The Countess Page 0,117

like this," she protested rushing to join them, but paused with surprise when she saw the smal chest and bag waiting to the side of the front door. The butler was already packed and ready to go. Frowning at that, she turned to Richard and added, "He only kil ed George to save my sisters and me."

"This is for the best, Christiana," Richard said quietly, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her against his side.

"He is right, my lady. Besides I wish it this way. I am getting far too old to perform my duties as I should. It is time I retired," Haversham said, opening the door before bending to pick up his chest and bag. Straightening, he turned back and added, "I wish you both a happy and healthy life together." Then he turned and strode out the door.

"Richard," Christiana begged, trying to pul free and go after the man.

"Let him go, Christiana," Richard said quietly. "It real y is for the best."

"Why? Kil ing George was a spur of the moment, desperate effort to save my sisters and me. He - "

"He used cyanide, Christiana," Richard said quietly. "That is not something a person typical y keeps sitting about the house. It suggests premeditation."

Her eyes widened as she realized what he said was true and then she turned to watch Haversham get into a carriage waiting on the road. The man had planned his exit down to the last detail.

"You don't real y think it was premeditated do you?" she asked with a frown.

Richard hesitated and then said, "Haversham plans everything. He is a very careful man and always has been. I suspect he intended to kil George eventual y, probably as punishment for his kil ing me, but also to rid you of the man and the miserable marriage he'd trapped you into. I suspect Haversham had been planning it for some time before actual y doing it. He was most likely just waiting in the hopes that you would produce an heir."

When Christiana glanced at him with surprise, he shrugged.

"Haversham is traditional. He would see the continuing of the family line as important," he explained. "No doubt by the time he overheard George talking to Freddy, he'd realized that George never visited your room and there would be no heir. There was no longer a reason to wait, so he kil ed him."

Richard closed the door as the carriage pul ed away. "He knows I would realize al this, and that the only way my conscience would al ow me to stay mum on the murder was if he was gone and beyond the reaches of English law."

"Surely you wouldn't have turned him in?" she asked with amazement.

"Everything would have had to be revealed then, what George did, that we weren't legal y married . . . everything."

"I realize that, and I don't know if I would have actual y turned him in knowing the outcome," he admitted quietly. "But I would have wrestled with the decision.

Haversham knows me wel enough to know that, which is - I think - why he said he was going to retire to the continent. He wil be beyond English law and revealing what he did would accomplish nothing but cause trouble and pain for those I love. Now I don't have to wrestle with the decision."

"I see," she murmured.

"Is everyone stil in the office?" Richard asked.

"No, Daniel went to tel Suzette - Oh," she breathed suddenly.

"What?" He glanced at her with concern.

"I just realized. Suzette doesn't have to marry Daniel now. The markers are in the office somewhere and - "

"I think you might want to keep that bit of information to yourself for a bit,"

Richard interrupted.

Christiana's eyebrows rose. "Why?"

"Because Daniel real y wants to marry Suzette, and I think she wants to marry him too, but Daniel thinks she needs the markers as an excuse or may become difficult."

She considered that solemnly. The conversation she'd had with Suzette today had made her suspect her sister real y did care for Daniel. In fact, she'd seemed quite disgruntled over the idea that Daniel was only marrying her for the dower which made her ask, "Does he want her for her dower?"

Richard grinned and shook his head. "He's almost as rich as I."

Her eyes widened incredulously. "Then why - ?"

"She fascinates him and he wants her. In truth, I think he's half in love with her."

"I think she may be fal ing in love with him