Chapter 9
An Explanation
T he moon shone brightly over the forest that night as Huntingdon rode to the pond where he had first met Caroline. Even now, his mind was in a whirl as he tried to make sense of exactly what was happening.
Concerned for Julia’s health, and convinced that Hugh was at the bottom of whatever mystery the house held, James had decided to stay the night at Gillingham Manor. Working together, James and Huntingdon had attempted to persuade the butler to open the door to Hugh’s room. When the butler refused, the persuasion had almost turned to violence. The loyal butler steadfastly refused to open the doors and threatened to have them shown out of the house.
In the end, two things had prevented Huntingdon from forcing the door. The first was Julia, who James did not want disturbed by the noise. The second was Felton’s presence in the house. Instinct told Huntingdon that he must keep the secret of Hugh’s disappearance, if only so that the villain below would not know of it.
James and Huntingdon decided together that tonight would be the last night of it. If Caroline did not disclose the truth about the rapidly escalating events at the house, the two would have to use other methods to unravel the mystery.
There was a menace in Huntingdon’s eyes as he thought of these other methods. There was a general menace that seemed to have settled like an aura over him.
To be involved in a mystery had seemed fun to Huntingdon at first, a pleasant diversion from his rather boring life. But to see to innocent people hurt bothered him immensely. Julia was languishing with the emotional pain of something she could not speak of. James seemed to be caught between needing to know and wanting to protect his bride. To see their hurt firsthand and be unable to do anything about it had made Huntingdon as enraged as a caged tiger.
Caroline, who was standing under an oak tree by the pond, observed him as he came, and felt herself tremble at the darkness he carried with him.
“You came,” He said as if he had not expected it.
“I promised you, did I not?” she said.
“Indeed, but your promises have not so far been entirely kept,” Huntingdon said. “You promised me James would not be hurt, that Julia had no part in whatever games you’re playing. Yet, I see them both torn apart.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I know it, and I am so sorry. It was never my intention…”
“What of your own brother, Hugh?” asked Huntingdon. “Was it your intention to make him disappear? For though your family may claim he lies sick in his room, I know the truth of it.”
“You know?” she asked, turning pale. “How did you guess?”
“Guess? James saw that the room was empty, and when we tried to make your butler open it, he threatened to have us evicted. My dear, you owe me an explanation.”
At his tone, her anger flared. Caroline had for the longest time, been feeling guilty at the things she had done, but her own pride now made her defensive and angry.
“I promised you I would tell you the truth today, and I have come to say it,” she said. “I promised you that James and Julia would not be hurt, and it is my intention to make sure of it, even now.”
“And what of Hugh?” he asked, “You cannot make him disappear forever, you know.”
“I can, and I will,” She said, a hard look settling on her face.
“What do you mean?” Asked Huntingdon.
“I mean what I say,” She said. “For Julia’s sake, I intend to make Hugh disappear forever.”
“I have been sorely mistaken in my judgment of you,” Huntingdon said. “I believed you at heart to be a good woman, not a murderess. Even if you seemed far too involved in sinister dealings, my heart did not allow me to think you were anything but innocent.”
She gave a short laugh, and hid her face, unable to meet his eyes. “I apologize to you and your heart then. I am the kind of woman who is capable of killing for the sake of someone I love. For Julia’s happiness.”
“You would kill your own brother?” Huntingdon asked, horror showing on his face. “I’m sorry, my lady. Whatever vows I may have made, I cannot partake in murder.”
“Hugh is already dead,” Caroline said.
“Then I must take you to the law,” Huntingdon said, placing a strong hand on her shoulder. “I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake, Caroline.”
“No, you have. You don’t understand. Hugh is dead. He died two years ago.”
Chapter 10
The Accident
“T ell me everything, from the beginning,” Huntingdon said, his voice full of threat. “I warn you my lady, that there will be no more games between us.”
