Page 48 of Code Name Duchess
As the butler departed, Seth attempted to walk back into the drawing room, but Winnifred shook her head. “No, the drawing room is too exposed for information as sensitive as this. I’m afraid…. “
Her words trailed off, but Seth already knew precisely what she wasn’t able to say. If the news was grave, she did not wish to be anywhere near visitors. She did not want to be seen nor heard. And he understood, yes, he was grateful. For he, too, feared what his reaction might be if they received disturbing news.
“Let us go to the library. When Leo is not here, and I am not using it, it is never occupied. Nobody will venture there; we will not be bothered.”
The plain blue gown she wore at Vauxhall Gardens swished as Winnifred rushed up the steps and then down the hall and into the library. Then, as Seth followed her into the grand room, she shut the heavy oak doors behind them, and then, only then, did she hand him the letter.
He hadn’t realized just how terrified he was until she placed the letter in his hands and he saw how much he was shaking. He trembled so much he could not hold on to the letter, and if it weren’t for Winnifred clasping her hands around his, he would certainly have dropped it to the floor.
“Whatever this letter contains, we must remind ourselves that we are not alone. We have one another now. And we must be strong. For each other. And for Victoria, for it is she, not my uncle, who will suffer the effects of her actions all of her life. She is a silly girl, but she is sensitive as well.”
Even in this hour, which surely had to be one of the darkest of Winnifred’s life, she still thought of others. The love filled Seth’s heart as he looked at her and assented to her request.
“I promise I will be here for you. And Victoria. Whatever the news.”
And with that, Seth unfolded the letter and began to read.
Chapter 24
He did not have to speak the words, for his countenance told her all she needed to know. With every single word he read, his face turned pale and paler, his beautiful rich lips trembled as he mouthed the words. When he finished reading and lowered the letter, he cast his eyes in her direction, and the sorrow, the depth of despair, could not be denied. The news, Winnifred knew, was grave.
She steadied herself against the door frame, a hand digging into it as though it could somehow keep her from fainting upon hearing the awful truth.
“It is bad, is it not?”
His voice trembled as he replied, and she noticed how the gentle shaking that took hold of his hands upon receipt of the letter spread up his arms and into his shoulders.
“It is awful. Winnifred, I do not even want to tell you the contents of this letter, but I know I must.” He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, squeezing lightly. “Winnifred…” His eyes gleamed with tears which spilled over and ran down his cheeks, then disappeared beneath his cravat.
“The letter is written by Elton himself. And he says that it is too late. He says they are dead.”
She already knew what he would say, and yet the worddeadhit her like a slap directly to the face. She took a step back as her hands flew to her lips, stifling her cry. His grip on her shoulders intensified. She wanted to faint, but feeling his strong fingers dig into her shoulders kept her in the here and now. She clapped onto his forearms, holding herself up with all of her might.
“No… No… Leo. It cannot be true. It cannot be. It has only been hours since the exchange went wrong. They want their money. It cannot be….
“That is not all, Winnie.”
She gazed up at him, not understanding what he was trying to say. She heard the words coming out of his mouth, but they made no sense. They were nothing but garbled letters strung together without any meaning.
“Winnie, I wish that the announcement of our siblings’ death was the worst that this letter delivered, but there is more.” He removed his hands from her shoulders, and she realized he had been holding onto the letter with one hand the entire time. Now he handed it to her, and she stared at it. She took in the words written on thin paper, and it struck her as curious how neat the writing was.
Slowly she took it from Seth’s hands and held it up to her face. His writing was like that of a schoolgirl. Neat, meticulous. Each letter crafted as if it were a piece of art.
How curious, that at this moment, I should be reminded of my old governess who stood behind my shoulder and made me repeat the same letters again and again until they looked perfect. This man, Elton, who robbed me of my brother, has the same penmanship.
She blinked, knowing that she was procrastinating. It was as if, as long as she hadn’t read the words herself, Leo wasn’t gone. However, she knew she could not push away the inevitable any further. With a heavy heart, she read the words written before her. The words she knew would end the world as she knew it.
Your Grace,
I was pleased to receive your letter proclaiming your willingness to arrange another date and time to pay us the money we requested for the release of your sister and Lord Drayton.
I regret to inform you it is too late. We were very clear in our instructions. We were also very clear about what the consequences would be if these instructions were not followed precisely. It matters little on whose orders the authorities were called. At the end of the day, we were left with an empty sack and two mouths to feed without additional funds.
You must understand we could not deprive our nearest and dearest to continue to provide for your sister and Lord Drayton.
I am sorry to say they have been dispatched. If you like, further communication can be sent to arrange for the retrieval of their bodies. That is, should you care to bury the bodies. You did not care enough to retrieve them alive. Otherwise, you would have followed our instructions.
Please give our kindest regards to Miss Keating and her uncle.
