Secrets of the Marriage Bed

by Ann Lethbridge

  The door between her room and Alistair’s banged against the wall. ‘What the devil is going on?’

  Alistair, candle in hand, wearing his dressing gown, his hair dishevelled, stared at first at Julia and then at Robins, who was hunched up on the floor, weeping. A pillow lay next to her on the carpet.

  ‘Julia?’ he said. ‘Are you all right.’

  Julia swallowed.

  Alistair stepped towards her. Instinctively, she backed away. His eyes widened. ‘It is all right,’ he said softly, holding out a hand, as if gentling a skittish horse. ‘Tell me what happened.’

  She glanced down at Robins. ‘She attacked me.’

  ‘What?’ He seemed so absolutely stunned, so horrified, she could not help but take comfort in it.

  Alistair pulled the weeping Robins to her feet. He shoved her into a chair when she seemed unable to stand unaided. ‘Is this correct?’

  The woman cried even harder.

  ‘Robins,’ Julia said sharply. ‘Answer His Grace.’

  The woman hiccupped.

  Julia fetched a glass of water from the washstand and shoved it at her. She was so angry she didn’t know why she didn’t throw it in her face. ‘Drink it and calm yourself.’

  The woman drank.

  ‘What the devil is going on?’ Alistair’s voice crackled with ice.

  When the woman took in the rage in his face, she shrank away. ‘He said he would kill my daughter.’

  ‘He?’ Alistair said, his quiet voice far more menacing than a shout.

  Robins flinched. The glass trembled in her hand. ‘A man.’

  ‘What man?’ Julia asked, more gently, controlling her own anger, her sense of betrayal by this woman who looked ready to collapse.

  ‘He came to my last position and told me I would be offered a place with Her Grace. I was to take it if I wanted my daughter to reach her next birthday. She’s only five.’ She burst into tears.

  Threatening a child. The height of cruelty. Julia shook her head at Alistair, who looked ready for murder. ‘Tell us everything, Robins.’

  Robins burst into sobs again. Julia wanted to shake her. ‘Calm yourself. Who is this man you speak of?’

  ‘I do not know,’ she said, gasping for breath. ‘Please. He told me I would never see Minnie again if I did not do exactly as I was told.’

  Julia felt sympathy, but also anger. The woman should have trusted her instead of...

  ‘You have been putting laudanum in my tea and chocolate. To what end?’

  The woman started sobbing again. ‘I’m s-s-sorry.’

  Alistair cursed softly. ‘You said nothing of this.’

  Julia looked up from the woman hunched in the chair and squared her shoulders. ‘How could I? I did not know who was doing it.’

  He looked horrified. And cut to the quick. He inhaled a deep breath. ‘We will talk of this. Right now we must discover who means you harm. How did you know...?’

  ‘The poppy in laudanum makes me violently ill. It has done so ever since I was a child. It took a few days for me to realise why I did not like the chocolate I was given each morning. And why I was so violently ill. I stopped drinking the chocolate. It then turned up in my tea.’

  Robins looked up, her eyes red and swollen. ‘That is why you were ill? I thought it was the travelling.’

  And her husband had suspected she was with child. Julia glanced at Alistair. He looked shame-faced.

  ‘I knew you were bringing the stuff to me, Robins, but I did not know if you were part of the plot. Or someone’s dupe. Or what exactly the laudanum was supposed to accomplish.’ She took a deep breath and looked at Alistair. ‘She tried to smother me with that pillow.’

  ‘Dear God...’ he breathed. He glared at Robins. ‘Is this true?’

  She nodded miserably. ‘He said I was taking too long. His employer wanted it done with.’

  A shudder went through Julia at how cavalierly the woman spoke of her death. Yet if she had a child, would she not do anything to protect it? Anything at all. Even murder?

  Alistair’s fists clenched as if he would strike the woman. ‘And once she was dead? What then?’

  Robins shrugged. ‘Minnie would have been safe.’

