Jeff responded with a singular nod. “Completely.”
“Then get ta yer chores, boy. I ain’t got all morn’n ta dally.” Olney chortled at his own humor and rudely prodded Raelynn with the pistol. “Take yer time followin’ yer man, girlie. I don’t want ta have ta blow ye ta smithereens ’cause ye got too close ta him. Just remember, I’ll be right behind ye, an’ as li’l as ye are, a shot from this here pistol would make a bloody mess comin’ out yer front side. Do ye kin?”
“I kin,” she acknowledged, bestowing a glower upon him.
He chortled in amusement. “Ye’re just as ornery now as ye were in Mr. Fridrich’s warehouse, but that don’t matter ta me, girlie. I ain’t gots me heart on the idea o’ sportin’ wit’ ye like the German. I enjoys the lustier ones meself.”
“That’s understandable,” Raelynn quipped loftily.
The rascal’s eyes narrowed. “What do ye mean by that?”
“Simply that you have the taste of a boar.”
Jeff waved a hand, warning his wife to hold her tongue, but Olney’s ire had already been set on end. He let out a horrendous roar as he raised an arm, fully intending to backhand her with the weapon. Jeff bolted forward to halt the blow, but the miscreant whirled upon him with the pistol cocked and threatening.
“Noooo!” Raelynn screamed, grabbing Olney’s elbow. “Don’t shoot him! Please! I promise, I’ll be nice!”
Olney jerked his arm free of her grasp and eyed Jeff warily. His sullen expression made Raelynn tremble in trepidation, for she had no doubt that the brigand was capable of boring a hole through her husband just for the meanness of it. In a brief, sidelong glance, Olney met her pleading gaze and relented enough to lift the sights of the flintlock away from his adversary. “All right, girlie. Ye’ve saved yer husband’s skin this time, but I’m warnin’ ye, any more back-sass outa ye, an’ ye might as well start diggin’ his grave. Understood?”
Raelynn nodded contritely. “Understood.”
The ruffian turned a sardonic smirk upon Jeff. “She likes ye a mite more’n Mr. Fridrich, that’s for sure, but then, I gots ta admit, Mr. Fridrich ain’t the easiest thing on a woman’s eyes.” He gestured with the pistol. “Now get yerself outside like a nice lad, an’ maybe I’ll let ye both go on livin’.”
Jeff picked up the lantern and led the short procession outside to the lean-to where he had stabled the horses. Totally mindful of the pistol Olney kept leveled on Raelynn, he was on his very best behavior as he saddled Majestic. He even helped the younger man to mount and stood beside his wife as the fellow rode away, but when Jeff dropped a hand upon Raelynn’s shoulder in relief, she bolted away from him and ran back into the cabin. He stared after her a long moment, and then cocked a brow at Ariadne.
“I don’t know which one of you is more unpredictable,” he muttered, causing the mare’s ears to prick in alert attention. “Even as flighty as you are, I still think the lady has you beat. But then, you may claim the upper hand when the two of us try to ride you bareback all the way home.”
When Jeff finally stepped through the front portal of the cabin, he realized his wife had already set up her defenses. She had placed herself at the far end of the table and was eyeing him warily. He had no need to ask what was bothering her.
“So!” They were right back where they had started before they had settled into his bedroll. “You actually believed Olney when he said he saw me kill Nell.”
“I still have questions that need answering,” she stated bluntly.
“Such as?”
“Such as where you went after you excused yourself about eleven or so the night of our ball. You said you were going out to the privy. Is that the only place you went? If it is, then it certainly took you long enough.”
Jeff blew his breath out in a long, laborious sigh. He had forgotten about that particular trip, but his wife obviously hadn’t. “I’m sorry. It slipped my mind.”
“Deliberately slipped your mind?” she prodded. “If you’re innocent of killing Nell, then why were you gone so long?”
“Because, madam, after taking a pee, I stopped to talk with some of my friends who were waiting their turn. Hell and damnation, woman, perhaps I should have gone behind the nearest bush and then scurried back to you. Would that have made you feel more confident of my integrity?” He snorted disagreeably and then snidely queried, “What are you going to do, ask my friends if they actually saw me relieving myself so your qualms can be mollified?”
