“I do not need to see the journal to know how sick you are,” she spat.
He merely looked at her and laughed. “I suppose you tried speaking to those two. They never responded, did they? But how could they? I ripped their tongues out, darling.”
Nicholas bent down whispered into her ear. “I did it with my hands, though. You can imagine how much torture they would have gone through before I finally finished it off with a knife.”
Magnolia shut her eyes tight in an attempt to block out the picture forming in her head, as well as thoughts of the unimaginable pain those men must have gone through.
“Oh, it was interesting,” he continued, his grin wider than ever. “Watching them squirming, pleading, crying. The women could not stand it, though. Some died in the process. But these two men – they proved to be my strongest servants. They endured the pain.”
“You are sick!” Magnolia finally shouted. “You are insane, you bastard! You are a monster!”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, standing up. “But you did not ask why I did what I did.”
“Because you derived pleasure from it, no doubt. Only a mad man would be able to do something like that!”
He chuckled. “Not at all. They were planning to kill me. They never knew I had heard everything. So, if you are thinking of some way to escape or to murder me, you better think again. No one does that and lives to tell the story.”
Nicholas glanced up at the pocket watch. “It’s almost ten. Your husband should be on his way here by now. If, indeed, he loves you and is ready to do anything to save you, he will bring me the journal and that cufflink you went asking about.”
She gasped. How on earth did he know that?
“Oh, do not act so surprised, my love. I have instilled enough fear in everyone to let them reach out to me anytime anyone is asking about me. How do you think I got to know about your brother and your father?”
He turned to gaze down at Magnolia again. “Your husband was so busy trying to catch me that he forgot about Gulliver, the goldsmith.”
“Oh, please do not hurt Gulliver. It was my fault…”
“I know it was your fault. But he should have known better. I guess he must have learned his lesson now. He was involved in a ghastly accident two days ago and it claimed his life.”
“Oh, my dear God,” she whispered.
“You see? No one double-crosses me. If they do, I end their miserable lives in a very nasty way.”
With one hand he reached out to stroke her hair while laughing. “I do not think I should kill you yet. I might just enjoy playing with you for a time.”
A sharp knock interrupted him. “What is it?” he demanded angrily.
The door opened and one of the servants came in. Nicholas went to meet him and then turned back to Magnolia.
“We are having a visitor. I shall be back soon.” As he left the room, he gave an order to the servant. “Watch her!”
After Nicholas was gone, Magnolia was left alone with the servant. He only gave her a cold stare.
“Please,” she whispered. “Help me. I know you hate him for what he did to you. How can you still do his bidding?”
The man only went on staring at her blankly. She couldn’t tell if he understood her or not, but she continued anyway.
“I swear to you that my husband is on his way. If you help us, we can stop this murderer and hand him over to the authorities. He should not get away with what he did to you!”
The man walked over to her and gave her a resounding slap.
She cried out pain and then broke down sobbing.
Afterwards he went to sit by the bed, staring right at her.
Magnolia dared not say anything again.
* * *
Nicholas Wilde, the Marquess of Longsheer
Nicholas hid both weapons in his jacket before walking towards one of the windows in the parlor. He drew the curtain aside and, just as he had expected, he could see a man on a horse riding towards the house.
The rider had a torch in his hand. He could tell it was no other person than Adam Avery.
Adam stopped a few feet away from the main gate. “Nicholas! Come out wherever you are hiding and bring my wife, you bastard!”
Nicholas chuckled. What an idiot! He walked to the front door and stepped out. “Adam! I have been expecting you. I daresay your beautiful wife has been expecting you as well.”
The man kicked the horse into a run and then leaped down from the saddle, right in front of Nicholas. “I swear, if anything happens to Magnolia –”
“Easy, now, old fellow. No one threatens me.” Nicholas stood calmly, still smiling. “Meanwhile, what kind of a host would I be if I did not allow you into my home and serve you a cup of hot tea?”
“I don’t want anything from you, bastard. I only want my wife!”
“And I only want my cufflink and the journal,” Nicholas replied, folding his arms. “I believe we can come to an agreement that does not involve any bloodshed. Why don’t you come in?”
Adam hesitated.
“I insist,” Wilde stated.
Without waiting, he headed back inside. Adam followed.
* * *
Adam Avery, the Earl of Strickland
Adam followed Nicholas as the murderer walked ahead of him towards the house. Adam knew that dining with the devil could be dangerous. What if he planned to kill both him and Magnolia? Who would rescue them?
He stopped at the entrance.
“Are you still contemplating on whether or not to trust me?” Nicholas asked, from where he sat.
