Julian chose not to tell Ophelia he caught muddy footprints on the ground around the trees in front of the cottage. He tracked the footprints for a considerable distance before he found horse tracks. He had hoped Ophelia hadn’t seen anyone last night, but it turned out she had. Until he knew more about who had been out here in the middle of the night or what the person wanted, he didn’t see any point in worrying her.
So when he returned to the cottage, he acted as if nothing was amiss. He did, however, put bullets in his gun and then hid the gun in a place that would be easy to get to if he needed it. He did all of this while she was making breakfast, and he was careful to hide his actions from her. He couldn’t imagine who would want to watch them. To his recollection, he had no enemies other than his brothers. Jonah couldn’t do anything at this point. James was still alive, of course; however, he wouldn’t do more than warn Julian to stay away from him.
For the life of him, Julian couldn’t imagine who might want to keep an eye on him and Ophelia. But he would be diligent.
During breakfast, he kept an upbeat tone in hopes Ophelia would forget about the previous night, and since she didn’t mention it, he assumed she had. After they ate, they worked on more letters.
It wasn’t until around noon that a knock came at the door. Ophelia jerked, and Julian thought of his gun. But when he got up to look out the window, he saw a lad, who had to be about fourteen, at the front door.
“It’s just a messenger,” he told Ophelia.
Noting the way she relaxed, he opened the door.
“Are you Lord Julian Roskin?” the lad asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
The lad held out the neatly folded missive to him. “This is for you.”
After he paid the lad, he shut the door and went to the window to watch the lad ride off on his horse.
“Who was it?” Ophelia asked.
“Just a messenger from London,” he replied.
The lad went in a different direction than the horse’s tracks he’d found earlier that morning had gone. He knew it wasn’t likely the lad would be the one who’d been watching them the previous night, but he still felt better seeing the lad take a different route to London.
He turned from the window and looked at the familiar script on the envelope. His family’s footman had written to him. His gut clenched. What were the chances that the footman had written him good news?
Not good.
Ophelia stood up. “Is something wrong?”
“Most likely,” he replied.
Bracing himself, he opened the missive. He had to read through it twice before it started to make sense. Not only had the footman written to notify him that James had died, but he’d added that he suspected foul play.
Julian had the sinking feeling the footman was right. What were the chances his brothers would both die in the prime of their lives and so close together? He thought back to how Jonah had died. Jonah had taken ill suddenly. He’d been vomiting and had severe headaches. James, on the other hand, had taken a tumble down the stairs in the middle of the night and was found dead moments later when the footman and butler went to see what had caused the noise.
On the surface, there was nothing to suspect anyone of murder, but with the deaths happening in less than a month of each other, one couldn’t help but do so. The footman had added that he was going to hire the services of a detective. At the end of the missive, he wrote, Be careful, Your Grace. If someone came after your brothers, they might be after you, too.
Julian’s blood ran cold. Maybe that was why someone had been standing outside the cottage last night. Maybe someone was going after everyone in his family, including him. But why? What motive could anyone have to kill Jonah and James, and maybe even him? He might have stolen money, but he hadn’t done anything deserving of death. Jonah and James definitely hadn’t done anything to deserve death.
Something about this whole thing didn’t feel right.
“What is it?” Ophelia asked, leaning toward him and peering down at the missive.
For once, he was glad she couldn’t read. “My brother’s dead. My other one,” he hurried to clarify. “James.” Never mind the details. She didn’t need to know everything. It was bad enough he did. “After church tomorrow, we’ll have to return to London. This time, we’ll be staying at my family’s townhouse.”
He let out a long sigh. There was so much to do now that he had the title, and that didn’t even include having to find out if Jonah and James had been murdered. He rubbed his eyes. He hoped that the detective would find that no one had murdered his brothers, but he had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that told him otherwise. And he was sure it was connected to the man Ophelia had seen last night.
Feeling as if the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders, he put his arms around Ophelia and drew her close to him, taking comfort in having her with him.
***
Though Ophelia didn’t mention it to Julian, a part of her felt safer in London than she felt at the cottage. Although she hadn’t seen anyone outside the cottage after the thunderstorm, it still spooked her. Seeing the person could have been her imagination. She tried hard to convince herself that was the case, but something in the back of her mind kept screaming at her that it had been real. So, despite the grim situation that brought her and Julian to London, she welcomed it.
Instead of going to Lewis and Marcy’s townhouse, they went to the one Julian had grown up in. The footman opened the door and welcomed both of them with a warm hug. Though he had tears in his eyes, he smiled and said, “It’s good to see you again.”