“Don’t be vulgar,” she snapped.
“Madam, you just don’t know how vulgar I’d like to be right at this very moment. Have you once considered that Olney could be lying to save his own neck or, quite possibly, to set us at odds with one another so he can collect the reward that Gustav promised Cooper Frye? Do you have so little regard for me that you’d willingly lend more credence to that rascal’s claims of innocence than to mine?”
“All I know is that I saw you standing over Nell with a . . .”
Jeff flung up a hand to forestall her. “Spare me your repetitive declarations, my dear.” His tone was snide. “I know well and good what you saw. I was there, remember? But only because I heard Nell’s scream. Would you like to compare Olney’s story to the real facts? Nell was stabbed three times, but he said she had only been stabbed once.”
Raelynn shrugged. “Perhaps he just couldn’t see well enough through the stall slats to really determine how many times she was stabbed.”
“Ah, but, madam, if that be true, then how in the hell could Olney have been so unerring when he supposedly identified me? It was dark in the stables, he said. Have you ever been in the barn when there are no lanterns lit?”
Raelynn had no need to search her memory. “No.”
“Well, perhaps you should venture out there sometime along about eleven or so at night when there are none burning, then you’d realize that even when there’s a bright moon outside, you can only make out vague shapes inside and, with some difficulty, the difference between light and dark colors, but as I remember, there were clouds that night, so ‘tis highly unlikely that Olney had the benefit of a moon by which to see.”
“Olney said he saw you about eleven,” she stated, fighting an onrush of tears, “and that’s about the time you left the house.”
“Nell couldn’t have been stabbed that early,” Jeff stated tersely. “If she had been, she’d have bled to death in half an hour or less. I heard her scream about one in the morning, and that’s when I went out and discovered her dying in Ariadne’s stall. She was barely alive when I reached her, and she begged me to pull out the knife and to hold her as if I really cared for her. I did both, madam, allowing her blood to soak into my shirt and for that, I’ve been condemned as a villain by the very one who should believe in me.”
“We’re naught but strangers,” Raelynn stated obstinately and wrung her hands.
Jeff sneered. “Perhaps we are in your eyes, madam, but not in mine. From the first moment we wed I’ve considered you as the other half of me, my wife, my soul mate, blood of my blood, heart of my heart, but it’s evident you don’t feel the same way about me. Even in your dreams I’m considered the guilty one. Therefore, I think it would be best if you do go to Charleston . . .”
Raelynn’s head snapped up, and she stared at him in slack-jawed astonishment. “Do you intend to seek a permanent separation?”
“Only time will tell, madam, but separation is definitely in order even if it’s nothing more than you living in Charleston while I remain at Oakley. ‘Twould seem beneficial for your well-being if I take you home first where you can rest for a day or two. During that time, I’ll arrange for your stay in the city. I’m sure if you’re talented as a couturiere, Farrell Ives will be delighted to have you working in his shop, but if I may be so bold to suggest, I think you should let a room in Elizabeth’s house or, if you prefer, in Mrs. Brewster’s. Both women could use the extra funds, which I’ll naturally supply until that time you choose to distance yourself ent
irely from me. I must assure you at this time that I have a sincere interest in being a father to our child, but if you find that you’re averse to that idea, then I’ll relinquish all claims without contest so you needn’t be unduly distressed by my presence in our offspring’s life.”
“You’ll . . . let me . . . go . . . just like that?” For the life of her, Raelynn just couldn’t manage to swallow the thickness that had risen into her throat. She turned aside, blinking against the sudden blurring of her vision, and after a moment, regained some semblance of composure. Perhaps it was just as well she separate herself from him. Disaster seemed to come upon them whenever they were together.
Jeff released a pensive sigh. “I can’t bear being looked upon as a murderer in my own house and by the very one who should trust me. You can be assured that I’ll not send you away without some provisions for your comfort. You can take Tizzy with you to see after your needs, and of course, whatever you’ve been given since we’ve been married is yours to keep. Once I’ve arranged for your accommodations and spoken to Farrell about the possibility of hiring you on, Thaddeus can drive you in. Beyond that point, I won’t burden you anymore with my presence.”
