Who Wants to Marry a Duke - Sabrina Jeffries Page 0,80

his voice that touched Olivia. “And I think what my fiancée is getting at is there’s more here than damage to property. It was an attempt at perverting justice. Surely that can carry a heavier sentence.”

“If you can prove that the lad knew that was the intention. We can’t. Nor did he seem to intend to cause murder when he loosened the screws of the perch, so he can’t be charged with attempted murder for that either.”

“Which, by the way, I found out was how our father had his own accident,” Thorn told Gwyn.

“So . . . so that’s a murder,” Gwyn said.

“Not one he did,” Olivia pointed out. “Look at the lad. He was only a gleam in his mother’s eye when your father was killed.”

“True,” Thorn said. “But whoever is paying him might have done it, and then told Elias how to do it as well. We could charge that man with murder.”

“Or woman,” Gwyn put in. “If we could find out who the wretch is, we could still discover it to be a woman.”

“I suppose,” Thorn said.

“And there’s also the deaths of my uncles,” Major Wolfe said. “We may only suspect that someone killed Uncle Armie, but we’re fairly certain that whoever delivered that fake note from me summoning Uncle Maurice to the dower house also shoved him off that bridge.”

“We can’t prove that this fellow was part of any of that.” Thorn glanced over at Elias. “There’s one other thing we might be able to prove, though.” He looked at Major Wolfe. “Would you untie him for a moment, if you please?”

Although Major Wolfe looked apprehensive, he did what Thorn asked. Meanwhile, Thorn strode over to a writing table and drew out some paper, an ink pot, and a quill. Then he placed them on the table and gestured to Elias to approach.

Wary now, Elias rose and headed that way, rubbing his wrists. “I ain’t much for writing, sir.”

“I’m offering you a chance to save yourself a longer term in Newgate or the hulks.”

The mention of the hulks made Elias go pale, and rightfully so. The hulks were old naval ships that had outlived their usefulness on the high seas and been turned into floating prisons on the Thames. They were notoriously damp, crowded, and unpleasant places to serve out one’s sentence.

Thorn set the quill and ink in front of Elias. “You already confessed to accidentally blowing up Miss Norley’s laboratory. So write that down in your own words, will you? Explain how you were unaware that breaking jars and tossing chemicals around would end up setting fire to her laboratory.”

Elias cocked his head. “You sure it’ll help me not go to the hulks?”

“I can make it so, if I like what I read.” He waited as Elias scratched away, but the boy hadn’t written more than a few sentences, when Thorn said, “That’s enough,” and took the paper from Elias. Then Thorn pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and compared the two.

He looked at Olivia. “The letter to your stepmother about you leaving Carymont was definitely written by Elias. And it could go to prove intent to harm you.” He scowled at Elias. “That is what you were planning, isn’t it? To follow Lady Norley here and then destroy this laboratory? Or worse, harm Miss Norley herself?”

Elias glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest. “I ain’t saying nuthin’ more, sir. You’ll just have to haul me off to gaol.”

“Which I intend to do right now,” Major Wolfe said, swiftly retying the fellow’s arms behind his back. “Perhaps a few days in Newgate or the hulks will loosen your tongue, lad.”

“Wait!” Gwyn said. “You’re leaving again? We haven’t seen each other in days!”

“I’d take you with me, dearling,” Major Wolfe said, a decided softness in his voice, “but we came by a two-seat post chaise, and there’s no room.”

“We’ll carry Gwyn back,” Thorn said. “I already promised Lady Norley and Olivia that I would accompany them to London tomorrow, so Gwyn is welcome to join us.”

Olivia smiled at Gwyn. “I would enjoy having more of a chance to chat.”

Gwyn smiled back. “That sounds wonderful.”

Then she walked Major Wolfe and his prisoner out, probably so she could spend a few more precious minutes with her husband.

“Your sister and Major Wolfe seem very much in love,” Olivia said, now that she was alone with Thorn once again.

Will that ever be us? Are you even capable of that? She knew better than to