“So?” Oliver’s voice brought him back to the here and now. “Why did you ask me to come? I assume it is not because you wished to share the good news of your improved spirits with me.”
Remembering why he had asked Oliver to come, Frederick drew a deep breath and his lips thinned as he collected his thoughts. Apparently, Oliver could read him quite well after all because he instantly grew serious, almost nervously fidgeting in his chair as he waited for Frederick to speak.
“I know I have not been myself lately,” Frederick began. “Many things escaped my notice, and I’ve only now come to realise that there are still things that I have left unresolved.”
“Such as?”
Leaning forward, Frederick rested his elbows on his knees, his eyes fixed on Oliver’s. “Do you remember, during your last visit you suggested that…someone might have manipulated the saddle girth?”
Oliver’s eyes went wide, and he leaned forward as well. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know,” Frederick admitted, and some of the tension left Oliver’s shoulders. “The strangest thing happened when we had a tea party here the other day.”
“So I’ve heard.” The hint of a smile came to Oliver’s face. “Women only? That must have been a sight.”
A strained chuckle escaped Frederick. “It was. However, what annoyed me most was my wife’s insistence that I stay away.”
“Well, you’re a man,” Oliver pointed out flatly.
“But it’s my house!”
“So?”
“So I should be able to go wherever I please!”
Oliver chuckled before he swallowed and his face grew serious again. “I heard Charlotte was here.”
Frederick nodded. “I believe Ellie invited her. After all, the whole point of having that tea party was to give Maryann the opportunity to mingle without the pressure of looking for a husband. I suppose Ellie thought Charlotte would benefit as well. However, from the way she sat by herself, I don’t believe she appreciated the invitation. I couldn’t help but wonder why she accepted it.”
“She has not been out in society since Kenneth died,” Oliver stated. “It is a shame they did not get married before he left. After all, she is a most diligent widow.”
“Well, it is her right to mourn him, do you not agree?”
“I certainly do,” Oliver said. “However, her parents seem to be of a different mind.”
“What do you mean?” Frederick asked, feeling a chill run down his back. If only they had been married, Charlotte would have been afforded all the respect due a grieving widow. Maybe she would have even been with child, thereby securing her own future as well.
“From what I heard, her parents are strongly encouraging her to accept Lord Northfield’s proposal,” he explained, and Frederick’s eyes went wide. “I know! That man has no honour! It baffles me why her parents would even consider him.”
Clearing his throat, Frederick swallowed, his pulse still thudding in his neck. “Didn’t Charlotte always have a handful of suitors? Especially since she and Kenneth did not marry, I would assume that still to be the case.”
“It is,” Oliver nodded. “It makes you wonder, does it not?”
“Indeed.” Drawing in a deep breath, Frederick met Oliver’s eyes. “We should keep an eye on her…and Lord Northfield.”
Again, Oliver nodded. “Agreed.”
“I suppose I could ask Ellie to invite her for tea and…speak to her,” Frederick suggested. “Maybe she can find out what is going on.”
“That’s a good idea,” Oliver said before a smirk drew up the corners of his mouth. “Ellie, is it?”
Suppressing a smile, Frederick leaned back. “It is, yes.” A part of him wanted to remind Oliver how they had met Ellie years ago, but he stopped himself in the last moment. That memory was his alone. He would not share it with anyone but his wife.
And so instead of reminding his friend, he reminded himself why he had asked Oliver to come. Clearing his throat, Frederick took a deep breath. “Let’s not stray off topic. The reason I mentioned the tea party in the first place was to tell you that being the hostess kept my wife so busy that she forgot to eat, and the result was that she almost fainted.”
“Is she all right?” Honest concern creased Oliver’s forehead.
“She is. However, the image of her pale cheeks as she lay in my arms, and then later as she sat on the terrace finally eating something, for some reason it brought back another memory.” Frederick exhaled, feeling a slight tremble in his hands. “Of the night my brother died.”
Oliver frowned, his eyes moving over Frederick’s face as he tried to work out what his friend was trying to tell him. “You are wondering who murdered your brother.”
Frederick’s head snapped up, and his jaw fell open. “I do, yes,” he mumbled after a while. “I cannot believe it never occurred to me to ask these questions before. I guess−”
“You had other things on your mind,” Oliver interrupted. “I am sure your brother would understand.”
“Thank you.” Relief washed over Frederick at his friend’s words. Upon realising that he had all but ignored his brother’s murder, new guilt had settled in his heart. Why was it that guilt continually threatened to undermine the good that happened to him?
Shaking his head, Frederick took a deep breath. “Well, it made me think about my father’s death, then Leopold’s and then…”
“Your accident,” Oliver finished for him. “Do you believe your father was murdered as well? I thought Dr. Madison had ruled it a severe case of pneumonia.”
Frederick shrugged. “I don’t know.” Rising to his feet, he began to pace the length of his study. “I keep thinking about what my mother told me. That he seemed fine, even insisted she go out that night.” He spun around, fixing Oliver across the backrest of the chair before him. “When she came home, he was dead. Does that sound natural to you?”