  Alistair paced away as if he could not bear to be near her. He kicked at the logs in the fire, sparking them to life.

  ‘This man,’ Alistair said, swinging around suddenly. ‘Did I see you speaking to him in the village the other day?’

  She nodded. ‘I didn’t think you saw us.’ She gazed at Julia. ‘Your Grace, I am so sorry. I had to do it. I couldn’t let them hurt my little girl. And now...’ Sobbing, she buried her face in her hands. ‘They will kill Minnie for certain,’ she wailed.

  ‘What would you have done if my wife had been in bed with me tonight?’ Alistair asked, his voice full of ice.

  Robins struggled to breath. ‘Waited for another night, I suppose. It isn’t as if you come to her all that often.’

  The coldness of the words stung Julia like a slap to the face. The woman’s betrayal hurt so much, she did not want to be near her. She rose to her feet, anger making it hard to think clearly.

  ‘When do you meet this man again?’ Alistair asked, the menace in his voice making Robins shrink back. ‘And where.’

  The woman wrung her hands. ‘He finds me. Or sends a note. I never know when to expect him.’

  She sounded resigned.

  ‘What are you thinking, Alistair?’ Julia asked.

  ‘I am thinking you need your rest.’ He glared at Robins. ‘Give me the key to your room.’

  The woman fumbled in her pocket and handed over a key. ‘What will you do with me?’

  ‘I will decide that in the morning.’ He walked over to the door. ‘For tonight I am going to lock you in your room where you can do no more harm.’

  ‘Please, Your Grace,’ Robins said, looking at Julia, her eyes wide. ‘Don’t hand me over to the magistrate. My daughter...’ She started sobbing again.

  ‘Do as His Grace ordered,’ Julia said, but pity for the child made her soften her tone.

  The woman scuttled from the room followed by Alistair, who returned a few moments later.

  ‘Alistair—’ Julia said. Her knees felt suddenly weak. Fear, anger, even relief all warred with each other for attention.

  ‘Hush.’ He picked her up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom. ‘It is all right. She’s safely locked away. She cannot hurt you.’

  He gazed down into her face and she saw he was worried. For her? All at once she felt safer than she had for days. ‘It is so hard to believe that someone wants me dead.’ She shuddered.

  He nodded tersely. ‘You’ve had a shock. You need to rest.’

  Tenderly he lay her on his bed and pulled the covers over her. ‘Sleep now. We will talk in the morning.’ He snuggled in beside her and held her close, gently running his hand over her back in circles.

  She felt cherished. And strangely happy. As if she had drunk too much champagne, something she had done only once as a girl at her very first house party.

  She lifted her head and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you for coming in time.’

  ‘Sleep,’ he said and his voice was gruff.

  * * *

  Alistair put the breakfast tray on the end of the bed and leaned over his wife. Pride filled him as he saw she slept soundly. Trust. It was a heady thing, even if he hadn’t truly earned it. The idea that she had feared he might be the one causing her harm had been a bitter but not undeserved blow. He struggled with his sudden urge to tell her the truth, expose his guilt, yet it wasn’t his secret to share.

  ‘Wake up, sleepy head,’ he said, jostling her shoulder.

  She opened her eyes. The moment her gaze focused on him she beamed. The
beauty of her smile went straight to his groin, robbing his brain of all but lust. Now was not the right time, for so many reasons. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

  ‘Sit up. I brought breakfast on a tray so we can talk without interruption.’

  Once they were settled with the tray between them and she had a cup of tea in her hands, Alistair took hold of his courage in both hands.

  ‘I sent Robins away,’ he said.

  Her teacup rattled in the saucer and he steadied it, letting go only when he saw she had pulled herself together.

  ‘I put her in my carriage at four this morning and sent her off with Jaimie to collect her family. Jaimie will hide them away until we discover who is behind this plot to have you harmed.’

  She frowned. ‘Why?’

