Salvation

by Smith, Carla Susan

  “A handsome couple, are they not?” someone pointed out as Rian and Catherine glided by. Isabel’s response, while polite, was not as warm as the speaker would have expected.

  The hours swept by and it appeared that Isabel had indeed been forgiven by her peers. No longer needing to make a public display of affection, she kept herself busy with her other guests, allowing Catherine and Rian to relax and enjoy themselves. Felicity danced with only Liam and Rian, but Catherine found herself very much in demand. Thankfully Rian did not object. Every man present knew exactly who he was, and the nature of his relationship to the beautiful woman they danced with. He enjoyed their envious stares when she returned to his side after every dance.

  The arrival of her parents brought a squeal of delight from Felicity. Her father was not an enthusiastic dancer and was grateful to both Rian and Liam for making certain that Emily was not disappointed. Light on her feet, she proved to be a graceful partner, and both Connor men took turns escorting her around the floor.

  Having barely managed to swallow two bites of their midday meal, Catherine was famished. The last turn around the ballroom had also left her feeling a little lightheaded. The salon immediately adjacent to the ballroom had been set aside for refreshments, and supper proved to be a sumptuous affair. Her plate piled high with savory treats, sweetmeats, and fruit, Catherine felt like a greedy child, but Rian merely laughed and told her to enjoy herself. She felt supremely happy, and her joy spread like a contagion, infecting those around her.

  Chapter 16

  It was almost midnight when Catherine, forced to disappoint a potential dance partner, took a seat next to Felicity. Liam had gone to join his father-in-law at the billiards table, and Rian was across the room engaged in conversation with a small group of men, all of whom wore serious expressions. Emily had retired to another, less noisy room, to gossip with friends she had not seen for a while.

  “Are you having fun?” Felicity asked.

  “Oh yes!” Catherine exclaimed, fanning herself as she scanned the room. “I know I have never danced so much in one evening, and you never told me what an excellent partner Liam is,” she chided gently.

  Felicity laughed. “It does him good to be away from the concerns of Oakhaven for a few hours. He can be very serious, and I worry he will forget how to take joy in more lighthearted diversions.” She rested her hand gently on her slightly rounded stomach.

  Catherine took her other hand and squeezed it gently, a smile on her face. “I doubt you will allow that to happen.”

  Pursing her lips, Felicity blew out a breath. “Is it me, or does it feel terribly warm in here?”

  “It is a little stifling.” Catherine turned and looked over her shoulder. “Come, let’s go out onto the terrace. It will surely be cooler outside.” Taking Felicity’s arm, she steered her toward the large French doors that opened to the terrace and gardens. “Better?” she asked once they were beyond the glass doors, and the cooler air embraced them.

  “Oh yes, much,” Felicity replied.

  They stood shoulder to shoulder, next to the marble balustrade and peered over the edge at the garden below. It was difficult to see anything of note, as the rear of the house was not as brilliantly lit as the front. What light there was illuminated little beyond the tiled veranda itself, and for the most part, the gardens remained in deep shadow. It was the perfect setting however, for a lover’s tryst, Catherine and Felicity agreed with a giggle. From inside the ballroom the sound of the musicians playing the next dance was muted, but still loud enough to muffle the sound of approaching footsteps.

  “Ah, there you both are.”

  Two heads, one blonde the other brunette, turned in unison as Isabel made her way toward them from the opposite end of the wide terrace. A footman bearing a tray followed. Isabel’s smile was all warmth and friendliness as she waited for the servant to depart after placing the tray on a small table in the alcove behind them.

  “I have been very neglectful,” she apologized. “Please forgive me by sharing a toast.”

  “No apologies are necessary,” Felicity told her, “and I don’t think either of us could complain about being neglected.”

