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“I can’t promise you I won’t make more mistakes. But I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to do right by you.”
“Don’t do this, Sam.”
“Do what? Beg you to give me another chance?”
She shook her head, fearful that if she spoke, it would release the tears she fought so hard to hold back.
He grabbed her shoulders and demanded, “Then tell me.”
“They are only words,” she spat out, her bottom lip unable to stop from trembling. “I can’t risk it. I won’t. It hurt too much.”
A heavy pause followed her words before he released her. Shoving his hands into his denims, he turned away. Ivy watched his back go rigid and knew she hurt him. That had not been her intention. She only wanted to protect her fragile heart.
“What will you do?” he asked flatly. “Find work as a maid again?”
“I’m not certain. I’m considering returning to Ireland with the funds Mr. Hendrickson paid me.”
“Ireland, huh?”
She could actually hear the hurt in his voice. The very idea that so much land and water would separate them killed her as well. “It was just a thought. Won’t be another time when I’ll have enough funds to do so. I need to close that particular chapter in me life.”
He started walking and she fell into step. They headed down the crowded street to the junction where they would separate. Neither said a word. When they reached the corner, Sam stopped and slid his hand inside his coat pocket and retrieved a single sheet of paper folded three times width wise. “Maybe this will help with your decision.”
Curious, she unfolded it to reveal a letter with the Royal Irish Constabulary logo at the top. “What is it?”
“Read it.”
Scanning over the letter quickly, she caught sight of Roy Emerson’s name. Seeing as it did not belong to either of them, she was about to hand it back when another name caught her attention. The Earl of Wittfield.
Just the sight of his name, had her hand shaking as if the paper burned her fingers. “What is this?”
Sam took the letter from her again, apparently having noticed the telling rise of her voice. “I had Roy wire the RIC and do some digging in regards to the disappearance of your sister.”
“Why?”
“For starters, I wanted the Earl and his son investigated. I wanted to see them revealed for what they were. Animals.” He glanced down at the paper. “Unfortunately, I was too late. The Earl passed away six years ago.”
Instead of finding comfort in his words, she felt tears pool in the back of her eyes. “I wanted to confront him. Demand he tell me whatever happened to Moira.”
Sam held her gaze and Ivy felt an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of her stomach. So much pity filled his hazel eyes. She watched with sickening dread as he opened his mouth to speak. “A complaint was filed on your behalf. It took some doing, but they finally managed to secure a search of the entire property.”
She swallowed the growing lump in her throat and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. When that did nothing to control its trembling, she bit down hard and waited for Sam’s next words.
“They discovered two bodies buried beneath the floor of the wine cellar.” He waited an entire heartbeat before he said, “One of a woman, the second an infant.”
“Oh God.”
“I’m sorry, Ivy,” he moved as if to take her into his arms, but she immediately backed away.
“I’m all right,” she said, covering her mouth, knowing full well she didn’t sound all right. “It was for certain her?”
He nodded. “Some of the older staff members, who had been around when you and your sister lived on the premises, finally relented and confessed the crime after being interrogated for several hours. The present Earl, I believe the son you mentioned, was arrested.”
Ivy was grateful for that. She would have preferred the Earl not to have gone to the grave without facing his crimes, but at least his son would not have the same luxury.
“How did it happen?”
Sam handed the letter back to her and said, “Shortly after giving birth, she became ill from an unidentified complication. The nurse on staff testified she had never dealt with her particular symptoms and was unable to help your sister. She died in her bedroom, three nights later.”
