The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “But this is what I deserve. If I work my way to a larger parish, then I’ll work my way to one, but if God would rather have me stay where I’m at for the rest of my life, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  Didimus snorted and settled back in his chair. “You have a wife. Sometime soon, you may even have children. Are you really going to subject your heir to a lack of abundance?”

  “No. That’s what the money going to the estate is for. I’ll hire a steward who’ll invest the money in the same things my brothers did. That should give my heir and other children a good amount of money when they’re adults.”

  “But I just showed you a map with countries we’ve never been to. Aren’t you the least bit interested in taking any of that money and traveling?”

  “A vicar doesn’t go from country to country. He stays at the parish where he’s needed.”

  Julian noted the mixture of frustration and annoyance on his cousin’s face and couldn’t understand it. This wasn’t Didimus’ money. It belonged to Jonah and James, and, unfortunately, neither was alive to use any of it.

  Julian let out a disappointed sigh. It didn’t seem that Didimus could accept him the way he was now. He wanted Julian to be like he used to be. By the looks of it, he had expected this sudden turn of events in Julian’s life to bring him back to the kind of gentleman who ran from one social activity to another with great enthusiasm.

  He rose to his feet. “I’m sorry, Didimus. I’m not the same person I used to be. I now live to serve the Lord. I’ve changed because He’s given me a second chance.”

  “I wish the Lord had left you alone,” Didimus muttered.

  “You don’t mean that. The Lord coming into my life was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  Didimus didn’t respond for a long moment but then shrugged. “I see that I can’t change your mind. You’re determined to waste all that money, though it would have been nice if we could have traveled again.”

  Being as gentle but firm as he could be, Julian replied, “Those were good times, but, yes, they’re over.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Didimus said, a tone of remorse in his voice that indicated he wanted to say more but realized it was pointless to do so.

  Julian sighed and put the glass on the small table by one of the windows. He caught sight of something poking out of the long drapes that had been pulled shut. He stepped closer to it and leaned toward it. His eyes grew wide. He was looking at some leaves.

  For a moment, he couldn’t move. Didimus wasn’t a plant lover. At least, he couldn’t recall a time when Didimus ever had plants nearby. What were the chances he’d suddenly develop a fondness for them?

  About as good as Jonah and James dying so suddenly.

  No. It couldn’t be. Not Didimus. He’d known Didimus for most of his life. They’d been friends since they could walk. Didimus wasn’t a killer.

  Didimus got to his feet and went to the decanter on the other side of the room to fill his glass up with more brandy. Since he had his back turned to him, Julian lifted the edge of the drape and took a good look at the plant in the moonlight. Evergreen leaves. Four inches long. Thick and shiny. There were a couple of white flowers on it. Some branches had recently been pruned so only half the plant was still there.

  He let the drape fall back into place then glanced over at Didimus to make sure his cousin hadn’t noticed that he’d been peeking behind it. Didimus was putting the cap back on the decanter.

  Feeling like the world around him was slightly spinning, Julian made his way back to the chair. His gaze went to the glass of water Didimus had given him. What were the chances there was laurel water in it?

  No. That was silly. It couldn’t be Didimus. Didimus wouldn’t kill him. He wouldn’t kill anyone. Sure, he was given to living an extravagant lifestyle. He loved money, but…

  He loves money. And he’s upset that you plan to give away the money you just inherited. Isn’t it odd that he should care what you do with the money?

  Didimus probably thought Julian was going to share half of the money with him, like he’d done in the past.

  Julian forced down the bile that rose up in his throat.

  Didimus turned to face him, a pleasant smile on his face. “Well, far be it from me to tell you what to do with your inheritance. I applaud your sense of duty.” He gestured to Julian’s glass. “Would you like more water?”

  “No.” Realizing he’d spoken too quickly, Julian cleared his throat. “No, that’s all right. I’m not thirsty.” He wiped his sweaty palms on his breeches. “I should retire for the evening. It’s been an exhausting day, given the funeral and all.”

  “Yes, I suppose it has.” Didimus took a sip of his brandy. “You’ve had a lot to deal with recently. I’m sure a good night’s sleep will do you good.”

  Julian tried not to show his apprehension. The footman said he suspected someone had snuck into the townhouse on the nights Jonah and James died. Even as he struggled to find a logical way to explain why the footman had been wrong, he couldn’t do it. Not if he was honest with himself. He and the detective had searched the entire townhouse, and they hadn’t seen anything that resembled the plant the doctor had warned them about. But the plant in this room matched the description too closely for it to be a coincidence.

  Julian forced himself to smile. “Thank you for inviting Ophelia and me over for dinner.”

  “You’re welcome over any time.”

  Didimus returned his smile, but there was something about it that made Julian shiver. He had to go to Detective Hall, and he had to do it tonight. He didn’t dare take the chance that Didimus would sneak into his townhouse and try to kill him. Didimus had moved swiftly with Jonah and James. At this point, Julian was the only person standing in his way of inheriting the title.