  As Isabel busied herself pouring the wine, Catherine and Felicity exchanged looks. Felicity’s raised brow received a shrug in response from Catherine. Neither of them noticed Isabel using her body to block their view of the glasses on the tray, and so they did not see her flick open the hinged clasp of the ring on her little finger and sprinkle a white powder into one of the wine glasses. It took only a matter of seconds, and then Isabel poured the wine and the powder dissolved.

  “I do want to thank you both so much for coming tonight,” she said brightly, handing them each a glass. “I know that this wasn’t easy for you, and I am certain your husband did not want to be here.” The last remark was addressed to Catherine, who acknowledged it with a tilt of her head. “You have no idea how much it means to me,” Isabel told her.

  Felicity opened her mouth, but Catherine spoke first. “You are most welcome, Isabel. It has been a wonderful evening.” She looked at her sister-in-law, her expression a request to say nothing cutting. “Now, what shall we drink to?” Catherine asked, looking back at Isabel. She was determined that nothing should spoil her happiness.

  “To new friendships,” Isabel declared.

  “To friendship,” Catherine answered, while Felicity mumbled something under her breath and smiled sweetly.

  The delicate sound of clinking crystal echoed in the night air as they joined their glasses and sipped their wine. The light on the terrace may not have been bright enough to see the gardens below, but it caught Catherine’s diamond and made it sparkle with a brilliance all its own.

  “I must confess I recognize your necklace,” Isabel commented, giving the gem a covetous look. “Did your husband tell you it comes with some silly tradition about having to give it up?”

  “Yes, he did.” Catherine frowned. How did Isabel know about that?

  Isabel smiled and sipped her drink. “He told me too, although I’m not sure I would be so willing to part with it.”

  “I suppose it all depends on one’s priorities,” Catherine said as she covered the diamond with her hand. Many of the guests had remarked on the beautiful stone, some were even aware of the legend, but only Isabel’s comment made Catherine feel uneasy. Why would Rian have told her anything about the diamond? Had he been planning to present her with the necklace? A sudden wave of doubt washed over her, followed closely by a panicky feeling that began to churn her stomach. Wishing Rian was by her side, Catherine took a sip from her glass.

  “Oh, how clever! Rian has managed to find you a wedding ring to match.” Isabel gushed, catching sight of the jewel as Catherine raised her glass. “May I see?”

  Hesitantly Catherine placed her fingers in Isabel’s outstretched hand.

  “I can’t imagine how my brother-in-law told you about the pendant, but never mentioned there was also a ring. After all, you cannot have one without the other, and can have neither without the man.” Felicity’s tone, while pleasant, was a slap in the face.

  With two brief sentences she had made it clear that Isabel’s comment regarding the fabulous gem was based on common gossip. The existence of the necklace was not a secret, nor the reason for its surrender, but the matching ring was not as well known. For reasons of their own, very few Connor women had chosen to wear the ring. Catherine was only the third bride who’d wanted to wear it. Rian had never told Isabel about the necklace. The two women stared at each other before Isabel graciously conceded defeat.

  “Perhaps I was mistaken,” she murmured as she placed her glass back on the tray. “If you will forgive me, I think I am needed inside.”

  They watched as she turned and unhurriedly made her way back to the other end of the terrace, a column of fire burning more than just the air around her. The sudden clear sound of
music playing was muffled again as she reentered the house.

  “Oh my goodness, would you look at that!” Catherine held out her hand to show how much it was shaking.

  Taking the glass from Catherine’s hand, Felicity placed it on the smooth marble surface of the balcony rail, next to her own. “Come now,” she said, taking hold of Catherine’s hands, “surely you didn’t expect to get through the entire evening without at least one minor skirmish.”

  “I think I rather did.”

  “Well, be grateful you have come out unscathed.”

  “All thanks to you.”

  Felicity waved off her thanks. “I did nothing.”

  “How did you know she was lying about my necklace?”

  Catherine’s proprietary claim made the corner of Felicity’s mouth twitch as she asked, “Did you really think Rian told her about this?” Hooking the chain with her finger, she allowed the fabulous gem to twirl and sparkle in the night air. “I don’t think he ever mentioned it to her. He had no reason to,” she snorted before adding, “It’s priceless, you know.”

