and looked at Ella with eyes shining with tears. “We’ll show you everything.”
Ella released the breath she’d been holding, slowly. Still, she tried to hide her relief, even though she felt the spurt of adrenaline fizz through her veins. This was it, she thought. Her fingers tingled, wanting to text Malcolm, who had gone to the hospital to visit his father. It wasn’t going to be a friendly visit. Malcolm was going to demand answers to several strange amounts of money that had been taken from the duke’s accounts. Ella doubted that the duke would explain anything, but Malcolm had wanted to try.
Ella watched as Beth pulled a step stool out of a closet, then walked back into the study. Instead of placing the stool against a wall with books, she placed it near one of the windows with the heavy curtains against one side. The velvet curtains were faded and dusty with age. Beth pushed it carefully aside and, with the press of a fingertip, a secret panel swung open. Behind that panel, were several books, journals actually. The leather-bound journals weren’t dusty, indicating that the old duke had been using them recently.
“What’s in them?” Ella asked, moving towards Beth to take the journals into her hands.
“I don’t know, ma’am,” Beth said. “I never dared to look in them. If the duke ever discovered that I knew that they were there, I’d…” she didn’t finish that statement, but instead, turned and pulled a box down. “You’ll need these too.”
Ella accepted the box, eyeing it curiously. “Thank you,” she said as Beth stepped down from the step stool.
“Show her,” Beth whispered to Harvey.
Harvey’s eyes widened slightly, and he glanced at Ella. For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then his shoulders slumped, his head bowed. “This way,” he said and turned, walking out of the study.
Harvey led her out of the house, Beth trailing behind them. Ella wondered where they were going, and what they would find when they got there.
Eventually, Harvey stopped beside a beautiful garden. The rest of the landscaping was well cared for, but this spot stood out as something more elaborate. More beautiful. Obviously, care had been taken to create something special here.
“It’s lovely,” Ella said, admiring the lush flowers and the beautiful, blooming trees that surrounded the plot.
“It’s a…” Harvey’s voice died in his throat and he gulped hard. He cleared his throat and tried again. “It’s a graveyard,” his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t bury them here,” he told Ella. Then the man looked directly into her eyes. “But I discovered them and didn’t say anything to anyone.”
Ella moved closer, putting a hand on his arm. “You didn’t commit a crime, Harvey,” she assured him. “The duke created a situation in which you and your wife were under duress.”
The man choked again. “The duke said that he’d blame me for the women’s deaths if I said anything to anyone.” He looked at the lovely garden. “It was all that I could do to make their final resting place into something nice.” Roughly, he wiped at the tear that escaped. “I didn’t even know that they were buried here until I came to work that morning.” He turned to Ella. “But I’d seen the police here having dinner with the duke. I knew that they’d never listen to me and Beth.” He looked at the graves again. “I did what I could for the women. But it wasn’t enough.”
Ella reached out, touching his arm again. “Malcolm will help. I’m writing a news article and most likely a book, Harvey. I’m going to spread the word about what a horrible man the duke was. He was an evil monster.” She shifted the journals in her arms. “I’m going to prove it. With the help of you and Beth.”
Harvey looked at her sadly. “Nothing is going to happen. He’ll get away with it again.” He sighed. “Or he’ll die.”
Ella clenched her teeth. “Well, if he dies, then a lot of other people are going to face the charges as well. These crimes, whatever they all are, will not go unpunished!”
Harvey didn’t say anything more. Instead, he turned and took Beth’s hands. Together, they walked away towards the small cottage where they’d lived for most of their lives.
Ella watched, saddened by the horror of what they had gone through. They’d come to work for a man and instead, had endured a decades old nightmare that only compounded as the duke gained power over the