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Despite her pain, Ariadne sat up straighter in her bed and gasped. “This is the man who set the fire?” She wanted to get out of her bed and slap the man herself.
“I didn’t do anything,” the man said. “I’m innocent.”
Edward reached for his collar. “Tell the truth you lying beast,” he snarled. “I saw you with my father yesterday. Did my father set you up to this?”
The man who was wearing dark clothes and had a great mustache spluttered. “N…no the Duke merely asked me to keep an eye on the girl. I swear I wasn’t responsible for the fire.” Edward’s grip on the man tightened and for one moment, Ariadne thought he might even strangle him. Such was his rage.
“Let him go, Edward,” Ariadne said. “He isn’t worth it.”
Edward respected Ariadne’s wishes and stood back. “He deserves nothing but the highest form of punishment.”
“My Lord, I beg your forgiveness. I swear to you I had nothing to do with the fire.” The man’s knee gave out from under him out of fear and he almost sank to the floor.
“Then why were you trying to flee the scene?” Charles demanded. “I found a constable and looked for suspicious characters and just as you had predicted, we found him only a few paces away trying to avoid detection.”
Edward nodded. “I knew the perpetrator couldn’t have gotten away too far. The fire was fresh.”
“What do we do to him?” Charles asked.
“I will take him to my father and make him confess of his deeds,” Edward vowed. “He needs to pay for what he has done.”
“I swear on my life, my Lord. I’m only a spy. The Duke meant no harm,” the man said.
“And yet he continuously threatened her life and had her home taken away, even when I told him to stay away from her,” Edward said. ‘I don’t believe lying filth like you.” Edward glared at the man one last time before turning to Ariadne. “I wish I could stay but I have to go Ariadne. I can’t apologize for what my father has done. The loss is irreparable, but he will pay for his actions.”
Ariadne was worried about him. The Duke was a powerful man and the last thing she wanted was for Edward to go after him and get into trouble because of her. But there was little she could say to stop him. He was absolutely determined.
Edward leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back and I’ll send a physician in to take a look at your wounds.” With that, he left the room with his cousin, shoving the arsonist between the two of them.
True to Edward’s words, an elderly physician wearing a monocle over his left eye came by their flat. He instructed Emma on how to clean up the rest of her wound and cover it in an ointment that he prescribed. After his ministrations, Ariadne started to feel much better but then her body began to burn. “You will have fever and chills. If it persists, I’ll come back and take a look at you later,” he said. “I’ve assured Lord Whitely that I shall deliver your good health.” He made a face as he looked around the sparse room but if he didn’t choose to voice his thoughts.
“Come, Sir, I will hail a hack for you,” Leda said to the elderly physician. She took his suitcase from him and led him out of the room.
“Rest up, Ariadne. You will need all of your strength if you want to get better quickly,” Emma said, stroking her hair fondly.
“But how will I be able to go to Lord Brexley’s house for work if I remain indisposed like this?” Ariadne asked. The thought worried her deeply. They needed to find permanent lodgings and Lord Brexley appeared to be the best alternative.
Emma seemed to ponder on this for a moment. “I have an idea. Leda will do the work while you remain indisposed and as soon as you get better, you can take your charge back. How does that sound?”
Ariadne hesitated. She had hoped for her sister to get a better life by marrying a suitable man, not lead an indentured life.
“Don’t fret, Ariadne. It will be just for a few days anyway,” Emma explained.
Ariadne nodded. They had already promised Lord Brexley and couldn’t go back on their word now. Ariadne wished she had spoken to Edward before these unfortunate circumstances took place. “I will get some of that chicken soup for you that you like so much,” Emma promised.
Ariadne stared up at the ceiling and didn’t realize when she drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, her father was standing at the foot of her bed. “Did you figure it out?” he asked.
“Figure what out?” she asked. She tried to reach for him but he was just out of her grasp, a shadow, a ghost.
“The truth. Before it is too late,” he said simply, but his answer was too vague. Ariadne needed more than that. “I don’t understand.”
“The answers all lie in front of you. Open your eyes, Ariadne,” he said.
“Open your eyes, Ariadne,” the voice echoed. She woke up with a start and found her sister at her side, gently nudging her awake. “I know you just went to sleep but you have a visitor.”
“Who is it?” she asked. She blinked around. “How long have I been asleep for?”
“Probably five to ten minutes. I apologize for waking you up but he said that it was urgent,” Leda said.