  Catherine’s gasp caught them both by surprise. “No!”

  Felicity laughed quietly as she laid the pendant back against Catherine’s bodice. “If it makes you feel better, just think of it as a piece of colored glass.”

  “I cannot unhear what you said.” The diamond suddenly felt very heavy as Catherine gently placed it inside her bodice, letting it nestle comfortably between her breasts. “But I definitely won’t be wearing it that often.”

  “You should make the most of it. It has been placed into your safekeeping, but for only a short time, I think.”

  Catherine’s hands fluttered across her own abdomen as she stared at Felicity. “I have heard tales that women with child are sometimes gifted with second sight. Do you know something I do not?” The fluttering fingers now formed a protective shield over the area below her waist.

  “Oh goodness me. Heavens, no!” Felicity protested before the twinkle in Catherine’s eye let her know she was being teased. They both giggled as Felicity turned and retrieved their glasses. “I don’t know which is which,” she said apologetically.

  “Does it matter?” Catherine laughed, taking one of the glasses.

  “I would like to propose a toast of my own,” Felicity said, turning solemn. “To the joy of receiving unexpected gifts.”

  “Unexpected gifts?”

  She nodded. “The sister I never knew I wanted…until I got her.”

  “I am going to miss you so much,” Catherine whispered in a voice that wobbled with tears.

  Arms about each other’s waists, the two women drank and then hugged. They were still embracing when Catherine felt Felicity stiffen in her arms. Pulling back, she saw the color drain from Felicity’s face, and the glass she still held slip from her fingers to shatter on the tile flagstones.

  “Felicity! Are you ill?”

  Beads of perspiration now dotted Felicity’s forehead and upper lip. “I don’t know…I need…sit down…”

  With Catherine’s help, she managed to stagger to a chaise placed in the small alcove.

  “Felicity!” Catherine reached out a hand, placing it on her friend’s cheek, and was alarmed at the cold, clammy feel of her skin. She called her name again, but Felicity’s eyes rolled up, and her head now lolled back against the cushioned headrest. Her breaths turned shallow, coming in a pattern of uneven gasps through parted lips. Though she hated the idea of leaving Felicity alone, Catherine knew she had to find Liam and Rian. There was no other choice. “Stay with me, Felicity. I’m going to get help,” she said frantically, unsure if her words were heard.

  Catherine stood, fighting a wave of dizziness that gripped her as she came upright. Her arm wavered as she sought to steady herself while trying to fight off the sudden woolly feeling in her head. Looking around she almost cried out in relief when she saw Isabel standing at the balustrade, watching her. The rubies at her throat and around her wrists reminded Catherine of violent bruises.

  “Isabel, thank goodness! I need…Felicity is unwell…need to get help…she has fainted…”

  “So I see,” Isabel agreed with no sense of urgency at all.

  Catherine stared at Isabel in confusion. She must not have understood what Catherine had said, or grasped the urgency of the situation. Although how that could be was beyond Catherine’s ken. She took a couple of steps forward and was forced to stop as another wave of dizziness threatened. Whatever was wrong with her would have to wait. Felicity’s need was more pressing.

  “I don’t think you understand,” Catherine said, trying not to scream in frustration.

  “Oh, I understand perfectly.” Isabel moved past her to the recumbent figure on the chaise. After picking up Felicity’s hand, she let it fall listlessly back into her lap. Trying to find a plausible excuse to separate the two women had been something of a challenge, but now, much to Isabel’s delight, it proved unnecessary. Obviously the glasses had been switched, and Felicity had also ingested the drugged wine. “Too much to drink, I expect,” Isabel said in a disdainful voice. “No doubt someone will find her.”

  “No! It’s not the wine it’s—oooh!”

