Loving Protector (11 page)

“The two cannot be connected, surely,”
said Lady Bedlington. No one answered her. The doctor was already following the
colonel to Mr. Benedict’s room.

The next forty eight hours were taken up
with nursing all those who were sick, and the injured Mr. Benedict. Calista,
Lady Bedlington and the servants who were not ill all took their turns at
various sick beds. The colonel and the male servants took care of Mr. Benedict’s
more personal needs.

Even Blanche helped, but only with her
mother. However, for reasons of her own, Calista was reluctant to let Blanche
be alone with Evelyn.

It was only after two days, when Blanche
went exhausted to her own bed, that Calista felt she could leave Evelyn for a
few minutes. She needed to speak to the colonel.

As she expected, she found him sitting
at his friend’s bedside. “I need to speak to you,” she said. The colonel did
not need telling twice. He followed her into Mr. Benedict’s dressing room and
pulled the door to.

“I am afraid,” she said, when they were
alone.

“I understand that, darling. It has been
a stressful few days. You should rest.”

“I am afraid it is not over, which is
why I dare not leave Evelyn’s side. I am also afraid to tell you what I fear.
It sounds mad, even to me. Yet…”

“You think you are the only one who
suspects what is happening here? Let me assure you that you are not.”

“There are things I cannot tell you,
because they involve other peoples’ secrets, but I think it is the key to
what’s happening. Only I do not want to believe that anyone could do something
quite so wicked.” Her eyes filled with tears, the enormity of her suspicions
too much to deal with.

Calista,” the colonel put his hands on
her shoulders, and she immediately felt calm. His strength poured into her, and
she knew things would be alright as long as he was there.  She wanted to
cling to him, so that she would always feel safe. “There is nothing I do not
know about Harry and Mrs. Haywood. He is my best friend and, well, men talk of
such things.” The colonel lowered his voice. “I know he is Blanche’s father.”

“I think she has found out somehow and
fears the truth coming out. She has said that nothing will stand in the way of
her being the Duchess of Midchester. Nothing. But she could not, she would
not…. Would she?”

“I have had a man investigating Harry’s
assault, and it seems the ruffians were paid by someone to attack him.”

“It is too extreme,” said Calista.
“Isn’t it?”

“Blanche is a woman ashamed of her
status in life. She wants it to be more than it is, believing that a rank is
her right, rather than her privilege.”

“But to kill her own mother… Brook, it is
horrifying.” It was the first time Calista had used his name. The privacy of
the small dressing room seemed to invite such intimacy. He answered by taking
her in his arms and kissing her. For a moment all her fears were swept away.

“I know it is frightening, darling, but
it is something we must face if we are to make sure everyone is safe in the
future.”

Calista rested her head on his shoulder.
“Lady Bedlington said she was afraid for you. I understand why now. I am afraid
for you too. If Blanche says that nothing will stop her becoming a duchess…”

He laughed softly. “As delighted as I am
that you are so concerned about my welfare, I assure you I can take care of
myself.”

“I would have thought Mr. Benedict could
too, but he was almost killed by those ruffians.”

“I do not stand in Blanche’s way of
becoming a duchess. My father’s feelings for me are well known.”

“Your great aunt says that society might
have other ideas.”

“My father cares less about what society
thinks than I do. This is probably why he gets away with so much bad behaviour.
The only way I could become the duke is by risking my father sullying my
mother’s good name after he is dead. I have already told you that I will not do
that.”

The problem was, thought Calista, that
Blanche did not know that. And she could not tell her step-sister without
informing her of the Duke of Midchester’s threat, which would inevitably cast a
bad light on the character of Brook’s mother even though the allegations were
not true. She had little doubt that Blanche would take great advantage of such
a slur.

Whatever else Calista did, she would
protect Brook from having his mother’s name dragged through the mud. “And still
you think of protecting me,” he said, as if he had read her thought process. He
stroked her cheek.

“Well why should it only be you who
protects me? If we are to be married, then we should take care of each other,
should we not?”

