“You did, but I admit that I feel a bit…uncomfortable.”
His smile slipped and his eyes darkened. “Uncomfortable,” he repeated. “Of course. How silly of me. I cannot be trusted after a drunken mistake; forever shall I remain shamed.” His lip curled in disgust. “It does not matter any longer. Come, follow me.” He left the room, clearly expecting Harmony to follow without question.
Harmony, however, considered what to do. His touch had been unwelcome, but had his ‘drunken mistake’ been as innocent as he suggested? She tugged at her lip and then his voice echoed through the hall, causing her to tremble.
“The fate of Scarlett Hall is waiting!”
Taking the glass of wine with her, Harmony left the room only to find the tall frame of Forbes blocking her way. “My lady, please, be careful. Think with your mind and not your heart.”
Harmony frowned and watched the butler walk away. Her thoughts were already muddled, how was she expected to understand such a cryptic message? Well, she did not have time to contemplate his words.
“Isaac?” she called out. “Where are you?”
“I am here, in the study.”
Why would he go there? she wondered. As far as she knew, he had spent little time in that particular room except when Nathaniel was explaining one piece of business or another. Would the drawing room or library not be more conducive to conversation?
“Close the door behind you.” Isaac took the single candle and used it to light others, filling the room with a soft glow. “I find it amusing how your distrust of me grows each day. Soon, it will be as great as that of your husband.”
Harmony closed her eyes to calm her pounding heart. When she opened them, she found Isaac standing behind the desk, and his grin had returned.
“What is this surprise you wish me to see?” she asked, making every attempt to keep her voice light.
He raised his glass. “First, let us drink to our health and happiness.”
Harmony raised her wine glass, as well, but as her eyes fell to the desk, an absurd thought caused her to tremble. The pistols lay in the bottom drawer of that desk. Was Isaac aware of their existence? And if so, did he plan to use one of them on her?
No, that was silly. He had no reason to want her dead. Her breath returned when he approached the small bookcase.
“I have not spent any time in this room,” he mused. “Although a document of mine has.” He pulled out one of the ledgers from the bookcase and placed it on the desk. “Come closer.”
Curious, Harmony walked over to him, and Isaac took the glass from her, placing it on the corner of the desk.
“What is this?” she asked as he removed a document from within. “Isaac?”
“Read it.”
Harmony nodded and unfolded the parchment. With each word she read, her smile grew and by the time she finished, she realized that Isaac had spoken the truth. He was relinquishing his claim on the Lambert barony and Scarlett Hall.
“I am so sorry I ever doubted you!” she said, unable to contain her excitement. “You cannot imagine the gladness I feel at seeing this. Thank you so very much! Nathaniel will be so pleased.”
“Once they hear the good news, everyone will be happy. Yet, I do have one condition to which you must agree.”
She paused for a moment. “Yes? What do you require?”
“Before I leave, I wish to host a grand party. We will invite my sisters so I can finally meet them. I would also like to send out invitations to every member of the ton willing to attend. Happiness will ring within Scarlett Hall once again.”
Harmony was greatly moved by the gesture and she flung her arms around Isaac. “It is a beautiful suggestion, and you have no idea what this will do for us. I had thought that when you rejected Nathaniel’s offer, you meant to remain here and fight for your rights to the title.” She placed her hand on the document. “I shall give this to him tonight when he returns.”
Isaac placed his hand atop hers. “No. There is but one more request I would like to make of you. You believe the words of this document will bring your husband happiness, do you not?”
Harmony nodded. “Very much so.”
“Tell me, would you do anything to please him?”
She furrowed her brow. “I do not understand.”
“I do not speak in riddles,” Isaac said, narrowing his eyes. “You made a vow to your husband, and you wish to see him content once more. Now, tell me, is there nothing you would not do to make him happy?”
“Of course not,” she replied. “I love and honor him, and as his wife, I would do whatever it takes to have my husband returned to me as he was when we were first married.”
