Page 64 of Her Heart's Rightful Earl
‘I am reconciling how to do this …’ Alexander admitted.
‘To do what?’
‘To report my brother. How does one trap the brother who used to beg for bedtime stories? How does one destroy the boy who once brought injured birds for me to heal?’
Arabella took his hand, for she had no answer for him yet wished to console him and demonstrate that she was here to support him through this impossibly difficult task.
‘I know that I must, though,’ Alexander confessed.
‘Have you and Thomas spoken with Captain Morrison?’ Arabella asked.
‘Yes, and I believe he will be taking his evidence to the authorities. They will then presumably devise some method of capture, but I fear we may all need to be involved.’
Alexander’s eyes flicked cautiously to Arabella’s, gauging whether this would be too much to ask. ‘I cannot fathom howthe magistrate will apprehend Marcus, but I assume some sort of intervention would be required by the household residents and all those involved.’
‘To ensure he does not evade the law a third time?’ Arabella clarified.
‘Yes.” Alexander nodded sadly. ‘Though I regret to inform you, we suspect Marcus has killed more than my father and cousin …’
‘More?’ Arabella’s hand flew out of Alexander’s as her fingers went to her lips in shock.
‘Harrowingly, yes. It would appear that anybody who has dared to delve into the mystery of who murdered my father has been silenced and—whilst it pains me to envisage a reality where my sweet, young brother could be an immoral assassin—it seems I can no longer deny it, for the facts are plain.’
‘Oh, Alexander.’ Arabella reached out to touch his arm in solidarity. ‘How will you proceed?’
‘I should speak with my mother. I have not seen her again since that first night when you were unfortunate enough to discover me …’
‘I do not consider that night unfortunate,’ Arabella corrected him.
‘If I had been more elusive, you should never have been caught up in this most awful drama,’ Alexander justified.
‘If you had been more elusive, I should have continued living a life where I was half-dead. My existence was defined by grieving you internally, grieving Edmund’s loss publicly, and battling guilt regarding my disloyal heart. It was no life, Alexander.’
‘But you were so angry with me!’
‘But of course! I felt betrayed! After all, I had been lied to …’ Arabella looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes admonishing him.
‘A regret I will harbour forever,’ Alexander nodded, looking deep into her eyes.
‘But I also understand the necessity. And even more so now—realizing that the whole scenario was designed to frame you. How impossible it would have been to prove your innocence when your brother had set up the scene to incriminate you so rigorously.’
Alexander bent low to drop an affectionate kiss on the top of her head. Arabella sighed out a breath of contentment despite their precarious dilemma.
‘So, you plan on speaking with your mother again?’ She reluctantly brought the focus back to the situation.
‘I think it would be for the best. I fear the shock of Marcus’s involvement could kill her. I should at least explain to her with a gentle compassion and comfort her before the authorities storm the house, and she has to deal with the terrible chaos of it all in among the horrifying revelation.’
Arabella bit her lip and confessed, ‘I do not think she will be as shocked as you envisage, Alexander.’
Alexander looked at Arabella, his brow furrowed in confusion. ‘Surely she cannot suspect him?’
Arabella stepped away and paced the dusty floor, wrapping her arms around her body. ‘Your mother and I have become close. We shared the devastation of losing you …’ Arabella looked pointedly at Alexander, and he sighed heavily, with regret and longing.
‘When I married Edmund, she became my aunt, and we forged a solid friendship.’
Alexander kicked the stone rubble on the floor. Despite all the recent developments, a knot still formed in his stomach at the thought of Arabella married to another.
‘When we lost Edmund, we were bonded once again by the devastation of bereavement. With this foundational understanding of one another, she has begun confiding in me about her true feelings regarding your brother …’