“Yes, I agree completely. And I am happy
that you no longer see marriage to me as such a dreadful thing

“I never did. Only…”

“Only what?”

“It does not matter.” It did matter. It
mattered very much that he did not love her as she loved him. But she liked the
way they were at that moment, in each other’s arms, both filled with the same
sense of purpose. She would not spoil the mood by making emotional declarations
that might only make him uncomfortable. “There are more important concerns now.
I have to go and…”

“Sleep. You have to go and sleep.
Tomorrow, when we are both rested, you and I will look into what has been
happening, together.” He kissed her again, before saying huskily, “Go to bed
woman, before I forget I am a gentleman.”

Chapter
Eleven

“I wonder if I’ve got it terribly
wrong,” said Calista. She and the colonel had met in the study, to discuss the
events of the past few days. “Blanche seems genuinely concerned for Evelyn.
Normally I would suspect her of pretending, but I have seen her cry real
tears.”

“Perhaps she is a better actress than
you realize,” said the colonel. “We must get to the bottom of this, before
anyone else is hurt.”

“Yes, of course. What is happening about
the men who attacked poor Mr. Benedict?”

“My agents have not yet found out who
paid the ruffians to attack him, but we will get answers, I am sure.”

“I cannot imagine how Blanche would even
know how to employ such men. She never goes out alone, and whilst I do not know
much about it, I assume that the men were from the rougher part of London.
There is no way Blanche would venture to such a place on her own. She values
herself rather too much for that.”

“Then she is not working alone.”

Calista was astonished. “You think she
has inveigled someone else into this awful plot?”

“If, as we suspect, she has managed to
poison her mama and the servants, then she would need someone to get hold of
the poison for her. Just as she would not go to the rougher areas of London, I
cannot imagine she would go into a pharmacy and ask for rat poison. Assuming
that is what was used. In fact,” said the colonel thoughtfully. “I think it is
in fitting with Blanche’s nature to get someone else to do the dirty work for
her.”

“Yes, you are probably correct in that
assumption.”

“First we need to find out what was used
to poison Mrs. Haywood and the servants, then we can make investigations. We
will visit all the pharmacies in the area and ask who they have sold the poison
to recently.”

“We? You mean I may come with you?”
Calista felt her heart lift.

“Unless you would find it distressing.”

“Oh no. I mean, yes, it is distressing to
see how Evelyn and the servants suffer, but I cannot deny it would be exciting
to help you investigate. Is that awful of me?”

“No, not at all. When I was in the army
I often had to investigate wrongdoing by my men. Even in the most awful
circumstances, I found myself excited by the thrill of the chase. You have a
quick mind, Calista. I think you will be a great help to me.”

He could not have paid her a better
compliment if he had said she was beautiful.

“But first,” he continued, “we must find
out how the poison was administered.”

“I keep feeling that I am missing
something,” said Calista. “Something important happened, only it did not seem
important at the time. It was one of those trivial everyday events that…” She
paced the room. “So much for my quick mind,” she said with a wry smile.

“That’s only because you’re thinking too
hard at the moment. Let us go for a drive in the phaeton, and talk of other
things. Then perhaps it will come to you.”

“I am afraid to leave Evelyn alone with
Blanche for too long.”

“Blanche has gone out this morning to
visit some friends. Aunt Agatha arranged it at my behest. I thought it might be
a good idea to get her out of the way for a while. We have plenty of time, and
I gather Mrs. Haywood is much improved this morning, as are the servants.”

“Yes, Evelyn was certainly more cheerful
this morning. How is Mr. Benedict?”

“Improved, but still in a bad way. I’ve
left my valet caring for him.”

Calista and the colonel took a leisurely
drive in the phaeton, and she could not help but notice how handsome he looked
with his hands on the reins. Judging by the admiring looks he drew from female
pedestrians, she was not the only one who thought so. She could still only
marvel that she was to marry him, and was convinced that he would be snatched
away from her at the last minute. He might meet another young woman that he
fell in love with. She had to find a way to let him know that he was free to do
so, even though the thought of it was like an arrow to her heart. His kisses of
the night before told her that he was attracted to her, but her memory reminded
her that he had only meant to offer her his protection. Not his hand in
marriage, and not his love.

