Chapter 15
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Teddy sneered from where he lay prostrate in his bed. His fevered gaze moved from Alys to Sebastian. “Have you tired of her already, Deveril, and now expect me to take her back? If so, I should warn you I have no intention of giving back the twenty thousand pounds you paid for her.”
“He is not worth it, Sebastian.” Alys placed a restraining hand on his arm as he would have stepped closer to the bed, a nerve pulsing in the tightness of his jaw, his hands clenched at his sides.
They had arrived a short time ago to learn all the guests had departed several days ago. The local doctor was the only person in attendance, although he had not been called in again until this morning, Teddy having refused his help before then. To his detriment.
The bedchamber reeked of illness and decay. Because Teddy was dying. The doctor had left Teddy’s bedchamber to inform them of that before Alys and Sebastian went in to see him. Left unattended, Teddy’s wound had become infected, and that infection had now spread to the rest of his body. The doctor believed the end was perhaps a day away, or possibly two at the most.
In some ways, Alys felt relieved it was to end this way. But the part of her that still remembered Teddy as her protective older brother when they were both young children inwardly cried at the cruel youth and totally corrupt and immoral man he had become.
“Then perhaps you have come to gloat?” Teddy challenged scornfully. “Come to watch as this damned wound eats me up before killing me.”
Alys moistened her lips before speaking. “I believe you might find this death preferable to a hangman’s noose.”
His eyes glittered with anger. “So you have come to gloat.”
She sighed as she shook her head. “I came to accuse you of killing our father, to see you arrested for that crime, but nature itself seems to have decided what your fate shall be.”
Teddy snorted. “Becoming a marchioness seems to have brought about a return of the backbone you lost after Father died.”
Her cheeks warmed at the deliberate insult. “Can you not at least try for a measure of pleasantness, even on your deathbed?”
He struggled to sit up against the pillows, wincing as the movement obviously caused him pain. “Why the hell should I? Father always loved you the best,” he added with childish resentment.
“Is that why you shot and killed him?”
“I killed him for the title and the money. Only to discover after his death that although he could not deny me the title, he had left the Newcomb money in trust for you to inherit on the occasion of your marriage or twenty-first birthday.” His eyes narrowed as she did not appear shocked by the knowledge. “But you already knew that.”
“Yes.” It was the information in their father’s will Alys had requested in her letter to Mr. Wilcox. “As I also know you took the money for yourself and spent it.”
It was, she and Sebastian had decided, also the reason Teddy had not wanted the two of them to marry. Neither of them had commented as to how Teddy had intended to deal with the advent of her twenty-first birthday and her lack of inheritance. Possibly because they had both known Teddy had killed for money once and was quite capable of doing so again.
Alys had also asked Meg to question the servants at Newcomb House as to Teddy’s whereabouts on the night their father was murdered. Her brother had claimed to be at Newcomb House in London at the time, and as their father had been shot in Worcestershire, no one had thought to question whether Teddy told the truth. Alys now knew he had not.
She drew in a deep breath before continuing. “You dismissed Mr. Wilcox as the family lawyer, and, as my guardian until I reached one and twenty, you stole and spent my inheritance.” The money did not matter to Alys. How could it when the greater crime was the murder of their father? Something Teddy had just confirmed he was responsible for.
Something Alys had accused Sebastian of at the time, and continued to do so afterwards.
“Holmes was your accomplice the night our father was shot. He admitted you to the house without any of the other servants knowing,” she continued evenly, having thought about the sequence of events on the journey here. “As he was the person who shot you six days ago, with the intention of incriminating Sebastian further.”
Teddy gave a dismissive shrug. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Alys’s hand tightened on Sebastian’s arm as she felt the increased tension of his muscles beneath her fingers. “You blackmailed twenty thousand pounds out of Sebastian because my birthday is in two months’ time and the money, which should have become mine on that day, was no longer there for me to inherit. You hoped to replace the ten thousand pounds with no one the wiser regarding your past misdeeds.”
“It almost worked too,” he claimed proudly. “It would have worked if Deveril had not insisted on marrying you.”
Alys realized in that moment she did not know the man who lay dying in the bed. Teddy had been a wild and unruly child, and later a debauched young man, but this man in front of her was truly evil to the core. He had killed his own father, for which he showed not a moment’s remorse. He had also allowed the blame for that crime to be cast on another man.
The man Alys had loved then with all her young heart, and whom she loved still. More so, if anything, after these days and nights of being Sebastian’s wife.
She straightened determinedly. “I will have Sir Percy come to the house and arrest Holmes for his crimes. You will shortly die and meet your Maker. I doubt he will show you any mercy after the things you have done,” she added bleakly.
“I doubt I shall meet him at all,” Teddy scorned as he glanced at Sebastian. “Your namesake is no doubt waiting for me.”
“No doubt,” Sebastian confirmed gruffly.
There was nothing more to be said on Alys’s part. Whoever the man was lying in the bed, he was not her brother but the monster who had killed her father. The Teddy she had once loved had died a long time ago.
“Are you sure you do not wish to remain here until—well, until after your brother is dead?” Devil eyed Alys with concern, the two of them now alone in the drawing room at Newcomb Manor.
She had been very calm and collected as she spoke with her brother. And since.
Once downstairs, she had ordered tea be served to the three of them, during which she had requested Mr. Wilcox remain at Newcomb Manor after their departure to deal with the legalities and arrangements for her brother’s funeral when the time came. The lawyer was even now talking with Sir Percy Renshaw, the two gentlemen seeing to the arrest and charge of the butler.
Once Devil and Alys were alone, she had asked if she could return to Deveril Park with him, accompanied by her maid.
