Alessandra

by Ann M Pratley

  Old John nodded. "I can ride into Bath now, Master, if you need me to."

  Edward's father nodded at him.

  "Yes, thank you," he said and then remembered his manners, which he had always been desperate to hold onto where all of his tenants were concerned. "But before you go, come into the kitchen and Cook will give you some food and wine before your journey."

  Edward saw Old John look horrified and appreciative at the same time, torn between his obvious hunger but also feeling it was not right for him to go into the manor.

  "Come with me," Edward said, stepping forward to try and put the older man in front of him at ease. "I believe Cook has some rabbit pie left over from last night, which I can greatly recommend. I will ask you, though, to please not talk about the issue of the body. We have worked hard to keep the concern about Missinger from my mother and my wife, and the fewer people who know, the better."

  Old John nodded in response. "Of course."

  * * * * *

  When the constable came to the manor to question Edward's father later that evening, Alessandra suspected something serious had happened but equally felt like whatever it was, she was not to know about it. The way Edward had avoided her most of the day even though he was in the manor with his father, and the way his father looked at his mother, all gave clues that something of great concern had happened and somehow the manor was involved.

  The men escorted the constable to the steward's room, where conversation began.

  "We have removed the body but I do have to ask you questions about it," the constable began and Edward and his father both nodded. "Do you know the man who was found?"

  Edward's father was surprised by the question.

  "We have not seen the body so we cannot know for sure…"

  "But?"

  Edward came forward, sensing some frustration inside of his father.

  "We received notification about a week ago that a man who had known my wife when they were younger, had gone missing from his home, and he might have been on his way to this area."

  The constable looked at him and wrote notes in his notebook.

  "So he knew your wife. Should I be questioning her then?"

  "No!" Edward and his father both exclaimed simultaneously, causing the constable to raise his head sharply.

  "No," Edward continued more quietly. "My wife is presently with child and I would not cause her any stress if we can help it. Please, I can tell you whatever you need to know." He paused before continuing, seeing the constable nod in recognition of what he was saying. "A short time ago we had a problem with post from my wife's mother not reaching us, and so I rode to see my in-laws to check they were alright. When I was there it was revealed that the man in question had been stopping that particular post from coming, as a way to worry my wife and encourage her to go there, to her parents' home. This man had earlier written to my wife, declaring his love for her, and I believe his plan was to see her if he could get her to return to her family home. When she did not go there - when I went there - he confronted me and told me he was determined to win her - to encourage her to leave me and go live with him."

  The constable wrote carefully but quickly in his notebook.

  "And this man's name is?"

  "Tom Missinger."

  "And you say he was reported missing?"

  Edward nodded. "That was what we were told, yes."

  The constable wrote what he seemed to need to and then stopped and looked at Edward.

  "Do you know the man, then?"

  "I would not say that I know him…"

  "Could you identify him?"

  Edward nodded, dreading the thought. "Yes."

  "Right then. I shall leave you now, but tomorrow you will need to come to see me, and see if the body we have is this Tom Missinger."

  "Of course, Sir. I shall come in the morning."

  The constable excused himself, leaving Edward and his father looking at one another with a sense of shock on each of their faces.

  "If nothing else, Edward, at least we will know for sure if it is him or not," his father said and Edward nodded before they both left the room to see their wives, hoping neither of them revealed the great deal of concern both felt.

  * * * * *

  "What are you keeping from me, Edward?" Alessandra asked later, in their bed.

  For Edward, one of the worst parts of the business was not being able to be completely honest and open with her, as he always had been about everything so far.

  "Alessandra, there is something I am not telling you right now, but please trust that when I can tell you, I will," he said softly and she knew him well enough by now to respect when he needed to keep quiet and think about things before he spoke.

  She lay quietly, cuddling into his chest and pushing all things from her mind so that she would not be sleepless, and soon she was deep asleep while he held her, thankful he had a wife who did not pressure him into revealing words he did not want to say.

  Chapter Forty Eight

  Edward stood over the body, dealing with all the conflicting emotions flowing over him - horror at the realisation of the situation, sadness for the wife of the man in front of him, uncertainty at how he would tell his own wife the news … but also relief that now there would be no more threat or worry from this man.

  "It is him?" the constable asked and Edward nodded.

  "Yes, that is Tom Missinger."

  "And you think he came all this way to try and take your wife away?"

  Edward felt perplexed at the question.

  "All I know is what he told me at Alessandra's parents' home - that he was determined to have her. Only he could know to what extent he meant those words."

  "Very well. Thank you for coming. I may have more questions for you after I speak to the deceased's wife."

  "Of course," Edward nodded at him before realising his curiosity had not yet been completely fulfilled. "How did he die?"

  The constable looked at him thoughtfully before replying.

