The Secrets of Colchester Hall: A Gothic Regency Romance

by Sophie Barnes

  Of course she wanted help. She loved Randolph and would do anything in her power to make this right – to make him see she was innocent of any wrongdoing. Somebody hateful had obviously gone to great lengths to discredit her in his eyes. But who?

  Unsure, she decided to keep the appointment. After all, her bags were already packed. She would be leaving for Fennly House in the morning. Once she did so, her marriage would be as good as over, so what did she have to lose?

  The question jarred Angelica’s brain as she awoke, startled by the reality of the dream she’d just had. It had been so vivid and clear, she actually found herself searching her bed for the man who’d been in it. Relief steadied her thunderous heartbeats as she came more fully awake and aware of what had transpired. She’d been Lady Sterling again. She’d felt her almost sluggish confusion upon discovering Marcus in her bed and her painful distress later, when Randolph hadn’t believed anything she said.

  Angelica blinked.

  She couldn’t dismiss what her recent experience suggested – that maybe the late Lady Sterling had not been the unfaithful wife she had seemed.

  Three days later, Angelica was having tea outside with her mother and Randolph when he asked if she’d like to take a turn of the garden with him.

  “We rarely have the chance to converse in privacy,” he said once they’d gone several paces. It was true. Since the other young ladies and their chaperones had departed, Rose was keeping a much more vigilant eye on her daughter. “And I wanted to ask if you’ve had any more…” he seemed to search for the right word and finally settled on “…encounters.”

  Angelica shook her head. “No. Not since the dream I mentioned.” She’d woken from it in a cool sweat and with deep anxiety due to its tangibility.

  “I know this may not be what you wish to hear,” she added, “but I’ve been thinking back on everything I felt during that dream and after – on what I saw and how I reacted. How your wife reacted.” Randolph’s arm stiffened beneath her hand. Angelica took a deep breath and then ploughed ahead. “Lady Sterling’s head wasn’t clear and finding Marcus there with her was more than surprising. It made no logical sense.”

  “She had a few glasses of wine with dinner the evening before. It affected her more than usual, and she eventually claimed a headache, though the truth is she was intoxicated by the time she retired.” He cursed beneath his breath, offered a hasty apology and said, “Mrs. Essex later confided that she’d seen my wife and Marcus conversing several days prior in what she described as an inappropriately intimate manner.”

  Angelica leaned into Randolph’s strength and carefully asked, “Why did Mrs. Essex not mention this to you sooner?”

  “She chose to approach Katrina instead in an effort to stop any wrongful behavior before it went too far. Her hope was that in doing so, no harm would be done. But it seems Katrina ignored her.”

  “Even so, I find it unlikely that Marcus would risk his position like that.”

  Randolph snorted. “He was a groom who caught the eye of a viscountess. As her lover, he probably received all sorts of benefits. And even if he did not, you’ve seen Katrina’s portrait. She was beautiful beyond compare and more than capable of luring any man to her bed.”

  His words gave Angelica pause. Insight washed over her like ice water. She tugged on her arm and pulled away. “That’s why you chose us, isn’t it?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “It didn’t make sense, your reason for inviting the six most unmarriageable women to your home with the prospect of making one of us your wife.” Good lord, she couldn’t believe it was only occurring to her now. Most likely because her mind had been too consumed with everything else to give Randolph’s reasoning behind his selection much thought. “You want a wife who will not appeal to other men – a woman who has in effect been labeled undesirable.”

  “Angelica, I can assure you I—”

  “Do you deny it?” She knew she was being unreasonable, but the knowledge pricked at her pride.

  Having stopped his progress, he turned to look at her so his back was to the house and the spot where Rose still sat.

  “No.”

  His eyes drilled into hers, adding a sense of finality to the blunt word.

  “Then I am no more than the best option among the worst.”

  “Not to me.” He suddenly gripped her arm. His mouth became a hard line. A crease appeared on his forehead. “You are the most desirable woman I’ve ever known and I cannot…” He stared down at her and it seemed he struggled to breathe. “I cannot stand the thought of you possibly walking away in another few days.”

