Then she kissed him so reverently that when she pulled away, he had tears in his eyes.
“Thank you,” he told her.
Helen didn’t reply but pulled his head down to her breast, holding him tightly.
***
The coroner, Mr Caffrey and the magistrate, Lord Roston, came together, far earlier than anyone expected. Mr Caffrey first examined the body, then Helen’s injuries while Lord Roston watched, then Lord Roston questioned everyone involved while the coroner watched.
Mr Caffrey agreed that Helen’s story seemed to tally with her injuries and thanks to Joseph being hidden under Helen’s bed, he had heard most of her conversation with Clarence and confirmed a lot of what was said.
Jules confirmed the later parts; that Helen had saved him from Clarence and his father had come upon him as he ran. The nasty but thankfully not deep, cut on his neck added weight to a story that his tender age might have otherwise negated.
Graves had happened upon the scene once it was over, but he too agreed with what his employers had said about that time.
Then they went with Helen and Alex to examine the west wing. The fire had collapsed most of the library roof but the rest of the structure seemed to have been spared. They went inside and saw that the fire had obliterated over half of the library, and the water had destroyed the rest. The walls seemed sound however and Alex was hopeful that repairing the structure wouldn’t be too costly or take too long.
Replacing the books was a fool’s quest, as many of them had been first editions. Still, Alex would begin the process and hope that his sons or grandsons might one day complete it.
He might have felt the loss more keenly if he hadn’t almost lost Helen too. He would gladly lose his library a thousand times over, as long as his family were safe.
All in all, Mr Caffrey and Lord Roston were inclined to agree that the Duke and Duchess had a lucky escape. With permission, they set about searching Clarence’s rooms, looking for evidence against Charles Cavendish.
Having been asked by the coroner, the undertaker arrived mid-morning to remove the body. He suspected that despite his heritage, the man would be buried in a pauper’s grave, or possibly in the prison churchyard, but it never hurt to be in a Duke’s good graces.
Finally Helen and Alex were struggling to keep their eyes open and asked that Mr Caffrey and Lord Roston deal with Graves from then on, and keep him informed of their findings. They also gave them permission to search anywhere in the house that they wished, asking that if they wanted to search Helen’s room, they do so now.
The men headed off to give the room a quick search, while Helen and Alex paid a quick visit to the nursery to check on the boys, who had only just awakened after a long lie in.
Finally they were able to retire to bed and the blissful oblivion of sleep.
Chapter Twenty Eight
They slept for most of the next day and when they awoke, they both needed a bath. Graves ordered the tub to be filled and as they waited, informed them of Mr Caffrey and Lord Roston’s discoveries.
The tub was too small to allow them to bathe together but they settled for bathing each other. Helen went first as she was less dirty than Alex.
When it was his turn, it took three washes to get the smell of smoke out of Alex’s hair and even then, he said that it lingered, although Helen assured him that it was in his imagination.
Since her hair was still wet, Helen opted for a simple bun and once dressed, Alex escorted her down to dinner. The family were already at the dining table and seemed surprised to see them both. Jane greeted them with a kiss and expressed her sorrow for what they had been through. Milton looked haggard, having spent the night helping to fight the flames, and he expressed similar sentiments.
Rose also got up to greet them, although she whispered her good wishes.
A glare from Helen kept her family in their seats and Pearl remained silent, not saying a single word.
Helen was surprised and upset to note that her family hadn’t left as requested, but Paris assured them that they had only remained to try and help.
Alex couldn’t say that he was surprised; they were a little like a bad smell (or smoke) and tended to linger.
As the first course of hot soup was served, Alex asked Graves if he could delay the second course for a while. Since it was only cold game pie and salad, the butler said that it would be no trouble and left to see to it, dismissing the rest of the staff from the room. Once everyone had finished eating, Alex got to his feet.
“After the traumatic events of the last twenty four hours, I feel that it is time for some home truths to be spoken, as unpleasant as they may be.”
Pearl sniffed.
“I’ll start with you, Mother.”
Pearl sat up straighter and her stare dared him to go against her will. He found that her disapproval meant little to him any more.
“I'm afraid that your move to the Dower House will have to be expedited; I’d like you to leave tomorrow.”
Whatever she had expected to hear, it wasn’t that. “But it’s being redecorated!”
“And she has just lost her son, your brother,” Milton added. “Surely now is not a good time.”
“Murdered by your sinful wife!” Pearl added.
“He may have been your son, Mother, but he wasn’t my brother, was he? He is Uncle Charle’s son, isn’t he?”
“How dare you-” She began to get to her feet.
“How dare I?” Alex cut her off and gave a hollow laugh. “Oh, that is rich. You, who slept with your husband’s brother and lied about it to everyone, dare to call my wife sinful? Helen is as virtuous a woman as I have ever known and for her to even be in the same room with you, is an insult to her! The magistrate even discovered from Clarence’s correspondence with Charles, that you have been feeding Charles information about me! You knew that I suspected him of swindling me but you chose him over me. Well, you run to him now Mother, because I want nothing more to do with you.”
