She laughed when his eyes darted to the half empty glass. “Did you know that Socrates died by overdose of Hemlock? He drank the poisonous juice by his own hand after he was sentenced to death. I thought it poetic that you die the same way as a great philosopher. Only you did not know you were drinking poison. But all the same, you will die in the same manner.”
Roderick could no longer sit up and fell back across the bed.
“Do you want to know how I came upon so much information about Hemlock? Or do you want to know why I did all this?”
She explained the whole sordid plan as she finished getting ready. “I had a liaison with an herbalist. Do you remember that toad-like fellow on the outskirts of London? He was nasty looking but he knew everything about herbs. Good and bad. I sweet-talked him into helping me. I got tired of waiting for you to die so I decided to help nature along.”
She clipped a diamond pendent onto her dress then looked at Roderick. “Soon you will be with your precious Mary, and I will have all the money.”
Walking closer to the bed and leaning over him, she observed how he stared straight ahead, his eyelids not moving. “I know you can hear me even if you are paralyzed.
“Why have I done all this, you ask?” Her mirthless laugh rumbled through the room. “I wanted you from the first day we met, but you never looked at anyone except Mary. The day you married her was a slap in my face. However, I am a patient woman. I bided time and formed my plan. I was brilliant. The way I befriended her. I knew her passion for helping others and used it to lure her to the hotel that day.”
She licked her dry lips. “The feel of steel slicing through flesh. The blood. The confused look in her eyes before they went blank.” She shook her head. “Nothing has ever compared to the emotions of that day. I knew with her out of the way you would finally turn to me. And, you did.
“How was I to know what an old bore you would turn out to be? How Mary ever put up with you, I have not the faintest idea. It must have been a blessing for her the day she died. I put her out of her misery. Now I shall do the same for myself. I have had enough of you and Caitlin too.”
She walked to the door. “I will be rid of you both and Dillon shall be all mine.”
Her evil laugh lingered long after she was gone.
Chapter 21
“Is everything set for tonight?” Bernadine whispered.
“Aye.”
“Good. I do not want anything going wrong this time.” She gave a reprimanding look.
“’Twas not my fault the last time. I messed with wheel so it would look like an accident, just like Henrietta asked.”
“The job did not go according to plan. Dillon suspects someone tampered with the wheel.”
“‘Tis no proof.”
“Perhaps. However I want nothing left to chance.” Bernadine folded her arms under her fur pelisse. “I am in charge now and I will not tolerate any excuses.”
She studied the stable boy. Early twenties. Wide shoulders and hard muscles. He was vital and strong and probably had the stamina of a bull. “Exactly how did Henrietta pay you?”
His brown brows drew together. “With money.”
Her laugh caught him off guard. He’d never heard her laugh in the four weeks since she’d been here. She was always serious and sour looking. “No other benefits?”
“’Twas all business.”
“Very good.” Bernadine’s smile spread. A night of anticipation already playing in her head. “Have you ever been with a woman?”
“Ma’am?” His pale face turned red. “What kind of question is that?”
“The kind I want an answer to.” Her smile faded. “And I want the truth,” she scolded.
He saw no rational reason for the question, but was scared not to answer. He certainly wouldn’t lie either. She had a look that could cut the heart right out of your chest without the aid of a knife. “Aye, ma’am. I’ve been with a few women.”
Disappointment briefly flashed in her eyes. “Why don’t we work on that ma’am bit.” Leaning in she devoured his lips with such a barbaric force that he tasted blood.
He broke away. “What are you doing?”
Her shrill laugh filled the barn. “If you do not know then perhaps you lied to me about being with women.”
“’Tis not what I meant,” he defended. “Is this part of doing business?”
She arched a raven brow. “It can be.”
“What about the plan?”
“We have plenty of time.” She undid the first couple of buttons on his shirt. “I have informed everyone not to disturb Roderick because he is not feeling well and needs to rest.”
“Will you not be missed at the party?”
“Nay.” She smiled. “I made the excuse of needing some fresh air. I am supposedly taking a walk in the garden.”
“In the middle of winter?”
“’Tis a poor excuse,” she agreed. “However, I doubt anyone cares. No one has paid me any attention. They are too busy fawning over Caitlin.” Her lips puckered. “Do not worry, everything is taken care of.” She kissed him again.
“We are in the stables,” he reminded her. “Guests are coming and going.”
“No guests would arrive this late.” She backed him up to the wall. “’Tis poor edict to leave so soon, besides the excitement is in the anxiety of getting caught.”
* * *
“Lucy!” Caitlin yelled down the hall then rushed to the bed. She anxiously felt for a pulse, but her hands were shaking.
“What is the matter?” Lucy’s head peeped around the door.
“Go get Dillon and Dr. Andrews.”
Lucy stood frozen, tears filling her eyes as she saw Roderick’s unmoving body and opened eyes. He looked dead.
