His Fatal Legacy by Heather Atkinson

Author:Heather Atkinson [Atkinson, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

18

Robert anxiously waited for Jane to come home, she seemed to take forever. When she finally strolled through the door at four o’clock that afternoon, he was almost beside himself.

‘Where have you been?’ he snapped when she walked into the drawing room.

She frowned. ‘At Sarah’s. I told you where I was going.’

‘You’ve been gone all afternoon.’

‘She’s going mad with boredom stuck in the house while she recovers. I kept her company. Why, what’s wrong?’

He sighed and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. ‘I’m sorry for snapping but I do worry about you when you go out alone.’

‘I was taken there and back in the carriage. It wasn’t as though I was walking the streets.’

‘I know,’ he said, taking one of her hands and raising it to his lips to kiss it. ‘Please sit. There’s something I need to tell you.’

‘Has something happened? Is Emily all right?’

‘She’s fine, it’s nothing like that.’ He led her to the sofa and sat down beside her. ‘I need you to do something for me.’

‘Anything, Robert, you know that.’

‘Don’t mention Knapp’s visit here yesterday to anyone, not even my parents.’

‘You mean that wild beast who burst into our home?’

‘Yes.’

‘Of course, but why?’

‘Because he’s dead.’

‘What?’ she gasped.

‘The news is all over the city, he was a popular local character. He was found murdered in an alley in the Old Town.’

‘But… that’s horrible.’

‘It certainly was a bloody crime by all accounts. Our family can’t be linked to it in any way. We’ve endured so much scandal and finally we’re coming out the other side but if the police find out he came here the day he died, it could lead to awkward questions.’

‘You never did explain why he came here in the first place.’

‘It’s just something he liked to do every now and then, to intimidate me. He couldn’t stand it that I’d got one over on him when I eloped with you. Often, he would catch up with me when I was out on business or on the way to Jackson’s. Yesterday was the first time he had the nerve to come into my home.’

‘I can see why you wouldn’t want that news getting out. What about the servants? They might say something.’

‘Not if they want to keep their positions, they won’t. They know their place.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘He did seem very angry about something.’

‘I was the only person who ever outwitted him. Worst of all, I was just a boy when I did it and it drove him insane. He saw it as a slur on his reputation. The more successful I became, the angrier he got. He was quite insane.’

‘Surely it would be better if you approached the police with this information? They might find out anyway and it will look suspicious if you keep quiet about it.’

‘Just imagine what the Richardson family would do if they heard I’d got wrapped up in a murder investigation. They’re still smarting over my beating Tompkins. They will snatch any opportunity for revenge. I can’t allow that to happen.

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