“I was right, wasn’t I? Any momentary attraction you felt for me has been washed away in the face of my crimes.” Her head bowed low, and a tear struggled to escape her eye. When she looked up, bright as they were, her eyes were clear. Strands of moonlight mixed with the dark waves of her hair, forming a silvery halo over her, and lighting her face as she spoke.
“When Hugh was but a child, he hero-worshipped Felton. The hero worship continued even as he grew into a man. While Hugh remained a sweet if a not spoilt boy, Felton changed, from a callous boy to a dangerous man. Felton drank each day, even when he was still in school.”
“I know,” Huntingdon interjected. “For I was in school with him. I’ve met Felton and you have no need to recount his ills to me. Believe me, not a man in England might despise him as much as I do.”
“Well, Hugh soon changed too. Like Felton, he was obsessed with his vices, saw no point in a life of decency, and indulged himself in whatever caught his fancy.” Caroline said. “My family was aghast. My father was absolutely furious with him, but my poor mother, who was of a nervous disposition, tended to coddle Hugh. Each time he made a mistake, she’d win over my father and Hugh would escape the consequences.”
“A sad tale, but I believe, one that is familiar to many families,” Huntingdon said. “Your mother spoilt him as much as Felton did, by sparing the rod.”
“You will pardon me, sir if I do not fancy laying blame on my poor mother, who now sleeps many miles under the sea,” Caroline said with some heat.
“I beg your pardon, my lady, please do continue with your story,” Huntingdon said.
“The day father had enough was when it was found that… that Felton had organized a horrendous sport in Eton. He would pay vagrants to fight each other, no holds barred. Felton’s friends, the devils, would bet on the outcome. Three men were gravely injured in these horrible fights and one man died.”
“God!” exclaimed Huntingdon. “I never heard a whisper of this!”
“The boys who organized it along with Felton had fathers who were able to arrange things. But my father was furious. He beat Hugh to within an inch of his life and took him out of Eton.”
“I do recall he left early.”
“Well, for the next three years, he was schooled at home,” Caroline said, “Yet at every opportunity, Hugh seemed to run away to be with Felton and his group. Father came close to disowning him. Except of course that disowning him would mean Felton gained Gillingham Manor.”
“That’s the one thing your father wanted to avoid, I’m sure,” Huntingdon said.
“Exactly. You know, of course, that Hugh and I were twins. In our eighteenth year, two years ago, father decided to take us to France. He had this idea that if, as a family, we were to travel across the sea together, it would rebuild us, it would give Hugh the character he lacked. Julia, always delicate, was not healthy enough to join us. But the four of us, along with a few servants, chartered a sailing yacht. My father was an able sailor, having spent many years in His Majesty’s Service.”
“This is when the accident happened?” Huntingdon asked, sympathy now showing on his face.
Caroline nodded. “We had a grand time, at first. We sailed along the coast of France, often stopping in small villages and spending time with the locals. I learned to speak French, I learned to survive without fineries, and
I found that I loved it. The fine society of England, which left me feeling cloistered and caged, was forgotten as I was allowed to roam wild on the sea.”
“I know that feeling.” Huntingdon sympathized. “I, like your father, was once a sailor and once you’ve tasted that life, it’s hard to come back.”
“Yet you did,” Caroline said. “Why?”
“My father passed away,” Huntingdon said. “As Earl of Huntingdon, I had many responsibilities. Relatives who needed money, villagers whose problems needed solutions. Societal invitations that must be met.”
Caroline shook her head. “If you truly loved it, you could have gone. Excuses such as these would not have kept you.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Huntingdon sighed. “Truth be told, a sailor’s life is an exciting one, but it’s also lonely. One can sail the earth, yes, but one also needs a home to come back to.”
“But that was what was so perfect about our arrangement,” Caroline said. “We sailed, we met new people, we saw new, fantastic sights, but all along, we were together. We were a family.”
“Then?”
“We had sailed to a little town named Royan, in France,” Caroline said, “We had decided to spend a few days exploring the place. That’s where it happened.”