  He hadn’t slept a wink all night, thinking about this very thing. ‘One thing I know for certain, if we involve the magistrate it will create a great scandal. A blot on the family escutcheon.’ Not to mention bringing Julia into the limelight where her past might be revealed. ‘Her child is an innocent in all of this and she would suffer greatly if the mother was convicted of a crime.’

  Her eyes widened in surprise. ‘That is generous of you.’

  ‘No matter what people say of me, I am not completely heartless.’ He wondered if she believed him but suspected she did not and that hurt more than he liked to admit. ‘Jaimie will get them away before the people involved realise what happened. He’ll spread some rumours at the local watering hole of a death in her family.’

  Julia sipped at her tea. ‘And so you pre-empt any strike at the child they might make in retaliation.’ She sighed. ‘As angry as I am with Robins, I would not like the child to suffer. But we still do not know who they are. Or why they are doing this.’

  Shadows of doubt remained in her eyes. Did she doubt him? How much more could he say to assure her he meant her no harm? That her welfare was important to him.

  His mind went back to the deliberate sabotaging of his saddle. He could not help surmising that whoever was behind this attack was using his wife as a means to destroy him. Who, other than him, would have been accused of her murder, if Robins had succeeded?

  Whatever the case, he would bet his title that his brother was involved, possibly with the help of his stepmother. And, Alistair admitted, with an arrow of pain that pierced his soul, his brother had good reason to hurt him. However, coming after Julia was a huge mistake. An act of aggression he would not tolerate.

  He toyed with the idea of telling Julia his suspicions. Of easing her suspicions about him, but then he would have to tell her the whole story and she’d know exactly how badly he’d misled her. How shameful he really was. Self-disgust roiled in his gut. If she ever learned the truth he would likely lose her entirely.

  ‘I think we should talk to Digger. She might have some ideas.’

  Chapter Fourteen

  Seeing Julia and Digger together, talking like old friends, did something to Alistair’s insides. He rubbed at the strange ache behind his sternum.

  But for the folly of his youth, this sort of camaraderie with his wife might have been his. ‘Might’ being the operative word. A man with a lofty title was a target for every matchmaking mama in the kingdom. More likely he’d have married for power and position and never known Julia at all.

  As a man, he counted for nothing. There was only his duty to the Duchy. Especially after what he’d done. He knew it in his mind, yet there was this aching loneliness inside him for something more, something better for them both, but especially for Julia.

  While she had married him as an escape—a choice between transportation, life in a bordello or him—with all this going on, he wasn’t sure she had made the right choice in choosing him.

  They had both gone into this marriage with open eyes. No illusions of sentiment. But now he knew her better, the dissembling left him feeling horribly guilty.

  ‘So when before you said someone was trying to poison you,’ Digger said after hearing the entire tale, ‘you were not joking?’

  ‘Not poison,’ Julia said. ‘Put me to sleep so soundly I would not awaken at the attempt to smother me.’

  Digger shook her head and tutted. ‘How awful. Do you suspect who might be behind this terrible deed?’

  Alistair quelled the urge to smile at the dear lady’s excitement at being presented with a mystery to solve. It really was no smiling matter, but he could see Digger was thrilled they had brought her their problems.

  Julia shook her head and looked at Alistair.

  ‘My brother. He is the only one who gains.’

  Digger looked pained. ‘I can’t believe my dear little Luke would do anything so mean.’

  She might believe it if she knew how badly Alistair had betrayed his brother. Plus the fact that someone at Beauworth had tampered with his saddle. Not to mention that a ship sent by Alistair’s father to bring him home from Italy had sailed off without him and the captain fled to America. She might. But Digger was steadfast in her loyalty to both him and Luke.

  ‘Once they realise Robins is gone,’ Julia said, ‘are they likely to try another tack?’

  ‘Highly likely.’ But not one which would involve Julia if he had any say in the matter.

  ‘Perhaps I could lure them out into the open,’ Julia mused.

  ‘Leave yourself exposed?’ Digger said, looking shocked, but also intrigued.

  ‘No!’ Alistair almost shouted. ‘Categorically not,’ he said more calmly. The thought of it made his blood run cold.

