorne isn’t with you. In fact, I haven’t seen him since after we left Diana’s cottage.”

Trey shrugged. “
Nic
was called away suddenly.
Something to do with his family in New Castle.
I don’t know when he’ll return.”

“I shall have to write him a letter, then.” Tristan smiled.

“How are you faring today my dear brother?” Trevor asked.

“So much better than before.”
Tristan’s smile dropped as he eyed his brothers warily. “Why do you ask? Are you both going to tell me something I don’t want to hear?”