  Julian headed out of the room. It took all of his willpower not to run, but somehow, he managed it. When he and Didimus arrived in the drawing room, Serena was talking to Ophelia about one of the gowns she wanted to buy but couldn’t. So maybe that was it. Maybe Didimus was running out of money and needed more. He figured if he could get some from Julian, then that problem would be resolved.

  “It’s been a long day,” Julian told Ophelia and Serena. “I hate to end the evening so early, but I’m tired.”

  Ophelia seemed relieved as she stood up from the chair and went over to him. He had no idea if the two ladies got along well or not. Ophelia had never uttered a word of complaint about Serena, but then she hadn’t told him about Lord Wolfe until recently.

  Whether or not Ophelia liked Serena was of little consequence. Julian had more pressing things to deal with. After thanking Didimus and Serena for a lovely evening, Julian urged Ophelia out of the drawing room. He did his best not to rush through the process of putting on his coat, gloves, and hat. Ophelia was finished putting on hers before he was.

  He didn’t remember getting from the townhouse to the carriage. Everything was beginning to blur together. His cousin—the friend he’d grown up with—had killed his brothers, and now it was very possible his cousin would kill him. If it’d been anyone else, he might have been able to process the realization better.

  “Julian, are you all right?” Ophelia asked as the carriage proceeded forward.

  Slouching forward, Julian rubbed his forehead. “No, I’m not all right.”

  He didn’t know if he was going to be all right ever again. If he had known his return to London was going to prompt Didimus to kill his brothers, he never would have come back. He would have stayed away forever. Forgive me, Jonah and James. Once more, I caused you harm, even if it wasn’t what I intended.

  Ophelia leaned into him and put a comforting hand on his back. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t say. Not yet.” He didn’t even know how to start explaining everything to her. Granted, she had some horrible experiences with Lord Wolfe, but this was much darker. She was still naïve in a lot of ways, and he wanted to protect that part of her. No one should ev
er be burdened with the heaviness of sin.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

  He straightened up so he could bring her into his arms. “Stay safe. Don’t go anywhere alone. I don’t want Lord Wolfe to get you.”

  “I won’t go anywhere alone. I learned my lesson.”

  Good. He kissed the top of her head. Maybe, after he told Detective Hall about the plant in Didimus’ den, this part of things could be laid to rest. Then they could figure out what to do about Lord Wolfe. He was in no condition to tackle both issues at once. As long as Ophelia was around other people, he didn’t have to worry about her.

  The carriage came to a stop, and Julian glanced out the small window to see his townhouse. “I need to see the detective, but I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “I don’t want to be in there alone,” Ophelia said.

  “You won’t be alone. The servants will be there. Lord Wolfe won’t be able to get to you.”

  “I want to stay with you. I feel safer when you’re around.”

  “But I need to talk to the detective, and I’m not ready for you to know the details about that.”

  “Can’t I stay in this carriage? There’s a coachman in the front with the horses, and the footman is in the back. I have two servants to watch over me.”

  He supposed that could work. She wouldn’t be alone, and he would be able to speak with the detective in private. “All right. You can come.”

  The footman opened the door, and Julian instructed him to tell the coachman to take them to Detective Hall’s residence. The footman’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.

  Without giving anything away, Julian nodded and said, “I have some information he’ll find useful.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, Your Grace.” Then the footman shut the door and went to tell the coachman about the change in plans.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ophelia settled back into the seat of the carriage after she watched Julian go into the detective’s home. The detective lived further from the heart of London than Lewis and Mary did. This street was quiet. Since arriving here, she’d only seen one carriage pass by, and she hadn’t seen anyone walking around.

  She shivered. Hopefully, Julian would be back soon. She knew the matter Julian wanted to discuss with the detective was important. It must have something to do with his brothers’ deaths, but she couldn’t figure out what going to his cousin’s that evening had to do with it. But then, maybe it didn’t have anything to do with it. Maybe Julian had thought of something while they were at his cousin’s.

  All she wanted to do was go home, lie in Julian’s arms, and feel safe. Though she didn’t know if she could feel completely safe. Ever since she found out Lord Wolfe had been stalking her, she’d been wary of what was going to happen next. She didn’t know if she’d ever feel safe again.

  She closed her eyes and leaned against the side of the carriage. Why does he want me so badly?

  A knock came on the carriage door, and she jerked up in her seat. She peered out the small window and saw Didimus. She relaxed. It wasn’t Lord Wolfe.

  After taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door.

  “I’m glad I found you,” Didimus said, his tone pleasant. He looked past her. “Where’s Julian?”

  “He’s speaking with Detective Hall,” she replied and gestured to the townhouse. “They’re both in there.”

  Didimus glanced at the townhouse. “I hate to trouble them. Julian forgot the map. I meant to give it to him as a gift. Why don’t I give it to you? It’s in my carriage. I’ll need your help bringing it here. It’s not that heavy, but it’s large, which makes it awkward to carry alone.”

  With a nod, she accepted his hand and let him help her from the carriage. Didimus’ carriage was right behind hers, but she noticed there was no coachman directing his carriage. Also, there wasn’t a footman at the back.

  “Where are your servants?” she asked.

  “This was such a quick matter that I didn’t want to trouble them,” he replied.