“Quickly,” Caitlin commanded.
Her mistress’s sharp tone propelled her into action. She ran and found both men filling them in on what she’d seen.
“I need my bag from my carriage,” Dr. Andrews said.
“Johnny,” Dillon called. “Fetch the doctors bag.”
“Aye, sir.”
Dillon and Dr. Andrews sprinted to the back of the house.
Caitlin jumped off the bed and ran to Dillon. “I decided to check on him, just to see if he needed anything.”
Dr. Andrews went straight to the bed.
“Is he having a heart attack?” Caitlin asked.
Dr. Andrews checked for a pulse. “He’s barely breathing, but I feel a heartbeat.”
Lucy and Johnny entered, giving the bag to the doctor. He pulled a long sharp object from it and poked around Roderick’s hands and arms. “He’s not responding. It looks like some kind of paralysis.”
“Perhaps a stroke,” Dillon suggested.
Dr. Andrews felt around his face and neck. “Both sides appear to be affected. With a stroke usually only one side is paralyzed.”
“If it’s not a heart attack or a stroke, what can it be?” Dillon restlessly paced across the floor.
“He is having trouble swallowing,” Dr. Andrews noticed. “Has he had any abdominal pains in the last eighteen to thirty-six hours?”
“He hasn’t said anything to me.” Dillon looked at Caitlin. She shook her head.
“Have you eaten any shellfish within two days?”
“No.” Caitlin answered. “’Tis been at least a week since Martha cooked shellfish.”
“’Tis not shellfish poisoning.” Dr. Andrews shook his head. “His face is not swollen.” He sighed. “And food poisoning would have produced symptoms earlier.”
“Not to mention we would all be sick,” Dillon pointed out.
“Has he had anything to eat that you have not?”
“Not as far as I know.” Dillon paced to the fireplace, mumbling. “What else would cause paralysis?”
“A good number of things.” Dr. Andrews rolled Roderick’s head to the side. “Has he fallen and hit his head at all? Some head injuries can cause such symptoms.”
“’Tis possible. Where
is Bernadine?” Dillon demanded. “She should know.”
“I have not seen her for a while,” Caitlin answered.
“She said he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest.” He turned grief stricken eyes to the doctor. “Why did she not ask you for help?”
Dr. Andrews shrugged. “I do not see any swelling on his head.” He ran his hands along the sides of Roderick’s neck. “Or his neck.” The doctor scratched his own head. “Perhaps a bug bite,” he finally suggested. “Help me look over his body.”
Dillon helped the doctor undress Roderick and examine him for any puncture wounds. Caitlin went to get some comforters.
Although it was not proper for a lady to see an undressed man, other than her own husband, she could not bring herself to leave the room. Instead she kept her gaze averted and paced the room, picking up objects, folding clothes, and rearranging things. Anything to keep her hands busy. “I wonder why he had this.” She picked up the glass.
“What is it?” Dr. Andrews asked.
“Brandy.”
“So?” He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about a glass of brandy.
“My father had stopped drinking. I showed him verses in the bible that talked about not drinking strong drink and said maybe God wanted him to quit. He hasn’t touched the stuff in over a week.”
“Why start tonight?” Caitlin sniffed the glass and made a face. “No wonder he was sick from drinking this stuff. It smells positively dreadful.”
“Brandy can be strong when you are not use to it,” Dr. Andrews informed her, off-handedly. However, his attention was on the patient and not on why he’d decided to take up drinking again.
“But it could be the one thing he had that no one else did.” Dillon looked at the doctor.
“Let me see that glass.” Dr. Andrews took the glass and sniffed. “Brandy does not smell this bad.”
“Could the brandy be bad?” Dillon asked
Dr. Andrews sniffed again. “It smells bitter and mousey.”
“Roderick had complained that his brandy was tasting bitter for months.” Caitlin remembered. “He’d been feeling poorly for months also.”
“’Tis something in here.” Dr. Andrews couldn’t decipher the smell. “I need to know what.”
“Some kind of poison?” Dillon asked.
“More than likely.” The doctor leveled his gaze to Dillon. “I need to know what kind of poison to give a proper antidote.”
“What if there isn’t one?” Caitlin fretted. “God please help us. Give Dr. Andrews the wisdom he needs to fight this evil deed.”
She kept praying while Dr. Andrews and Dillon talked about different poisons.
“If I recall correctly there are several herbs that are poisonous.” Dr. Andrews stated. “Hemlock grows wild England. So does foxglove and aconite.”
“Which one is in there?” Dillon demanded.
“I am not positive. ‘Tis been a long time since I studied in England.” Dr. Andrews thought a moment. “I believe that hemlock has a bitter smell and taste. So bitter in fact that animals leave it alone. There has never been an accidental poisoning like with the other poisonous plants. Animals stay away because of the smell.”
