if hes wicked (28 page)

“Nay,” agreed Leo. “Are you upset?”

“Upset,” Julian said slowly, tasting the word. “No. I just do not like to see her dead. In truth, I would much rather have had her alive so that she could

turn on Arthur and help us send him to the gal ows.”

“Which is something he would never al ow. He kil ed her not because she erred, but because she was now a threat to him.”

“She knew too much. So did Simone.”

“Simone would not be fool enough to stay long enough for Arthur to see her as a threat. In truth, she may have seen it coming and that is why we

now hear rumors of her being in France. She is clever enough to have seen how it was al fal ing apart and so she slipped away before she was trapped

and kil ed by the debris.”

“Very nicely put,” Julian said as Jake laid Beatrice out on the ground.

“How kind.”

“Thank you, Jake. Can you fetch the blanket from my saddle? I do not believe the women back at the house should see this.” When Julian saw how

Leo frowned at the body, he asked, “Do you see something there that tel s you who did it?”

“Nay. I was just wondering on al the cruel ways it could have been done. By the look on her face and the blood on her wrists where the rope

rubbed them raw, I think she was not even unconscious when he hung her up there. I was just trying to decide if he then walked away or if he stood here

and watched as she vainly struggled against her bonds as she died.”

“Why would you wish to know the rather gruesome details?”

“Because the how could tel us just how dangerously insane your uncle may have become.” Leo crouched by the body as a frowning Jake stood by

with the blanket. “Aye, she was fighting as she strangled to death.” He looked around and noted how empty the land was. “I do not believe he picked this

spot just because he knew it was one of our favorites, either. By kil ing her out here, he did not need to gag her. No one would hear her die.”

“So he could listen to her die?” Julian asked softly, a little horrified by that thought.

Leo moved out of the way so that Jake could wrap the body in the blanket. He brushed off his pants as he replied, “Quite possibly. What do you

think, Jake?”

Jake looked terrified for a moment and then stiffened his stance. “I think he could have done it just like that, m’lord. He was very angry those last

few days he stayed here. He did not yel or the like, but you just knew that the anger was bubbling inside of him. And there were a few times when the way

he looked at her ladyship were right nasty. That were different.”

“Thank you, Jake,” said Julian. “Secure her body to the horse and we wil return to the manor.” He looked at Leo. “So my uncle is undoubtedly

rabid now.”

“I think you guessed that when Chloe told you of her vision in the carriage,” he said softly so that Jake would not hear him. “It might have been

Beatrice who was going to do that, but the note I received today said that the one man they caught implicated your uncle. As the rogue said, the woman

was right cheerful over the plan but the man was cold and precise.”

“You told me nothing of this note.”

“I was planning to when Chloe told us about Beatrice.”

“And just how does one adequately protect oneself from a madman?”

“Just as you have done. You gather everyone in one place, a place that is not easily crept up on, and you surround it with big, wel -armed guards.”

Those words were not as comforting as Julian had hoped for.

Chloe sighed as she watched the men dismount before the house, a blanket-shrouded form draped over the fourth horse. She did not need to see

the body to know it was not a pretty sight. She had already seen most of it in her vision. Chloe just wished her visions would show her the one committing

the crime instead of just the crime. However, with Beatrice dead, there was real y only one person who could be guilty of her death, and any other crime

that happened in the area.

“I am sorry, Julian,” she said as he stepped up to her.

“For what?”

He clenched his hand against the urge to stroke her cheek. They were stil trying to keep their affair secret, but it was hard to keep a distance from

her al day. Glancing at Beatrice’s body being carried into the house, he realized he was free, and then felt guilty. It might be true that Beatrice had earned a hanging a long time ago, but it should not have been done as it was. And if his uncle was trying to send him some sort of message, he should not have

bothered. Hanging his wife from his favorite tree told him nothing he did not already know—that his uncle was a kil er and just might be a madman as wel .

“For what has happened to Beatrice.”

“Do not grieve over her. She was the one who brought herself to this death with her greed and her vanity. Al I am sorry for is that if she died

because she was ready to set free a few of Arthur’s secrets, we have missed a great opportunity to get some important information on him. Nay, she

kil ed whatever it was that I felt for her a very long time ago. But, as the mother of my child, I mean to give her a decent burial.”

“Your mother and Mildred have already said that they wil clean the body up for burial. I thought I might help them but they said I should see that you

and Leo have al you need.”

As they stepped into the house Julian saw his mother leading the men into a room down the hal from his office. “It is not a pretty sight.”

“I told them that, but they informed me that they have prepared bodies for burial before and while they may not have been hanged men or women,

they were gruesome in their own way.” Chloe could not ful y repress a shiver. “I confess that I was just as glad to be turned away. I have never dressed the dead before. Wel , save for my sister, and she just looked as if she was sleeping.”

“As soon as it is safe we wil fetch your sister home,” he said quietly.

Chloe swal owed a sudden surge of tears. “Thank you, Julian.” She took a deep breath to push away that grief. “As soon as I saw you riding up I

had the cook prepare some simple food. You missed your lunch. But perhaps you are not in the mood for it just now.”

“Hardhearted as it may sound, I am hungry.”

“So am I,” said Leo as he joined them.

“It wil be served in the breakfast room.”

After checking to be sure only Leo could see them, Julian kissed her on the check and then strode off toward his bedchamber to wash up. He

performed his ablutions quickly and hurried back downstairs, meeting his pale mother just outside the breakfast room. Without a word, he pul ed her into

his arms and lightly patted her back.

“It was bad,” she said and, after a moment of enjoying his attempt to comfort her, pul ed away. “We can bury her as soon as you wish. I could fetch

the vicar to say a word or two.”