  "From the position of the body we believe he slipped down a sharp drop in the forest, and hit his head on a tree trunk. We do not believe there was any foul play involved. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

  "Thank you," Edward replied, finding himself saddened although also relieved at the news, for a moment seeing how he himself could have been viewed as a potential suspect if it had looked like Tom's death was not an accident.

  He walked away from the constable with now a new dilemma - should he tell Alessandra, or keep the news to himself for the moment? She was now six months - two thirds - into her pregnancy. Was she at a time that would still be safe if she received a shock?

  Before riding home he took a detour to the office of the family physician.

  "Edward," the older man before him said happily as he held out his hand to shake Edward's. "What can I do for you? Are you unwell?"

  "Oh no, Sir, I am here about my wife, Alessandra."

  "Ahh yes, Alessandra. Is she still with child?" he asked and Edward nodded.

  "Yes, all appears to be going well, but I have some bad news to give to her, and I am not sure what such a shock may do…"

  The physician sat down behind his desk and watched Edward's face to see if he would continue. When he did not, the doctor sat forward.

  "Alessandra must be … six months along?" he asked and Edward nodded.

  "Edward, the most dangerous time has passed and your wife seems a strong young lady. If you need to tell her something that could shock her, by all means try and do so gently, but I think she will be fine."

  Edward tried to absorb the advice being given to him but it conflicted with thoughts that had always been in his head.

  "I know that you have grown up knowing the limitations on your own mother to have more children," the physician continued and Edward nodded. "So I understand why you would have a natural concern for your wife when she is with child. But there are no indications that anything will happen, or that
she cannot see this pregnancy through and deliver a healthy child when it is time."

  They talked some more and then Edward left with the determination to immediately stop avoiding breaking the news to Alessandra.

  * * * * *

  When he returned to the manor he was instantly pulled aside my his father.

  "Well?"

  "It is him, Father."

  Edward watched as his father looked more and more morose.

  "What will you do, Edward?"

  "I must tell Alessandra. She knew him and would want to know…"

  "Are you sure that is wise?"

  Edward now found doubt entering his mind about what was the right thing to do.

  "Yes, Father, I think it is the right thing to do. Even if they were not current friends, she should still know what has happened to him," Edward said, thinking about the possibility that had crossed his mind when he had first heard the news that the body had been found - that Tom might have been watching Edward and Alessandra when they were last at the waterfall. That thought made him shudder, thinking about that man - or anyone - watching them as they made love. No, that would have to be something that he did not disclose to his wife. But to leave that suspicion out would mean that he would not be able to tell her where exactly on the estate Tom had been found. "I must go and tell her. Excuse me, Father."

  * * * * *

  Edward went straight to where he knew to be Alessandra's favourite place of peace - 'the glass jungle room', she had now fondly named it. When he entered quietly, she turned and a smile immediately graced her face as she saw him.

  Straight away Alessandra could tell her husband had something of serious importance on his mind, and she moved over on her favourite stone bench so that he could sit down beside her. She waited as he gathered his words, seeming to want to say something but then not say it.

  "Edward, what is it?" she asked him quietly, encouraging him in whatever it was that he had to reveal to her.

  Edward sat quietly, still uncertain what the probability was that telling her this particular news could upset her to the point where something serious happened to the health of her or their child. But remembering the words of the doctor, he decided to put trust in the physician and the strength of his wife, and so formulated the words in the best way possible so that the shock might be lessened.

  "Tom," he started, and immediately saw surprise on his wife's face.

  "Tom Missinger?" Alessandra asked, wondering what Edward could possibly be going to say about the man who had courted her all that time ago, and had written all those letters to her more recently.

  "Yes," Edward continued, once again feeling such dread inside of him, and a slight sliver of guilt because even though he had not done anything to contribute to Tom's death, he certainly had wished silently that he would go away and leave Alessandra alone. And although it made no logical sense to feel guilty, it was in his nature to do so, given how strongly he had felt about the man who had threatened to pursue his wife.

  Alessandra saw distress on Edward's face and put her hand over his to hold it tightly.

  "Edward, whatever you have to say, it is alright. Please relax and tell me."

  Edward took a deep breath and held her hand tightly.

  "Alessandra, there has been news of Tom," he said, still trying to formulate words for what he had to say. "He … died."

  Alessandra heard the news and felt the shock inside of her, as if it were news that could not possibly be true. She had not welcomed the attentions Tom had put on her since her marriage, but for a fleeting moment she cast her mind back to the time before she had met Edward. The time when she thought all it would take for her to be happy in marriage was to be married to Tom Missinger. Now that she was in her marriage with Edward, she could of course see that she would never have been happy with Tom, but for a moment she let herself feel the feelings that naturally came from the news.

