by Laura Landon
“Cassandra.” He rushed to her side. “May I have the pleasure of sitting beside you during tonight’s entertainment?”
She turned and glared at him with all the hatred she’d stored inside her. “No, you may not.” She faced him squarely so he would realize the full impact of her hostility. “In fact, I’ve been searching for an opportunity to talk privately with you. I think right now would be the perfect time.” She spun away from him and headed toward the yellow drawing room.
She wasn’t worried he wouldn’t follow. Every move he made had one objective: to get her to rely on him while eliminating everyone who came between him and his ambitious goal of acquiring the Lathamton title and the land that would go with it.
Now she knew that not only included Harrison, but her son.
She fought to keep her knees from buckling beneath her. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to keep Andrew safe. That thought gave her the courage she needed to confront Jeremy.
She stormed down the hallway and passed the first door. It was dark inside as Harrison had guaranteed her it would be. So was the second room. But the third room was brightly lit. This was the drawing room where Harrison and the rest waited to overhear Jeremy’s confession.
She stepped inside.
Waverley followed, then closed the door behind him. The minute they were alone Cassie spun to face him. “What have you done?” she said in an accusing tone.
“Done? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He took one step toward her then another.
“Stay where you are!” She held up her hand to stop him. “I don’t want you anywhere near me.”
“You don’t mean that,” he said in a sickeningly smooth tone.
“Oh, I mean it. And more!” She took a step closer to the door behind which the Duke of Parneston hid. “I know what you did, Mr. Waverley. What I don’t understand, is what you thought to accomplish by something so devious?”
She called him Mr. Waverley on purpose, knowing how much he hated the degrading title. He never let her call him anything but his Christian name. Now she knew why. He would settle for nothing less than being called by his Christian name or the Lathamton title – a title he intended to acquire by murdering her son.
“I have no idea what you think I did.”
The gleam in his eyes told her getting a confession from him wouldn’t be easy. He was playing with her, hoping to make her doubt herself. But she wouldn’t. She had to stop him now or forever live in fear.
“I am not a fool, Mr. Waverley.”
“Stop calling me that! My name is Jeremy and that is what I choose to have you call me.”
“I choose to call you Mr. Waverley. And what I choose to do will be what happens. I am the Marchioness of Lathamton and my son is the Marquess.”
Cassie stiffened her spine and prepared to say what she knew would open the door to his admission. “Lathamton Estates belongs to my son and I want you to remove yourself from his property.”
She saw that her words took him totally by surprise. He reacted with more anger and fury than she’d imagined possible.
“No!” he bellowed. “Lathamton Estate is mine! Mine!
“It will never be yours.”
“It will. And so will you!”
Cassie laughed. She realized how furious he was and reached for every ounce of courage she possessed. Laughing in his face, however, achieved the objective she wanted. His glare hardened and his face turned a mottled red.
“Lathamton Estate has been mine since my uncle took me in. I’m the one who always took care of it.”
“Do you think that gave you the right of ownership?”
“I have more right to it than your weak husband did. Even my uncle realized that. If he hadn’t died so soon after Everett, he would have made sure I got it.”
“No,” Cassie said, raising her chin. “The title and the estates belong to my son.”
“Your son! He’ll never inherit Lathamton! I won’t allow it!”
He stopped. His face lost several shades of color. He knew he’d said too much.
Cassie focused all her fury on him. “From this moment on you will not step foot on Lathamton property except to collect your belongings. And you will be watched every moment you are there.”
He shook his head and smiled. “You don’t have the authority to enforce that, Cassandra.”
“Then I’ll find someone who will help me.”
“Who? Fellingsworth?”
Cassie didn’t respond. Threatening to evict Waverley had caused him to become dangerously agitated. She suspected it might not be safe to provoke him further.
“Do you think I don’t see what’s happening between the two of you?” He clamped his jaw so tightly the knots on either side of his face bulged. “Do you think I don’t realize you’ve fallen in love with him again?”
He took a step toward her. She wanted to run but she didn’t dare. She needed him as close to the room where Elly and Parneston hid as possible.
“Today was your warning, Cassie. Next time Fellingsdown won’t be so lucky. Next time instead of wounding him, I’ll kill him.”
“Do you intend to kill everyone I show an interest in?”
“I won’t allow you to ruin what I’ve spent my whole life working to achieve. Lathamton Estate will belong to me. I’ve managed every inch of it from the time my uncle took me in. I knew it was only a matter of time until it would be mine. Then the scandal broke out and I—”
Waverley stopped.
Cassie knew she should allow his partial sentence to go unfinished but she couldn’t. She was desperate to know what had happened that night. She needed to know why her father disinherited his only son and why he allowed his only daughter to be caught up in a scandal that was sure to ruin her life.
“What do you know about the scandal?” she asked, anxious - yet dreading to hear what happened.
Waverley smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile or an open smile, but a sinister grin.
“I know it all,” he said, taking another step toward her. “I know every single sordid detail. Which part would you like to hear first?”