Oliver shrugged. “I don’t know. I admit it sounds…unusual.” He rose to his feet then and came to stand before Frederick, his eyes intent on his friend’s. “Are you saying you believe that someone is killing off the male members of your family in order to…what? Inherit the title?”
“I’ve been wondering that, yes,” Frederick admitted, feeling a hint of relief at having shared the oppressive thoughts that had kept him awake the past few nights. He had not confided in his wife because he did not wish to alarm her. He had put her through enough these past few months. “Now that my father and brother are dead, I am the marquess.” He met Oliver’s eyes. “I am the last of our line. What if it was not an accident? What if you were right and someone deliberately caused the saddle girth to snap?”
Oliver took a deep breath, then raked his hands through his hair. “Just for the record, I didn’t want to be right.”
“I know. But what if you are?”
Looking around the room as though hoping for the answer to reveal itself, Oliver shrugged. “We need to find out what happened.” Although seemingly at a loss, his head began bobbing up and down. “And we need to make sure nothing happens to you.”
For a moment, Frederick closed his eyes. “I have to admit a part of me hoped that you would be able to refute my suspicions.”
“Believe me, there’s nothing I’d rather do,” Oliver said, clasping a hand over Frederick’s shoulder. “Well then, tell me, who would inherit should you pass?”
“I am not sure,” Frederick admitted. “After the thought first occurred to me, I went to the library and looked at the family tree. However, since my father was an only child and the title can only be passed on through the male line, whoever inherits is someone I have never met before.” Walking over to his desk, he picked up a rolled up parchment. “Here, let me show you.”
As they leaned over the family tree, Frederick pointed to various generations of his family. “As far as I can tell from this, my father’s father, my grandfather, had a younger brother, who in turn had a son as well. However, at that point, the family t
ree ends on that side. Does that mean the son died childless? Or were his children simply not added? To tell you the truth, my father rarely spoke of his family. I suppose there must have been some kind of falling-out.”
Stepping back, Oliver started pacing the floor, his brows drawn down in a concentrated frown. Before long though, he spun around. “Here is what we’ll do. I’ll write to my father. If anyone knows anything about that generation of your family, it’s him. He is so obsessed with genealogy and enriching our ‘noble’ line,” Oliver said, his voice sounding exasperated, “that he sinks his talons into every bit of information he can obtain.”
Frederick nodded. “Good. Thank you.”
Taking a step closer, Oliver glanced at the door before continuing. “Have you noticed any-thing out of the ordinary around here? Especially around the time of the accident?”
“No, nothing. However, I suppose I was not the most reliable witness at the time.”
“Have you recently hired anyone new? Did someone come to visit?”
Frederick shrugged. “I’ll speak to my steward, but I don’t think he’ll be able to help us.” A long sigh escaped him, and he shook his head. “I cannot believe that someone would truly seek to kill us in order to inherit the title. Wouldn’t that be rather obvious? Wouldn’t whoever inherits the title be subjecting himself to such suspicions?”
Oliver shrugged. “In my experience, people who are willing to kill for profit have left reason behind a while ago. Whoever he is, he may not even think that far ahead.” Coming to stand before his friend, Oliver met Frederick’s eyes. “In case I have not yet made this clear, I am not leaving your side until this is resolved. Do you understand? And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t fight me on this.”
Frederick nodded, a grateful smile curling up his lips. “I won’t. Thank you, Oliver.”
Slapping him on the shoulder, Oliver grinned. “This is the most excitement I’ve had in years.”
“I am pleased to be able to provide adequate entertainment during your visit,” Frederick replied with a chuckle. Deep down, however, he knew how concerned his friend was for him as lines of tension were clearly visible on Oliver’s face. “But promise me not to breathe a word of this to anyone. I do not wish to alarm my wife or my mother.”
Oliver nodded. “Agreed.”
Chapter Forty-One – Dreams & Nightmares
Rolling onto her side, Ellie closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, fighting down the rising nausea. For a moment, she feared she would be sick, but then the feeling passed, and she opened her eyes, her left hand coming to rest on her belly.
A knock sounded on the door, and in a weak voice, Ellie called, “Enter.”
Instantly, the door swung open and her husband burst into the room. “Are you all right? Betty said you were indisposed.” With eyes full of worry, he hastened to her side. Gentle hands brushed stray hairs from her forehead and caressed her cheek until they ran down her arm and held on to hers. “Should I call for Dr. Madison?”
“No,” Ellie objected, trying to smile at him reassuringly. “I am fine. This is nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” he echoed, the expression on his face clearly stating that he disagreed. “You’re as white as a sheet.” He swallowed, and she could see the effort with which he held himself in check as panic rose to the surface.
“All right,” Ellie said, determined to put him out of his misery. Lifting her head off the pillow, she sat up as Frederick grabbed a hold of the pillow and propped it up so that she could rest comfortably against the headboard of the bed. “Listen, I am not entirely certain yet, which is why I haven’t spoken to you about this.”
His eyes fixed intently on her face, he swallowed, and she could see that he was expecting awful news as the muscles in his jaw clenched and unclenched repeatedly. “This?”
