by Ella Edon
“Have faith, Amy.” Derby stroked her hair. She was trembling. “Lord Radford is very good at his job. He’ll know soon enough.” He paused. “I also told him about us. Last night.”
“What?” Amy started, staring up at him. “You told him?”
“He questioned me first, and I wasn’t about to lie to the magistrate about where I was.” Derby raised his eyebrows. “I’m not ashamed for what we did. Are you?”
Amy bit her lip. For a moment, Derby thought she was going to pull away. Panic squeezed his chest. Then Amy shook her head.
“I don’t regret it, if that’s what you mean. But…”
“But?”
Amy licked her lips, and Derby had to hold back on kissing her.
“Maybe we should’ve waited. Talk about bad timing.”
“We didn’t know another murder was going to happen. And I couldn’t wait.” Derby cupped her jaw in his hand. “It’s been too long, and my patience was running out.”
Amy didn’t pull away as he kissed her. She sighed and leaned into him, gripping onto the lapels of his coat. She was so soft, so warm in his arms. Derby was tempted to pull her onto the bench and let her ride his cock. He pulled her closer, wanting her to be aware of his erection pressed into her belly. Amy gasped and pulled back.
“We can’t do it here, Daniel!”
“I know.” Derby chuckled at her shock. “But it’s tempting. Have that thought.”
“I…” Amy blushed a bright red and looked away. “Rebecca said she heard us. And so did Mama. I’m pretty sure everyone had put two and two together by now.”
“I’m sure that they have.” Derby drew her back, taking her hands and kissing her knuckles. “If that’s the case, maybe I should follow through.”
“What?”
She looked so adorable looking up at him with those wide, beautiful eyes. Derby turned her hands over and kissed each palm.
“Amy Hartley, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Amy stared at him like she had never seen him before. Derby wondered if he needed to say it a bit louder. That he could do. Amy swallowed.
“You…” She started to draw away. “Please don’t marry me as an obligation. I don’t want to be a burden because we couldn’t control ourselves.”
“Oh, you silly fool!” Derby tightened his hold on her hands, stepping closer to her. “I would never do that to you. I’m asking you to marry me because I love you, nothing more. We just did a bit of practicing for the wedding night.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I have to know we’re compatible in all ways, don’t I?”
Amy groaned. She pulled her hands away and smacked his chest with her fists.
“Hey!”
Amy laughed.
“You’re lucky I love you or I would’ve hit you harder.”
Derby chuckled, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her.
“You can still hit me, but only if you give me an answer.”
“And it’s a yes. I’ll marry you.” Amy slid her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. “But we’ll have to do it pretty fast. Beatrice is planning on carrying on Father’s plan to marry me off to Leicester.”
“Then I suggest we do something about it. Now Doctor Day is your guardian as your stepfather, I’m sure he’ll approve of us.” Derby kissed her again. “Maybe Lord Radford can do the honors before he leaves. He does weddings as well.”
Amy giggled.
“Won’t he have something to say about that in the middle of an investigation?”
“He will, but I’m sure he’ll understand.”
She looked lovely when she was happy. Derby didn’t want that to go. He was tilting her face towards him, ready for another kiss, when he heard someone calling his name.
“Lord Derby?”
Doctor Day was hurrying around the corner. He was out of breath and red-faced. Derby stared when he saw bruises on Day’s face and a cut under his eye.
“James!”
Amy hurried to her stepfather. James wrapped an arm around her as she inspected his wounds.
“I’m fine, Amy. It’s nothing.”
“That doesn’t look like nothing.” Derby joined them. Even after Amy’s acceptance of his proposal, seeing her stepfather holding her in almost an embrace didn’t sit well with him. “What’s happened?”
“It’s Lord Leicester.” Day started as if he had almost forgot that Derby was there. “I don’t know if it’s drink or he’s taken something, but I can’t control him. I need your help.”
“My help?” Derby snorted. “Why would I want anything to do with him? And why can’t Lord Radford deal with him?”
“He’s interviewing Miss Colburn right now. I’ve got Baron Maudlin restraining him right now with some servants, but we need more hands.”
Derby was more than happy to lock Leicester in his room and then send him the bill for everything the earl broke. Nevertheless, he sighed and urged Day to lead the way.
“All right, fine. If it means I can give him a whack myself.”
Something wasn’t right. Derby followed Day into the house and up the servants’ stairs, which would take them right outside Leicester’s room. You could hear everything in that stairwell with the echoes. But there was nothing.
“I thought you said Lord Leicester was going mad. I can’t hear anything.”
“He’s probably worn himself out.” Day hurried on up the stairs. “Or maybe he’s passed out, knocked himself out somehow.”
