Magnolia walked out of the house and then into the garden. She moved towards the swing and sat down on it. It was the swing she and her brother had played on countless times. She could still remember when her father used to chase them around in the garden before catching her and lifting her up in his arms.
Magnolia smiled as she remembered all of the moments they shared together. She then broke into tears and sank down to the ground.
Then, from nowhere, someone touched her shoulder and offered her a handkerchief.
Frowning, she looked up and saw a tall man with brown hair and honey-brown eyes.
“You should clean your face,” he said.
She nodded, took the handkerchief from him, and wiped her face. Then she stood up. “Who are you? I have never seen you before,” she said, returning his handkerchief.
He smiled. “I am one of your father’s business associates. I heard of his sudden death and I came to pay my respects.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
“I thought you would be in the house,” he said.
She shook her head. “I had to get away. I needed some time alone.”
“Of course. The I shall take my leave. I do not want to make you feel uncomfortable in your time of grieving.”
Magnolia did not reply as she gazed at the empty swing.
“Would you like to get on the swing while I push you?” the man asked, as if reading her mind.
She looked up suddenly, raising her brows. “I would like that. My father used to do that for me,” she said sadly. Magnolia got up and walked to the swing, sitting down on it as the handsome man came closer.
* * *
Present Day
And that was how Magnolia Richmond and Nicholas Wilde had become friends. Magnolia had thought she could trust him, but now it was possible that she had been wrong to do so.
Adam had never liked him. Had he been right all along? But he had also kept this information from her. Why would he do that? Was there more to this? He could be mistaken about Nicholas due to his jealously of their friendship. She was determined to give her husband the chance to be open with her before letting him know that she had discovered the information on her own.
* * *
Adam Avery, the Earl of Strickland
Adam returned home that night, feeling exhausted. He found Rachael in the parlor cleaning the floor.
“Rachael, do you not think it is late to be doing this? Why not wait until morning?”
The woman smiled, stood up and curtsied. “I am not feeling sleepy yet, so I decided to work for a while.”
He shrugged. “All right, then. How is my mother?”
“Sleeping, my lord.”
“And my wife? I hope she is not still awake waiting for me to get back home.”
Rachael smiled. “Sleeping as well.”
“Thank goodness. She needs a proper sleep. Well, good night, Rachael.”
Adam dragged his weight up the stairs, thinking he had never been so tired as he was now. He had thought to go and see Richard but found that he could not. The only thing he wanted now was to kiss his wife and go to sleep.
He opened the door and walked in – and was surprised to see Magnolia, sitting in front of the mirror.
“Darling. You are awake,” he stated, raising his voice in surprise.
“Yes, love,” she replied, standing up and walking towards him. “I could not sleep when you are not around.”
He chuckled, pulling her closer and kissed her. “You need to sleep, love. The doctor said it is important.”
She smiled, holding on to him. “Is there something you would like to tell me?”
Adam frowned. “As regarding what, exactly?”
“Anything at all. Perhaps there is something you think I might need to hear.”
He laughed. “I will tell you that I love you very much. I do not think you can be tired of hearing that.”
She looked a bit disappointed, but quickly smiled. “Well, then. You should go and bathe. Good night.”
After this, Magnolia walked away from him and went to the bed. Her actions seemed a bit odd, but Adam was too tired to ask questions. He went behind his dressing screen, took off his travel clothes, washed up as best he could with the basin of water that was waiting for him, and then joined his wife on their bed.
Chapter 34
Magnolia Richmond Avery, the Countess of Strickland
It was a warm evening. Adam was not at home and his mother had gone to a tea-gathering. Magnolia sat alone in the garden, thinking of what had transpired in the past few days.
She wondered how long her husband would keep this from her, and also wondered what he was going to do with Nicholas. She was certain he had to have had help from Lord Midhust to come to that conclusion.
Magnolia remembered that Adam had asked her to leave everything in his hands and let him take over. Apparently, he had taken over so fully that he still wasn’t telling her anything, even though she had so many questions. But she didn’t know where to start.
Magnolia did not want anything to affect her marriage, but at the same time, she felt she had the right to know the truth and Adam should not keep it from her.
She sighed, her mind going back to Nicholas. If he truly was the murder, what exactly was he going to do next? Surely, he had to know that she was on to him. She shared everything with him about her plans to investigate. Had she played right into his hands by being so open with him? Thankfully, she never told him about the journal or the gold cufflink.