  Catherine put her hands to her temples as a sudden bolt of pain sliced through her head. It seemed an eternity before it passed, but when it did she noticed Isabel was now standing just a few feet from her. The rubies and diamonds at her throat caught Catherine’s attention as they winked in the candlelight. She couldn’t understand why she would find them so fascinating, but try as she might, she could not take her eyes from Isabel’s neck. The gems merged together. No longer resembling bruises on Isabel’s alabaster skin, they now formed a straight blood-red line as if her throat had been cut. Catherine blinked and shook her head. The slashed throat disappeared and the necklace became nothing more sinister than a piece of ugly jewelry. The sneer on Isabel’s mouth twisted itself into a line of cruelty. Lady Howard no longer resembled a pillar of fire, but instead reminded Catherine of a large red spider sitting in the center of an intricately woven web, with Catherine caught in the silken, poisonous strands of Isabel’s weaving.

  “I know what happened to you,” Isabel whispered softly, coming closer, “and I know the name of the man who scarred your body.”

  Catherine jerked her head up, Felicity momentarily forgotten. What was Isabel saying? How could she possibly know who had hurt her? And what was happening right now? This game Isabel was playing had moved from petty spitefulness and turned vicious, and Catherine had no time for games. A low moan from the alcove brought Catherine back to the present. If Isabel wasn’t going to fetch help for Felicity, then she must. She stepped forward, but Isabel caught hold of her upper arm in a painful grip.

  Baffled by her behavior, Catherine stared uncomprehendingly at the fingers digging into her flesh. She demanded Isabel let go of her, but the woolly feeling was getting worse, and she couldn’t be certain if her words had been spoken anywhere but inside her head. Thinking was difficult, speaking more so, and though Catherine knew she was opening and closing her mouth, what came out was incoherent and muffled.

  “The…wine?” she finally managed to mumble. Isabel congratulated her as the sneer became malicious. “Why?” Catherine’s tongue was now swollen and thick, impeding her efforts to talk.

  “Because you took something from me and I want it back.”

  “Rian.”

  Isabel reached out and cupped her face in her hand, her long nails stabbing Catherine’s cheeks painfully. “With you gone he will return to me, and how long do you think it will take for him forget everything about you? In my bed he won’t even recall your name.”

  No, never. Not true.

  Catherine’s mind screamed and she tried desperately to concentrate, but her focus was slipping, sliding into confusion. As she fought to remain lucid she could feel something strange hap
pening to her body. Something she couldn’t explain and was powerless to stop. Her limbs began going numb. Her arms became heavy, and she was unable to raise them. Similarly, her legs tingled and a deadening feeling crept its way up from her feet. She blinked rapidly as Isabel’s face swam, but she managed to hold on to her faculties long enough to see her tormentor beckon to the shadows, from which a figure emerged.

  With her brain screaming wildly that she had been poisoned, Catherine tried to scream. She prayed that someone—anyone—would hear her through the closed French doors. Her legs gave out before she could utter a single sound, and a pair of strong arms caught her before she fell and struck her head on the marble paving.

  “Rian…” She sighed, certain it was her husband’s strong arms that held her. But the face that swam over hers was that of a stranger. “Who—” was all she could manage, the word sounding like a soft breath escaping her lips before the drugged wine completed its task. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and John Fletcher stood on the terrace with her unconscious body in his arms.

  “You know what to do?” Isabel asked, needing to return to her guests before her absence was noticed.

  “Of course, everything is as planned,” John assured her.

  Looking at Catherine, Isabel leaned forward and spoke. She didn’t know if Catherine was able to hear her, but she did not care. “Take comfort in knowing that while you are suffering the most painfully cruel tortures, your husband will be warming my bed, kissing my mouth, taking his fill of this body,” she whispered malevolently. Then seeing the gold chain around Catherine’s neck, Isabel pulled the diamond from her bodice and with a vicious jerk she snatched it free, breaking the clasp.

  “This was meant for me!” she hissed triumphantly at John. “Now hurry. Hurry before you are seen.”