Chapter 12
Kennington knocked on the door, then waited. After a moment with no answer, he knocked again, this time more forcefully with the end of his cane. Where was the stupid sop?
Footsteps rapped a beat on the interior hall. No doubt Richard himself, since he could no longer afford servants. Worthless man.
The door opened. “What are you doing here?” Richard asked.
“That’s no way to greet an old friend. Invite me in.”
“We’re not friends.”
“Invite me in anyway. We have business to discuss.” He didn’t wait for Richard to move out of the way, rather he pushed the door open with his cane.
“I spoke with Claudia earlier. You and I have no more business. Claudia is getting married.”
Their business would be finished when Kennington said it would be and not a moment sooner. Kennington waited until they were seated in the tiny study. Papers littered the desk, and books were scattered about on the floor. He never would have suspected Richard was so disordered.
“Lose something?”
“No.” Richard smiled smugly. “I found it. Why are you here?”
“You may think our business is finished, but I have another plan.” He needed Richard in the family, needed to keep him near lest the truth of Kennington’s past be revealed. But in his family, he could tighten the purse strings and ensure Richard kept quiet. “You give up too easily. You’re weak. That’s always been your problem. But there is still time. We can fix this minor setback in our plans. Go and get her. Take her across the border. Marry her tonight.”
“Have you gone mad? Their engagement has been announced in the papers. Everyone is talking about it. Marrying her now would not save anyone’s reputation. Besides, I’m rather glad I don’t have to marry her. Never cared for her, really.”
He stomped his cane on the floor. “We cannot allow her to marry that man.”
“The truth of the matter is, I’m glad she’s marrying Middleton. I was angry at first; I hadn’t realized she was so willing with her favors. But I never really wanted her, you see. I only wanted what your status could give me, but that’s over with. No one listens to you any longer. I’m finished with you. I’m free to do as I please.”
“What makes you think you don’t need me anymore?”
“I am no longer in need of your assistance to better my position in Parliament. I have influence on my own now. People know me; they respect me.”
“Don’t be foolish, boy. No one respects you. Don’t think for a moment that you can walk away from our arrangement. I own you.”
Richard stood abruptly. “I sold the story. I told all the dirty little details of what you did.” He swallowed visibly. “Now I own you.”
Kennington laughed. “Foolish boy. Do you think I’m an idiot? You have no proof to sell that story. No one would believe you.”
“Oh, but I do have proof.”
He rose to his feet. “What are you talking about?”
“The letters.”
“What letters?” Kennington tried to keep his voice from rising too loud; he wanted to remain in control.
“The blackmail letters you wrote to Edwards. I have them.”
“Liar.”
Richard reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.
Kennington recognized his own penmanship instantly. “Where did you get those?”
“I never gave them to Edwards. A verbal threat was all he needed to comply. I figured these might be useful someday.” Richard snickered. “I was correct.”
Those letters would ruin him. Not only politically but they could feasibly send him to prison or to the hangman’s noose.
“I paid you to deliver those letters to Edwards.” He edged his way toward Richard. “You had no right to keep them.”
Richard shrugged. “I am first and foremost loyal to myself and my needs. Keeping these letters served my needs, so loyalty to you fell by the wayside. You really should be more particular when you hire people.”
Smug bastard. He held out his hand. “Give me the letters, or I’ll kill you.”
“That’s the third time I’ve had my life threatened this week, and they’ve come to no avail.”
“Don’t test me. Hand them over.”
“Go to hell.”
Kennington would not allow this idiot to ruin all his plans. He swung his cane and heard the metal knob crack against Richard’s skull. Shock etched in Richard’s features, and blood ran down his face into his eyes. He wavered a bit, then fell to the floor. Pulling back his cane once more, Kennington brought it down with all the force he could. Blood spattered against his pants leg.
He rolled Richard over and reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the stack of letters. Seven of them. They would have destroyed him.
He looked down into Richard’s lifeless face, eyes still open, blood pooling about his head and soaking into the Persian carpet. There would be no marriage between Richard and Claudia now, but with Richard dead, keeping him close was no longer necessary.
“Stupid bastard.”
He wiped the blood from his hands and the cane on his shirt—he would bum it when he got home. Then he busied himself with making it look as if there had been a burglary. He took what little money Richard had on him and the few bank notes from his desk. He kicked the papers on the floor about and opened all the desk drawers. Then he took his cane and slammed it into the window for the final touch.
With that, he turned on his heel and left through the back door.
Claudia had never seen her friend in such a state. Poppy’s pretty eyes were puffy and red. Alistair had proposed, just as Poppy suspected he would, but his proposition had not been one of marriage. Rather, Alistair had proposed that Poppy become his mistress.
He’d been fully prepared to give her every material thing her heart desired. He’d even offered to give her an allowance that would benefit her entire family, but he’d not offered marriage. He’d offered everything but his love and his name. And now Poppy’s heart was broken.
Claudia had tried everything to convince Poppy that things would be right again, but there was no convincing her. She supposed she might feel the same way were she in Poppy’s shoes, but she was in an entirely different pair of shoes altogether.
Claudia eyed her best friend sitting quietly beside the window. Her shoulders no longer shook, and tears no longer fell down her streaked cheeks, but she looked defeated and worn.
“Is there anything I can get you?” Claudia asked.
Poppy shook her head.
What would happen when Lady Livingston arrived home from her afternoon tea and found her daughter in shambles? How would she react to such a scandalous event? A shiver pricked its way up Claudia’s spine at the thought of having to tell such a story to her father. Granted, he hadn’t taken the news of her pending nuptials too well either. She could hardly blame him; he must be mortified by her behavior. Despite her intentions, Claudia had made scandalous behavior an art form.
Just then Lady Livingston entered the parlor. “Good afternoon, girls. How are we today?” The stately woman took one look at her daughter’s still figure and stopped moving. “Poppy, darling, what’s the matter?”
Poppy turned to face her mother and burst into tears.
Her mother immediately took a seat next to Poppy. “Gracious, whatever is wrong?” Mother and daughter embraced, and Claudia watched as Lady Livingston’s hand rubbed an even tempo against Poppy’s back.
“Whatever is wrong, remember all will be well.” She retrieved a handkerchief from her reticule. Dabbing at Poppy’s eyes, she looked at her daughter with nothing but love and concern. “Stop crying, love, before you make yourself ill. Now tell me what happened.”
It took Poppy a good fifteen minutes to recount the story amid hiccups and sobs. Her mother held her again and rocked her gently.
“Not precisely the question you thought he’d ask you? Well, I can certainly understand these tears. Your heart is broken, my dear, but it shall mend in due time. I know you think he was the only one to make you feel that love, but he’s not. A bit more patience and time, and you’ll see.”
Claudia watched Lady Livingston console her daughter. Envy sat in her stomach like a stone. She felt like the intruder being here during such an intimate family moment. But she couldn’t tear herself away. What must it feel like to have a parent not judge, not scold, but only comfort?
There was no mention of a scandal to the family or how this incident would affect her family name. There was no mention of a lack of judgment or reckless behavior. Instead there were hugs and pats and tender words meant to console and express love. Claudia would have given anything to know what it felt like to have that kind of love, if only for a moment.