She didn’t have many memories of her father. All she really remembered was a gentle man who laughed and swung her around. She imagined he would be a lot like this footman if he had lived. Kind and gentle.
“It sounds like we have a lot to discuss,” Julian told the footman.
He nodded. “Yes. I’m glad you came when you did. The detective will be coming by in two hours. I was hoping you’d be here for that.”
Detective? Ophelia frowned. What was this about a detective? She couldn’t recall Julian mentioning one.
Julian glanced her way before turning his attention back to the footman. “My wife and I should go upstairs and get settled in. Then I’ll come back down here to deal with things. Is my old bedchamber available?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the footman replied. “After you came here a month ago, we made sure your room was ready in case you needed it.”
The butler came into the entryway. “Shall I take that valise up for you?” he asked Julian.
Julian handed him the valise he’d been holding. “There’s also a trunk in the carriage.”
The butler accepted the valise and said, “I’ll bring the trunk up after I take this to your bedchamber.”
Julian put his hand on Ophelia’s elbow and escorted her up the stairs. These steps seemed darker than the ones in Lewis and Marcy’s townhouse. She couldn’t tell if that was due to the overcast sky that allowed less light into the townhouse, if it was the heavy atmosphere that seemed to hover over the place, or if the wood that made up the staircase was a darker color.
“Will you and your wife require two bedchambers?” the butler asked from behind them once they reached the top of the stairs.
Julian turned back to him. “We’ll take the same bedchamber.”
Good. Ophelia didn’t want to sleep in a separate bedchamber. Not only had she gotten used to being with Julian at night, but the townhouse was beginning to spook her. There was definitely a somber mood hovering over everything like an invisible blanket. Perhaps she wasn’t going to feel safer here than she had at the cottage. But she was safer. She had to be. There was no one watching her and Julian through one of the windows.
The butler led Julian and Ophelia to the bedchamber and set the valise on the dresser. “I’ll return with the trunk.”
Julian waited until the butler left before he turned his attention to Ophelia. “I didn’t mention anything about the detective because I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What would worry me?”
Julian paused for a long moment, and she could see him working out different ways to explain the situation to her in his mind. Finally, he said, “I need to find out more before I can tell you.”
Again, she frowned. Was that supposed to make her feel better?
He closed the distance between them and brought her into his arms. Relieved for the comfort of his touch, she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered.
She was sure this was meant to make her feel better, but it only made the knot in her stomach tighten.
The butler returned with the trunk. “Would you like me to unpack these things for you, Your Grace?”
“No, we’ll do it ourselves,” Julian replied. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”
The butler nodded, put the trunk on the floor, and then left, closing the door behind him.
With a sigh, Julian rubbed her back. “I don’t even know what’s going on, but I assure you that I will get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, you should make yourself comfortable while I handle the details of James’ funeral.”
She lifted her head so she could make eye contact with him. “How long will we be in London this time?”
“I’m not sure. That’s why I told everyone at yesterday’s church service that I would be taking a leave of absence while I tended to my brother’s funeral.” He gave her a soft, lingering kiss and then released her. “We should put our things away. Then I’ll take you to the den and make sure you’re comfortable. You can practice your writing in there. I’ll go to the drawing room and start the arrangements for James’ funeral.”
The last thing she wanted was to be alone in a room. “Why can’t I go to the drawing room with you?” she asked as he went to the valise.
“James’ body is in there. I don’t wish to upset your sensibilities by you having to see it.”
Oh. She supposed that was a good reason. She didn’t want to see a dead body, either. Just knowing it was in the house made her feel even more apprehensive than she’d been before.
“If you’d like, you could take a walk,” he suggested. “Marcy might not mind it if you paid her a visit. Their townhouse isn’t far from here. Do you remember the way?”
“Yes, I remember how to get there from here.”
She went to one of the windows and peered out of it. From this angle, she could just make out the streets she’d need to go down to get there. There were a lot of people outside. Even with the clouds out, it seemed much more appealing than being stuck alone in a room in this place.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll visit Marcy and Lewis. Will you come and get me when you’re done in the drawing room?”
“It’s going to be a while. I have to wait for the detective. He’s not due by for another hour and fifty minutes. I have no idea how long he’ll stay here.” He thought for a moment then added, “But yes, I’ll go to their townhouse as soon as I can.”
Relieved, she left the window and went to the trunk where she’d packed her things. Thank goodness she wouldn’t have to stay in the den while she waited for him. She hurried to put her gowns and grooming supplies away while he took care of his things.
