“It’s an excellent drawing, Claudia,” Poppy said.
Claudia glanced at the illustration, holding it up so she could inspect each detail. It might well be her best drawing yet. Pride swelled in her chest, and she smiled. A pictorial of her and Derrick. It would debut as the first full-colored illustration in the paper.
They looked happy. Like a happily married couple. She couldn’t wait for Derrick to see it. After his reaction to the first drawing of the two of them, perhaps this one would please him. She looked at the image of herself, and it looked like her, not a caricature of what she thought people saw. Used to think, she corrected.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it? I appreciate you letting me make this quick stop. I realize I could give it to him at home. I am still a paid employee. But this drawing is special, and I want to bring it to him.”
“We don’t have to go today. I’m not really in the mood for shopping anyhow,” Poppy said.
“We are going shopping. It will take your mind off things. I won’t be but a moment.”
“I’ll wait here.”
“Perfect.”
Claudia made her way up to his office and looked around, but Mason was nowhere to be seen, so she knocked on Derrick’s door. No answer. She cracked the door and peeked inside. No Derrick.
She made her way to his desk and decided to leave him the illustration as well as a note, and they could discuss it later tonight, as she wasn’t sure when he’d return.
She glanced around for some parchment and grabbed the quill. She set quill to paper to pen her note, but something caught her eye. Something with her father’s name on it.
She picked it up and began to read. As she read, her world crumbled to her feet.
She sank into Derrick’s chair and stared at the paper until the words blurred into a black smear. Embezzlement. Murder. Suicide. So her father had been the one Derrick had suspected. Two weeks ago she would have been positive her father wasn’t capable of such atrocities, but now she wasn’t so sure.
How could Derrick have written this without speaking to her first? He’d said he didn’t want to accuse anyone until he was positive of his guilt. Surely he was positive, or he wouldn’t have written this piece. But still he’d said nothing. He’d obviously had suspicions about this for a while now. Why hadn’t he come to her first?
She grabbed the article and left his office. She stepped into the carriage and nearly burst into tears at the sight of her friend, but she swallowed hard and faked some courage.
“You look dreadful. What’s the matter?”
Claudia recounted the article and all the details within.
“So what do you think of all of it?” Poppy asked.
“I’m not certain. I’m angry with Derrick for not coming to me first. I’m not positive all of his allegations are sound. And I’m frightened that they are, and my father is a horrible man.
“The embezzlement doesn’t surprise me. But I am hesitant to believe that he murdered Richard. I was so certain that it was a burglary.” She looked up at Poppy. “You know the last time I saw my father alone, he tried to convince me that Derrick killed Richard. Which was ridiculous because Derrick and I had been together the entire time.”
“If he’s guilty, then it makes sense that he would try to throw you off his trail, so to speak.”
“I suppose. But murder, Poppy. My goodness, I’d only recently come to terms with the fact that he’d never be proud of me. I’ve made peace with the fact that his standards were too high, that I was never going to be the daughter he wanted me to be. I never dreamed he’d kill someone.”
“So you believe Derrick?”
“I know Derrick would never print a story without confirming the facts.” And then it hit her. “Oh my goodness, this will clear his name, bring honor back to his father’s name.”
“What are you talking about?”
She shook her head. “It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, Derrick and Richard had a past, and it looks like my father was to blame for a lot of things. I can’t believe he wouldn’t come to me to tell me what he’d found. He obviously doesn’t trust me.”
How could she have been so blind? He’d said he’d never lie to her again, and she’d foolishly believed him.
“Clearly Richard and my father were right. Derrick married me for the details of this story.”
“This doesn’t prove any such thing. Did you know anything about your father and embezzlement? No. Then how could marrying you help Derrick in his endeavor? Seriously, Claudia, do you think he had a master plan all along? Ruin you in public so you’d be forced to marry him, and then he could ruin your life by accusing your father of crimes against the crown? And you accused me of having an active imagination.”
“You don’t understand. He’s spent the better part of our marriage teaching me to trust him. Yet he cannot offer trust in return. If he would have simply come to me with all of this ...”
“You’d have done what?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’d have gone straight to your father. Don’t you see, he kept this from you to keep you safe? To prevent you from getting hurt. He loves you, Claudia.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“You’re so sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That night at your wedding ball. It was as if you were the only woman in the world. No matter how many men ask me to dance and try to steal kisses in the dark, no one has ever looked at me that way. Like they could really see me.”
“If he loves me, then he would have told me.”
“Have you told him?” Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.
“No,” Claudia admitted.
Poppy didn’t understand. Claudia looked down at her hands. Her wedding ring sparkled as if winking at her. Mocking her. Her husband didn’t trust her, and he didn’t love her.
“Why not? You love him. With your logic, if you love someone, you tell him. Right?”
“Why are you so angry with me?”
“You need to look around you. Stop being so blind to what is right in front of you. You have everything we’ve ever dreamed of.” She shook her head. “I’m not certain why Derrick didn’t tell you about the story first. I’m not certain why he hasn’t told you he loves you. But I know he loves you, I’ve seen it. And I’m fairly certain that also means he trusts you. He’s only trying to protect you.”
The carriage stopped. Bond Street—their shopping trip.
Poppy opened the door. “Go home and talk to your husband. I’m sorry I can’t offer you compassion, but I find myself lacking in sympathy today. Don’t you see what you have? You have the kind of marriage I’ll never have.” Her eyes shone with tears.
“Give Derrick a chance to explain these things to you. Be patient with him, and be happy with your relationship. In time, I know he’ll express his feelings for you. If you let this stand in the way of your happiness, you’re a fool.” She stepped out of the carriage. “I’ll find my own way home.”
Claudia sat back against the seat cushion and watched Poppy through the tiny window. They’d never before fought, and she wanted to be angry about Poppy’s harsh treatment, but found she couldn’t. The truth was, she was only hurt. Hurt by her father’s betrayal. Hurt by Poppy’s anger. And hurt by her husband’s flagrant lack of trust in her, when he demanded time and again that she trust him.
There were things to be said. She needed to hear some things herself. She gave the driver the address. But first it was time for her father to be honest with her.