15
FARRELL IVES LEANED BACK IN HIS CHAIR AND thoughtfully contemplated the glowing tip of the cheroot he normally allowed himself each morning before plunging into the maelstrom of designing fashions and appeasing ladies in their desire to dress well. Upon lifting his gaze, he squinted through the swirling smoke and fixed his gaze upon his early morning visitor, who perched nearby on an overstuffed arm of a leather settee, one of the many costly pieces furnishing his private apartment. “It’s bound to strike folks as damned peculiar, Jeffrey, you staying out at Oakley while your wife lives with Elizabeth here in Charleston and works for me during the day.”
Jeff lifted his wide shoulders in a perfunctory shrug. “I can’t concern myself about what people may think, Farrell. I’m more interested in what is going on in Raelynn’s head. I must give her the freedom and time to make up her own mind about me. Letting her go seems the best way to do that. You know better than anyone that we hardly knew each other before we wed, and though I’m firmly convinced we’re well suited for one another, I can’t force that premise on my wife. She must come to her own conclusions about me in her own time, at her own pace.”
The couturier shook his head in utter bemusement. “Dammit, Jeffrey, what has happened between you two? Every time I’ve been around the both of you, Raelynn has given every indication that she’s totally smitten with you.”
Jeff met his gaze squarely. “When Raelynn came into the stables and found me standing over Nell’s body with the murder weapon in my hand, the shock proved too much for her. She has yet to get over the trauma. It even haunts her dreams. I can only hope that by releasing her from any marital obligations and allowing her to come to know me as a man and possibly as a friend rather than a husband, she will eventually realize that I’m not capable of such brutality.”
“How do you suppose that will happen while you’re miles away and Raelynn is living here in Charleston? If you haven’t realized it yet, my friend, it’s no short jaunt from here to yonder,” Farrell pointed out with satiric wit. He wasn’t being unkind, just practical. “And what if Fridrich decides to masquerade as Attila the Hun again? Who’s going to protect her?”
“I’ve considered all of that and have taken the initiative to speak with several trustworthy men who’re willing to keep watch over her from a distance. Her safety naturally is of paramount importance to me. Though Elijah is presently hampered by his injured leg, he has agreed to keep a vigil from an upstairs window at the boardinghouse across the street from Elizabeth’s house. I’ve spoken to Mrs. Murphy already about the idea of allowing me to rent a front room from which Elijah can watch. If there’s any trouble, Elijah will send her chore boy to fetch me.” Jeff chuckled briefly before adding, “I believe I saw a vindictive glint in that old woman’s eyes when she assured me that it would be her greatest pleasure to be of service in that respect. It seems that she has no love for Mr. Fridrich after some of his men wrecked the furniture in one of her guest’s rooms. It was their way of convincing her that she should pay the German for providing her protection. She showed me the weapon she fired behind his men when she sent them skedaddling, and I can understand why they’ve never been back. Believe me, it was closely reminiscent of a blunderbuss.”
“That old woman has her fair share of Irish grit, that’s for sure,” Farrell stated with a deep chortle before growing serious again. “But, Jeffrey, have you considered the length of time it would take for someone to ride all the way out to Oakley to fetch you? Why, your wife could be taken, stripped and mounted before one of your men could reach you, and you know you’d never forgive yourself if Raelynn is ravished because you couldn’t get to her in time.”
“Actually, I won’t be that far away. Unless I’m needed at Oakley, I’ll be staying at a townhouse I’ll be letting near my warehouse. I will endeavor, however, to keep that knowledge a secret from Raelynn lest she arrive at the conclusion that I’m spying on her.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Farrell knocked the cigar ash into a glass receptacle residing on the table between them. “You’re certainly going out of your way to protect her after giving her leave to enjoy her freedom, Jeffrey. You know, she could decide to dismiss you from her life entirely.”
“I’m giving her every opportunity to do just that,” Jeff admitted dismally. “She’s the one who’ll have to decide what she really wants, her independence or marriage with me. It wouldn’t surprise me if she decides to sail back to England, but then, that’s not a conjecture I enjoy pondering.”
