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Once her feet hit dirt, she faced Tom. “You are not robbing me. Whatever money troubles you are having, they can be solved, I am certain of it. Maybe Valentine will write you a note. You are a loyal servant, after all...”
Tom snorted. “Not after what I’ve done.”
A chill swept through her, settling low in her stomach. Her chest tightened and her throat felt as though it was closing over.
What had he done?
She recalled Tom’s sense of humor and how kind and patient he had been with her. Was it truly possible he had been the one to kill Julian?
He nodded grimly as though reading her thoughts. “I need to leave the country and you’ll give me those jewels to pay for it.”
“No,” she replied automatically.
His lips thinned and all warmth fled from his face. His pale eyes were like stones, hard and unforgiving. She tried to swallow and failed but lifted her chin regardless. She would not let him have her jewels, nor would she allow him to escape justice.
“There are others coming,” she said. “The earl knows of your involvement.”
“Unlikely.” He reached behind him and drew out a pistol.
She could not tell if it was loaded already, but the length of the barrel pointing toward her chest was enough to make her heart beat so fast she feared she might collapse to the ground.
“He does. He will be here soon,” she insisted.
“Then you had better hand over your jewels with haste.” He gestured for her to move into the building with a jerk of the gun.
Chastity studied the shadowy interior of the modest building. Why would he want her off the road? Her gut twisted. If Tom was capable of staging Julian’s death and making it look like a suicide, he could do the same to her. “I am not going in there.”
“You are or I shall shoot you.”
His finger twitched over the trigger. Sweat beaded upon his brow and he tugged his collar. The set of his jaw did not lead her to believe she would leave this situation alive, but she could not simply give up.
Especially when she still wanted to tell Valentine she loved him. The sting remained but the distance reminded her of the man he was. He’d made a mistake and goodness knew, she had made plenty of those too.
Sighing, she stepped into the shelter of the building and stiffened to control a shiver that could not be attributed to the cool temperature inside the shelter but was most likely caused by the pistol pointed at her back.
She turned slowly, and he gestured for her to keep retreating until her back met the cold, rough brick. She felt it tug at her lace, clinging to it. Farm tools and sharp implements were hung upon the walls, bearing down upon her like a beast ready to swallow her whole. And in the center of it was Tom—a man she had thought her friend.
“What happened, Tom?” she said softly “You do not need to leave. Surely you do not wish to leave your wife?”
“She’ll abandon me when she finds out what happened anyway,” he muttered.
“We can speak with the earl—”
“I don’t even know who you are but you cannot save me from the noose. No one can.” He ran a hand over his face. “You were there to find out what happened to Julian, were you not? I should have guessed an eccentric like the earl would hire a damned woman.” He shook his head and gestured wildly with the gun. “God knows, I never expected that, but I knew it the moment you went to see Rose. I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“Before we found you out?”
“I never intended for any of this to happen.” He gave a little shrug. “I’m not a bad man, Chastity. If that is even your name.”
“It is.” She went to take a step forward.
He flicked the gun at her. “Stay!” he commanded. “And start taking off your jewels. All of them.”
“I know you are not a bad man,” she said as she pretended to fumble with the clasp of her bracelet. “Which is why we can solve this without you running away.”
“It was all Julian’s fault. He refused to help me.”
“Why did you need help?”