  "Dead?" she asked faintly, as if not believing it, and Edward sat quietly, giving her the space and time to fully comprehend the news. Silently he hoped she might not ask questions, so he could spare her any details, but of course she would. One of the things he loved about her was her ongoing curiosity about things that made her question so much. "How?"

  Edward breathed out slowly and deeply, desperate to let only one piece of information leak out at any one time.

  "I don't know. His … he … was found, already dead."

  He saw confusion cross the face of his wife, and knew that over time to come, she would ask all relevant questions to get the full story. This same trait in her that had always delighted him, was now feeling like the source of heartbreak.

  "Where?"

  Alessandra felt like her head was racing, with so many questions in it that she felt like she had to breathe deeply to slow it all down. Now, as she asked this particular question, she looked right into Edward's eyes and suddenly became aware of how difficult this was for him as deliverer of such bad news. She saw him look away and then slowly return his gaze to hers once more.

  "Here. On the estate," he said, as if the words came out only one at a time. He didn't expand on the explanation, watching as yet another level of knowledge sunk into her.

  Now Alessandra looked at him with a slight look of horror on her face.

  "He was here?" she asked and he nodded. "But why?"

  Edward kept quiet as she processed information being fed to her, and could make sense of it.

  "He was here to see me?" she asked and he waited further. "He died, coming here to see me?"

  Alessandra became aware that her husband had stopped speaking, and knew from that that there was more to the situation.

  "Tell me all, Edward. Whatever you need to say, I am prepared for. Please don't hold it inside."

  He waited a few minutes before moving on in his conversation.

  "Just over a week ago, when Father and I were visiting tenants, we found Mrs Howard tied up, and upon questioning her she told us that a man had done that to her, and had left her like that while he used her cottage as a place to stay for several nights."

  "And you thought it might be Tom?" Alessandra asked and Edward nodded. "But why would you think that? He lives a long way from here."

  "Before we saw Mrs Howard like that, we had received news that Tom was missing … and it was suspected that he might come here to see you."

  Suddenly all the moments in recent weeks that Alessandra had noticed her husband's quietness, became clear and obvious to her.

  "You have been worried about telling me what was going on," she said and he nodded with his head down. "Oh Edward, this news of Tom's death is heartbreaking. He had no right to think of me as he did after he was married, and after I was married, but he was someone I knew and had great regard for when we knew each other. And I find this very sad."

  She placed her hand under his chin and raised his face gently so he was looking at her again.

  "But I understand why you have kept all of this from me, and I am not going to ask any more now, but in time - after our baby's birth - you will share with me all the details you know about this," she said and he nodded before kissing her gently.

  Alessandra welcomed the kiss, with determination to put all thoughts about Tom from her mind. The sadness she knew could come from that knowledge, she wanted desperately to put on a shelf and forget for the moment. She only had another 10 weeks or so to get through before her baby would be born so it was important for her to remain calm in the meantime. Even she recognised that importance and would not do anything that might cause harm to her baby … or herself.

  Chapter Forty Nine

  Four weeks later Edward and Alessandra were spending time together outside more, walking around the gardens as summer established and the days grew warmer.

  "When would you like your mother to come and stay, my love?" Edward asked her, now starting to see tiredness on her face as she had become larger with the life growing inside of her. "We can send for her at any time, you
know."

  Alessandra looked at her husband and was once again thankful for having been wed to a man who was so considerate and seemingly not at all afraid of his in-laws.

  In response to his question she nodded and smiled at him.

  "It would be nice to see my mother and father, Edward. As soon as it is possible, I would like them to be invited, and then it be up to them to decide when is most suitable, if you are in agreement with that."

  Edward nodded at her. "Of course. Write to them and let them know they are welcome whenever they are ready to come, and I will arrange their travel here," he said quietly and Alessandra looked at him. Although a month had passed, she knew that inside of him he still clung to something about Tom's death but he was determined to not talk to her about it, and she respected that and did not push him. But it made the length of her pregnancy seem to go on even longer, knowing that something was between them that was not being spoken of, and silently she wished time would pass more quickly so that their child could be brought into the world, and she and Edward would not have to be so careful anymore.

  She clung tighter to his arm as they walked, and he looked at her face, also feeling a void between them that he too knew was due to the censoring of conversation they now had between them, at least temporarily. Even though they were together every day, still the lack of desire to speak freely in case he caused her stress, contributed to a slight feeling of loneliness sometimes in each of them. He knew that Alessandra would welcome the conversation but would not pressure him to provide further details about Tom's death, and if he was honest with himself, Edward could not pinpoint which aspect of the matter he wished most to avoid telling her. Still in his mind was the haunting image of Tom having been in the forest, very possibly watching Alessandra and Edward making love, and he knew it made no sense to think about it as Tom was now dead so it did not matter what he had seen, but still it felt like some kind of violation of Alessandra's privacy, and the love Edward and his wife shared together, knowing that another man might have seen her body.