Loving the Marquess (30 page)

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Louisa looked up from her embroidery and stared at her
husband, who was sitting behind his desk reading more reports. Her heart
expanded as she took in his dark good looks. Lines of fatigue bracketed his
mouth, the only evidence that he’d stayed up all night watching over her, but
he’d refused her suggestion that he rest. She knew she’d be able to tempt him
into bed if she promised to join him, but she was still enduring the
aftereffects of her recent poisoning. Her head throbbed and her entire body was
leaden. She shuddered again as she thought about how close she may have come to
dying. After all those weeks she’d spent worrying about Nicholas’s health, it
would have been the height of irony if she’d been the one to succumb to his
supposed illness.

She smiled when Nicholas looked up from his reading and met
her gaze.

“You should rest,” he said, concern etched on his face.

“I was just thinking the same of you.”

He pushed his chair back from the desk, stood, and walked
over to where she sat.

“Fine, you win,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “We
will ask Catherine to oversee the preparation of dinner and retire for an
afternoon nap.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You’re going to wait
until I fall asleep and come back downstairs.”

He placed a hand over his heart and widened his eyes,
appearing very much like a contrite child. “You wound me with your distrust.”

Louisa couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. The
day had been a difficult one, and not only because of the lasting physical
effects from the night before. The knowledge that someone, Nicholas’s own
cousin no less, had tried to hurt the two of them—had, in fact, succeeded in
killing Nicholas’s parents and his brother—hung like a dark cloud over
everything. She found it almost impossible to believe. Nicholas smiled at her
and her breath hitched. Even if he didn’t return her love, she told herself they
were good together. If they could stop the poisonings, it was possible the two
of them could have a long, happy life together. She had to cling to that hope.

She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up.
Nicholas opened the study door but stopped, his head tilted to one side.

“What is the matter?” she asked.

She heard it then. The sound of several angry voices
carrying from the front of the house. Their eyes met.

“Do you think…?”

“I intend to find out.”

Nicholas strode from the room. She was only a step behind
him.

Her first impression was one of chaos. The front hall was
filled with people, and several voices vied to be heard above the others.
Edward Manning was cursing profusely, his face red with rage. His mother’s
voice, shrill with indignation, matched his in volume. Mary was the sole member
of that family who remained quiet. She hung back from the crowd, her face
serene. The group included Nicholas’s grandmother, the Earl of Brantford, and
Kerrick.

Silence descended when the group noticed Nicholas and
Louisa’s entrance, but only for a moment.

“What are you playing at, Cousin?” Edward asked.

“I demand an apology,” Elizabeth Manning screeched. “How
dare you have my son dragged here like a common criminal—”

“Enough.”

Nicholas’s voice was barely raised, but the command in his
tone brought instant obedience. Looking at him now, Louisa found it hard to
believe he hadn’t been raised from the cradle to be the next Marquess of
Overlea. The silence was absolute as all eyes fixed on Nicholas, who stood tall
and unyielding, his demeanor that of someone who would brook no defiance.

Nicholas turned to face Brantford. “What happened?”

Elizabeth took a step forward and interrupted before the
other man could reply.

“This… this
person
accosted your cousin—”

Her voice died when Nicholas turned the full brunt of his
icy anger on her.

“When I am ready to hear you speak, madam, I will ask for
your version of events.”

His aunt took a breath to reply, but she changed her mind
and wisely chose to remain silent. Given her husband’s current mood, Louisa
wouldn’t have been surprised if Nicholas locked her away in one of the manor’s
many rooms to keep her silent.

The Earl of Brantford had been leaning against a wall, an
expression of extreme boredom on his face. He straightened when Nicholas turned
his attention back to him. Louisa was surprised to see that he was almost as
tall as her husband. That, however, was where the similarity between the two
men ended. Whereas Nicholas had dark hair and dark eyes, Brantford was fair.
Light to her husband’s darkness. His hair was cut fashionably short and his
eyes were the palest of blue. Louisa had no doubt that those eyes could cut
right through a person.

