A Question of Class (25 page)

This couldn’t be happening. Catherine’s head reeled. She had to focus, stop them from killing each other, but a wave of vertigo hit her before she could speak. She wondered where Sophie was, what she was thinking, if she was scared.

“If you let us go,” said Benjamin, “I’ll give up the evidence and you’ll be done with us. But only if you let us leave from here and never look for us again.”

Morris rubbed his ribs and considered the offer. “You want Catherine, do you?”

“Yes. I do.”

“That sounds like a reasonable offer. I have no use for the girl anymore.”

Catherine knew her husband didn’t mean it, and she wanted to cry out and warn Benjamin, but she couldn’t get the words out.

“It is a reasonable offer,” said Benjamin. “You win both ways.”

“No, don’t do it.” Catherine finally found her voice. “He’ll never let that happen.”

“So little faith,” said Morris. “I think it’s quite fair. Now let’s shake on it, like gentlemen. There’s no need for any more violence.”

Benjamin moved forward, haltingly, toward Morris. When he was a few feet away, Catherine saw Morris make a sudden movement followed by a flash of steel.

“He’s got a knife!” she yelled.

Morris reached forward to slice Benjamin in the gut but Benjamin jumped back just in time.

Catherine retreated out of the way as the two men circled each other.

Morris’s clumsiness contrasted with Benjamin’s catlike maneuvers. But Morris held the knife out in front of him with a strong grip, and steadily forced Benjamin backward, toward a corner of the widow’s walk.

“Stop, Morris, enough,” shouted Catherine.

Benjamin was now a few feet from being trapped and Morris’s face was a mask of fury.

Benjamin grabbed Morris’s arm to try to pry the knife away from him, but Morris held firm. Using his free hand, he grabbed a handful Benjamin’s hair and yanked his head back. Benjamin was pressed against the railing, on the verge of losing his balance, and had to let go of Morris’s arm in order to keep from going over the edge. Morris cocked the arm holding the knife back, ready to stab him in the throat.

“Cathy!”

Sophie burst through the open trap door and onto the widow’s walk. Morris glanced over at her.

“The bottle!” Benjamin yelled.

Catherine scooped up the Yquem in a smooth motion and tossed it in Morris’s direction. The bottle sailed over his shoulder and as Morris turned to grab it, he slammed hard into the railing.

In an instant, he disappeared over the side of the house and was gone.

19

A moment of silence was followed by a dull thud and breaking glass.

Catherine ran toward the railing, but Benjamin stopped her. “Don’t look.”

She fell into his arms and drew Sophie into their embrace.

“I couldn’t stay down there,” Sophie cried. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t.”

Benjamin ran his hand over her hair. “Don’t fret, Sophie. Without you we may not have made it out of here.”

“You’ve proven quite a distraction,” said Catherine. “First Mr. Allen, now Mr. Delcour. Your timing is impeccable.” She lowered her voice and addressed Benjamin. “Are you sure he’s dead?”

Benjamin strode to the railing and peered over. Catherine could tell from the sober look on his face it was over. Her arms were sore where Morris had pinned them down, but he could never hurt her again. Yet no one deserved that kind of ending to it all, the sense of being off balance and the long fall down. It made her sick inside and she wished Sophie had not witnessed such an awful sight.

Benjamin took Catherine in his arms. “Everything’s all right. It’s over now. Delcour would’ve killed one or all of us if we hadn’t stopped him.”

Catherine nodded. “Of course, you’re right.” She wiped her eyes.

“Was that Mr. Delcour?” Sophie’s eyes were wide.

“Yes, it was,” said Catherine.

“Hmm. He wasn’t nice.”

Catherine couldn’t help but laugh. “No, he wasn’t. But we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Do you think there are more bad men coming?”

“It appears my husband came alone. For now, we’re safe. But not for long.”

Back downstairs, Catherine instructed Sophie to gather their belongings from the bedroom. Catherine and Benjamin went into the salon, where Benjamin poured Catherine a drink to quiet her nerves. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I worry what this will do to Sophie, though.”

“This is preferable to what Delcour would have done to you both.”

Catherine nodded. “What happened to Freddie? Is he still here?”

Benjamin shook his head. “I sent him off through the woods. I didn’t want to get him involved.”

“That was kind of you. I had hoped you and Sophie would leave, that you’d get out safely with her.”

Benjamin rubbed her arm gently. His fingers were rough on Catherine’s skin, but his touch was gentle. She liked the combination and her body warmed to his caress.

“I would never have left you,” said Benjamin. “I couldn’t imagine doing that to you, leaving you at his mercy.”

Catherine was astonished at how much she loved this man, how much he meant to her. “We need to leave town immediately.”

“No.” said Benjamin. “Catherine, you’re not going to like what I have to say, but please listen. If we all leave town and Delcour is found dead, they’ll track us down. We have Sophie to consider.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I will take the fall for stealing the Yquem, for Delcour’s death, for everything,” said Benjamin. “You can say I forced you.”

“Why would I do that? You’ll go to jail, and possibly be hanged, while Carpenter will come after me with fangs bared. None of us will be safe.”

“You can expose the fraud. You have all the proof you need. Carpenter will go to jail, and that leaves you as Delcour’s widow. They don’t know anything different. You’ll inherit everything and you and Sophie can live in peace. You’ll never again have to rely on a man like Delcour, so you can make your own decisions and do whatever you like. You’ll be free.”