  “Why not?”

  “Surely the kisses we’ve shared offer some indication.”

  “I, um…” If only she hadn’t taken their conversation in this awkward direction. She gulped a breath and hastily told him, “My experience with such things is limited.”

  “As well it should be,” he practically growled.

  “What I mean,” she went on, determined to get her point across before her courage failed her, “is that, given your resolve to convince me to marry you, you could have used the kisses as a ploy with me being none the wiser.”

  His eyes widened. “Do you honestly think me capable of such trickery?”

  “I do not know what to think.” Unsure of herself, she forced the words out before she could change her mind. “But I am certain that had we met in London at some grand ball, you would not have looked at me twice.”

  Randolph muttered something she’d never thought any gentleman would ever dare say in the presence of a lady. He loosened his grip on her arm and slid his hand down to hers. “All things considered, you have every right to be suspicious.”

  When she kept quiet, he filled the silence while twining his fingers with hers. “My sole purpose was to procure a wife who would give me the heir I require without besmirching my name. So yes, I chose ladies no one else seemed to want because that felt like the safest option. Picking a wife I find attractive was not even something I let myself hope for until you entered the parlor that very first evening and captured my interest.”

  He raised her hand to his lips for a tender caress. “Since then, you have proven yourself to be more than I ever dreamed possible – a woman whose company I crave with ever increasing intensity.”

  It wasn’t a declaration of love, but it was enough to appease Angelica’s concerns and give her some hope. “I feared I might be the only one who was smitten.”

  The smile that slid into place on his face made his eyes glow like moonlight. “Then I am to understand that you return my regard?”

  “I do. Most assuredly.”

  His smile turned so roguish, her skin started tingling. “I am half tempted to break my own rules and propose straight away.” He dropped a look at her as they resumed their progress. “How would you respond to that, I wonder?”

  Delighting in the more playful mood they’d managed to find, Angelica told him wryly, “There’s only one way for you to find out.”

  He chuckled, but when he spoke again, his voice was sober. “I would not deny you the last four days you’ve been given to make your decision. It is a serious, life altering one and, in light of recent events, more complicated than most. I want to be sure you will have no regrets.”

  In Angelica’s heart, her mind was already made up. When the time came, she would accept Randolph’s proposal in spite of the drawbacks for one simple reason: she’d fallen in love with the man and could no longer picture her life without him.

  Chapter 7

  The days that followed were so perfect Angelica almost allowed herself to forget she’d experienced anything out of the ordinary during her stay at Colchester Hall. With scarcely a cloud in the sky, she’d visited Randolph’s tenants two days earlier, bringing baskets of goods she and Rose had prepared. And with the lovely weather persisting, she’d even been able to attend a garden party with him at a neighboring estate yesterday. It was unusually late in the ye
ar for such an event, so the guests had all been local, allowing her to become acquainted with the people she’d soon have to associate with on a more regular basis.

  Now, sitting adjacent to Randolph at the dining table with her mother directly opposite, Angelica savored the dinner the cook had prepared. It wasn’t duck this time, but rather lamb, roasted to perfection, with parsley buttered potatoes and crisp vegetables flavored with spiced oil and vinegar dressing.

  Taking a small break from her food, she sipped her wine and listened to Randolph’s account of his visit to Rome. He’d gone right after finishing his studies at Cambridge, and he spoke of his travels with so much enthusiasm it made Angelica yearn to see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum for herself.

  She sighed. Tomorrow her life would forever be altered. Randolph would offer for her hand and she would accept. Her only regret would be the unsolved mystery surrounding the previous Lady Sterling’s death. But with no additional clues to follow, Angelica was at a loss, partly because she’d reached a dead end and also because she was left to wonder why the viscountess’s ghost had suddenly chosen to leave her alone when it had been so persistent before.

  “Nervous?” Randolph queried once dinner was over and they had adjourned to the parlor. “You’ve been very quiet all evening.”