She didn’t answer him. He enjoyed this and she knew he wouldn’t need prompting to continue.
“Should I tell you first why your father disinherited your brother and forced his only son to leave England? Or would you rather know the details of what happened to cause you and Everett to be discovered naked in each other’s arms?”
She reached out to steady herself against the wall. She wanted him to stop – Harrison would hear every revolting word of this, and yet, she needed to know. She needed answers to the questions that had plagued her for four years.
She looked up into Waverley’s eyes. He relished being the one to tell her every disgusting detail.
“Ah, I see you’d rather know what happened the night you and Everett were found together. I know you don’t remember because—”
His malicious grin broadened.
“You were drugged, my dear Cassandra. Both you and Everett. That was the only way the world would ever find Everett in bed with a woman...considering his abnormal preferences.”
Cassie thought she might become ill. She clutched her hand to her stomach and held tight. She wanted him to stop. She didn’t want to hear another word, yet knew she had to let him continue.
“You knew that, though. Didn’t you, my dear?”
She forced herself to glare at him as if his words didn’t destroy her.
“Everett’s unusual practices were at the root of this whole tragedy. Everett’s penchants...and your brother’s.”
“My brother was not—”
Waverley shrugged. “Perhaps not, but I had to make your father believe he was for my plan to work.”
The bottom fell out of her world. “You intentionally destroyed my brother’s reputation so my father would disown him?”
“It was part of my plan, Cassandra. Once I discovered Hollyvine wasn’t entailed, I
realized I had to have it. Combining the land from Hollyvine with Lathamton would make me one of the most influential landowners around. Even more influential than Fellingsdown.”
Cassie burned with rage. She hated him more than she’d ever hated anyone in her life. “You evil liar. You won’t get away with this.”
“Oh, but I will. My plan is perfect. Once I make you my bride...”
Waverley reached for her. The feel of his hands on her caused a reaction she’d never experienced before. Before he knew what happened, she pulled back her arm and slapped him.
___
The loud crack of flesh hitting flesh echoed in the small room where Brent hid along with Harrison, George and Spencer. Harrison reached for the door to go to Cassie’s aid, but George and Spencer placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders. Brent held up his hand to motion to everyone to stay still.
“Don’t you ever touch me,” they heard Cassie say and Brent looked through the small opening he’d made to watch what was going on in the room. What he saw almost made him smile.
Waverley staggered back several steps and rubbed his left cheek. “You shouldn’t have done that Cassandra. It’s going to give me great pleasure some day to tame that temper of yours.”
“You’ll never get the chance.”
“Won’t I? I’ve worked too hard to let anything stop me. Your late husband nearly destroyed the Lathamton title when his abnormal preference was discovered. The severity of the situation required drastic action. It was all I could do to clean up the mess Everett created.”
Waverley shoved his hands in his pockets. “Lucky for all of us that I was an expert at covering for him. I’d done it my whole life.”
He paced in front of the door where they hid and Brent moved everyone back. He didn’t want Waverley to realize they were there. But he didn’t have to worry. Waverley was so focused on his rantings he passed them by without a glance.
“Poor Uncle Henry’s first instinct was to send his son away on a permanent excursion, but I couldn’t have that. If Everett went away, I’d never inherit his title. Everett needed to be eliminated. That was the only way I could become the Marquess of Lathamton.”
“You killed Everett?”
Waverley didn’t answer for a few moments and everyone held their breath while they waited for him to answer Lady Lathamton’s question.
“Oh, Cassandra. What do you take me for?”
“A murderer!”
Waverley laughed. “No, I’m not nearly so calculating. Your husband’s health was always questionable. He died of the influenza, just as the doctor said. Of course, the special medicine I concocted probably didn’t help him as much as the medicine the doctor intended him to take would have.”
“How could you!”
“Oh, Cassandra. Don’t tell me you weren’t at least a little relieved when dear Everett died. You never loved him. How could you? He was so pathetically weak.”
“He was a human being who didn’t deserve to die!” Lady Lathamton cried out.
“You have such a soft heart. I’ve always known that about you. From the very beginning I regretted having to involve you in my scheme, but you were so perfect for the part. And so was your brother.”
Lady Lathamton shook her head and opened her mouth. But Brent could see she was past speaking.
“It didn’t take much effort to force your father to disinherit your brother and send him away. His pride in the Hollyvine name worked to my advantage. Besides, the generous amount I offered to support your brother in his new life convinced your father that his son would never lack for anything.”
“Losing my brother killed my father.”
“I regretted that, Cassandra. Honestly, I did. But I had no choice if I wanted to gain control of Hollyvine.”
Waverley paced the floor from one side of the room to the other. “After your brother was gone, I put the next step of my plan into motion.”
“You sent the note saying my father wasn’t well and needed me to come.”
“There’s no need to sound so angry, Cassandra. You have to admit my plan was brilliant. When you arrived at Lathamton’s townhouse, I showed you to a small parlor and gave you a glass of wine.”
“Which you’d drugged,” Lady Lathamton said.
Brent had to hold Fellingsdown from charging through the door.