“So this is no accident.” Dillon realized.
“No.” Dr. Andrews answered.
“How would hemlock get over here?” Caitlin asked.
“It could have been dried and ground up.” Dr. Andrews informed them.
“Is there an antidote?” She wanted to know.
“Yes.” Dr. Andrews listened to his heartbeat again. “We need more blankets. ‘Tis imperative that we keep up his body temperature.” He looked at Dillon. “I need someone to run to my office and get some supplies.”
“I can send Johnny.”
Dr. Andrews nodded his head.
A few minutes later the blond headed boy stood in the room, nervously playing with his hat.
“In the glass cabinet at my office you will find some glass vials. They are marked clearly. I need tannic acid, mustard oil and castor oil.” He looked up at the boy. “Do you have that?”
“Yes, sir.” Johnny dutifully repeated the list.
“Good. Now hurry. Ride as hard and fast as you can.” Dr. Andrews looked at Caitlin. “I need one other ingredient for the antidote. Coffee, as strong as you can make it.”
“Right away.” She hurried to the kitchen.
“Coffee?” Dillon questioned.
“It is a strong stimulant which can counteract the poison.”
* * *
“I think I should know your name,” Bernadine mumbled. “I cannot keep calling you the stable boy.”
“Wilson.”
“You are not much of a conversationalist, are you? She laughed and pulled the horse blanket higher as she sat up. “However, conversation is not what I require in my lovers.”
She pulled some strands of straw from his brown hair. “Do I have any hay in my hair?”
He reached up wordlessly and withdrew a few strands. “You have more in the back.” He sat up to reach better.
“Make sure you get it all. I do not think I can explain hay in my hair when I was walking in the garden.”
“Your hair is a mess.” He tossed a handful of hay on the ground.
“Thank you for your wonderful comment.” Her tone turned icy.
He wasn’t up for this emotional distress. He only wanted to do his job and get his money. However, keeping her happy was essential to getting paid. She was wealthy and after tonight would be even richer. It would serve him well to coddle her. A large reward would be worth the effort.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” He kissed her bare shoulder. “I kind of like your hair loose and messy. It makes you look even younger.” He lied so easily.
She pushed a few hair pins back in place. “How young?”
“At least twenty and five.”
As they kissed, they fell back against the pile of hay, their arms and legs entangled. So caught up in their passion they didn’t hear the footsteps.
“Good heavens!” A loud gasp startled them apart.
“Why, I never ever saw such a display.” A woman cried.
“Miss High and Mighty with a stable boy.” A man’s laugh resounded.
Bernadine sat up, pulling the blanket over her naked torso. Her mouth hung open, but words failed. “’Tis not what it appears.” She tried to reason with the small assemblage. “He … he forced me.”
“Aye, you looked like you were struggling hard,” someone mocked.
“Yeah, struggling to get underneath him.” The group laughed.
Wilson sat up. “Liar.” No amount of money would make him take the blame for a non-existent rape.
“Shut up.” Bernadine hissed. “You will ruin everything.” Why had she let her passion get the best of her? This was stupid! How could she talk her way out of it? What does it matter anyway? She silently smiled. Roderick is surely dead by now.
“Pardon me.” A deep, gruff voice parted the joviality of the crowd. “Ma’am I have to ask you to get dressed now.” The sheriff tipped his hat.
“I would love to, however I seem to be entertaining the crowd at the moment.”
“Woo wee! That there is some entertaining.” The man’s comment drew laughter from everyone.
“All right, everyone settle down. I need you to leave so these two can get dressed,” Sheriff Edward said.
“We want our carriage,” one man insisted.
“I believe an arrest takes precedence over your leaving.” Sheriff Edward looked at Bernadine.
“What?” Bernadine was bewildered. “Are you going to arrest me for adultery?”
“No, ma’am. Murder.” He put his hat back on his head.
A collective gasp exuded from the crowd.
“Let’s see you talk your way out of this one.” Dillon came and stood next to the sheriff.
“I am quite sure I do not know what you are talking about.”
“You poisoned my father.
You also set up that carriage accident that almost killed my wife.” Dillon stepped closer rage flowing so hard that is body shook. “Why?”
“You have no proof.” She stared him down.
“We will. Caitlin is going through your belongings as we speak. As soon as she finds the poison we will have you.”
Bernadine smiled. Good luck finding it. She’d dispersed of the rest of the poison as soon as she’d given Roderick the overdose. The powder had been thrown into the winter wind behind the stable.
“You have no proof and you will find none.” She arched a dark brow. “I am a very smart woman.”
“Not smart enough.” Dillon countered. “When my father recovers he will be a living witness.”
Surprise filled her blue eyes.
“’Tis correct. My father is still alive.” Dillon glanced at Wilson. “And you shall be an accomplice.”
* * *
“How is Lucy?” Dillon asked.
The Unwilling Bride Page 34