“The accident?”
“Something like that. Hugh had asked to escort me, and father had permitted us to go together to explore the town. But while I was at the Notre Dame de Royan, the grand cathedral of Royan, Hugh vanished. I was surprised and a little scared when I came out of my reverie to see him missing. I went looking for him. I saw him in an alley, having an argument with another man.”
“What?”
“It was Felton,” Caroline said. “Somehow, he had followed us and found us. You see, he was rather dependent on Hugh’s generosity and now Felton’s pockets were empty.”
“This is becoming more sinister.”
“Indeed. At the time, I thought nothing of it, but today, I suspect that Felton had a hand in our accident.”
Chapter 11
The Truth is Told
“Y ou think he murdered your family?” Huntingdon asked. “Is that why Hugh keeps you hidden?”
“I only know what I heard,” Caroline said.
“I heard Hugh saying, “Well maybe I don’t want to anymore. Damn it all, my father is a good man.”
Felton replied to him, “You’ll live to regret this boy, if you live at all.”
“A threat if I’ve ever heard one!” Huntingdon exclaimed.
“I ran away, back to the church, and in a little while, Hugh found me and escorted me back to the yacht. I don’t know if he ever knew that I had overheard. I had not much time to think of it myself as we set sail an hour later. But six hours later, our yacht was in the bottom of the sea.”
“Felton had a hand in this by God!” Huntingdon cried. “He must have sabotaged the boat. I would bet my…Wait, but how did you survive? And why did you pretend that…”
“I survived because of Hugh,” Caroline said, tears springing to her eyes. “He grabbed a plank, somehow, and made me cling to it. Through the night as we thrashed about in the waves. He spoke to me, over and over, told me how much he loved our family. His words buoyed my spirits again and again, until finally, a wave overcame us. We washed ashore, and I awoke next to the lifeless body of my twin brother.”
“God,” Huntingdon said, shaken. He saw the fine trembling that coursed through Caroline’s body and drew her into his arms. “My poor Caroline. My poor darling.”
“I have never been able to swim ever since,” Caroline said. “I tried so many times, but water always makes me panic. I seize up and…” The dam of loneliness that had built up inside her burst now, and her body was racked with sobs.
“Caroline, my darling, don’t weep. I beg you.” Huntingdon crushed her to him, feeling the anguish of her pain as if it were his own. “Courage now, tell me the rest, even if it means a little more pain.”
“When I awoke, I realized what our accident meant,” Caroline said. “It meant that Felton would inherit Gillingham Manor. It meant that poor Julia would be robbed of the chances she so deserved, and I did something horrible. I decided that I would dress as my brother and pretend to be him. From that day on, I swore, Caroline would be no more, and Hugh would be reborn.”
“So, he was.” Huntingdon mused. “You took care never to step out of the house and to shut yourself up as a recluse. The villagers believed that it was grief, not fear that caused your solitude. Am I correct?”
“Yes,” Caroline said. “I was always scared that someone would discover me. My features have always resembled Hugh’s, as he was a delicate boy and with the help of a fake beard and eyebrows, my face was well enough disguised. As for my body, I was always thin enough that I escaped notice when dressed right.”
“But surely you could not do it alone!” exclaimed Huntingdon.
“No. Ashbury, our butler, recognized me, and he swore to help. With his help, and that of one of my loyal maids, I was able to recreate Hugh. Julia was so grief-stricken that at first, she had no wits about her. She was completely taken fooled. Lately though I wonder if she had begun to suspect. I sent her away to our Aunt in London, and when she met James there, all thoughts of me went out of her head.”
“Which made you happy?”
“It did. I hadn’t thought much beyond wanting revenge on Felton at the time I first dressed as Hugh, but soon the truth hit me. The scandal of what I had done might have caused permanently damaged Julia’s reputation.”
“Did you not care of your own?” asked Huntingdon.