“Oh, it was nothing harmful. Only something to make you sleep.”
“You bastard!”
“Now, Cassandra. That’s no way for my future wife speak.”
“I’ll never be your wife.”
“But you will. If you want to make sure Fellingsdown stays healthy, you’ll agree to marry me.”
“Or you’ll what? Kill him?”
“Of course. This afternoon was just a warning. Next time I won’t just put a bullet in his arm. I’ll aim for his heart.”
“No!” Lady Lathamton cried out, and Brent realized the lady had gone through as much as she could handle.
With a nod, Brent threw the door open and Harrison, George and Spence stepped out behind him. The door from the opposite side of the room opened at the same time and Jules and Harrison’s two brothers-in-law stepped out.
“What the—”
Waverley’s wide-eyed gaze darted from one side of the room to the other. The hatred in his glare was unmistakable.
“I’m afraid you’ve done as much damage as you’ll ever do.” Brent moved until he stood between Waverley and the door. He wasn’t about to let the blackguard escape. But first he had to get Lady Lathamton out of Waverley’s reach. “Lady Lathamton,” he said, “please, step aside.”
Fellingsdown lifted his arm and Lady Lathamton ran to him.
“How touching,” Waverley said, “but I’ve had enough of your theatrics. I think I’ll join the rest of the guests. The music sounds first-rate.”
“You’ll go nowhere.” Harrison stepped in front of Lady Lathamton to remove her from Waverley’s threatening glare. “Except to prison.”
Waverley barked a harsh laugh. “On what charge?”
“Two charges of attempted murder.”
Waverley shook his head. “On whose word?”
“Any of us. We all heard you,” Jules said.
“I don’t think so. If any of you accuse me of any wrongdoing, I’ll deny it.”
“You can hardly deny harming Everett and shooting Harrison when so many of us heard you admit it,” Spencer said.
“Who do you think would believe you when I told them your family conspired against me because Lord Fellingsdown was desperate to eliminate me as a suitor to his lost love?”
The Duke of Parneston stepped out of the small office behind Waverley. “Then my testimony will be of invaluable service. I can assure you I will be believed. My word is held in the highest regard.”
Waverley staggered back. “Damn you! Damn all of you!”
Waverley’s eyes contained a frantic fear. His gaze darted from one side of the room to another as if looking for a way to escape.
Parneston stepped forward. “As the person prepared to bring charges against you, I feel it necessary to offer an alternative. On behalf of Lord Fellingsdown, I give you the choice of leaving England and never returning. Or staying here to face a charge of attempted murder.”
“No!” Waverley’s gaze darted to each exit. “You can’t do this to me.”
“We can,” Parneston continued, “and we will. Your actions are detestable and I will not allow you to go unpunished.”
“Lathamton is mine! Mine! I worked too hard to get it. You can’t take it away from me.”
Waverley made a frantic movement toward one exit, then the other, but there was no escape. Every means of escape was blocked - except the door leading from the small office where Elly hid.
Waverley focused on the open doorway – the doorway behind which Elly hid – and realized it was his only means of escape.
Brent lunged forward, but before he could reach Elly, Waverley grabbed her by the arm and p
ulled her from the shadows. He held her in front of him and pressed a pistol to her temple. “I suggest that all of you step aside to let me leave. Lady Elyssa will, of course, accompany me.”
Brent lifted his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “You can leave and no one will follow you. But we will not allow you to take Lady Elyssa with you.”
“You won’t?”
Waverley jerked Elly toward him and she lost her balance. She reached out but there was nothing but air, and when she started to fall, Waverley jerked her arm to hold her upright. She cried out in pain.
“Let her go!” Brent demanded. “I’ll go with you.”
Waverley laughed. “No, Lady Elyssa will be much less trouble. For a reason I cannot understand, you have all formed a fondness for this poor creature. I’m sure I’ll be much safer as long as I have her with me.”
Brent locked his gaze with Elly’s and tried to give her as reassuring a look as he could, but the terror in her eyes stole his breath. He knew she saw through his false bravado to the fear he couldn’t hide.
Brent tried bartering again. “You’re free to go, Waverley. No one will follow you. Just leave Lady Elyssa here.”
Waverley answered his plea with a laugh. “I’m not a fool, Charfield. Do you think I don’t know the minute you have this poor creature back you’ll come after me? No, she stays with me. And if you want to see her alive again, you won’t come after us.”
There was a demented look in Waverley’s eyes, madness in his reasoning.
Brent knew he’d lost his grip on sanity, and from the looks on Elly’s brothers’ faces, so did they. Dealing with an insane man frightened him more than he wanted to consider. There was a chance they could reason with him if he still retained a shred of stability, but Waverley was past that point. In his mind, he thought reaching Lathamton would provide safety.
And ridding the world of the current Marquess of Lathamton would make him the titled heir.
Brent considered every possibility and couldn’t think of one that wouldn’t put Elly in more danger than she was now.
“Don’t move. Any of you! If you try to follow me, you’ll regret it.”