Magnolia had trusted him. But all the while, he could possibly have been her enemy. She had to be cautious around him from now on to be sure.
She stood up from her seat and walked a bit forward. Once Adam came back, she would confront him. She wanted to know everything. Everything!
“Magnolia?”
At the sound of that voice, both fear and anger overwhelmed her. Her heart began to beat erratically as she looked up and found Nicholas Wilde standing in front of her with that sweet smile that he always gave her.
Why is he here?
What was he doing here unannounced? When did he get in the house? Did he know that she knew of his secret?
“My – my lord,” she tried to say, though her voice trembled.
He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “You look as though you have seen a ghost, Lady Strickland.”
She forced a smile. “You see, I – I was not expecting you. Why are you here?”
“I apologize for coming in unannounced,” he said. “But I had to see you.”
Her eyed darted towards the entrance of the garden. All she could do was pray that Adam would come home soon.
“I do hope everything is all right?” she asked, positioning herself towards the direction of the entrance while trying as much as possible to remain calm.
“Yes, I am.” He stopped talking and looking at her.
“Are you sure you are all right?”
“Yes. I am. Why would not I be?” Nicholas smiled as he walked closer to her. “I am here because I will soon be leaving for Italy, permanently. And I thought of saying goodbye.”
“Oh, is that so?” she asked, trying very hard to sound surprised. “I will miss you terribly my friend.”
Nicholas smiled. “Of course you will. And I will miss you too.”
Then he stepped closer to her – and the next thing she felt was a cold metal on the side of her pregnant stomach.
He leaned in closer to her, blocking the view of the object he held with his body so that passers-by could not see. “Do as I say, Lady Strickland,” he said, in a soft voice. “Or I will shoot.”
She gasped. The object was a gun. “I will do anything you want me to do,” Magnolia told him, and all she could think of was the baby in her womb.
* * *
Adam Avery, the Earl of Strickland
“Do you think she knows?” Richard asked.
Adam had just told him of the question Magnolia asked him the other nigh
t. He had been too tired to think further on it at the time, but now he had told Richard everything.
“There is no way she would have known. She never went out,” Adam replied.
“And you are certain she did not go to the goldsmith when you were not around?” Richard inquired.
“Hartley would never lie to me. I already told him not to let my wife leave the house anytime I am not home.”
Richard stood up. “I think you should tell her the truth.”
Adam sighed. “But our marriage is better than ever now. I do not want anything to ruin this beautiful moment between us. I have a feeling that, once I bring it up, we would have problems again.”
“And if she discovers it on her own, she will be angry that you kept it from her. She has a right to know, and you really do not want to make a pregnant woman angry. Congratulations again, by the way.”
Adam sighed. His friend was right. The constables still had not found Nicholas and Adam was more afraid of his wife finding out on her own. “I shall tell her, tonight,” he promised.
* * *
Adam got to the house earlier than usual that night. He walked inside and found Hartley. “Hello, Hartley. Is my wife home?”
“Of course, my lord. She is –”
But Adam didn’t wait around to listen. He ran up the stairs and opened the door, hoping to see Magnolia – but instead he found Rachael arranging the wardrobe.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“Downstairs, with her guest,” Rachael replied.
“Her – guest?” Instantly dashed back down to the entrance where he had met Hartley.
“Where is my wife?”
“Lady Strickland is in the garden, my lord,” Hartley replied.
Adam rushed towards the garden but there was no one there. Why were they playing tricks on him?
“Magnolia!” he called, but his only response was the echo of his own voice.
Quickly he went back to Hartley. “I cannot find her.”
Hartley frowned. “But she was just standing there with His Lordship and…”
“What? With who?”
“His Lordship.”
“Her guest was a man?” he asked, his heart beating frantically.
“Yes, my lord. Lord Longsheer was here earlier.”
Adam blinked rapidly. “Longsheer.”
“Yes, my lord,” Hartley said patiently. “Lord Longsheer visited her and they spent time in the garden talking.”
Adam shut his eyes closed as he placed a hand on his head. “You did not see them when they left?”
“No, my lord.”
Quickly, Adam ran back to the garden, searching for anything at all that might serve as a clue as to what must have happened to his wife.
Suddenly he spotted a paper on one of the chairs, held down by a pebble so it would not blow away. Adam grabbed it and read the scrawled writing.
I have her. Do not call authorities. Call them and she dies.
* * *
“You mean to say you will not call the authorities?” asked Richard. He had come there immediately after Adam sent for him.
