“Arnold wanted the title that would fall to Cecil after Uncle Gregory’s passing. At first, he had plotted to marry Valerie so he could obtain her dowry, but Uncle Gregory found her a Duke.”She glanced at Richard momentarily. “First, it was you, Your Grace. And then eventually, the Duke of Norwich. It became obvious that he would never measure up to either of you, so he planned to kill Cecil. But… Valerie had mentioned that she would be taking her younger siblings with her once she had gotten married and was now living with her husband, and that proved to be a problem for my brother, who needed Cecil within reach so he could finish him off easily. And so, he needed to do what he could to finish him off here, within the period of this house party. He’d hoped to get away with it because the house was full of guests.”
In some ways, Bridget’s explanation made a lot of sense, especially when Isobel recalled what Cecil had told her before he had fallen asleep.
“You slipped the poison into his water, ok the first night of the party. But Valerie had finished hers, so she took his cup and drank the whole thing. That was why she had fallen so severely ill.” Isobel realized vocally.
Bridget regarded her with a strange look, but still added.
“I’d written a letter to Valerie in hopes of warning her about my brother’s intentions, but my mother found out and confiscated it. I truly am sorry.”
All eyes shifted to Deborah, whose cries had fallen silent, and at once, she knew it was her turn to confess her misdeeds.
“Is that true?” Richard spoke up, somehow sensing she might need to be prompted to speak up.
With a sniff, Deborah nodded.
“I knew his intentions. I-I did my best to care for and provide for the family after my husband’s passing. I thought it would be enough — if we merely went on living the best lives we could. But Arnold was bitter that his father had lost the title that he was meant to inherit. That was all he wanted. I couldn’t dissuade him, no matter how I tried. So I simply tried to protect him instead. He didn’t want my involvement, but what sort of mother would I be if I did not at least try? You should know the importance of family, Isobel. After all, you stepped in to protect your sister after she had been poisoned.”
Hearing her name mentioned so boldly in public caused Isobel’s body to freeze. The guests were now murmuring and glancing at each other, no doubt wondering what Deborah was talking about.
A wave of pity washed over Isobel as she regarded her aunt. Deborah might not have had any malicious intentions, but she had willfully enabled all of Arnold’s malicious actions. Whatever sympathy her aunt felt she deserved was unwarranted. A good mother would have held her child accountable for his actions because she believed she had raised him right.
Still, Isobel wanted to indulge her.
“How did you know?” she asked quietly.
Deborah dabbed at her eyes and grimly said,
“I suspected as much when I saw you walking about the day after the poisoning attempt. You seemed too healthy, and after having conversations with you for days, I surmised you were not who you claimed to be.”
The task was over, and there was no need to hide who she was anymore, so Isobel told her aunt sincerely,
“I wish we had met under different circumstances.”
Deborah smiled, her eyes slowly losing their light as she replied,
“As do I, dear.”
Richard beckoned a servant who had been by the door watching the situation unfold and ordered,
“Call the constables, right away.”
The maid scurried off, and Richard leveled a stare at Arnold, who had sunk to the floor in defeat after his crimes had been exposed.
“It would be wise of you to simply relent and wait for your arrest. And thank your stars that someone was willing to intercede on your behalf. It was more grace than you deserved and even more than you had shown.” Richard told him.
Shortly after, the constables arrived, and they took Arnold and Deborah with them. Bridget cast a look of shame around the room, then she walked off to her room.
Gregory stepped forward for the first time since the debacle began and faced his guests with an expression that bore regret and dismay. Then he cleared his throat and began to address them.
“I am grateful that you were all willing to take the time to dwell with my family and friends to celebrate Valerie’s wedding. However, recent events have shown that perhaps some matters need to be handled before we proceed with them. The party has come to an end, ladies and gentlemen, and the wedding will be postponed for a few days. You will be informed of the ceremony when it is to take place. I bid you safe travels as you return to your homes.”
Richard watched Isobel from her chair and left the room, his body already moving to stop her so they could talk. But before he could reach her, Gregory stepped in his path and grabbed his hand in a firm handshake.
“I wanted to thank you, Your Grace, for your insurmountable assistance. You have spared my family and me great losses.”
Richard knew the loss he referred to was not his children but rather his title and property falling into the hands of someone other than his heir. Irritation bubbled within him, but Richardhad already lost his patience once today. So he inhaled deeply and stated through gritted teeth.
“The one you should thank is your daughter. Do not waste your breath on me, when I barely made any contribution to the matter.”