Pearl turned and left the room with as much poise as she could muster, holding her handkerchief to her eyes, although it remained dry.
Alex fixed his glare on Helen’s family. “You are here simply for a good story, and this one should be good enough for you to dine out on for the next ten years. Given everything that you have done to my wife over the years, I want you out of our lives forever. As such, I rescind my invitation for Cassandra to stay with us during the Season next year, I will however, purchase your indebted estate that Helen loves so much, from you and allow you to remain in the main house. I would advise you to invest well the money you receive, for there will be no more. You can leave tonight or tomorrow morning; either way, I do not want to see your faces again.”
“Well,” Paris dabbed at his mouth with his serviette. “I believe that we will have the rest of the meal served in our rooms, if that is agreeable to everybody?”
“Perfectly fine,” Helen assured him.
Alex waited until they had left the room, then turned to Milton. “To you I must apologise, Sir. I regarded you as a suspect in the attempts on Helen’s life and when Helen saw you skulking around in the closed wing, then you disappeared to Liverpool without reason and returned without explanation, I thought the worst and for that, I am truly sorry.”
Milton nodded his acceptance. “No hard feelings,” he assured Alex.
“And to you, Jane. My sincere apologies for even thinking of doubting your good character.”
“I understand,” Jane smiled. “I did not want to think you capable of Emma’s death but I too, couldn’t completely dismiss the idea either.”
“And on that note,” He looked to their mother, Anna, letting her know that she was included in this. “I would like to request your forgiveness for my brother’s actions. I obviously do not condone them but I should have done more to stop him.”
“Thank you,” Anna said, dabbing her tears away. “I think I speak for Jane and Milton when I say, we don’t hold you responsible.”<
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“Thank you.” He looked towards Rose as he sat down. “And you, my dear, how are you coping?”
Rose smiled at him. “I am shocked and I cannot say that I expected this from Clarence, but while he is- was charming, we were never close. It was always you who included me in your games as children, and you I confided in. I will no doubt miss his presence in time but at the moment, I’m more worried about you and Helen. That must have been very traumatic for the both of you.”
“Thank you,” Helen smiled at her.
Rose looked indecisive for a moment and bit down on her lower lip.
“Is something wrong?” Alex asked as he sat down.
“Well, not exactly.” Rose took a deep breath. “There is something that I would like to say, however.”
“Of course.” Alex gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
“I’m afraid that… well… the thing is, I am responsible for Milton’s suspect behaviour.”
“Rose?” Milton looked confused and perhaps a little worried.
“No, Milton. Alex seems to be using this as a chance for a new start and I believe that I would like that also. With Mother moving out, it’s more than time that I reclaimed my life.” Rose took a long sip of her wine and another deep breath. “Milton and I have been romantically involved for these past seven months. I was too frightened of Mother’s reaction to tell anyone how I felt and for that I am sorry. It was me he was meeting in the south wing, because I thought that we would not be disturbed there. When he left suddenly for Liverpool, he had just asked for my hand in marriage again, and I had refused him again. We argued and he was most upset at my reaction.”
Everyone at the table was looking between Rose and Milton, while Rose kept her gaze lowered as she spoke, afraid to see disapproval on anyone’s face.
“But the flirting and inappropriate behaviour?” Alex asked, trying to grasp what he was being told.
“Was my suggestion,” Rose explained. “We were almost discovered in a compromising position on one occasion, and I suggested that if he flirted with every female he came across, we would not be suspected if found alone together. That’s why he has been flirting with the female servants and Helen. I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who is sorry,” Milton added, looking to Helen. He didn’t sound very happy about Rose’s revelations. “I agreed because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep my distance from Rose, but I accept that my behaviour at times has been inappropriate. I would also be happy to apologise to the staff and rest assured, it won’t happen again,” he told Alex.
“Do I take it that this relationship is over now?” Alex appeared to be understanding.
“I came back to tell Rose that I wouldn’t give up, but I fear it may be a lost cause.”
“No,” Rose said but her voice was so soft that only Alex heard her. “No,” she repeated, sounding stronger and looking to Milton.
His head snapped up and hope shone in his eyes.
“As I said, I want to be like Alex and move forward, and I believe now is a very good time for new beginnings. I’m tired of being afraid, I'm tired of denying myself what I want, and I'm most tired of feeling the way I do about you, and never being able to act on those feelings. I know that I have led you a merry dance, Milton, but if you will still have me, I would very much like to become your wife.”
Milton appeared too stunned to speak, so Alex took the initiative and got to his feet to congratulate the couple. Milton stood as Alex approached and a slow smile began to form on his lips, and it quickly turned into a grin.
Alex grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Congratulations! I couldn’t be happier for you.”
Meanwhile, Helen and Anna approached Rose, kissing her cheek and wishing her well. Rose beamed under their good wishes.
The couple were still separated by the table and it took Alex to change things. “Well for God’s sake man, go and kiss her!”
