AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You are mad, Daphne.’ He turned back to Warrington and both his hands grasped the crutch. ‘I did not. If I would have killed anyone, it would have been that...’ his words stopped, eyes locked with Warrington’s ‘...woman.’ His voice lowered. ‘She didn’t care for me. I was a game she played.’ He looked at Warrington. ‘If it were possible for her to love anyone, she possibly cared for you. She did marry you and she returned to you. She didn’t have to. I would have given her funds to go anywhere she wished. I told her.’
Warrington gave a twist of the knife, turning it point down, and jammed it into the tabletop. The sound of the blade vibrating caused Ludgate to jump. Daphne didn’t move.
‘Daphne—amazing, isn’t it—how much you truly favour Cassandra.’ Warrington put his hand on the handle. ‘Just now. When you spoke, I saw the image of her in your eyes, your face. And when you looked at Ludgate...’
‘Cass and I were sisters. We should look alike.’
‘And you and I were both wronged.’
Her shoulders tensed and her chin quivered. She breathed through her teeth, then spoke without opening her mouth wider. ‘You had plenty of time to get used to Cassandra’s ways. You should have made her remain faithful, but when you didn’t... You should have gone after Ludgate.’ She indicated her husband with a quick nod. ‘He betrayed me. With my sister.’ Her hands were fisted and she stared at Warrington. ‘You should have kept her under control. But you didn’t force her back home the moment you recovered from the illness. And I cannot forgive you for that. I told the man who attacked you not to kill you. I told him to limp when he left and not let you see his face, and what words to say. The fool. Both of you. You’d not even searched for the child’s father before. I wanted you to get so angry you had to find out. And then discover Ludgate. I was going to tell you myself last night after I left Ludgate in the carriage, when I was positive he wouldn’t hear. But then you had her...’ she jerked her head towards Melina ‘...with you and I knew you wouldn’t leave her side long enough to do justice.’
His ears heard, but he didn’t want them to. ‘Daphne—I treated you as my own family.’
She gave a careless shrug. ‘I treated you as my own family.’ She gave a lift to her skirts to keep them from hampering her movements. ‘I truly did.’ Her lips turned up and her eyes glittered when she gave a regal toss of her head. ‘Truly.’
‘Did Cass poison my father? Me?’
She shrugged, looked around the room and then levelled her eyes at Warrington. ‘How could I know for certain?’ She pressed a hand to her hair. ‘All I can say is that I didn’t do it. I would have been assured of the correct amount.’ She glanced into the distance. ‘It is not that hard to do, I assure you.’ She shook her head. ‘You can see her plan. Jacob would be the next earl. She didn’t like your father at all. Not at all. An illness sweeping the house. Who would think it poison?’ Daphne walked out of the room, moving as if she had not a care in the world.
‘I know I wronged you, Warrington.’ Ludgate stared at the open doorway. ‘I wronged Daphne, too.’ He stood silent. ‘She is not the same since I wounded her. She hides it in front of others, mostly.’ He turned to Warrington. ‘But you cannot live always in front of others.’
Warrington shook his head. ‘It feels that I have.’
‘Daphne believes she was betrayed by all around her. Everyone. Me. Her sister. You.’
‘I did nothing to her.’
‘You took Cassandra back. Daphne received a post from her sister, telling her the joyous news that Daphne would be an aunt—for the third time.’ He stumbled over his words. ‘I no longer fear for her sanity. It’s buried under layers of hate. I fear for my own.’
He touched his cravat and, when he raised his hand, his fingers jerked. ‘These things take time.’ Leaving the room, he mumbled, ‘But there will never be enough time for this to heal.’
Warrington reached for the knife with his right hand, jerked it from the wood and tossed it into the fireplace. Melina touched his back. From behind, she slipped her arms around him. He covered her hand with his.
‘My wife’s love could be harsh in so many ways. It would have been better had she hated me.’
Melina rested her head against his back. ‘Now you can let her go.’
He took Melina’s hand, brushed a kiss against it and stepped back. He sat on the sofa and stretched his legs out and his stare focused on the candle. ‘I no longer feel anger at the trouble Cassandra caused me. I only feel anger that she caused so many others to suffer. Ludgate has his own troubles. You’re right. I’d prefer to strangle Cassandra and it would undo nothing.’