“If that is what you want to do. I am not sure what one can say over the grave of a woman who has harmed as many people as Beatrice has.”

“Not much, true enough, but we should do this al as properly as possible.”

“Agreed. Let me know when the vicar can come and then we wil have a brief service. Send one of the footmen to ask someone to dig the grave in

the family plot. I wil not put her in the crypt with the rest of the Kenwoods.”

“I do not wish her to be put there either, so do not look so guilty.”

He watched her hurry away to prepare a smal service for Beatrice and then shook his head. Beatrice was being treated far better than she

deserved, but he could not bring himself to refuse to give her a proper burial. Whatever punishment she was due for her crimes was no longer his to mete

out. When he stepped into the breakfast room, the tempting scents of food pushed al thought of Beatrice from his mind. A moment later Leo strode in and

he joined the man in devouring much of what had been put out for them.

It was almost dusk when he found himself standing beside Beatrice’s grave while the vicar droned on about sinners and redemption. Except for

the verbosity of the vicar, it was a quick and silent service. Julian threw a handful of dirt on Beatrice’s grave and then left the three stable hands to finish burying her. He would put up a simple headstone later.

Julian glanced down at his mother, who walked on his left side while Chloe strol ed along on his right. “Mother, there is something I have to tel

you,” he said, knowing it was a poor time to mention his marrying Chloe even as he knew he needed to get the vows said as soon as possible. He could

stil hear Leo saying
like rabbits.

Lady Evelyn patted his arm. “Yes, I know, dearest, but at least wait a few days. No one liked Beatrice and al are wel aware of her sins, but

marrying the day after her funeral would be a little rash. Maybe by Saturday.”

“Three days’ wait is better?”

“Much better.”

She hurried away before he could say anything, so he turned to look at Chloe. She was staring at him and looking a little shocked. Julian was

certain she knew he had no lingering feelings for Beatrice, so was not sure why marrying so soon after the woman’s death should trouble her.

“I told you I would marry you as soon as I was free,” he said, hoping he did not sound as defensive as he thought he did.

“I cannot believe you would do so but days after burying her,” said Chloe, although she knew she should not be so surprised or even shocked.

Beatrice had not been a wife to Julian for a very long time.

“Actual y, what I cannot believe is how my mother knew what I was going to say before I even said it.”

“I told you that she and Lady Marston both spoke as if we were already engaged.”

“Ah, so you did. Wel , that explains why she was not shocked at what I wanted to do. She has been anticipating it.”

“Julian, marrying me within days of burying Beatrice wil cause a great scandal.”

“Nonsense. It is not as if one is required to wait by any law I know of, and the world and its mother knows she was no wife to me.”

“I stil think we should wait a while before we have a very quiet ceremony.”

“No. We wil not wait. I am very tired of pretending that we are no more than acquaintances every time anyone save for your cousin is around. I am

also very tired of either you or I having to slip from bedchamber to bedchamber as if we are conducting some il icit affair. We wil be married on Saturday.”

“You are ordering me to marry you?”

“Yes, I believe I am.” Seeing that she was about to release a stream of undoubtedly scathing words, he grabbed her by her arms and gave her a

little shake. “Just calm down.”

Chloe did not feel inclined to calm down. “You cannot order me to get married.”

“Then I shal ask you nicely. Chloe, we have been lovers for weeks.”

“Not that many.”

“Enough. I have made no attempt to pul back or pul out. I have spil ed my seed into you every time we have made love. You could already be

carrying my child.”

She ignored the little tickle of delight over the idea that she might already be carrying his child and frowned at him. “It can take months, even years,

to conceive a child.”

“Your cousin informed me that I might not wish to delay our marriage for too long after I was free to marry again because the Vaughns and the

Wherlockes are al very fertile.”

“Not that fertile,” she said even as her traitorous mind started adding up the multitude of cousins she had.

“Like rabbits,” he said. “Chloe, you know I want to marry you and that it would not be simply because I fear I may have gotten you with child.

However, I would rather endure what little scandal might be stirred up by a hasty wedding than have the whole world counting on their pudgy little fingers

and figuring out our child was born fat and happy after only seven months, or less.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Now you can argue or sulk or do whatever else you want to make your disagreement with my arrangements clear, or you can help my mother arrange the celebration I know she is already

planning. Whichever you decide, we
will
be getting married on Saturday.”

Chloe stared at him as he strode into the house and then cursed. She went around the side of the house and into the garden. Sitting on a bench,

one that did not face the tree that had inspired the vision of Beatrice’s hanging body, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at a smal bush

weighted down with fat white roses.

It took a while before she would admit what was real y troubling her. She was afraid. Now that the actual wedding was drawing near, al the

reasons why she should not marry Julian swamped her mind. On Saturday she would become Julian’s wife—and a countess.

She was so unsuited to become a countess, she thought. As far as Chloe could see there was no way she could escape that fate, either. She had

agreed to the betrothal. Julian was almost eager to get married, if only so he had to cease creeping around in his own home. And Lady Evelyn was

probably already writing up the menu for the wedding breakfast.

For a brief moment she saw a chance to put it al off. They needed a license. Then she cursed. Chloe knew that either Leo or Julian would have

thought of that, and she had no doubt that it was al prepared and just waiting for the time it would be needed.

“You do not look like a woman who is about to marry,” said Leo as he sat down beside her. “It is rather late to be having doubts now. Horse out of

the barn and al that.”

“You told him we breed like rabbits.”

“We do.” He gave her a sympathetic smile. “You know as wel as I that you could already be carrying a child. Your choice could be as simple as a

scandal now or a scandal later.”

“Leo, I wil be a countess.”

He draped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “And you wil be a very good one. You have had al the same lessons and training