She, however, would love him for the
rest of her life. She had managed to convince herself that their marriage could
work, especially if they had children, but deep down she ached for the love he
would never give her.

“How is your house coming along?” she
asked, trying to free herself from the painful thoughts.

“Things have slowed down a little, due
to Harry being out of action, but he left detailed plans, and the builders are
good men who know how to follow them. It might not be finished as quickly as I
hoped. I wanted it completed by our wedding day. That may not happen now.”

“Colonel…”

“Do you not think that as we are to be
married you should call me Brook? Otherwise I shall feel like I’m your
commanding officer, rather than your husband.”

“Is that not the same thing?” Calista
said, smiling and showing her dimples.

He smiled back. “I hope you will not
think so, Calista. I hope that you will always look upon us as equals.”

“What I wanted to say … Brook … is that
if you met someone else before we married, I would not hold you back. I want
more than anything else for you to be happy.”

“And you think we will not be happy
together?”

“I … I suppose that I have always
believed a man and woman should be in love when they marry. I know it is naïve
of me but…”

“Well then I suppose I should make you
the same promise. That if you meet someone else, I will set you free. Only …”
he frowned. “Only I will not. If I even think of you liking another man more
than you like me, I will call the blighter out. Whatever you may feel now,
Calista, this marriage will happen. I did not put my reputation on the line in
front of the King for it to be otherwise.”

“But this is what I am trying to say.
You should not feel you have to marry me out of duty, either to me or the King.
I…”

“Enough! I do not like the turn this
conversation has taken. We are supposed to be working together to help find out
if Blanche has poisoned her mother and half of my great aunt’s household, and
you seem intent on tearing us apart.”

“No, that is not it. I…” Calista seldom
pouted but she did at that moment. “So we are to be equals until you decide you
do not like the way a conversation is turning. Then you call ‘enough’ and
suddenly you are the commanding officer again. I can only obey.”

“If that is what it takes to get you up
the aisle so that neither of us looks a fool, yes.” She heard him take in a
deep breath. “I am sorry I am not what you wished for in a husband, Calista.
But I promise you that I will treat you well and I will not resort to
commanding you. Once we are married. Until then, I am not taking any chances.”

How could he think that he was not
everything she wished for? She had dreamed of meeting a man like him, only to
find that when she did meet him, he was even better than the dream. Because he
was not only incredibly handsome and clever, he was human and flawed. He moved
from being the nebulous image of her fantasies to being a real, warm bodied,
human being who drove her almost insane with his kisses.  It was only
because she knew he did not love her that she found it impossible to tell him
of her feelings. It would only make him feel awkward, and might also mean that
if he did meet someone else, he would feel duty bound to stay with her out of
some sense of honour. Yet her love was there, demanding to be heard, to the
point that she was afraid she might one day explode and ruin everything.

“We are getting off the subject in
hand,” she said eventually. They were driving through Hyde Park. Walkers and
riders were enjoying the early spring sunshine, and she wished she could do the
same. She should enjoy being in a magnificent phaeton with a magnificent man,
but it only served to remind her that she was not worthy of his love. Only his
protection.

“That was the point of coming out,” he
replied. “To take our minds off the case. So to speak. But I did not intend us
to argue, Calista. Nor did I intend to dominate you.” He took another deep
breath. “Of course, if you should meet and fall in love with someone else, I
would not stand in your way. I want you to be happy too, and if you cannot be
that with me, then I suppose I must accept you will find happiness with someone
else.” His lips set in a thin line and he tightened his grip on the reins to
the extent that his knuckles turned white.

Never, she thought secretly. She would
never be happy with anyone else. She had made him angry and did not know how to
put things right. “Perhaps we should go back,” she suggested, “since this is
not working. Surely the scene of the crime is the best place to be to pick up
clues.”

