Page 19 of Between a Duke and a Hard Place
A crash as Eddington’s cane swung out in a blind arc, knocking over a nearby table, sending a vase shattering to the floor.
Nigel, predictably, flinched and stepped back toward the sideboard.
“What?!” Eddington roared, his normally pallid face turning an alarming shade of purple.
Ethella remained impassive. “She was wed just yesterday morning—most unexpectedly… To the Duke of Alstead.”
Eddington breathed heavily, his rail thin chest rising and falling in furious heaves like a set of bellows. “The Duke?” His voice dripped with disbelief. “She wed that bastard Alstead?”
“Yes.”
There was another beat of silence before?—
“Then you will return my funds,” he growled, stepping toward them. “Every last penny… and if you cannot, when the courts have settled Honeywell’s affairs, Wellston will be mine.”
At this, Nigel lost all color, looking as if he might swoon.
But Ethella merely smiled. And that—more than anything—made Eddington pause. For all of his wealth and his depravity, he was not a fool. He knew when he was in the presence of a greater schemer.
“You have another proposition,” he said slowly, his suspicion warring with intrigue.
Ethella inclined her head. “I do.”
Eddington narrowed his eyes. “Speak, woman. But mind you, it had best be worth my while to listen to your prattling.”
Ethella stepped forward, lowering her voice to something almost soothing, as if she were speaking to a startled animal. It was not an inaccurate description. “Violet may be married to the duke now, my lord… but marriage is not an unbreakable bond. This was all carried out in a most havycavy manner. It could well be that this marriage may have been embarked upon under fraudulent circumstances. As Violet’s next of kin, it would be up to us to challenge the marriage and to seek an annulment.”
“And if an annulment cannot be procured?” He snapped.
Ethella’s smile never faltered. “Let me see to it, my lord. My son has been quite incompetent in his attempts to rectify that situation. I shall take over entirely and I can assure you that the outcome will be to your benefit.”
“See that it is!” Eddington snapped, before turning on his heel and marching toward the door.
When the were alone, Nigel said, “Mother, surely you cannot think that an annulment will be granted? What will do if the Bishop refuses?”
Ethella shrugged. “Accidents happen, Nigel. Illness strike even young men seemingly in their prime. Men—especially men with enemies—meet their ends, often in the most tragic ways. A pistol ball fired by a highwayman during a robbery gone wrong. A hunting accident. Perhaps he might be thrown from his horse, breaking his neck.”
“Murder?” he croaked, horrified by the mere thought of it. “I can’t kill someone, Mother! I simply can’t!”
Ethella sighed, as if this were all a tiresome chore. “Dp not be so obtuse. Of course, it would not be we who see to such an act.”
Nigel’s brow lifted. “Then who?”
“There are men who would do such a thing for the right price,” she said smoothly. “And once he is dead, we will bring Violet back here.”
“And why, pray, would she remain?”
Ethella’s smile grew. “Because she will be grief-stricken. Devastated beyond reason. She will retreat into mourning—sedated at her physician’s order due to her hysteria—and we, her loving family, will keep her from the public eye until such time as she can withstand the pressures of being in company.” A beat of silence.
“Who will pay for this hired killer?” Nigel demanded. “We cannot. We were lucky to have funds enough to travel here from London. My last coin was spent to obtain that actor who is visiting Violet later today!”
. “Lord Eddington was willing to pay handsomely for Violet. What is a small additional investment to ensure his ultimate revenge on Alsetead… the man he detests?”
Nigel shook his head. “I underestimated you,” he murmured.
She inclined her head. “Most men do.”
Nigel, still clutching his glass, felt bile rise in his throat. It wasn’t a lack of willingness to commit such horrid acts. But he greatly feared the consequences if they were caught. It was reckless and there were dozens of ways it could all go wrong.