  Rose, who’d suddenly decided she had to keep reading a book she’d begun the day before, had taken a seat at one end of the room while Angelica and Randolph removed themselves to the other. Still within sight, though quite out of earshot. He handed her a glass of sherry and claimed the seat beside her on the sofa.

  Angelica sipped the sweet Spanish liquor. Her heart fluttered like mad, as if she and Randolph had only just met and he was making advances. “A little,” she confessed.

  Twisting sideways to better face her, he caught her gaze with his own. “Then you have made your decision?”

  “I made it several days ago and I can assure you it is in your favor.” His smile was immediate, warm and happy. “But the nature of it fills me with the sort of trepidation I imagine I would experience right before embarking on a long journey.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.” He moved his leg, just enough for their knees to touch. Angelica’s pulse leapt in response. She sucked in a breath. Randolph’s smile deepened. “I will be by your side every step of the way.”

  Angelica carried that assurance with her to bed. And when she slept, her dream was of him. Wrapped in his arms, she savored the press of his lips against hers and the sweet words he whispered against her flushed skin.

  Until he drew back and a dark void appeared between them. His face hardened to angry lines. “What have you done?” The words, shouted with hateful disgust, struck her as hard as a fist landing straight in her chest.

  It physically hurt. She could feel her heart ripping in two and instinctively reached out toward him only to watch him sink away into darkness. She dropped her gaze to the letter she held in her hand. It was her only hope – the only chance she had left. The floor beneath her turned. Her bedchamber vanished and she was downstairs, dressed in her nightgown and heading toward salvation. A fog clouded her brain. Her movements felt sluggish but she was determined. She rounded the corner and reached for the door. It swung open the moment she touched it. Why wasn’t it locked?

  Heedless of the wind, she stepped outside and scanned the darkness, but no one was there.

  “I hoped you would come.”

  She spun, so fast she almost tripped over her hem. An elegant figure emerged from the shadows. “Mrs. Essex?”

  The housekeeper smiled and glided toward her. “You really should have dressed more appropriately, my lady.”

  She shivered, hugged her arms around herself, and dug her toes into the ground. Something was wrong. She wasn’t thinking clearly. “I ought to get back inside.”

  “He’ll never forgive you, you know.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve humiliated him in the worst way possible.”

  “No…” She shook her head. “It isn’t true.”

  “Ah, but who will believe you?” Mrs. Essex’s smile sweetened. “After all, there was a naked man in your bed.”

  “I don’t know how…how he came to…to be there.” She stepped forward, with sluggish movements. “Please. I must get inside.”

  “No. You really mustn’t.”

  She blinked. What was the mad woman saying? She couldn’t remain out here. She would die, frozen to death. “Mrs. Essex.” Gathering all her strength, she bolted forward only to be knocked back by a hard whack to her chest and then to her legs. With a wheeze, she collapsed to the ground. She had no strength and her head wasn’t working the way it should.

  “You were never good enough for him, and I have finally made him see that,” the housekeeper snapped. “Just be grateful for the laudanum. It should help you slip away without too much pain.”

  Her head tilted back just in time to see the satisfied gleam in Mrs. Essex’s ice-blue eyes. Her smile was eerily pleasant, inviting and warm, as she swung the door shut with a thud. The next sound was that of the bolt sliding into place.

  “Help me. Please help me.”

  Angelica’s eyes flew open. “Dear God.” She bolted out of bed, heedless of the cold swirling around her and the frost sinking into her bones. Her only thought was to tell Randolph what she had learned. It could not wait, it was far too urgent.

  Yanking her bedchamber door wide open, she ran out into the hallway. A gust of frigid air followed, propelling her forward. The darkness thickened as she neared the stairs. She paused, giving her breath a chance to claw its way out of her lungs. A chill swept past her ankles, urging her back into motion, only she couldn’t quite see and…

  A yellow glow slid toward her, pushing the shadows aside like a ship cutting through rough waves. “Lady Angelica?” A face emerged, and a syrupy smile. “Whatever are you doing here at this late hour?”