“Yes, perhaps you are right. It is
nearly time for luncheon anyway.”

He turned the horses expertly and they
drove back to Lady Bedlington’s. She was in the hall when they arrived, talking
to one of the servants. “Good news,” she said to Calista and the colonel. “The
servants have made a complete recovery. I have given them all a few days off so
that they are fully rested.”

“And my step-mother?” asked Calista.

“She does very well, is that not right?”
Lady Bedlington turned to the servant she had been speaking to.

“Yes, M’lady. She is out of bed and
sitting in a chair. Miss Blanche has just taken her some tea and honey.”

“Honey!” Calista exclaimed. “Oh it was
the honey!” She dashed up the stairs closely followed by the colonel. When she
reached Evelyn’s bedroom, she was just in time to see Blanche hand her mother a
cup of tea. “Stop it!” she cried, rushing forward and knocking the cup out of
Blanche’s hand. It shattered on the floor.

“What on earth are you doing, Calista?”

“You poisoned the honey. That’s why your
mother and the servants are ill. They all had some.”

“Poisoned? How ridiculous.” Despite her
words, Blanche’s eyes were watchful. “Why on earth would I do such a thing?”

“Somehow you found out the truth about
your mother and Mr. Benedict. About your illegitimacy. So you thought to poison
your mother and have Mr. Benedict killed so that their secret died with them.”

Blanche knelt at her mother’s feet.
“Mama, tell them the truth. Tell them how sorry I was when I realized what I
had nearly done?”

“Blanche overheard us talking, Calista,
when I told you about it. She was frightened for her future.”

Calista looked at her step-mother,
aghast. “You knew?”

“I guessed, yes,” said Evelyn. “But
Blanche knows she did wrong. She is truly sorry.”

“But you nearly died. The servants
nearly died.”

“But we did not die,” said Evelyn. “We
cannot have a scandal. You do understand that, don’t you, Calista? It would not
only ruin Blanche but everyone in this house. Is that not right, colonel?”

“No, it cannot be so,” said Calista.

“Your step-mother is right,” said the
colonel. His lips were set in a grim line. “I understand how you feel, Calista.
But such a scandal would bring shame upon my aunt’s family name and mine.”

“So you’re just going to let things be.
Let her get away with attempted murder?”

“I have seen the error of my ways,” said
Blanche. “Despite what you think, Calista, there was no poison in that cup you
just knocked from my hands. You may have it tested if you want. All I have
wanted for the past few days is for mama to recover. I did not realize how much
I loved her until I nearly lost her.”

Despite Calista’s misgivings, she
believed everything Blanche had just said. Blanche had learned her lesson, at
least where danger to Evelyn was concerned. But not only Evelyn had been
harmed. Mr. Benedict was still unwell, and whilst the servants had recovered,
things might have gone very differently. Then there was the niggling doubt in
Calista’s mind as to why the colonel was so keen to let Blanche get away with
it. Was he protecting her because he was in love with her, as Calista had
suspected all along?

“I suppose then that I must go with the
majority view,” said Calista. She felt let down. By Evelyn, and by the colonel.
Whilst she could understand why the highwayman had turned to crime, she could not
condone the same behaviour in Blanche. Certainly not just for the sake of a
grand title. She realized that it was perhaps a fault within her. That she
despised her step-sister so much that she wanted to see her punished. It was a
feeling of which she was not very proud, but it was there and would not go
away.

“We will discuss it later,” said the
colonel. She was aware of his eyes searching her face.

“There is nothing to discuss, since
everything has been decided.”

“Calista, dearest, Blanche is my daughter
and despite her wrongdoing I love her. This is, after all, partly my fault.”

“She just hates me and wants me to die,”
said Blanche. That was the manipulative Blanche that Calista knew and despised.
The one who turned everything to her benefit, even Calista’s misgivings about
her escaping the consequences of her actions.