Isaac had yet to remove his hand from hers. His smile was now gone, and what Lydia had seen finally settled on her. This man possessed an evilness that she had been unable to recognize until this very moment. She was uncertain what had changed, but now a strange terror tore through her and she wanted nothing more than to leave the room.
“The clock will strike midnight four hours from now,” he said. “I will come to your bedroom door where you will tie a strip of cloth to the handle as a signal to me.”
“A signal?” she asked. “A signal for what?”
“To allow me into your bed,” he said as if it were the most obvious of reasons. “Do that, and I will give this document to you.”
Harmony gaped. “You…you are a disgusting man!” she said as she pulled her hand from his. “How dare you believe I would even consider such a thing!”
“Then watch as your husband suffers,” Isaac spat. “I do not care. Enjoy a marriage of misery, for once he loses his title, Nathaniel will never be the same. And do not deny it, for you know it is the truth!”
Harmony shook her head in shock. “Everyone warned me about you, and I believed them to be wrong. However, you are evil, and although my husband may suffer, our love will overcome any loss — including the barony if that comes to pass.” A tear rolled down her cheek unchecked. “You asked me if there was anything I would do for my husband, and I replied that there was nothing. But that was a lie. I could never betray him, especially with a man such as you!”
Isaac grabbed the document from her hand, folded it, and replaced it in the ledger. As he held the book to his chest, he said, “You have four hours to consider your husband’s happiness. Your decision tonight determines his fate. Choose wisely.” Then, with quick steps, he moved past her and out the door.
Harmony fell to her knees with a sob. How could anyone be forced to make such a terrible request? How could she have allowed herself to be so easily fooled?
Her heart wept for Nathaniel, for Eleanor, and for all that would be lost. And feeling lost herself, she pulled herself from the floor and hurried out of the room in search of Lydia.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lydia placed a wrap around her mistress’s shoulders to protect her from the draft in the room. Harmony had come to her with a tear-stained face and red-rimmed eyes with a story that should have left Lydia in shock. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that wretched Mr. Thorn was trouble and had expected this very scenario.
“There, that’ll help,” she said in a soothing tone. “Now, take your time and tell me the rest.”
Lydia’s room, located on the top floor of the house alongside those of the other female servants, was small but comfortable with a narrow bed, a table with a washbasin and pitcher, and a worn wardrobe that held her meager belongings. She also was one of the few servants fortunate to have a window, although it looked onto a large tree that grew beside the house rather than over the gardens.
However, she ignored the comfort of the place where she laid her head and waited for Harmony to continue her terrible tale.
“I…it was…” She took a sip from the wine glass she had clutched in her hand upon her arrival. “Give me a moment, please.”
Lydia nodded and placed an arm around the poor woman. “Take as long as you need,” she whispered, fighting back
the anger that threatened to burst out of her chest; not for her mistress, of course, but for the devil who had invited himself to plan dinner. Oh, she knew all about how he had taken it upon himself to plan some sort of celebration, but never had she trusted his motives, even when Harmony had.
“He handed me the document,” Harmony continued. “When I read it, I felt a great happiness settle over me. Finally, my life would return to normal and my husband would once again be happy. Then he made a final request that made me nearly sick up tonight’s dinner.”
Lydia swallowed back bile. “What did he ask of you?” she asked, although she suspected she already knew.
Harmony turned toward Lydia, the anguish on her features almost more than Lydia could bear. “He has asked that tonight at midnight…” She paused and looked down. “That I place a cloth on the handle of the door to my room.”
Lydia frowned. “Why?”
“As an indication that I agree to him to come to my room…and my bed.” She began to sob. “You were right all along, as was Nathaniel! I am such a goose! How could I not have seen his intentions? Am I truly that naive?”