  It sounded like a logical response, but for some reason, it didn’t settle well with her. She took a look back at her carriage and saw that the coachman and footman were still in their seats. Their backs were to her, so she couldn’t see their faces.

  “Julian liked the map,” Didimus said, directing her attention back to him. “I don’t know if he ever told you this, but he loves to travel. He did a lot of it when he was younger. One of his favorite pastimes is studying maps. I think the thing will make for a nice keepsake.”

  They stopped at his carriage, and he opened the door. Inside was a large piece of parchment that had been rolled up. It didn’t look all that awkward to carry. She was sure he could have done it himself.

  She turned back to him, but he placed a sweet-smelling cloth over her nose and mouth. She tried to fight back, but he only pressed the cloth more firmly over her. After a moment, she fell into unconsciousness.

  ***

  Julian and Detective Hall’s conversation only lasted for ten minutes, but by the time the detective was ready to go with Julian to Didimus’ townhouse, Julian saw that the door of his carriage was open. Also, the footman and coachman appeared to be unconscious. Julian ran to the carriage, and as soon as he saw that Ophelia wasn’t there, he cursed himself for leaving her alone. He should have taken her with him.

  “Who is that?” Detective Hall asked, pointing to a carriage that was retreating down the street.

  Julian squinted as he watched the carriage. It passed under a lamppost, and he saw the familiar color of Didimus’ carriage. Not once did he think Didimus was going to pose a threat to Ophelia. He’d only expected Lord Wolfe to be the one who would come for her. He shook his head in disbelief. What would Didimus want with her? Even if she died, Julian would be in his way.

  “That’s Didimus,” Julian said as a feeling of dread came over him. “He took my wife.”

  “We need to get her before he does something dangerous,” Detective Hall replied.

  Julian followed Detective Hall to the two horses and hurried to unhitch them from the carriage. Just as he got his horse away from the carriage, his gaze went to the coachman and footman. Were they alive? Had Didimus killed them? He heard the coachman moan and was assured the man was still alive. That being the case, it was safe to assume the footman was alive, too. The two had just been knocked unconscious so Didimus could get to Ophelia.

  “We’ll deal with them later,” the detective told him.

  Snapping his attention back to what they had to do, Julian hopped on his horse, and the two chased after the carriage.

  ***

  When Ophelia regained consciousness, someone was carrying her. Their steps were rushed, and she would have been tossed about had his hold on her not been secure. Judging by his heavy breathing, she knew he’d been running for some time.

  She opened her eyes. In the moonlight, all she could make out were tree branches that were above them. She didn’t think she’d been unconscious for long. The moon’s position in the sky indicated that she hadn’t even been asleep for an hour.

  So she had to be close to London. She might even still be in it. She just wasn’t near any of the residences. She was in an isolated spot.

  Her gaze went to the man who was carrying her. Didimus. She didn’t understand this. Why was he doing this? Unlike Lord Wolfe, he didn’t want to marry her. He was Julian’s friend. He’d said he wanted to give Julian a map. She and Julian had just been at his townhouse for dinner.

  But Julian had seemed anxious on his way to talk to Detective Hall. He hadn’t wanted to tell her what was bothering him, but she recalled how he’d held her tighter than he usually did, as if he worried they might somehow be separated.

  Could this have something to do with that?

  It must. He’d figured out something bad, and it had to do with Didimus. Didimus, in turn, probably realized he’d been discovered. Or, at the very least, he was desperate to get
something he wanted.

  But what could he possibly want?

  Didimus slowed to a stop and leaned against a tree. He panted, and his hold on her loosened enough so that she could finally wiggle out of his arms. He tried to regain his hold on her, but she managed to fall out of his arms. A tree root jabbed her side as she landed on the ground, but she ignored the pain that shot through her.

  “No, you don’t,” Didimus hissed and knelt down to grab her.

  She tried to crawl away from him, but he managed to get a firm grip around her ankle. She cried out and kicked her foot at him. His hold on her, however, was too strong.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” Didimus forced out since he was having trouble taking a deep breath after all the running he’d been doing. “I just need you until Julian pays for you.”

  “Pays for me?” she blurted out in surprise.

  “All I want is the money he inherited from his brothers. I need that money, Ophelia. I barely have enough of my own to get me through the rest of the year. Julian will give me the money if it means getting you back. Please, do me this favor, and I promise, I’ll never do anything like this again.”

  She shook her head.

  “Don’t make me kill him,” Didimus pleaded. “I didn’t care for his brothers, but he’s my friend. This will be easier for everyone if you just cooperate with me.”

  She saw a man in the shadows coming up behind Didimus. Her throat grew dry. She’d recognize that foreboding frame anywhere. It was Lord Wolfe.

  She tried to make a coherent statement to warn him that Lord Wolfe was sneaking up behind him, but all she could manage was to point behind him and scream.

  Didimus looked over his shoulder too late. Lord Wolfe struck Didimus. Didimus released her and fell onto his back.

  Lord Wolfe glared at her. “Don’t watch this.”

  But she couldn’t look away. She was too scared not to look.