Wicked Woman by Denise Eagan

Author:Denise Eagan [Eagan, Denise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2014-12-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Unreal, a completely impossible situation. Morgan could not have harmed a soul, not his Morgan with her laughing eyes. And yet she was terrified of the police . . . and, until recently, held fast to that wig as if it were her savior . . . “What proof do you have?”

“The hired help’s testimony, by God! One minute they heard shouting, then a groan of pain, then silence. Mrs. Turner bolted ten minutes later, summoned a hack and was never seen again. Two hours later her maid found Turner dead, blood pouring from his head.”

“But why?” Ward asked.

“He beat her,” Amy said, swollen eyes pleading with him for understanding. She could have saved herself the trouble. His own heart did that just fine.

“What difference that?” Edward shouted. “Many men beat their wives. They don’t kill ’em!”

“You don’t know Morgan,” she said, with a defiant toss of her head. “She has far too much strength of spirit to bear such brutality for long.”

The man had beat Morgan. The haunted expression in her eyes those first few weeks suddenly made sense, as did the incident with the fire poker. You won’t beat me! Damn the man! His mind created horrible pictures of Morgan in pain and his heart seemed to explode. His breath came in hard, pained gulps, and he fought to keep his cool.

“Spirit doesn’t necessarily incite murder,” Edward snapped at Amy.

“It wasn’t murder. She was merely defending herself against a beast of a husband. One must make allowances for that!”

“Really, Amy? Was she afraid he’d kill her?” Edward asked savagely. “Because if she’s not afraid of dying at that very moment, it’s still murder.”

“No one would consider it any great occasion were a man killed during a bout of fisticuffs!”

“But they found no evidence of fisticuffs,” Edward answered, tight-lipped. “He had no sign on him—”

“Enough!” Ward said, rising. “You speculate without facts. Only Morgan can supply the full details.”

“Exactly!” Edward turned toward Ward. “We shall obtain the truth from that little witch if we have to throttle her!”

Ward, frustration, anger, and anxiety bursting inside his chest, warned, “Have a care, Edward. You threaten the woman I love.”

“You cannot possibly! She—”

Through a tight jaw, Ward ground out, “I—love—her. Understand?”

Edward, his entire profile wound into action, flinched. “Ward,” he said lowering his voice. “All right.”

“I shall have a dead reckoning from her before we discuss this any further.” He started toward the door, mind working over this new information, this new betrayal. She’d lied to him. Again. “Leave Herman your direction, unless you intend to stay here. You’re welcome, of course. I’ll contact you—”

“The devil you will!” Edward swore, brushing past Ward to reach the door first. “I’m coming with you.”

“You shall not!” he snapped. He’d no desire to expose Morgan to Edward’s temper—or expose his own stupidity at swallowing her lies over and over again.

Edward set his teeth. “She’s a suspected murderer. I’ll not allow you to enter a murderer’s den alone.”

“Then I’m accompanying you!” Amy said, jumping up. “I’ll not allow either of you to bully Morgan!”

“Stand aside, Edward.

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