Drawing her friend into her, Lydia kissed the top of her head. “You’re no goose,” she admonished lightly. “You didn’t see it because you’ve a beautiful heart. It’s not naive to try and see the best in people, so don’t say such things.”
Harmony pulled away and took the handkerchief Lydia offered her. “I must confess something, but you must never tell a living soul.”
“Of course not,” Lydia replied as she wiped away her own tears. Oh, how she hated to see her lovely Harmony so upset! “You may tell me anything. Nothing you say to me in confidence will ever be repeated, you’ve always had my word on that. Now, tell me. What is it?”
“When Isaac made his request, my first thought was of Eleanor. She did whatever she could to protect her children, things I will not mention, for those secrets are not mine to tell.” She gulped the remainder of her wine and Lydia took the empty glass from her. “Eleanor was such a strong lady, and as I thought of my husband, I...I actually considered accepting Isaac’s offer.” Then she was sobbing once again. “But I cannot do such a terrible thing, even though I know the reward would be great. Am I a bad wife for not wanting to do whatever possible to make my husband happy?”
“No, you are not a bad wife,” Lydia said, embracing Harmony once more. “No one, not even the dowager baroness, could expect you to do such a thing.”
“But why is it I feel as if I have failed? For months, we have all suffered. The joy in my heart lessens with each passing day. My husband is but a shadow of his former self. Even David could not remain and witness what was taking place.” She sighed and wiped away the newly-fallen tears. “I have brought about the destruction of my husband’s childhood home.”
Lydia rose and went to the wardrobe. From inside she removed a bottle of sherry she had purchased earlier in the day to drink as a way to ease the pain of missing David. “Do you think the document he showed you was real?” she asked. “And do you truly believe he’ll give you that document if you agree to…well, if you agree to his terms?”
“Oh, yes, I believe the document to be quite real,” Harmony said. “And yes, as much as I despise the fact, I do believe he will give it to me if I do as he asks. Not because he is an honorable man, of course, but rather because he is willing to give up even his inheritance to get what he wants.”
Lydia returned to refill Harmony’s glass. “Drink this. It’ll help you numb the pain.” Harmony did as Lydia bade, but when she attempted only a sip, Lydia said, “Come now, you are not a child. Drink it all. It’s just sherry.”
When the liquid was gone, Lydia refilled the glass. “Now, drink more.”
Harmony frowned. “Do you believe it will truly help?”
“I promise it will,” Lydia replied.
With a shrug, her mistress accepted another full glass, which she gulped once more.
“There were many times when I thought your parents would dismiss me,” Lydia said. “But every time you stood up for me, begging them to let me stay. Do you remember?”
Harmony smacked her lips and smiled. “I do. You are so close to me that our friendship cannot be defined by our status.” Her words were slurring now.
Lydia walked to the window and looked out into the darkness. “When you told me that you were coming to Scarlett hall and asked that I join you, I was so happy. I knew in my heart that you would always want me with you.” She turned to look at the woman who treated her like a sister more than a servant. “It’s why I remain here with you; to be the friend you need.”
She returned to sit beside Harmony, refilling the glass as soon as it was empty as they talked of times past. Lydia struggled to keep her mind on the conversation, but she laughed when she needed to and frowned when it was appropriate.
When a clock struck eleven, Harmony yawned as she handed her glass to Lydia. “I have become quite tired,” she mumbled, her drooping eyes proving her point. “You said the drink would take away my worries, but I am afraid they still remain.”
Smiling, Lydia brushed back her mistress’s hair and helped her lie down on the bed. Within moments, Harmony was breathing the gentle breaths of sleep.
“You’ve no idea how much you mean to me, my friend,” Lydia whispered. “I just hope you’ll forgive me for what I must do.” She wiped tears from her eyes as she pulled Harmony’s dress over her head. “I must prepare you for bed in order to save your marriage. You’ll not understand now, but you must trust me in what I must do. There’s only one way to save your home, your husband, and your marriage, and I’ll see it done.”