Milton rounded the table and Helen and Anna stepped back so that Rose could run into his arms. She hugged him tightly and when she pulled away, kissed him passionately enough to cause Helen and Anna to blush.
Alex rang the bell and moments later, Graves appeared.
“Your Grace?” he looked confused by the merriment in the room.
“We need champagne Graves, and lots of it. My sister and Mr Russell have become betrothed.”
“Of course, Sir.” Graves smiled and turned to the couple. “My heartiest congratulations to you both.”
“Oh, and Graves,” Alex said as he turned to leave. “Have the boys sent down, will you? They slept in this morning so they should still be awake. They deserve to be a part of this.”
“Yes, Sir.”
It didn’t take long for Pearl to hear of the union but thankfully, for once she chose not to air her opinion to anyone other than her lady’s maid.
Downstairs and in blissful ignorance of her rantings, they finished their meal, Joe and Jules in their nightgowns, then retired to the drawing room. There Rose felt brave enough to entertain them with a rendition of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, proving that she had not lost any of her skill, despite her lack of public displays.
The boys were a little guarded to begin with, having never socialised with adults in the evening before. A glass of champagne for Joe and a half glass for Jules, soon helped to relax them. People began requesting songs, such as folk songs, Ellen A Roon and Robin Adair, as well as some popular musical songs and a few easier operatic numbers. Soon the whole room was singing along and even Graves, who was there to refill glasses, tapped his toe in time with the music.
Helen was not as accomplished a pianist as Rose but both she and Jane took a turn, to give her a rest. Joe had learned a few easier songs which he happily performed for them with Jules, who was too young to play yet, doing his best to sing.
Alex couldn’t remember the last time that Joe had smiled so much and it seemed as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. While Alex felt awful for not having been able to help the boy before now, he vowed to do better in the future and to spend a lot more time with both his sons.
Chapter Twenty Nine
During the following weeks, life at Howard House slowly got back to normal. Helen’s family departed and Pearl moved into a hotel in town, until the Dower House was ready for her.
The inquest into Clarence’s demise was held and after hearing one day of testimony, the coroner ruled his death a ‘lawful killing’.
The cause of Emma’s death was re-opened and as the original transcripts were read into evidence, it became clear that Emma had not been pregnant at the time of her death; that was probably another untruth spread by Clarence. Eventually a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ recorded.
Charles Cavendish had evidently heard about Clarence’s death and had fled on the first boat to South America. Alex had wanted to send a detective after him but Helen had talked him out of it, wanting to focus on the future and not the past.
When his theft from the Trust was proved, any assets Charles owned were turned over to Alex by the Court of Chancery, and he promptly sold them. He didn’t want to own anything that had belonged to Charles, who he held equally responsible for Emma’s death. Alex used those funds in part, to purchase Helen’s estate from her brother.
Between his estate, his business and Helen’s estate, he hoped that he could leave all his children a decent inheritance.
Charles was also tried in absentia for conspiracy to murder Emma and found guilty. If he ever stepped foot on British soil again, he would be hanged.
The building work on the library was finished by early December but the domed skylight wouldn’t be ready until the New Year. Temporary coverings kept the weather out until then. Plans were being drawn up for the interior and Alex had asked Joe and Jules for their input. The large marble mantelpiece that would surround the fireplace, was being carved with characters from their favourite books, and Jules had requested more comfortabl
e furnishings, calling the old chairs hard and uncomfortable, while Joe requested a table, where he could have some of his lessons.
Helen had asked that the windows at the end of the library, which had shattered in the heat, be stained glass at the top, which she thought would make a sunset look even more wonderful as the light refracted through them. Again, the family’s favourite literary scenes were chosen to be immortalised there. The lower panes would be made of clear glass still, so that the beauty of a sunset wasn’t obscured.
It would probably be another six months before the library was completely finished but Alex was enjoying working on it with his sons, as much as he was anticipating the finish.
Things had changed there also. Alex and Helen took the boys riding for an hour three times a week, changing who their pairs were so that Alex got to spend time alone with both his boys, although he focused mainly on Joe in the beginning.
It was hard for Joe to talk at first, having spent two years alienating himself from those around him but slowly, Alex was able to get him to open up about his feelings. He had tried many different settings to talk to him but quickly found that being on horseback yielded the best results.
Understandably, Joe had a lot of anger and resentment, aimed at a lot of different people, so Alex decided to try the same trick he had with Helen, and took the boy to the clearing in the trees by the cliff, where Helen had vented her frustration by screaming.
It took more prompting than Helen had needed, but eventually Joe began yelling, venting his emotions until he broke down in tears. That was almost the first time he cried since his mother had died. They returned to the clearing a few times and after each occasion, Joe seemed a little lighter and more willing to talk.
Slowly, they began to rebuild their relationship.
While Joe was sometimes a little resentful of Helen, even although he had taken it upon himself to try and protect her from Clarence but overall, he seemed happier to accept her presence in his life. Helen was also more than happy to listen to his stories of his mother, while Alex, Anna, Jane and Milton still found it painful, so she had a link to him that she built on whenever she could.
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