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Hayward regarded him curiously.
“I didn’t think you and my cousin would work out. She’s been very vocal about her thoughts regarding you.”
“So would anyone else if they believed the official version. But now she’s heard otherwise.” Rafe lifted his chin. “I didn’t kill Richard. We have a witness.”
“What?” Hayward stiffened. “Someone saw the murderer?”
“Not the murderer, but the timeline indicates that I was unconscious before the shooting.”
“And this witness is certain of it.”
“Why would he lie six years after the fact?”
Hayward shrugged.
“People are strange creatures. Sometimes, the motivation can be as simple as being paid to do something.”
“You think someone paid him.”
“It’s a possibility.”
Hayward still believed Rafe was the killer. Rafe was not comfortable having him in the house. He took a deep breath.
“Did you come here for a reason, Hayward? Or did you come here to accuse me further of your cousin’s death? Because after the last couple of days, I’m not in the mood to have those accusations thrown at me.”
“I didn’t come here for a fight.” Hayward sighed. “I worry about Victoria. I care about her greatly, and I want to know that she’s going to be all right. The least I can do is offer a truce.”
“A truce?”
“I’m not happy about it, but anything for my cousin. She deserves happiness, even if it’s with a suspicious man like you.” Hayward shuffled from foot to foot. “After all, you did become family. And Lord Selkirk says that we need to welcome in family no matter what.”
Rafe didn’t know what to say about that. He was really not happy about having the man in the house. But Hayward had actually made the effort to come to his house, and he wasn’t openly accusing him again. There was no fighting, more like defeated acceptance.
Rafe could work with that. Maybe he could get Hayward to change his mind.
“How about we go outside and sit on the terrace? It’s a warm day today, and if you don’t want Victoria to know you’re here, it would be the best place to go.”
“Of course.” Hayward hesitated. “I want my cousin to be happy and safe. While I don’t think you’ll hurt her, can you at least promise me that?”
“Trust me, I would never want to hurt her.”
“You’d better not. Because then you would have to answer to me.”
That was almost laughable. Rafe didn’t think that Hayward could lay a finger on him. He was all words and no action. But he wasn’t about to push it to find out. He beckoned Hayward towards the door.
“Shall we?”
***
Abigail was really confused. She couldn’t stop her mind from turning over what she had heard while she was out with her mistress. It didn’t make sense, and it was making her head hurt.
Lady Blackmore had asked her quite a few times on the journey home if she was all right, and Abigail had just said she was. She didn’t know how to tell her mistress about what she had been told. Lady Blackmore would more than likely not believe her. It was, after all, about someone she was close to. He would have no reason to lie to her.
But someone had lied. And for what reason?
Abigail was still lost in her thoughts when the carriage finally arrived back in Whitby. Lady Blackmore went on ahead, giving her outdoor garments to the butler before heading into the drawing room.
“Will you let Lord Blackmore know that I’ve returned, Abigail?” she called over her shoulder.