“No, to be honest, I did not. I cared for two things only: to see Felton dead or behind bars and to see my Julia happy. I have been gathering evidence for the last two years, and soon I shall have enough to put Felton behind bars. My hope was that by then Julia would be happily married, and so whatever punishment I had to face for my actions, her reputation would be intact.”
“You were so close, too,” Huntingdon said. “But Julia decided to break off her relationship with James.”
“She found out,” Caroline said, broken hearted. “She almost found out the day I met you. I could not hide my wet clothes or the state of Gulliver’s Travels. It is why she began acting strangely with James. Then, that night, when you left me on the bell tower, apparently, James had visited Julia too. She was awake that night, and she had her final proof that I had impersonated Hugh.”
“Good lord,” Huntingdon said. “It’s my fault that she found you, in a way.”
“Julia said she had long suspected, but once she had the final proof, she was horrified. She thought I was doing it for the money, to keep Gillingham Manor with us. She could not bear the thought. I could not tell her of Felton. Her disposition is very like my mama’s; she is delicate and must be protected. I also did not want her to be involved in any court activities that would arise. But Julia thought that my miserly need for money had caused me to be dishonorable and that she could no longer marry James.”
“So that is why she acted so strange!” exclaimed Huntingdon. “She asked him for a week’s respite the night before and then returned his ring the very next day!”
“What!” Caroline exclaimed.
“You did not know because you had disappeared all morning,” Huntingdon said. “But earlier today Julia returned her ring to James. She told him she did not love him, and they cannot marry.”
“Oh, Julia!” Caroline exclaimed. “The little fool!”
“Where were you today?” Huntingdon asked.
“I received a letter today. The letter brings with it the final proof that Felton did indeed sabotage my family’s yacht.” Caroline said. “I was so close, Huntingdon had I not met you, Julia would be married today, and I would be free to chase Felton. Fate is a cruel mistress, to give me the gift of you, and take away my two greatest wishes simultaneously.”
“I am sorry I caused you pain,” Huntingdon said.
“I
only wish that I could reconcile Julia and James. But as for pain, oh Huntingdon, I would bear a thousand times the pain for you. I have never loved another as I do you. Even when your love for me is burnt like the embers of an old fire, I will love you the same.”
“How touching.” Came a voice from the trees. “But fear not, my lady, for pain a thousand times over you will feel before this night is done.”
Both Huntingdon and Caroline looked up, startled. There, in the moonlight, stood Felton, a pistol in his hands, pointed straight at them.
Chapter 12
Final Justice
“Y ou despicable man!” hissed Caroline.
“A drunk man, as you called me, but a quiet one.” Felton laughed, approaching them. “I only followed the earl with the intention of killing him. No one insults me and stays alive very long, you see. But I heard the sad little tale you’ve been telling the earl and now I’m very glad to have followed him. Two bullets instead of one, and Gillingham Manor will be mine in the bargain.” He gave a harsh laugh. “As for my dear second cousin Julia, why, perhaps I shall take pity on her and marry her myself.”
“You will do no such thing,” Huntingdon said, sounding bored. “My dear chap, you cannot imagine that I have come here unaccompanied to meet a woman I thought was a murderer? James hides in the trees back there, and even now, he has a rifle pointed at you.”
“What!” Felton swung around slightly, looking for James. Huntingdon instantly tackled him, wrestling him for the pistol.
Caroline screamed, and threw herself into the fray, raining blows on Felton as the two men grappled. A loud bang sounded, and birds flew from the surrounding trees, shaking off leaves in their trail. Blood dripped on the grass below, but whose?
Huntingdon got up, and drew Caroline away, as Felton stumbled and coughed out his last breaths.
“It is over,” Huntingdon said. “I am so sorry Caroline dear, that you could not have your day in court, for I believe I have killed him.”
“Huntingdon, oh you fool! The risk you took!” Caroline flew into his arms and kissed him over and over. “Oh, my dear Huntingdon!”
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