Page 69 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
“I did. He does not believe me.”
The tall man was Grace’s butler, Cedric remembered suddenly.
“Send him away,” Grace said dismissively. “This is not the time for such discussions.”
“We don’t know when he will wake up,” Harrison said to her. “It wouldn’t be best to put this off for the unknown.”
“It has only been three days since the fire. I’m sure he will wake up any minute now. That private investigator of yours can go away until Cedric is well enough to receive such information.”
At last, she spoke.
“What is the matter?”
Cedric’s heart skipped a beat. He watched the side of her face, admiring the way her brows dipped delicately into a frown.
Harrison looked at her, ready to respond. But then he noticed Cedric. “Cedric!” he gasped. “You’re awake!”
Caroline swiveled in her chair. Cedric would have given up everything he possessed just to witness that look of pure happiness and relief on her face one more time.
“See?” came Grace’s voice. “I told you it would happen at any minute.”
They crowded his bed. Caroline shot to her feet as he began to sit up. “You shouldn’t move just yet,” she said worriedly. “We should have the physician take a look at you.”
“I feel quite well,” he told her gently. “Doesn’t feel at all as if I have been sleeping for three days.”
Tears swam in her eyes. She reached out to take his hand. “Cedric…”
Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by the butler clearing his throat. “Shall I see him in then, my lady?” he asked.
Grace whirled on him but Cedric saved him from a verbal lashing by saying, “Yes, bring him in.”
“Cedric, perhaps you should take some time to reorient yourself before you handle business matters again,” Harrison suggested.
“There is no need. I remembered that there was a fire and I went back in to ensure everyone had made it out safely. Is Linton—”
“He is fine,” Harrison assured him.
“Very well. I suppose all is as it should be in the end. Pray, admit him.”
“For Heaven's sake, it may indeed be a fortuitous circumstance that the fire spared your life, given your obstinate resolve to toil yourself to the grave.”
Cedric could only smile at the dark humor. He squeezed Caroline’s hand and she smiled gently, still crying.
Mr. Thatcher was brought in shortly after. He acknowledged everyone with one curt nod before he began. “I have concluded the matter, my lord. I have found the culprit.”
“Have you now?” Cedric probed.
“In fact, he was revealed to me by someone close to him. Do you know Lord Simon Ashworth?”
The anger was fast and swift. A part of him knew Simon had been behind it. Even with the lack of evidence pointing at him, Cedric was not surprised to know that his former friend had gone out of his way to ruin his life again.
“He is the one who bribed your former steward and orchestrated the attacks on your shipments and your warehouse. He was also responsible for bribing the workers at the dock who stole your goods. The ones we failed to catch even though we had the information. Lady Isabella Ashworth, his wife, came to me with the information after I approached her once to glean what she knew. Apparently, she could no longer handle the guilt and wanted to relieve her conscience.”
Harrison let out a low whistle. “I cannot say that I am surprised. I suppose old habits die hard.”
“Is she willing to confess that information to the authorities?” Cedric asked Mr. Thatcher.
The private investigator nodded. “She says that she is, even if it will affect her as well.”
