Page 46 of Secrets of Capell Manor
Lady Rosalind awoke suddenly from her slumber. She was surprised she’d fallen asleep at all, and her neck was stiff from her position in the chair. The fire was but embers in the grate and the moon hung low in the night sky, casting a soft glow through the one glass window in her chamber. Once she got her bearings, she thought the sound that woke her was a door slamming. Had Sir Devlin returned?
Her heart pounded as she rose, stiff from the chair, and grabbed her robe. She opened the door to her bedchamber andonly took a few steps when she saw Sir Devlin round the corner in the hall. Warmth spread through her body. She finally exhaled the breath trapped within her. He was safe. He was unharmed.
But then her gaze traveled up to his face, and her heart fell. His eyes lit up briefly upon meeting hers but then worry replaced the spark and he forced a slight grin to his drawn lips.
“Lady Rosalind,” he began gently, “it’s more than we thought. Lord Edmond was involved in treacherous dealings against the king. His actions put not only the monarchy at risk but also your well-being.”
Rosalind’s eyes widened. “Tell me. What did you find out?”
Devlin carefully explained the fabricated information Capell was feeding to the king that protected the Parliamentarians and provided them with funds to buy weapons, travel, and spread information to advance their cause.
“How could my uncle have given anything to these men? He hardly had any funds to spare. I know the king rewarded him for information about his enemies, but it wasn’t much.”
“He gave the traitors your money, Lady Rosalind.”
“Mymoney. How can that be, Sir Devlin? I’ve never seen a single coin from my uncle. Supposedly, the king has control of my dowry, but that will go to my future husband, not to me.”
“Lady Rosalind, the king has been sending Capell a cut from the estate rents from your family’s lands since you were brought here.”
“Yes, I know, but…”
“What you don’t know is that the king sent specific instructions each year that you were to receive a portion of that cut. You should have received these funds—or at the very least, Edmond was supposed to spend the money on your needs, clothing, your education, whatever you’d expect a lady to need. The money was sent for your care and upbringing. The entries in the first journal. So many I can explain now.”
“Well, that never happened,” Rosalind said in disgust.
“He’s been using your money, Lady Rosalind. Your allowance has been given to the Parliamentarians. Some believe you’ve supported their actions.”
Rosalind was speechless.
“I need you to understand that the evidence against your uncle is damning, and the king may believe you are complicit in Capell’s betrayal,” Devlin said.
Rosalind’s eyes welled with tears as the gravity of the situation sank in. “But it’s not true! I never had access to any of this money the king allotted for me. How could he have done such a thing?” She shook her head at her own question. “Of course, he did it! How could I even think that he had a shred of morals in that wretched body of his? He cared for no one but himself!”
Tears of worry were now tears of rage. “He made my life miserable every moment he was alive, and now that he’s dead, he still threatens all that I love. I could lose the children! I could be married off to Roland or to some other wretched man. And if I never saw Marta and Benton, I couldn’t bear it.” Rosalind’s knees buckled, and she nearly fell to the floor, but Devlin caught her in his arms.
“You must know that I will do everything in my power to protect you. I will not let Capell’s deceit ruin your life.”
She held his arms tighter and then laid her head on his broad chest. The strong, steady beat of his heart calmed her.
“But what can we do? The only person who should be brought to justice is also the only one who can testify that I had no knowledge of my money being used to overthrow the monarchy. And he is dead!”
Devlin outlined the plan to expose Capell’s treachery, emphasizing the need for Rosalind to distance herself from her uncle’s actions. “We must act swiftly and decisively. Mr. Kelleyleft only moments ago. He is prepared to report to the king that you had no knowledge of your uncle’s dealings.”
“He left? At this hour? Mr. Kelley has turned out to be quite a surprise, hasn’t he? I would have never expected him to come to my aid.”
“It’s your spell, Lady Rosalind. You enchanted me easily enough. I fear no man is immune to your charms.”
“There was one man who never succumbed to my charm, Sir Devlin. One that never cared or loved me. And now his deeds stand in the way of my freedom and could ruin the lives of the children and Benton and Marta, too.” Tears of frustration welled up once more.
“We will face this together, milady. Your uncle was the worst type of traitor—he plotted against his king, but also his flesh and blood. My blood boils thinking about him, and if I had him in front of me now, I would haul him to the chopping block and drop the ax myself.”
Rosalind knew he would, and this realization comforted her. However, her worry for the children, Marta and Benton, loomed large still.
“You have to promise me, Sir Devlin. You have to promise me that no matter what happens to me, you will do whatever you can to ensure the children are taken care of. They come first, understand? I can’t have them sent to a horrible orphanage or become street beggars…or worse, be sold into servitude. Can you do that?”
Devlin nodded.
Chapter Fourteen