Leaving her mistress in only her shift, Lydia rose with a heavy heart to retrieve Harmony’s nightgown to prepare her for the night ahead.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rain pelted against the roof of the carriage as it crept toward Scarlett Hall, a young boy running ahead with a lantern to light the way. If Nathaniel had not been so preoccupied, he would have felt a twinge of guilt at not remaining behind and waiting for the morning, but the boy had been eager to earn a few coppers, even if it meant returning home soaking wet.
Nathaniel had been given two choices tonight. Either he walked away from everything that made him who he was or sought a way to retain it. Yet, to do the latter would require the spilling of blood. The question was, could he allow it?
Although it shamed him, he had been considering that option for some time, but his final answer had been no. There would be no murder or accidental falling of some sort that resulted in Isaac’s death. If making such a choice made him a coward, then so be it, but as soon as he returned home, he would inform Harmony of his decision and they would begin preparations to leave Scarlett Hall forever.
Where they would go, he was unsure, but he would seek her counsel on where she would like to live. Perhaps he would go to Chatterly Estates, the home he had inherited from his mother, who had been the heir apparent for the estate. The house was grand enough and would make an ideal setting to raise a family.
He smiled. “Family,” he whispered. He wanted children more now than ever, children he could love and watch grow as Harmony cared for them. It would also heal the rift that had come between them, and tonight would be the first step to having that happen.
The carriage came to a stop, and the footman bowed his head as Nathaniel alighted. He removed a coin from his pocket and placed it in the hand of the boy, whose eyes widened in disbelief when he saw it was not copper but rather silver.
“Anyone willing to brave this harsh weather to see me safely home deserves better than a copper coin,” he said. “Now, off with you before you’re carried away by the rising waters on the road.”
The boy giggled. “Thank you, my lord.” Then he hurried down the drive and was soon gone from sight.
Nathaniel said a quick prayer for his safe return and looked up at the stately home. There was a slight chill to the air and the fog that had been present as
of late began to rise once more, hugging the grounds like freshly-fallen snow.
“For more than one hundred and fifty years,” he recited as he studied the grand house, “Scarlett hall has stood.” He sighed. “And now I understand that its fate is no longer in my hands.”
As rain dripped down his hair and face, he hurried up the stairs to the front door. With each step, he felt a strange sense of urgency to see his wife. To hold her and confess all the mistakes he had made. To express that he had lost focus on what was truly important, and that was Harmony.
When he entered the house, he took one of the candles that sat on the table and lit it. As he climbed the stairs, he ignored the accusatory eyes of the former Lords Lambert. He would deal with them later. Right now, his only concern was his wife.
Yet, when he neared the door to Harmony’s room, he stopped and stared in confusion. Isaac was emerging, wearing nothing but his breeches, and those he was fastening as he walked.
When Isaac saw him, he stopped and smiled, his eyes glowing in the candlelight like some demon. Fear and anger struck Nathaniel, and somehow his feet moved, carrying him closer to his brother.
“I see you have returned,” Isaac said as if nothing was amiss. “I did not expect you to find me this way.”
“What were you doing in my wife’s room?” Nathaniel demanded.
“Oh, Nathaniel,” Isaac said with a chuckle, his grin never dropping, “must you truly ask? A woman grows cold and lonely when her husband spends too much time away from home, and when I mentioned that I could keep her warm…” He glanced at the open door behind him. “Well, you are not so daft to not understand.”
“No!” Nathaniel hissed. “You are lying. Harmony would never do such a thing.”
“She left a cloth on the door,” Isaac said in mock surprise. “A signal that I was allowed entry into her room. And her bed. If you do not believe me, go see for yourself.”
Nathaniel did not believe this man. He was surely lying! Yet why did he not want to enter Harmony’s room to see? “I do not need to verify anything you say. You are merely playing your games once more.”
Cry of the Baroness: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 9 Page 18