“Your cousin’s residence was quiet until noon, at which time
I observed the servants carrying trunks from the house. As there were two
carriages prepared, one for the family and one for the luggage that was being
stowed for travel. I could only surmise that a very long absence was planned.
When your cousin and his family entered their carriage I had them brought here
instead.”

Nicholas raised a brow at that, but Brantford replied before
he could ask the question.

“I had a pleasant discussion with the coachman and he agreed
to let me drive the coach.”

Nicholas nodded.

Edward had remained silent long enough. “Now see here,
Overlea,” he began, his face still red with rage. “This is taking our family
disagreement a little far. We do not have to beg for your approval to move
about.”

Nicholas’s voice was unnaturally calm when he replied, and
Louisa knew he was keeping his anger tightly in check. “Where were you going?”

Edward sputtered. “I don’t have to answer to you—”

Her husband moved so quickly Edward did not have a chance to
evade him. Nicholas was nose to nose with his cousin, his arms grabbing the
edges of the other man’s coat to hold him in place.

“My patience with you is at an end,” he said, his voice a
low growl.

Aunt Elizabeth broke in. “If you must know, we were going to
town,” she said, disdain lacing each word. “Edward has been bored here and we
must start making arrangements for a new wardrobe for Mary’s Season next
spring.”

It was several moments before Nicholas released his cousin
and took a step back.

“I thought you had no place to stay while in town.”

“We are not totally without connections,” his aunt replied.

“Would you care to explain why you were having our house
watched by this
ruffian
?” Edward asked.

The man in question took a step forward. “The Earl of
Brantford,” he said, bowing with a flourish. “I am pleased to make your
acquaintance.

Edward’s eyes bulged slightly, which made Louisa very
curious. Whereas before he’d been the picture of indignant anger, he now seemed
clearly uneasy.

“Why have you decided that we be kept a prisoner here in
Kent?” Edward asked.

Nicholas ignored him and turned, instead, to Lord Kerrick.
“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

“Indeed,” Kerrick said. “I wouldn’t be here now if not for
your footman. By the time I’d managed to track him down, Tate was already on
his way back with Harrison.”

Louisa’s eyes were on Edward as Lord Kerrick spoke, but if
Nicholas’s cousin was worried about that piece of news he betrayed nothing by
his expression. If anything, he seemed completely confused.

“And?” Nicholas prodded.

“And the man was most cooperative. After telling us
everything, Tate took him to the local magistrate.” Kerrick paused only briefly
before continuing. “You were right, Nicholas, about the poisoning.”

Louisa sucked in her breath. Intellectually, after what had
happened to her, she’d known her husband was correct in his suspicions, but to
have them confirmed… A part of her hadn’t wanted to believe it was true. To
know without a doubt that such evil and jealousy existed in the world.

She hadn’t realized that Catherine had come into the hallway
until that moment. Her sister came to her side and squeezed her hand. Louisa
could see that she was also very troubled by what she was witnessing.

“Damn it all,” Edward said. “Will someone tell me what in
blazes is going on?”

Nicholas turned back to Edward. The corners of his mouth
curved up, but there was no satisfaction on his face, only grim determination.
Louisa wanted so much to go to him, but she held back, knowing he had to do
this on his own.

“Game over, Cousin,” he said, his voice almost weary. “We
know about the poison. You’ll hang for this. You’ve murdered not one, but two
marquesses and attempted to kill a third.”

The color drained from Elizabeth Manning’s face, but Edward
continued to protest his innocence. “You are insane,” he said, the first hint
of fear touching his eyes. “You can’t possibly hope to make people believe I
poisoned anyone, and especially not my own uncle and cousins.”

“We have proof that Nicholas was being poisoned,” Kerrick
said. “We have the poison itself. Harrison, being the fool that he is, still
had it on him. He was hoping to dispose of it once he left Kent. And he
confessed that he was paid handsomely to add a small quantity to Nicholas’s
brandy so that everyone would believe he was ill. His eventual death would,
therefore, be attributed to that mysterious illness.”