***
Julian looked at the coffin where James had been laid out in his best suit. Though the servants had done their best to make him look like he was sleeping, it was obvious he wasn’t. His neck was twisted at an odd angle, and despite the fresh flowers, the smell of decay lingered in the air.
Julian experienced a surge of regret over knowing he’d never get to make amends with James, just as he hadn’t been able to do with Jonah. Both had died with the burden of unforgiveness weighing them down. While he understood they had made their choices, he was aware he’d also made his. If he hadn’t been so greedy and selfish, he would have spared them all a lot of heartache and pain.
He swallowed the lump in his throat then forced his attention to the footman. “Are you sure James didn’t fall down the stairs by accident? It looks like he did break his neck.”
“Yes, I know he broke his neck, but I think someone pushed him.”
“Who would do such a thing?”
He shrugged then said, “I think someone snuck into this townhouse. It was raining the other night, and I’m sure I saw wet marks just inside the servants’ entrance. It looked like someone had wiped their feet on the rug. At the time, I assumed one of the staff had taken out the garbage, but when I asked around, no one said they’d used that entrance.”
Julian paused as he considered what he’d just learned. It was possible someone could have slipped into the townhouse. The place wasn’t highly staffed. His brothers had been simple gentlemen. They hadn’t been given to excessive living, and they didn’t entertain many people.
“How many people were under my brothers’ employment?” Julian asked.
“There are four of us. There’s me, the butler, the cook, and a maid,” the footman replied.
Just as Julian suspected, his brothers hadn’t needed a household that was largely staffed. “You knew my brothers better than I did. Was there anyone who didn’t like them?”
“No. I can’t think of a single enemy they had. Everyone who came by was pleasant.” He paused. “Well, the only person they didn’t seem all that pleased to see was you. I’m sorry.”
“I know they weren’t happy to see me. You don’t have to apologize for saying it. I suppose the detective will think I’m the most logical suspect. I was out of London all day yesterday and last night, though. My wife can attest to that.” Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so quick to let Ophelia run off to visit Lewis and Marcy. “When my wife returns, she can tell the detective.”
“I know you wouldn’t murder your brothers. You’re not that kind of person.”
“No, but I did steal the family fortune and run off with it. It didn’t matter to me if my father and brothers would have enough to live on for the rest of their lives. I didn’t return in time to apologize to my father, and I wasn’t even able to pay my brothers back.”
Julian closed his eyes for a moment to remind himself that even if the guilt of his past had a tendency to weigh him down, God had still forgiven him. It wasn’t always easy to push past the wrongs he’d done. How many times had he told others they didn’t have to hang onto guilt, and yet, he had a terrible time letting his own go?
“I know you weren’t a saint,” the footman said, “but you aren’t a murderer.”
“It will seem strange that they died after I came back to London, though, won’t it?” Julian asked, suddenly thinking that if he was a detective, he would definitely suspect him of the crime.
“As you said, your wife was with you, and you weren’t even in London.”
Yes, that was true.
After a few seconds of silence, the footman said, “When I spoke with the detective, he suggested taking a look at your oldest brother’s body in addition to taking a closer look at this one.” He gestured to James’ corpse. “He said if there was poison involved, we might still have time to find it.”
A shiver ran up Julian’s spine. “You really think someone poisoned Jonah?”
“For all we know, both of them were poisoned. The fall down the stairs could have been an additional tactic.”
“But that would mean someone would have had to sneak in here twice unless it is one of the other servants,” he said, making sure his voice was still low.
“It wasn’t raining the night your oldest brother died. I only suspected someone crept into this townhouse because there was evidence of it. Both of your brothers died late at night. The staff had already retired for the night. The butler didn’t even know your oldest brother was vomiting until he summoned him around four in the morning.” After a moment, he added, “I’m going to secure all of the entrances around this townhouse to keep people out. In the meantime, the butler is sending for someone to put a lock on your bedchamber.”
“Those are all excellent ideas.”
“I wish I had thought of them before this brother died.” He turned to James’ body, his expression one of regret. “If the thought had even occurred to me that someone had murdered your oldest brother, I would have been diligent with this one.”
“You didn’t know. I didn’t know. None of us could have expected this.”
“Well, now that we do know, we must be on our guard at all times.”
“I will be careful.”
“While we’re waiting for the detective, you should acquaint yourself with the details of the estate.”
The footman was right. Sitting around until the detective showed up would be a waste of time. Julian would be better off looking over the ledger and finding out what he could do with the assets his brothers had managed to build up during his absence. With a nod in the footman’s direction, he headed for the den.