Wicked Deception (55 page)

Catherine clutched the valise to her,
nodding as she bit her lip, tears filling her green eyes. “What
will happen now?”

“
Another will take over soon
enough when word gets out,” Ty said grimly and shrugged at her
wounded look. “It is the way of it. It was only a matter of time
before he let his guard down and someone got to him.”

“
Where will you go now?” she
asked with tears falling freely, feeling miserable beyond
words.

Ty smiled at her for the first time
since she met him. “I can’t tell you that. But I can tell you he
was the happiest I have ever seen him these last weeks with you and
your children. It was because of you. You gave that to him. I thank
you for that, Catherine.”

“
I don’t know how to feel
about all of this,” she whispered and felt tormented. Caspian’s
death came on the heels of so many other deaths of those she cared
for. The numbness had not worn off.

“
You gave him comfort and
peace before he died and that is what he hoped for,” Ty replied and
smiled down at the woman he tried so hard to hate.

The guards chased and caught Jacques
Dumas before he managed to flee back to London. None knew Roth was
dead yet. Ty wanted to keep it that way, determined none would know
until other matters were resolved. She didn’t want to know what
they did to Jacques Dumas, nor would she ask.

“
He knew he would die,
didn’t he?” she asked in a shocked whisper. “All this time he
protected me; he knew.”

“
It was inevitable. The
nature of his business aside, he had many enemies within his own
organization. It was just a matter of time,” Ty told her, a grim
look in his eyes.

“
I’m glad he had a friend
like you in his life, Ty,” she whispered and smiled softly,
thinking of her lover.

Ty smiled sadly. “I think you should
know that he loved you, Catherine. He knew what would happen if he
became distracted. He found you worth it in the end. For that I can
say nothing. Think of him kindly, dear lady. His last thoughts were
of you.”

Catherine nodded and accepted the
valise as he asked. She was grateful they managed to keep the death
of Caspian Roth from the children. His body was taken away by his
men and she wasn’t privy to where his final resting place would
be.

The secrecy of it was necessary. Ty
explained as they made their way home. Caspian’s enemies were
everywhere and many. If any hint of his death was known too soon, a
war on the streets would erupt for those who would try to take
over.

Mrs. Gates was helped by the servants.
Her shoulders seemed to droop as she walked up the steps to her
home, the valise heavy in her arms, tears pouring by the time she
got inside.

Catherine passed her Uncle in the foyer
without a word. She went to the pianoforte in the ballroom that
gathered dust. She set the valise down, her sobs heard from beyond
the room. She wiped at her tears and opened the leather
satchel.

She took out the sheet music inside
with trembling hands, her gaze blurred as she saw the piece he
wrote for her. She sat at the pianoforte, grimacing to know she
hadn’t practiced in years. Soon the strains of the music Caspian
wrote for her drifted from the ballroom, echoing throughout the
house. By the time she finished it, she felt drained by the
haunting, sweet melody.

It was her gift to him as he made his
way from this world, giving her the chance to thank him for keeping
her alive, and to have known him at all. Sadness filled her gaze as
she put the music away, knowing she would treasure it
always.

Devlin watched from the doorway of the
ballroom. She could see her Uncle was worried sick about her. She
smiled and got up from the bench, wiping away her tears as he
approached.

“
Are ye alright, Cat?” he
asked worriedly. “Why do ye cry? Did you have a pleasant stay at
Iverleigh’s estate?”

“
I had one of the best times
of my life, Uncle Devlin.” Catherine smiled through her tears and
ran into her uncle’s arms, her sobs reminding him she still grieved
Nicholas sorely. He naturally assumed she was missing her husband
at that moment as he held her, telling her everything would be
alright. They walked from the ballroom and she went up to her room
to lie down, glad no one expected her to explain why she was
upset.

No one knew she wept for Caspian
Roth.

It saddened her they had such little
time together. The man brought her back to life after Nicholas
died. She would never forget him, reminded every time she played
his music how he saved more than just her life. Her lover and
protector would have rolled his eyes at such a sentimental gesture,
she knew. Even he couldn’t control everything.

Catherine busied herself with closing
the house now, drained by Caspian’s death, saddened he had so few
moments like theirs before he met his tragic end. She was helping
the maids pack her husband’s study finally. Everything else had
already been put in crates at the warehouse by the
docks.

She lingered over the items she removed
from Nicholas’s desk lovingly. She could part with none of it when
the time came to pack it all away. There was no point in choosing
what stayed and went now. Hennessey interrupted her musings. She
had a visitor in the salon, he said.

She left the maids to finish up and
brushed her hands upon her heavy black skirts. Entering her salon,
she drew up short at the sight of the odd little man there. He was
a wiry man with a balding pate and an ill-fitting suit. He stood up
as she entered.

“
Yes, can I help you, sir?”
she asked as she came forward.

The man smiled and fumbled with his
card. “Yes, my name is Theodore Winetraub, Mrs. Van Ryker. I
handled all the legitimate business affairs for Mr.
Roth.”

Her face fell, thinking of her dear
friend and lover once more. She still could not believe he was
gone. A frown of confusion marred her forehead. “I don’t think I
understand you, Mr. Winetraub. Why are you here?”

The man smiled and put her at ease.
They sat and he took papers out of his case, eyeing her sadly. “The
nature of my business is often a sad one, Mrs. Van Ryker. I handle
Mr. Roth’s will at this moment. He has made certain bequests to
you.”

“
To me?” she asked dumbly
and watched as Mr. Winetraub handed her several documents. “There
must be some mistake.”