When he was done speaking, Benjamin’s eyes were dark. Catherine could tell he was tormented by this decision. It went against everything they wanted.

“I’ll only I agree if you leave,” she said. Benjamin started to speak, but she stopped him. “I love you more than anything. You’re the only man I could imagine being with. But we have to part.”

“No. I won’t run away and leave you.”

“If you get sent to prison, it’s the same thing. This way there’s a chance. I’ll say you ran off after Carpenter’s men came after us, and I don’t know where you’ve gone.”

They both sat in silence for a moment.

“You can’t stay, Benjamin. It will only make things worse.”

More than anything, she wanted to run away with Benjamin and Sophie and leave this town forever. But he was right. In order to keep her sister safe, Catherine would have to stay and play her cards carefully. Yet Benjamin’s presence would jeopardize their fragile plan. “Our only hope is if you leave.”

Benjamin lowered his head. Catherine could tell he understood.

“Where can you go?” It was the saddest question Catherine had ever asked.

“I’ll make my way up the coast and get on a ship to France. It’s unsafe to try to do it here.”

“To France,” she said wistfully. She’d dreamed of them going together, finding a small cottage to live in. Teaching Sophie French. It was not to be.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m leaving and you’re going to have to stay here and clean up this mess.”

“It’s the only way.”

“But we’ll be together again,” he said.

Catherine smiled, but she was sure her face betrayed the truth. The future was too cloudy. Who knew where Benjamin would end up, or what would happen to her and Sophie?

“I’ll send for you,” he said. “I’ll get settled and find work, and then I’ll send for you and Sophie. It will only take a matter of months.”

“Do you promise?” she asked.

“I do.”

Catherine closed her eyes, trying to keep from sobbing. Benjamin’s lips touched hers.

Sophie came running down the stairs. “Is Mr. Thomas back for good?”

“I have to leave, Miss Sophie.” Benjamin kissed her head. “But I’ll see you again. In the meantime I’d like you to be a good girl and keep on protecting Cathy for me. Will you do that?”

“Yes, Mr. Thomas. Of course.”

Catherine loved he called her by her nickname, Cathy. It was as if between Sophie and Benjamin calling her by this new name she could tap into the inner resources she’d long kept concealed. “Cathy” was a strong, capable woman who forged her own way in the world.

Catherine went to work. She filled a sack with several items from the house Benjamin could sell to pay for a seat on the coach to Boston. But she avoided taking anything that would raise suspicion or be traced back to the Mount.

At the stable Benjamin harnessed one of the mares to the carriage Catherine had taken to escape the night they met. The wheel had been fixed and Benjamin gave her a wry smile as they both remembered their first meeting, without either of them saying a word.

“I’ll miss you, Cathy.”

“I’ll miss you too,” she said. They kissed in the moonlight, a slow, deep, luxurious kiss that sent a wave of pleasure through Catherine’s body.

She broke away. At the front steps, she turned around and watched as the carriage disappeared into the black night. Catherine sat on the steps and wept.

* * * *

In late October, Catherine and Freddie were outside calculating the supply of wood needed to heat the Mount for the winter when they heard the rattle of a horse and carriage coming down the driveway. Catherine broke into a huge smile.

“Theo!” Catherine clutched her friend to her as soon she alit from the carriage. “It’s so wonderful to see you. But I wrote you and warned you to stay away. I can’t have you tainted by what I’ve done.”

“I’ve never cared much for keeping up appearances, you know that. Now introduce me to your sister, I’ve been waiting far too long to meet her as it is.”

Sophie ran up and Catherine introduced them, then the two friends sauntered into the house arm in arm.

“She looks exactly like you,” said Theodosia, once they were seated in the parlor. Sophie’s humming rose up from the kitchen below where she was making them tea. “How wonderful it is to have someone to take care of.”

“She’s an absolute delight.” Catherine grew serious. “Tell me, Theo, did I make your life awful? Your stepfather—I was so worried about the repercussions from exposing the fraud.”

Theodosia regarded Catherine with gentle eyes. “You did the right thing by going to the magistrate. Yesterday, Mr. Carpenter was found guilty, as expected. It freed me from his surveillance, and I wanted to be the first to tell you the news and thank you.”

“And you are all right? You weren’t caught up in the scandal?”

“No, of course not. Everyone knew Mr. Carpenter only tolerated me. And barely at that.”

“Oh, I’m so relieved. Thank goodness.”

“Rumor has it when you confronted Mr. Delcour about his wine scheme, he became distraught and threw himself off the roof of the Mount.” Theo cocked her head. “I find it hard to believe a man like Mr. Delcour jumped to his death.”

Catherine lowered her voice. “It was awful, Theo. He came after me and fell. Sophie was there as well, and Mr. Thomas. It was an accident. A terrible, terrible accident.”

Sophie came in and delicately poured them both tea before scampering back to the kitchen to check on some scones she’d been baking.

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through,” said Theodosia. “What happened after you left the ball?”

Catherine described how Benjamin had helped her track down and rescue Sophie. She also explained the important role Theo’s cryptic note had played in their saga. She didn’t mention she and Benjamin had fallen in love. It’d been three months and she had yet to receive a letter. Perhaps she was being impatient, and the crossing had taken longer than expected, or his letter had been lost, but every day Catherine had prayed for some kind of word from him, something to say he was safe in France and still thinking of her. By now, though, she was sure Benjamin had moved forward in his life without her.