“You should not be surprised. Dining with the devil is not what I had in mind. I just want to drop the things you asked for and leave with my wife. I never want to set eyes on you again.”
“Oh, not so fast, Adam. Come in and sit. We needn’t waste time.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Then you say goodbye to your precious wife.”
Adam swallowed and walked inside the house, into the parlor. It was a large room with four lounging chairs. Nicholas sat on one of them with a cigar dangling in between his lips. “Please sit,” he said.
Adam eyed the chair that was closest to him and walked towards it.
A maid came forward and handed him a cup of tea. Adam waved it away.
“It is not poisoned,” Nicholas stated, laughing. “I like to look at my victim’s eyes before I kill them. Poison is not really my style.”
Feeling helpless, Adam glanced at the servant. She set down the cup and left.
Adam took a deep breath. “I am here now, Nicholas. What do you want to talk about?”
The man stood up, raising a cup of tea to his lips. “First of all, why did you never tell your wife about the content of the journal?”
Adam remained silent.
Nicholas observed him for a while. “It seems that wasn’t the only thing you’ve been hiding from her. I’ll bet you hid many things. Such a shame. Your beautiful family is not so beautiful after so many secrets, is it?”
“I have not come here to discuss my family with you! I just want my wife! Is she even alive?” he shouted.
“You don’t come into my house and start making demands,” said Nicholas coldly.
“Actually, I can,” Adam retorted, also rising. “I have what you need. You have what I want. Why not you just stop beating around the bush? Then we will do what we came here to do.”
Nicholas removed the cigar from his lips and puffed the smoke in the air.
“I can see you have an envelope on you. What makes you think I cannot kill you right now? Take what I want from you and kill your wife? It would be very simple.”
Adam removed the envelope from his jacket. “If you check this envelope, you will realize I have only got one sheet from the journal here. And it doesn’t even contain anything.”
Nicholas threw him a glare and nearly dropped the cigar. “How dare you? I can rip your head off right now.”
Adam shrugged. “I suppo
se you could. But if you do, you will ever know where the rest of the journal is. Or the cufflink.”
Nicholas ground his teeth. Adam realized that he himself was now getting the upper hand and quickly went on with the rest of his speech.
“If anything happens to me, the constables will know that it was you who killed me – and they will find you. We have your picture and it will be pasted everywhere.
“And everyone will know what you did to your servants and the workers you have enslaved. Your filthy secrets will all be out in the open. All of England will know that you are a depraved, blood-sucking murderer and nothing of the gentleman you claim to be.”
For a moment Nicholas was speechless and looked confused, as if considering all the options he had. “Bring her out!” he finally shouted, to one of the servants in the room.
The servant disappeared down a hallway. In a few moments, that one and another came back out – and in between them, half walking and half being carried, was Magnolia. Her lips were swollen and there were red marks on her face.
His heart skipped a beat as he saw her.
“Adam!” she cried.
He wanted to run towards her, but Nicholas got to held her and pointed a gun to her head.
“No! Please. Do not. She is pregnant!” Adam shouted, before he could stop himself.
“Is she, now,” said Nicholas, turning Magnolia around to face him. “That’s even more interesting.” He pulled her even closer and placed the barrel of the gun against her stomach. “Now will you tell me where my things are?”
Chapter 37
Magnolia Richmond Avery, the Countess of Strickland
“No! No! Nicholas, please don’t,” Magnolia cried, with tears running down her cheeks.
“You think you’re smart, don’t you?” Nicholas thundered, dragging her back with one hand.
She shut her eyes as Nicholas pointed the gun at her head one more time. She shuddered under the cold touch of the metallic object against her temple. Her body stiffened as she realized what was about to happen.
I am going to die…
“Once I kill her, not only will Magnolia die but your child and heir will die as well. Are you sure you want to play this game with me, Adam?”
“Just please, do not pull the trigger!” Adam pleaded. He looked horrified “I will do anything you want.”
“Then tell me! Where did you put the journal and the cufflink?” Nicholas demanded angrily – but then suddenly he stopped talking and took his hand off Magnolia.
She was confused but could see Adam looking past her with a stunned expression.
Finally, Magnolia turned her head enough to see what was happening – and gasped at the sight of one of the servants pointing a gun at Nicholas’s head.
It was the same voiceless servant that Magnolia had pleaded with earlier. She dared to breathe again when she realized the man had actually listened to her.
“Do not do this, Leo,” Nicholas said, standing very still and holding his hands up. “We both know you don’t have the guts to pull that trigger.”
But Leo’s trembling hand was around the trigger. The gun barrel touched Nicholas’s skull and Leo looked to be deadly serious.