“
No, there is no mistake,”
he assured her. “Mr. Roth came to me only a matter of weeks ago and
changed the disposition of his assets. He has left you one of his
properties north of here, a castle I believe. I do not know what
condition it is in, but the property has considerable value. He
wished you to have it.”

Catherine was stunned. He must have
known he would die even then. Tears misted in her eyes. “I don’t
know what to say.”

“
Mr. Roth also left you as
trustee in charge of a large monetary trust set aside for a
conservatory project he undertook before his death. He had no one
he could trust to see it through if anything…ah…well…” the man
broke off from his explaining, flushed at her pained expression.
“The music conservatory was to break ground in the spring. Due to
Mr. Roth’s demise, the builder cannot continue with the project
without your signature authorizing it.”

“
Yes of course,” she
murmured, overwhelmed Caspian left this matter to her, touched he
trusted her to see his dream accomplished.

“
I just need your signatures
here, dear lady, and we can conclude this,” the man went on as he
showed her the plans for the music conservatory. She wanted to see
Caspian’s dream built; hear the music created there in his memory.
“There is just one more thing before I leave.”

Catherine signed the last document and
handed it to him. “Yes, Mr. Winetraub, what is it?”

“
Mr. Roth left the naming of
the school to you. The builder and planners are very interested to
know what that will be.”

Catherine smiled softly. “I think The
Roth Conservatory will be a fine name for the institution. I would
like to donate Mr. Roth’s works, if I may. He left me his music
before his death, you see”

“
Those would be greatly
appreciated by the students,” Mr. Winetraub allowed with a small
smile. “Mr. Roth was a talented artist. It is only natural his
works be offered in their personal library there. You’re most
generous, Mrs. Van Ryker. Mr. Roth would be pleased his final
wishes were seen to. I know it was one of his greatest worries and
prompted him to make these changes. A man like him had no one he
could trust.”

Catherine rang for the maid to fetch
the bag in her room. She returned with the satchel for Mr.
Winetraub. It contained all the pieces he’d written in the last six
months. In the end, Catherine could not part with the one he wrote
for her during their stay at the castle. She put it aside and gave
the rest to the man.

Winetraub accepted the satchel and
beamed. “Our business here is concluded, dear lady. Here is the
deed to the property. I wish you the best of luck in the future,
Mrs. Van Ryker. Thank you for your time and good day.”

Catherine’s hand trembled as she
accepted the thick packet of papers. Mr. Winetraub was shown out by
Hennessey. She looked at the deed to the castle Caspian left to her
and tears glistened in her eyes.

Her grief was compounded to know in the
last days of his life, Caspian made such arrangements, knowing his
death was inevitable. He thought of nothing but her. She got up and
put the papers away in a safe place. One day she would return to
his castle, hear the music within her heart, and know the moments
measured there were innumerable.

Lilly glared as she sat up in the bed,
her eyes filled with disgust as Christian dressed.

“
We have yet to talk about
that man you hired. I do not dare show my face anywhere near her
now. The guards surround her night and day.”

He chuckled and slid on his shirt, his
one hand working the buttons as his hook held the
fabric.

“
Dear Lil, you come to me
with open legs and an empty purse. I told you the deed is as good
as done. The man will be waiting at the ship to get her before she
sails. You must try to relish this, my dear.”

She relaxed then, smiling as she lay
back against the pillows. She’d been staying here with him since
she revealed she was alive. Her former lover assured her Catherine
would die very soon. Her little sister was due to sail in four days
time. Lilly was annoyed it was taking so long. She sat up and
raised an eyebrow.

“
I’m anxious for this to be
concluded, naturally.”

“
Then you must keep your
promise to me and leave, Lil,” he reminded her, his blue eyes
narrowed. “I do not need you spoiling my plans for Gabriel and his
wife. I know how you like your little intrigues and dramas, but the
stage is set, the cast already chosen. Your help is not needed by
me.”

She made a face and rolled her eyes.
“You worry the others will learn I’m alive and turn on you. Really,
darling, I do not know why you harbor such fear of these
men.”

He smiled with a hard expression in his
gaze. “They make Rudd and Dartmouth look like choir boys, Lil. You
would do well to listen to me in this. I have made all the
arrangements for you to sail. The ship leaves tomorrow night. Be on
it and trust that I will finish this to your
satisfaction.”

“
How can I trust you in
this?” she asked with a questioning gleam in her eyes, resistant to
his assertions he would see it done.

Christian smiled benevolently and
raised a sandy brow, his handsome face guileless. “Because if you
don’t go, you will be caught, Lil. She has powerful friends helping
her now. No, it is best you take your former deal with Van Ryker
and leave.”

Lilly said nothing as Christian left
for a series of appointments. His servants all stayed away from his
rooms while she was here. None knew he had a lady staying here at
his luxurious manor in the city. She fought the urge to stay and
see to her plans, worrying her lower lip.

She had no reason to trust Christian,
despite his hiring an able assassin who waited at the docks for her
sister on Saturday. The risk of Nicky catching her now was too
great to ignore. She had only narrowly escaped her rooms before his
brothers closed in on her.

Her eyes darkened with the knowledge
she would get no further offers of leniency from her former lover.
He would kill her now, she knew. The only consolation she had when
she sailed away tomorrow was the knowledge her sister would indeed
die once and for all.

~ ~ ~

Christian eyed the man across from him
in his coach with a start. The man knew how to creep up on a
person. He knew fear as those crystalline green eyes met his
without emotion in their depths. The man smiled pleasantly as he
reclined comfortably against the seat as his coach moved away from
the curb outside his home.

“
Did you impress our fair
countess to be on that ship tomorrow night, Lord Lyndon?” the
rasping voice demanded in a menacing tone.