That had cheered Devil, but he did not wish Alys to regret her actions once they had returned to Herefordshire, and it was too late to do anything about them. Once Newcomb was dead, Peter Newcomb’s will had been worded in such a way that Alys would inherit the estate. “I will remain here with you long enough to attend the funeral if you would like me—”
“I would not, because I have no intention of attending my brother’s funeral,” she interrupted firmly. “He killed my father, and then lied to and cheated me. The sooner I am away from here and its unhappy memories, the happier I shall be.” She looked at him uncertainly. “Unless you would rather I did not return to Deveril Park with you? I cannot remain here, but I am sure I can make arrangements to stay with friends if—”
“Do not be ridiculous!” Devil winced as he realized he had raised his voice to her. “I apologize. I did not mean to shout. It is only— Alys, do you not know yet that I love you? That I have loved you since you were seventeen years old?”
She stared at him, utterly transfixed.
He gave a self-derisive smile. “Fate, and every other damned thing possible, conspired to prevent me from telling you this sooner, but— I had already spoken to your father of my feelings for you. We had agreed I must give you time to mature, to enjoy your youth before becoming a married woman and possibly a mother. But in essence, he had given me his blessing and permission to court you once you were old enough to know your own heart. It was the reason the two of us had decided to go into business together.”
Alys could not seem to stop staring at him. To take in all that he was now saying to her. Sebastian loved her. He had always loved her. As she had always loved him.
He grimaced. “I asked you to marry me, insisted upon it, because I love you still. I wanted the right—I still want it—to protect you, if it should become necessary.”
He was referring to the accusation of treason. “I am not guilty of treason, Sebastian,” she said softly. “I will accompany you to London, answer any questions of whomever may wish to ask them of me. I did not do this foul thing.”
He nodded. “I believe you.”
Her eyes widened. “You do?”
“Have you ever lied to me before now?”
She winced. “Badly, apparently.”
He smiled ruefully. “Very badly.” He sobered. “We will go to London, if you wish it. But we will do so on the understanding that I already believe you.”
“I really think we must go.” Alys nodded. “I want the matter settled once and for all where I am concerned.”
“Very well.”
Alys chewed on her bottom lip before moistening both her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Sebastian, would you step outside with me for a few minutes?”
He looked startled by the request. “If that is what you wish, of course.” He crossed the room to hold out his arm to her, waiting long enough for Alys to place her hand upon his forearm before escorting her out into the entrance hall. With no butler there to open the door, Sebastian did it for them.
Alys drew in a long and cleansing breath once they were outside. “I cannot breathe inside that house. Cannot feel anything but the misery and death that hangs over the place.” She released his arm to stand in the driveway and look up at the house that had been her home for most of her life. “I think, once it becomes mine, I will turn it over to the parish to be used for children who have been left homeless or have no parents to care for them. What do you think?”
“Perhaps also for mothers with children who have nowhere else to live,” Devil replied after giving the idea some thought.
“Oh yes.” Alys’s eyes glowed at his suggestion. “I think that would be perfect.” She slipped her hand back into the crook of his arm. “Will you walk down to the riverside with me? I used to go there a lot as a child, and also when I was…older. There is something there I should like to show you.”
“Of course.” Devil was slightly nonplussed by Alys’s behavior. He had told her he loved her. Had bared his heart and soul to her, and instead of at least acknowledging it, she was inviting him to go for a walk with her.
Perhaps because he had embarrassed her with his declaration?
Or because, despite the physical pleasure they had found together, she could not return the sentiment?
He had no doubt Alys had cared for him once, but so much had happened to both of them during those intervening years. Perhaps too much?
They had desire and passion, and his love for her, so perhaps that was enough for their marriage to continue as it had been doing.
It would have to be, because if Alys came back to Deveril Park with him, and she had said that was what she wanted to do, then he would never be able to let her go.
Devil felt able to breathe again himself as they strolled down to the river that flowed windingly at the back of Newcomb Manor. Numerous willow trees grew along its banks, branches overhanging to dip lightly into the slow flow of the water.
Alys turned to glance at him shyly. “I would come down here to dream of what my future might one day be. I made a den for myself beneath this willow.” She turned to the tree closest to them, pushing aside the branches before disappearing inside.
After a few seconds’ delay, Devil followed her. Inside was a cool cavern made up of the thin branches adorned with dozens of pale green leaves. Alys stood beside the thick tree trunk, bathed in the green light.
She held out one of her hands to him. “Come and see what I wanted to show you.”
Devil was able to take her hand in his in two long strides, a third stride taking him to her side.
“I could not talk to you in that house where my brother is,” she spoke softly. “Perhaps this might speak a little for me.” She drew his gaze to a carving on the trunk of the tree.
Devil had to lean forward to see what the carving was. A heart. And inside it were two sets of initials. One set AN, the other ST.
“I carved the heart and these initials when I was seventeen years old,” Alys murmured huskily. “No matter what you and my father may have thought, I knew my heart then, and I loved you. I love you still. I have no doubt I shall love you in fifty years hence.”
Devil felt as if his own heart had ceased to beat. As if time, the very world, had simply stopped. For this moment. For Alys and Devil. Alys and Sebastian.
“Dear God…” he groaned, taking her in his arms and crushing her against his chest. “I loved you when you were seventeen. I love you now. I have no doubt I shall love you even more fifty years hence.”
Alys gave a choked laugh. A laugh that was stifled and died as Sebastian’s mouth claimed hers in a kiss that surpassed all the other kisses they had shared.
It was the kiss of love shared.
A kiss that was a promise of their future together.
Of fifty years or more of loving each other.