Magnolia rushed towards her husband just as the door suddenly burst open and two other men with guns in their hands ran into the room, aiming their weapons straight at Nicholas.
“You‘re surrounded and outnumbered! Drop the weapon and get on the floor now!” ordered the taller of the two constables
“Are you all right?” Adam asked, embracing Magnolia. She was finally beginning to breathe in relief, now that help had finally come.
Nicholas merely laughed and raised his arms up.
“Drop the weapon!” One of the officers ordered again.
Leo still had his weapon pointed at Nicholas’s head while the two officers pointing their guns at both of them.
Nicholas moved as though to drop his gun – only to quickly aim it towards Magnolia once again.
“No!” she shrieked. Adam pushed her forcefully out of the way, and she heard the gun go off.
Both of them fell to the floor with the deafening sound of the gunfire echoing in the room. By the time Magnolia had struggled into sitting upright, Adam lay on the floor writhing in agony.
She rushed to her husband’s side. “Dear God, Adam! Please look at me!”
But her husband’s eyes were closed, and he was barely breathing. He had two gunshot wounds on his left shoulder. A part of his shirt was already soaked in blood.
Magnolia broke down in tears as she held on to him. “Help! Someone please help!” she cried.
Finally, two officers did come to her aid and helped her to stand. And to her great relief, they were able to get Adam to his feet and start him walking towards the door. “Where are you taking him?” she cried.
Adam opened his eyes. “Don’t worry. I will be fine,” he whispered, before closing his eyes and leaning on the men as they walked him to the door.
Magnolia nodded and drew a ragged breath, wiping away her tears. As she left the room and glanced behind her, she could see one of the servants lying unblinking on the floor. He was dead.
The other servant, Leo, was shaking hands with one of the officers. “Thank you,” said one of the officers to him. Leo nodded and then turned to look at Magnolia as she was escorted to the carriage.
She nodded to him in return.
Then Magnolia climbed up into one of the carriages that waited outside, just as Nicholas was dragged out of the house and pushed into another carriage.
“I believe Lord Strickland will recover, my lady,” one of the officers said to her.
“But he requires a physician!” she replied. “I must –”
“I already sent an officer to get a physician to the manor,” replied the taller of the men. “I’m Officer Langley.”
“Thank you, Mr. Langley,” she replied, and then fell back against the seat as the carriage pulled away.
* * *
The officers carried Adam into the house. When Magnolia opened the door and stepped inside, she found Caroline, Richard, Aunt Dorothy, and Elizabeth in the parlor. As soon as they saw her, the women shrieked for joy and rushed to hug her.
“Oh, my darling,” cried Aunt Dorothy. “I was so afraid. I thought something terrible had happened!”
“Where is Adam?” asked the dowager countess. She had barely finished asking when the door opened and Adam was helped inside by two men, followed by another man.
“Oh, my God!” gasped the countess, on seeing her son.
“My lady, this is Mr. Rosam, the physician,” Langley said.
“Is he going to be all right?” Elizabeth asked the officers, but none was able to reply.
“Follow me, please,” Magnolia said hurriedly, leading them to their bedroom in a rush. “Place him there.”
Adam was very carefully placed on the bed, groaning softly. His face was covered in sweat and his left shoulder was soaked in fresh blood.
“You are going to be all right,” Magnolia cooed, holding his hand and placing it to her cheek. She sighed as she looked down at him on the bed.
He could hardly keep his eyes open.
“Please excuse me, Lady Strickland,” said the physician. “I must have some time alone with him.”
“Please. Will he recover?” asked Magnolia.
“I want you to be rest assured that he will be fine,” the physician replied. “Yet given your current position, it would not be healthy to subject yourself to further stress. In the morning, I shall come back to see to you and your baby. But first, you must leave him to me.”
Reluctantly, Magnolia left the room to join the rest of the family in the parlor. Caroline stood up to embrace her one more time before pulling away.
“How are you, my dear?” she asked.
“Well enough,” Magnolia said.
“Where is Nicholas Wilde?” Richard asked, facing one of the officers.
“Locked behind
bars,” Langley replied. “We will use the cufflink and the journal as evidences against him in court.”
Richard nodded. “Good. Thank you.”
“We should be on our way. We shall come and inquire after his lordship again tomorrow,” Langley said.
“Thank you so much,” said the dowager countess, as the men bowed and took their leave.
* * *
The time passed. Servants brought in tea and cakes and other foods, which Magnolia found most welcome. But as she tried to sit quietly in her chair and sip the hot tea, her mind kept revisiting everything that had happened to her.
A Mysterious Quest of a Seductive Lady: A Regency Historical Romance Novel Page 27