Page 49 of A Treacherous Treasure

He nodded and stepped back, letting Benjamin, who was standing quite close, hand her into the carriage.

As the carriage started down the lane, she glanced back to see the sober look on Thomas’s face. Was he concerned for her? Or was he thinking of his younger brother’s feelings once he learned Rebecca had no interest in marrying him?

She sighed. Even though she no longer had to worry about her husband being unfaithful, she’d never had so many, nor such a variety, of troubles to think about.

Chapter Fourteen

Thomas couldn’t sleep that night. Finally, he rose from his bed, not long before the sun would be coming up, dressed himself, and went for a walk, taking his rifle with him.

Along with all the other things that had been happening, his mind was occupied with the conversation that had followed the departure of Rebecca and her mother and sister.

“Rebecca is such a lovely girl,” Mother had started out saying. “It’s a shame she had to marry who she did.”

“But we might not know her if she hadn’t,” Caroline pointed out.

Everyone agreed that was true.

“I worry for her, in that house all alone when her mother is gone.” Mother shook her head, clicking her tongue against her teeth.

“She’s better off alone than with Mrs. Heywood,” Caroline said. “She told me that Mrs. Heywood blamed her for Arthur being away at night. Can you imagine? Everyone knows why the man was away, especially at night, and it had nothing to do with Rebecca.”

“Caroline.” Mother looked aghast.

“Mother, I’m not ignorant of what Arthur Heywood did. Everyone talked about it.”

“I hope you did not gossip about it.”

“No, but I couldn’t help hearing the rumors.”

Mother shook her head. “It is a sad thing.”

“But it all turned out well for her,” Benjamin said. “She’s wealthy now, in her own right. He’s dead and she was able to inherit the estate. Now she can marry whomever she wishes and be happy.”

Everyone stared at him.

“What? It’s true.”

“No woman wants to see her husband murdered,” Mother said, “even if he was a bad husband. She hopes and prays for him, begging God to change him, and sometimes God does.”

Thomas shifted his feet as he stood propped against the mantlepiece with a glass of brandy. Of course, his mother was thinking of how her own husband had been less than faithful to her but had changed his ways. Caroline and Benjamin did not know about that, and he hoped she wouldn’t tell them.

“I still say she is fortunate he died. God worked it all out in her favor.”

“Perhaps, but that is a cold way of looking at it,” Mother said.

“He only says that because he’s in love with Rebecca.” Caroline smirked.

Benjamin turned on his sister. “What if I am? She is a good woman, and I could never do better than Rebecca Heywood.”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

“But is she in love with you?” Caroline asked. “She’s older, she’s been married, she even lost a baby. I don’t think she would even want a husband right now.”

Mother looked as if she wanted to talk about something happier.

“So, you don’t think she could fall in love with me? Is that what you’re thinking?”

“Benjamin, you’re so young, only seventeen years old.”