  Julia frowned at him.

  ‘Then how do we ferret them out?’ Digger said, pursing her lips. ‘Do we know yet who recommended Robins to Julia?’

  ‘We do not. I wrote to Lewis a few days ago, but he has a great deal on his plate. I know he will reply at the first opportunity.’

  ‘You don’t suspect him?’ Julia asked. ‘Mr Lewis? He did leave the moment things started happening.’

  Admiration for his wife’s quick wit assaulted him anew. Why hadn’t he thought of Lewis as a suspect?

  He considered the idea. ‘Honestly, I cannot believe it of him.’ Whereas he could believe it of his half-brother. ‘And besides, what would it gain him?’

  Silence descended.

  ‘Then we do nothing,’ Julia said. ‘And wait to hear from Lewis.’ She sounded upset.

  He reached across the table and took her hand. ‘I will make sure nothing untoward happens in the meantime.’ Even if he had to lock her in her room and stand a guard at the door.

  Hell, talk about the need to protect his own. It had been there all along, of course, or he would never have married her. He could only hope he could keep her safe. Failing was not an option. It was his fault she was in danger.

  Fortunately, the look on her face said she drew comfort from his words and that pleased him far more than he would ever have believed possible a few short weeks ago.

  And he realised he would protect her with his life if need be.

  He released her hand and sat back. ‘Julia, you will not go anywhere without me or one of my handpicked men.’

  In the meantime, he was going to see if he could lure his enemies into making a mistake.

  Digger was looking at him from beneath lowered grey brows. ‘Alistair, is there something you are not telling us?’

  He should have guessed Digger would see through him. He gave her a smile of complete innocence. ‘Nothing at all.’

  She narrowed her eyes. ‘Then I suggest you write to your Mr Lewis again and tell him an answer is needed sooner rather than later. We must know as soon as possible who it was who recommended Mrs Robins to him for Her Grace.’

  ‘I agree.’

  ‘I wish you would call me Julia,’ his wife said to Digger, albeit a little hesitantly, but with a v
ery sweet smile for a lady Alistair held in great affection. Julia went up another notch in his esteem. If he wasn’t careful he would soon be putty in her lovely elegant hands. Chill settled over him like a blanket. While she might mean a great deal to him, for her sake he could never let her get too close.

  He glanced at the clock on the mantel. ‘I hate to spoil our tête-à-tête, but my bailiff is due to see me shortly.’ He rose. ‘Julia?’

  ‘She can stay a little longer, Crawfy dear. We have such a lot to talk about.’

  Inwardly he groaned, guessing who would be the topic of their conversation. Fortunately, not even Digger knew all his secrets or even she might not look on him so kindly.

  One thing he knew for certain, he was a danger to anyone around him, so the further he kept away from them the better.

  Loneliness weighed down on his chest. The accompanying dark empty space inside him made breathing a chore. As usual he ignored the feeling. Buried it in ice. ‘I’ll have Matthew come for you in half an hour and see you back to the house.’

  Julia was staring at him oddly. ‘Is that really necessary?’

  ‘For now.’ It was if he was not going to go mad with worry.

  He bowed and left.

  * * *

  Julia paced her bedroom. She knew she was safe—Alistair was only a few steps away, within earshot of her call despite the closed doors, but she could not convince herself to get into the bed.

  She should have said something before they retired for the night. Asked him to stay, but in truth she feared his rejection. As wanton as it sounded, even in the depths of her own thoughts, she dared to believe he desired her as much as she desired him.

  The night they first met, their lovemaking had been spectacular, passionate and exceedingly naughty. The games he’d played with her had been shocking and wonderful. She’d seen little of that playful man since their wedding. Occasional gleams of amusement in eyes usually icy cold, the odd crack of laughter, and those nights that he’d come to her... The wicked side of him was still there, hidden, kept rigidly under control by the Duke.

  She came to a halt at their adjoining door. Stared at the door handle. If he turned her away...