Derby hoped it was the former. He followed the doctor onto the next floor and they went to Leicester’s door. There was no sound coming from inside, and nobody came to answer the door. Either Leicester had passed out and he had been left alone, or he had escaped the room and gone on the rampage around the house. Again, there were no screams.
Something was really wrong.
Day tried the door, and it wouldn’t open. He frowned.
“That’s strange. The door was certainly not closed when I left.”
“Out the way.” Derby nudged the doctor aside and took hold of the handle. “If I break it, it’s on me.”
The door was harder than he expected, and the first shove with his shoulder hurt. Derby hit the door again, and this time it opened, and he stumbled into the room, falling to his hands and knees.
When he looked up, he was met with Leicester’s face inches from his. The earl’s face was flushed bright red, foam beginning to crust around his mouth, his eyes wide open in horror. His body was twisted up into a contortion that Derby didn’t realize was even possible.
“Oh, my God!”
Derby started to straighten up, and someone grabbed him from behind. An arm went around his neck and pressed down on his throat, and a cloth went over his mouth and nose. Derby immediately inhaled something sharp that started to make the world spin. Gasping for air, he tried to get away, but the more he tried to get air in, the more he breathed in the sharp scent filling his mouth and nostrils.
He began to panic, but it barely took hold before the world began to go out of focus.
As soon as Amy went back inside, she was summoned to meet with Lord Radford. Rebecca was coming out as Amy approached Derby’s study. She gave Amy a sneer and turned with her nose in the air, swishing her skirts as she stomped away.
Amy didn’t care. Rebecca could complain all she wanted. She had lost. Then again, she hadn’t been in contention in the first place.
It was difficult not to smile as Amy went into the study. She couldn’t help it, not after Derby’s proposal. The thought of being his wife after believing it to be a mere fantasy for many years was only just setting in. How could anyone not be happy after something like that?
Although it was probably the worst possible timing. She had to maintain her composure.
Lord Radford spoke to her, and Amy was immediately at ease. He was stern, but there was a softness in his eyes that Amy liked. Maybe that’s how people slipped up and told him things that they shouldn’t. Suspects
underestimated him, believed he was a doddering old man. Amy saw he was sharper than others believed.
And he didn’t bat an eyelid when Amy told him about where she was at each murder, especially when her father was being killed. Derby had already told him, but Amy still had to brace herself. Radford didn’t make a comment on it. If anything, he seemed to have a twinkle in his eye.
He was concerned about the anonymous letters, and the fact another similar death had happened previously. Like Derby, Radford came to the conclusion that Amy was at the heart of it all, maybe even another victim. He ordered to have the letters in his hands by the end of the day and for Amy not to leave the house under no circumstances. Amy had to fight back a smile on that. Beatrice and Leicester were not going to like that, but they wouldn’t go against the magistrate.
They did do something, however, and that was disappear. When Stephens went to look for the two of them for their own questioning, neither could be found in the house. Their belongings had vanished, and their cloaks were gone from the closet. Now Radford was coming to the conclusion that Leicester and Beatrice had been in on the murders together, moving everyone out of the way so Leicester could marry Amy. He sent out letters to other parishes to look out for the Earl of Leicester and Lady Hartley, saying they were to be hunted down and arrested.
When Amy heard it later on in the day, she didn’t believe it. Leicester was more of a brute force man, and he had declared he didn’t care for Amy more than a piece of furniture that he had been promised. Then again, maybe that was all he needed. And Beatrice always got her own way. She wasn’t about to let her stepdaughter become happy.
But Hartley was also dead. That didn’t make sense. Hartley was in the same boat; he wanted Amy and Leicester to marry. Why kill him as well?
It was hurting Amy’s head to figure it out.
What was more concerning was that Derby had disappeared as well. After leaving with James to sort out Leicester, Derby seemed to be just as elusive. When Amy questioned James about it, he merely said that they had found Leicester gone and Derby went straight out to go look for him. He assured her that Derby would be back soon.
Amy hoped so. She was missing him already. She busied herself with spending time with Sarah and Anna, who was still very unwell. If anything, she was worse than before. She could barely open her eyes as Amy tended to her, going in and out of consciousness. It pained Amy to see her like this.
Please, she silently prayed, don’t let Mama die as well. I couldn’t cope if she died.
Hopefully, the news of her engagement would cheer her up. Amy would wait until the morning when she and Derby could tell her together.
It was nearly dinner when Amy was getting ready and a note was brought to her. It was from Derby, asking to meet her as soon as possible by the lake. She would know the spot.
Amy’s heart was racing as she waved away Victoria, telling her that she would eat in her room. She couldn’t wait to see him. And Amy remembered a certain promise Derby had made when they first arrived mere days before about laying her on the bank and taking her like an animal. She shivered at the thought.
