Livinia’s heart echoed Olivia’s concerns. There was a lot at stake if she messed things up; it wasn’t just her heart that would be broken if she upset the wrong person. She could pay with her life if she got in too deep.
Chapter 26
Livinia kept her eyes on the house as she hugged the line of trees that boarded the Fletcher estate. She had gone into London hoping that Miss Patmore would speak to the earl, but the woman was insistent upon remaining as far away from Thomas and the entire situation as possible.
She didn’t blame her in the end; things seemed to be getting more dangerous the more Livinia uncovered.
Is Thomas truly capable of murder?
The thought made her sick to her stomach. She had been living in the same house as a man who thought so little of human life that he would take it if her suspicions were true.
A branch cracked behind her, making Livinia stop and turn. Late autumn had stripped all the trees of their greenery, and the forest floor was covered in brown underbrush and leaves.
It could be a deer.
She tried to reassure herself with the thought as her eyes scanned the line of trees. But then again, all the deer would have gone further into the woods. It was too close to winter to have the animals coming right up to the house. Her heart beat faster as her breath became visible in front of her face.
The forest was eerily quiet, a little too quiet for her liking.
Turning around, she decided to hurry towards the house; if anyone was in the forest, they certainly didn’t want her to see them. Her boots crunched the dead leaves beneath her feet as she hurried along. The earthy smell of dried debris filled the air with a chill that had little to do with the cold.
Livinia’s heart began to pound like the beating of a drum as leaves cracked behind her in the forest. Someone was giving chase.
Lifting the hem of her dress, she began to run towards the house; even if the Fletcher family or one of the servants spotted her, it would be better than losing her life.
Looking over her shoulder, Livinia spotted a hooded figure in the distance. Their cloak was pulled down over their face, obscuring the person’s identity. Whoever it was was gaining on her with momentous speed.
Lord, help me!
She began to pant for breath, her lungs stinging with effort as she realized she’d taken a wrong turn when she looked back. The forest was now before her, with the large mansion in the opposite direction.
“No!” Livinia screamed at the top of her lungs as a strong hand gripped her elbow and spun her around. The force sent her spinning to the forest floor as she raised an arm in defence.
A flock of birds took flight amidst the commotion, their wings creating a deafening sound in the bare canopy of the trees.
“Livinia, do not scream!” a man pleaded with her as he hunkered down at her side, allowing his hood to fall back.
Opening her eyes, Livinia felt her blood turn to ice. The man who had been pursuing her was Thomas. She instantly began to fear for her life as she raked her mind for an escape. He must have realized what she was doing and came to stop her in her tracks.
“I’m not going to hurt you!” he hissed through his teeth.
Livinia frowned as she searched his face. It didn’t seem as if he were angry at all; on the contrary, his eyes were filled with a palpable fear that rivalled her own. “What are you doing here?” she managed to ask when her breathing had slowed.
“I need to speak to you; I have been hiding out in the woods for days, hoping you would make an appearance. We have to talk before it’s too late.” He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet.
“What do you mean before it’s too late?” she asked wearily, not entirely trusting him yet. She quickly mapped out a path of escape through the trees.
Thomas composed himself and took a deep breath that seemed to cause him more pain as he exhaled and shut his eyes. “His Lordship and Lady Theodora are in grave danger. I need you to return home with me and speak to Lord Sheffield.”
Thomas’s words took her by surprise and almost knocked the wind from her lungs as she placed a fist against the pit of her stomach. “I don’t understand …” Her voice was soft as she gasped for breath.
If Thomas was truly at fault for what happened, it didn’t make any sense that he was coming to her now for help.
Unless he’s trying to trick you …
Her heart fluttered a little, her eyes darting towards Thomas.
“I think you should have a seat.” Thomas gestured towards a fallen tree a few feet into the forest.
Livinia hesitated, judging the distance it would take for her to escape.
Thomas took a step back and raised his hands in the air before flicking his cloak open for Livinia to see. “I will keep a reasonable distance between us. I’m not concealing any weapons. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say.” The pleasing look of honesty in his eyes made Livinia want to hear him out.
“I will listen, but you must keep your word and not come any closer.” Her eyes drifted over his form in search of any concealed weapons.
“Fair enough.” There was a glint of hurt in his eyes, but Livinia wasn’t willing to risk her life for the sake of his feelings.
She kept her eyes on him at all times while walking to the fallen tree and taking a seat. True to his words, Thomas chose a spot a good distance from her that would still allow him to speak to her.
“I can see by the way you are wary of me that you have done a great deal of digging. I can only say that while I was not directly involved in the murder of the late earl and countess, I had my part to play in it.” He looked into the line of trees rather than looking directly at Livinia.
Is he feeling guilty?
“Why come forward now, after all these years, when so much time has passed?” Her voice came out in a sharp rasp; she still couldn’t believe that Thomas was in front of her confessing.
“I didn’t leave the mansion once all the staff left because I began to realize that Eleanor had only been using me. She was never in love with me like I thought she was. I should never have listened to her, to begin with.” The pain in his voice was just as palpable as the guilt in his eyes. Thomas was a man scorned by love, trying his best to right the wrongs of the past.
Livinia could hardly believe that she had been right as he sat before her, confessing to his past. There was something utterly defeated in the way he spoke. His words drew her in until her sense of defence had all but vanished.