  Angelica’s heart spasmed with petrified beats, yet she somehow managed to force a calm tone. “I couldn’t sleep. Walking tends to help.”

  Mrs. Essex tilted her head. “You’re breathless.” She moved her candle and tried to peer past Angelica. “It seems you were being chased. By one of the grooms, perhaps?” The edge of her mouth curled. “They do tend to like Randolph’s women.”

  A thousand thoughts forced their way to the front of Angelica’s mind, each trying to shove past the other in order to gain attention. She decided to focus, not on the familiarity with which Mrs. Essex referred to her master, or on her reference to Marcus, but on the fact that she must suspect Angelica of knowing.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Angelica tried, hoping to feign ignorance.

  The other side of Mrs. Essex’s mouth curled. “Are you quite certain?” She narrowed her eyes and leaned a bit closer. “You’re shivering.” Her chuckle disturbed the air and then she suddenly swung the candle around, illuminating the top of the landing. “Did you do this? Well of course you did. You couldn’t just die and stay dead like a normal person, could you?”

  Angelica’s stomach dropped and she slowly turned. Lady Sterling was there, but unlike the previous time when she’d seen her, her face was contorted into an expression so full of loathing, Angelica gasped.

  Mrs. Essex just laughed. “She wishes she had the strength to kill me but—”

  Lady Sterling rushed forward. Her arms stretched toward Mrs. Essex’s throat but rather than grab her she drifted straight through her on a cold winter breeze.

  Mrs. Essex’s skirt swayed back and forth in response. She laughed once more. “Well, that was fun.”

  Angelica stared at her. “What are you talking about?” If she could just make her doubt herself, maybe Angelica could stall for time, or at least make a plan.

  “Don’t try to pretend you don’t know,” Mrs. Essex told her playfully.

  “Know what?”

  “That Lady Sterling is seeking justice.” She chuckled. “The poor woman was foolish
enough to get herself locked outside in a winter storm dressed only her nightgown. Honestly, whatever did she expect to happen?”

  “I have no idea,” Angelica whispered. She took a large step back, determined to add some distance. Behind Mrs. Essex, she could see Lady Sterling, looking both helpless and furious.

  “In a way, your arrival here is something of a blessing. It doesn’t seem fair for her to be trapped here alone with only me for company since I do tend to ignore her.” Something distinctly unpleasant flickered behind Mrs. Essex’s eyes. “This isn’t how I imagined it would be, but now that you’re here, I suppose I’ll have to improvise. After all, Randolph will never accept his feelings for me if he’s always distracted by other women.”

  “Dear God,” Angelica gasped. “You’re mad.”

  Mrs. Essex moved like a cobra, so swift in the dark, Angelica didn’t have time to realize her goal before she noticed the flames. Panic engulfed her like never before as she blindly staggered about, patting her nightgown in desperate attempts to put out the fire. An instinctual cry for help worked its way up her throat, until something caught at her ankle. Twisting, she tried to regain her balance, only to find herself falling into…nothing at all.

  A peel of amused laughter accompanied her into darkness.

  Cold clamminess whispered across Randolph’s skin. “Help her.”

  The words slid through his mind like morning mist creeping over the moors. Rolling onto his side, he pulled his blanket up and across his shoulders to ward off the chill, but the ice now pricking his toes would not be ignored. It moved up into his feet and his legs and before he knew it, his whole body shook with cold.

  “Christ,” he muttered, and was startled to see his breath drifting through the air like a puff of white smoke. He exhaled again, then glanced toward the foot of his bed and instantly stiffened. “Katrina?”

  Instead of responding, she floated away, vanishing through his bedchamber door. “Help her.” The hollow moan breathing next to his ear spurred him into motion. His heart, momentarily paralyzed by disbelief, resumed its rhythm with greater force. He leapt from his bed and flung his robe over his shoulders, shoving his arms through the sleeves and tying the sash as he went.