Edward’s gaze swung wildly between Kerrick and Nicholas.

“You are both mad. I didn’t poison anyone.”

“Actually,” Kerrick said, “I already know that.”

Now it was Nicholas and Louisa’s turn to stare at him in
confusion.

“You just said that Harrison confessed,” Nicholas said.

“He did, but he wasn’t being paid by Edward.”

At that explosive piece of news all eyes turned to Elizabeth
Manning. The woman’s anger flared higher still and she made no pretense of
hiding her hatred.

“I had nothing to do with any poisonings. If this person
hopes to pin the blame for his own actions on me, he is sadly mistaken.”

Kerrick shook his head. “No, not you. I know you are
innocent. Your daughter, however, is not.”

“Mary? That is preposterous!”

Mary had been standing silently in the background, taking in
the whole scene as though she was merely a spectator. Now that she was thrust
into the spotlight, however, her entire bearing changed. Louisa could only
stare in horrified fascination as the formerly meek woman transformed right
before their eyes. She took a step forward and stood with her head held high.
Her voice rang out in a volume they had never before heard from her.

“I obviously dallied much too long. I should have finished
you off months ago,” she said, hatred and something else blazing in her eyes.

It took few seconds for Louisa to recognize it. Madness.
From the expressions on the faces of Mary’s mother and brother, it was clear
they were equally shocked.

“What are you saying, Mary?” Elizabeth’s voice was unsteady.
“Stop this nonsense at once.”

Mary laughed and the sound caused a frisson of disquiet to
race down Louisa’s spine.

“Nonsense? You didn’t think bartering me off to a hated
cousin, then attempting to do the same with a second one, was nonsense. Oh no,
I’m the meek, mild Mary. I’m supposed to stand back and allow you to sell me
off so you can have more spending money.”

“Mary!”

Edward was stunned at his sister’s words. She turned to face
him, her composure back in place.

“You should thank me, brother dear. With this family out of
the way, you were next in line to inherit. We’d both have been free then. You
to do whatever you wish without monetary restraint and me from being forced to
marry.”

“You did this horrible thing for me? Murder? What the hell
were you thinking?”

“Don’t be stupid, Edward, I did it for me. Don’t look at me
that way, Mother. When Nicholas slipped out of your grasp and married someone
else, we both know you were intending to marry me off to the next highest
bidder once we hit town. No doubt some old goat who would maul me.”

After her stunning outburst, Mary turned to leave, but
Brantford had moved behind her while she spoke and now barred her exit.

“I’m going to have to insist that you accompany me to the
magistrate,” he said. His tone was even, but even in her madness Mary could see
that he was not a man to be crossed. She said nothing further as the earl led
her from the house. Louisa couldn’t tell if she failed to recognize the
consequences that lay ahead for her or if she simply didn’t care.

Nicholas turned to Louisa and took hold of her hands,
squeezing them lightly. She could tell from his expression that the revelation
it was mild-mannered Mary who’d been behind the poisonings had shaken him.

“Kerrick and I need to go with them,” he said.

Louisa nodded. Of course. The magistrate would need to know
everything Nicholas had experienced over the past months and what had led to
his suspicions he was being poisoned. And there were also the two attempts on
her life.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Try to get some rest while I
am gone. I know you’re still not feeling well.”

He dropped a quick kiss on her lips before releasing her,
and Louisa watched him leave without a word. She’d thought she would be
relieved when the danger they faced was over, but she wasn’t. New doubts
flooded her mind and her heart. Now that Nicholas knew he was healthy, would he
regret his hasty decision to marry her? Her mood sank as she contemplated that
possibility.

* * *
* *

So much had happened over the past few months that it was
almost impossible for Louisa to take it all in. After Mary’s dramatic
confession and exit, Edward and Elizabeth had left without another word. Along
with the now-deceased Henry Manning, their family had resented Nicholas’s
branch of the family with a hatred that went beyond reason. It was clear,
however, that no one had imagined their hatred would infect Mary, the most
fragile member of the family, in such a manner.