“I do not know what to do,” Adam replied. They were still in the garden. “He just said that if I call the authorities, she will die.” Adam paced across the grass. He had yet two break the news to his mother or to Aunt Dorothy.
“We must beat him at his own game. He would expect us not to call the authorities, but we must be smarter,” Richard said. “Are you listening to me?”
No, he wasn’t listening. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his wife had just been abducted.
“Pull yourself together,” Richard warned. “I shall call Longley and Bradbury while you find the means to tell her aunt and your mother.”
Adam sighed and nodded. He could not imagine what he would say.
* * *
Some minutes later, Adam was in front of Richmond Manor. He climbed out of the carriage with a racing heartbeat.
There was no good way to deliver such news, so he simply sighed and forged ahead and knocked on the door. The footman bowed and ushered him in, where he found Miss Dorothy on the couch.
She stood up and smiled on seeing him. “Adam dear. Is everything all right? Where is your wife?”
He ran a hand through his hair as he sought for the right words to say.
“What is it?” the woman asked, her expression suddenly growing serious. “Did you two have a fight again?”
Adam shook his head.
“Then, tell me! You are frightening me!”
“She…she…” Adam stammered. “She is been abducted.”
A flash of shock went through Aunt Dorothy’s eyes and she sat down in shock.
“What!” she said in a whisper. “How? What happened?”
Adam sighed, knowing he must finally tell her about what they had been doing without her knowledge.
“My poor girl!” Aunt Dorothy wailed, as she burst into tears. “Why is she a target? Is it not enough they killed her family?”
He raised his brows in surprise. “Killed? I thought you believed the wreck was just an accident.”
“I never did believe that, Adam,” she confessed, wiping her tears. “And I was more convinced during the two times she was attacked. Someone is after this family!”
He nodded. “You’re right, Aunt Dorothy. We have actually been working on it.”
She frowned. “Working on it? What do you mean?”
“I think you should sit down,” he said.
The woman sat down and listened while Adam recounted all they had been investigating and what they had found out . . . and then Aunt Dorothy burst into tears.
“You two have been playing with fire all along!” she cried. “What if he abducts and kill the both of you!”
“Have no fear. The constables have been called and you are coming back home with me for safety. Magnolia will be found very soon.”
Aunt Dorothy nodded, though her face was pale with shock. “Let me get my things.”
* * *
Magnolia Richmond Avery, the Countess of Strickland
Magnolia opened her eyes – and immediately felt overwhelming panic when she realized that she could not move her body or scream.
She laid on her back with her legs and hands tightly bound. The worst part of it was that she seemed to be moving. Looking up above, she could tell that she was in a carriage – a moving carriage. Magnolia wanted to scream but all that came out of her gagged mouth were muffled sounds.
She could not understand or remember how she had gotten into the carriage. At the same time, she tried to devise a means of escaping.
“Wonderful! You are awake. Good morning to you, my own ray of sunshine.”
When Magnolia heard that voice, terror overwhelmed her. She turned her head sideways to see Wilde smiling at her. But she could feel the silent screams vibrating in her ears and her whole body began to shake violently.
Nicholas leaned back, crossing his legs and brandishing his index finger at her while shaking his head. “Do not do that. It is of no use, darling.”
Her bound hands were curled into a fist with her nails digging into her palm. Magnolia could feel the air flooding in and out of her lungs, even though she could not speak or talk and was struggling with all her might to get free.
Then she realized that Nicholas was enjoying watching her struggle. Finally, she gave up and laid still, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“That is far better, Lady Strickland. I am glad to see that you are now resigned to your fate,” he said, with a wicked grin on his face.
She badly wanted him to at least give her a chance to speak, but at that point he took out a book and settled back to read.
Hot tears flooded down her cheeks. Where was he taking her?
Before long, he lowered the book. “In case you are wondering whether your husband might come along at any moment and save you, you are very wrong. We have left your town far behind. I am taking
you to some other place where no one will disturb us.”
Nicholas grinned coldly at her. “I should have claimed you a long ago, but you were so strong, Somehow you kept changing my plans- but that has now ended. Your fate is sealed forever.”
* * *
Nicholas Wilde, the Marquess of Longsheer
Nicholas felt a sense of pride and ownership surging through him. Magnolia was finally his and there was no one who would change that.
A Mysterious Quest of a Seductive Lady: A Regency Historical Romance Novel Page 25