The occasion called for stark frankness, and Farrell had never been a man to withhold a decisive punch. “People will conclude the worst, Jeffrey. You know that.”
“Aye, they’ll think my wife left me because she believes I stabbed Nell to death.”
Such bluntness made even the world-hardened ex-boxer flinch, but he made no effort to deny such speculation. On the contrary, he matched his friend’s candor with more of his. “Jeffrey me dearie, have you given due heed to what that would mean if you’re brought to trial for Nell’s murder? The men who will sit on your jury may well have their judgment swayed by the knowledge that your own wife believes you’re guilty.”
“I guess I haven’t reached that far in my thinking yet,” Jeff conceded, his mouth twisting grimly awry. He didn’t dispute Ives’s supposition, but he couldn’t allow himself to be influenced by it either. “Olney Hyde claimed that he was innocent of the deed and that he saw me stab Nell, yet he can’t come forward into the open and accuse me, because Rhys would then be able to arrest him for making an attempt on my life. We both know Olney is capable of such a crime. He definitely meant to kill me before Raelynn was kidnapped, but it remains to be proven that he murdered Nell. The fact that he stole Ariadne clearly puts him at the scene of the crime when she was killed, but Elijah pointed out the fact to both Rhys and me that other footprints had scuffed up those that Olney had made. His footprints disappeared after he mounted the mare. The second set were obviously made by a pair of my own boots, which Cora found in my bathing chamber the morning after Nell was killed. Since I hadn’t worn them for about a week, the fact that they bore fresh mud from the rain we had that night leaves me no other option but to conclude that Nell’s killer wore them while murdering her. He might have even been one of our guests.”
Farrell tamped the cheroot out in the dish. “Do you suppose Cooper Frye could have ventured out your way that night?”
“It’s certainly possible,” Jeff acknowledged. “He has as much to gain as Olney if he’s the one to bring about Raelynn’s final capitulation to Fridrich. From what Olney said, Fridrich offered Frye a thousand dollars to bring about our permanent disunion. What better way to perform that deed than arranging for me to be hanged for a murder I didn’t commit? But if my memory serves me well enough, I’d say Frye wo
uldn’t be able to wear my boots for the same reason Olney couldn’t. I believe both men have fairly large feet.”
Leaning back in his chair, Farrell made a steeple of his forefingers and pressed them to his lips as he eyed his friend’s custom-made boots. “I seem to recall that none of us could wear your shoes, Jeffrey, which might not sit well for you if the culprit isn’t caught. Your feet were always too narrow for any of us to wedge our toes in much less our feet.”
“Well, that fact could certainly pin the blame on the murderer if we ever found him,” Jeff countered.
Farrell came out of his chair with a frustrated sigh and began to pace about his parlor. He paused to look at his guest as he considered an alternative to the plan Jeff had come up with. “Have you asked Brandon if Raelynn can stay at Harthaven until you’ve proven your innocence? She’d be a lot safer out there with them than living here in Charleston, even with you residing several blocks away.”
“Raelynn doesn’t want to involve him or Heather in this matter.”
Farrell couldn’t subdue a flicker of surprise. “Given the gravity of the situation, Jeffrey, should your wife’s preferences dictate the course of action you should take?”
“Not necessarily, but I consider myself a practical man. If I’m to win Raelynn’s trust and regard, I must court her as a suitor. Having her ensconced in the midst of my family would seriously hinder her liberty to reject or to invite my attentions. In short, she’d find it difficult to dismiss me from my brother’s house. As for Fridrich, if he really believes she has broken with me, he may be content to bide his time until I’m dispensed with in one fashion or another. Once the path is clear, he may think he can claim her without opposition.” He jeered in rampant sarcasm. “As magnanimous as the man is, he’ll probably suppose she has learned her lesson and will be grateful enough to accept his attentions. If she goes to Harthaven, he may well make another attempt to take her by force. My brother isn’t going to stand for that without a fight, and considering the number of men Fridrich brought with him to Oakley, Brandon could be killed trying to protect her.”
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