It had only been a few days? It felt like a lifetime ago.
Slipping out of her room, Amy headed to the servant stairs and headed down to the side door. Radford had suggested that everyone carry on as normal and have dinner together, but from the way things were, Amy was sure a few of the guests would stay in their rooms. Nobody would notice she was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
She was hurrying across the terrace when a voice behind her had Amy spinning around fast, almost toppling over. James grabbed her and held her as Amy got her balance back.
“Slow down, there.” He laughed as Amy righted herself. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“I…” Amy thought about lying, but James was far too shrewd. After her confession earlier, he would know exactly what was going on. She swallowed. “I was going to see Lord Derby. He wanted to see me.”
“Out here?” James frowned. “You’re not supposed to leave the house.”
“I know, but…” Amy tried to look innocent. “You didn’t conform to Society when you were younger, did you? I bet you and Mama broke a few rules.”
“Not to the extent you are. We didn’t have a killer wandering around.”
“I’ll be safe. I promise.” Amy pressed her hands to his chest. “Please, James? I promise I’ll be safe.”
James looked conflicted. He looked down at Amy’s hands on him, and then up at her. Something passed across behind his eyes, but then it was gone as he sighed and brushed his hand across her cheek.
“Fine. But I’m escorting you there.”
“But…”
“Your mother wouldn’t forgive me if you went alone and I let you. Once you’re with Lord Derby, I’ll leave you alone, but not before.”
Amy shook her head and managed to ease out of James’ arms. She hadn’t realized he had still been holding her.
“I don’t want to put you out, James.”
“Nonsense.” James took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. “You’re my stepdaughter. Nothing puts me out as far as you’re concerned.”
That didn’t sound as reassuring at Amy expected. That sounded a lot more sinister. They headed down the steps and into the garden, crossing towards the orchard.
“Where to now?”
“What? Oh, to the lake.”
“Why the lake?”
Amy flushed and looked away.
“It’s where Lord Derby told me to meet him.”
James grunted.
“I’ll trust his decision, then. But he shouldn’t take you so far away from everyone.”
Amy said nothing. Now that she thought about it, it was rather odd. Derby had worked hard to keep her safe, so why was he taking her away from safety? It didn’t make any sense.
Something tightened in her belly. She had a feeling that someone was meeting her, but it wasn’t Derby. She tried to pull away from James, but he clamped his hand over hers, giving her a smile.
“It’s all right, Amy. You’ll be safe with me.”
Amy was beginning to doubt that.
Derby’s head was foggy. He could feel himself floating around, unable to get a grip on anything. Opening his eyes was difficult.
He had a pounding headache, but when Derby tried to touch his head, he realized that his hands were bound at the wrists. Managing to open his eyes, the world tilting to one side, Derby looked down and saw that his wrists were bound with rope. His ankles were also tied together.
What the hell was going on? Last thing Derby could recall, he was going into Leicester’s room after barging the door open, and finding Leicester dead. There was no mistaking the state he had been in. And then someone had grabbed Derby from behind and drugged him. Someone had to have been hiding behind the door lying in wait.
Then Derby remembered Doctor Day. Where was he? Had he been attacked as well? Or - God forbid, was he involved in everything? That wasn’t something Derby wanted to contemplate. If this was about Amy, Day shouldn’t be anywhere near the list. He was more of a father than Hartley had ever been.
Hartley and Leicester, Derby could understand, but Merseyside and Dobson? None of that made any sense.
Then Derby heard some whimpering. He looked around, getting aware of his surroundings. He was by the lake, under the tree where he and Amy had had their first kiss. The bushes around him blocked them from sight. Nobody would know he was there.
Or they were there. Derby saw Beatrice Hartley huddled against the tree, her face buried against her arms. Like him, she was bound at the wrists and ankles, and she was moments away from wailing like a banshee.
Derby doubted anyone would hear their screams at the house. They were completely isolated. He rolled onto his front, fighting back the nausea, and up onto his knees, shuffling across the ground to the Viscountess. He touched her knee, and Beatrice screamed, trying to kick out with both legs. Her feet
caught him in the chest and Derby was knocked onto his back. The world spun for a moment, and Derby had to fight back the urge to throw up.
“Lady Hartley, calm down!”
It was then Beatrice realized he was there. She lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes wide and wild.
“You.” She hissed. “What did you do to me?”
“Do what?” Derby grimaced as he sat up. She had a hefty kick. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb.” Beatrice snarled. “If this is your way to get me to agree to my daughter marrying you, you were wrong. I’ll have you ripped to pieces.”