Pulling his hand into hers, she smiled at him, momentarily forgetting the hint of nausea that still remained, and gently laid his hand on her belly. A deep smile spread over her face as she met his eyes.
For a moment, he remained very still as his eyes slid over her face before understanding dawned, and they went as round as plates. As though jolted awake, he almost jumped to his feet, still holding on to her hand. “Are you saying…? You…?” His voice trailed off as his gaze shifted back and forth between her belly and her face. Then he swallowed and sank onto the mattress beside her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Seeing the stunned expression on his face, Ellie couldn’t help but laugh. “I am sorry,” she whispered, wringing her hands, suddenly nervous about his reaction. “I didn’t mean to keep this from you. However, I wasn’t certain I was expecting before…well, a part of me still has doubts. I didn’t mean to say anything before I could be absolutely certain. I didn’t mean to raise false hopes. I didn’t…”
Gently, Frederick placed a hand on her belly and the other on her own, trembling hands. A deep smile shone on his face as he looked into her eyes. “I understand. But I have to say from the looks of it, I do not have any doubts.”
Ellie took a deep breath as joy flooded her heart and tears sprang from her eyes. “After the accident, I was so sad about never having children. I hadn’t thought about it as much before, but once I knew it would never be, it really hurt.”
Pulling her into his arms, Frederick held her tight as her tears ran down her cheeks and she quietly sobbed against his shoulder. “You will be a wonderful mother,” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t have any doubts about that either.”
“Thank you,” Ellie sniffled, then sat back and looked into his eyes. “Please do not tell any-one yet.”
Smiling at her, he shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it, but I doubt that my mother and Maryann will take long figuring this out.”
Ellie laughed. “I suppose you’re right about that. But not tonight. Tonight, I want them to enjoy themselves.”
“They will,” Frederick assured her. “I will tell them that we need a little time alone, and they will go without−”
“No,” Ellie objected. “Go with them. They’ll need you.”
Disappointment edged into his features, he stared at her.
“I know that Maryann puts on a brave face, but I think she can use all the support her family can give her tonight.” Gently, Ellie brushed her fingers over his cheeks and kissed his forehead. “It has been a long time since she has been to a ball, and I don’t want her to feel pressured.” Running her hands down his arms, she snuggled against him. “So, if any gentleman becomes too insistent,” she instructed, then brushed her lips against his, “you will interfere. Promise me!”
Frederick swallowed, and as Ellie sat back, she could see that he had his eyes closed. “Were you even listening to me?”
As his arms came around her again, he murmured into her ear, “I didn’t hear a damn word you said, and you’ve got only yourself to blame for that.”
***
As her family’s voices slowly faded away and the sounds of the carriage receded down the drive, Ellie snuggled into her coverlet. Although she would have loved to watch Maryann take her first tentative steps back into society, Ellie was relieved that at least Frederick would be there. His watchful presence would assure that Maryann could enjoy the evening. Would she dance? Ellie wondered. If a gentleman asked, would she agree? Oh, how Ellie wished she could have gone!
However, although the nausea had retreated after Ellie had nibbled a piece of stable bread, she felt far from able to dance the night away. She would probably faint in the middle of the dance floor. A slight giggle escaped her at the thought. What would her mother think? No doubt she would consider Ellie’s behaviour highly inappropriate and look down at her with righteous condemnation!
Sighing, Ellie pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and closed her eyes, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Despite the heartache of the past, the present had turned into a wonderful place, and the future looked even more promising.
Frederick had successfully battled his demons, Maryann had found her smile again and Mathilda spent more and more time with her family instead of hiding from them.
Gently brushing a hand over her flat belly, Ellie mused that in the future their home would be filled with even more laughter and joy. Remembering the delight in Frederick’s eyes, Ellie smiled. He would be a wonderful father−she was certain of it−and after all her doubts, she would be a mother after all.
“Life could not be any sweeter,” she mumbled before sleep finally claimed her, and her dreams allowed her a glimpse at the future that awaited her.
***
By the time Ellie’s consciousness returned from the beautiful corners of her sleeping mind, all light had disappeared; not even the smallest ray reached through her closed eyelids and touched her optic nerve. With eyes still closed, she rolled over, determined to hold on to her wonderful dreams, and reached out with her hand, sliding it over the mattress, wondering if Frederick had returned yet.
When she found the other side of the bed empty, Ellie sighed with regret as she would have loved nothing better but to snuggle into his arms and rest her head on his shoulder.
Once again, she drew the blanket tightly around her shoulders, enjoying the warmth of her cocoon, when her nostrils picked up a familiar scent.
A scent that made the little hairs in the back of her neck stand on end.
A scent that had tortured her in her nightmares time and time again.
A scent that chilled her to her bones.
Fire! Ellie’s mind screamed, and she shot upright, eyes wide with terror, her body frozen in shock.
The room lay in darkness, and although the curtains were still open, no moonlight reached inside. As her eyes turned to the door leading to her husband’s bedchamber, an orange glow peeked out from under it, shining brightly in the darkness surrounding her.