Page 91 of The No Good Irresistible Viscount Tipton
Devona’s spirits were already wallowing in the grave. “That isn’t Lady Claeg.”
“No.” He raised his hand to the mysterious lady. She set aside the reins and climbed down from the gig, each step bringing her closer to the bleak gathering. “Madam, come join Lady Tipton and settle her concerns. She feared I had set Lady Claeg upon her.”
The woman tilted her face upward, her somber features quite distinct. Devona did not realize she was swaying into a faint until Oz’s firm hand halted her descent and steadied her.
“Who is this Claeg woman?” the Dowager Lady Tipton asked, her eyes widening at the disheveled condition of her daughter-in-law.
“A mother who recently buried a son. I am certain you can understand.”
Jocelyn’s gaze held Devona’s. She seemed to be cataloging every detail, from her torn dirty dress and lack of shoes to the dried blood on her face, then up to the snarl of hair, the sad remains of her pretty hairdressing. “What is she doing here?”
“Did you think your son would walk into an ambush solely by request? I needed an attractive lure.”
“You never mentioned anyone else getting hurt.”
Oz’s eyes hardened; the sound of the shovel striking and hollowing out the grave filled the silence. “You have not needed to be privy to all the details, nor have you shown any desire to be enlightened.”
Jocelyn seemed to want to protest, but she remained mute.
Devona had no such problem. “What kind of mother would conspire to have her son murdered? What did he ever do to deserve this?” she demanded. Oh, if only her hands were free! Her blood pounded with rage. She felt strong enough to rip them all apart using her hands and teeth. Her intent must have shown on her face, because Jocelyn gave her a wary glance before stepping out of her range.
“An avenging angel to complement your demon, Lady Jocelyn,” Oz noted. “It is a pity you will never hold the passionate offspring the pair might have created.”
Devona cried, “No!”
The statement also shook Jocelyn. “You have no need to keep Devona here. Your trap is baited, Mr. Rawley. My son is coming for her.”
“Rawley?” Devona echoed. “Lady Jocelyn, do you not even know the name of your henchman? This is Osmund Lockwood.”
“My dear, I claim both names. Lockwood is my middle name. When I set myself up in London, I was worried Tipton would recognize a family name.”
“Family.” She gasped, the meaning of the events becoming lethally apparent. “Next in line. Damn you both.”
Oz patted her cheek. “Always an intelligent girl.”
Devona charged her mother-in-law. “How you must hate him! I know all about your attempts to lock him away in an asylum. You must have been disappointed when he ruined your efforts by running away.”
“You cannot understand what I went through back then. I had just lost my firstborn, and soon after my second. The grief consumed me!” Jocelyn’s liquid gaze pleaded for her to understand.
“God in his mercy returned one of your sons.”
“The wrong one!” she wailed. “Devlin and I shared a bond that I never had with Rayne. He was an odd boy. Even as an infant, he would stare at me through his eerie silver gaze as if I had somehow failed him.”
“And you think doing this will help him? You are as mad as he is,” Devona declared, switching her gaze to Oz.
“I am not insane, Devona,” he protested. “A madman loses control and direction. Trust me, I am very sane.”
Jocelyn stepped closer to Devona. “Rayne will not die.” She dug into her reticule and removed a small blue bottle. “I have a gentleman friend who enjoys his gardens as much as my daughter. His favorite exotics have some very interesting effects. I distilled this myself. A few drops and you will have the most restful sleep.”
Devona eyed the bottle as if Jocelyn clutched a poisonous snake to her breast. “My God, you do not believe that foul brew will be used to correct any sleep disturbances?”
“If he had remained in India,” Jocelyn continued, “none of this would have occurred. Rayne could have been declared lost at sea and the title would have gone to Mr. Rawley. A fair allowance would have been agreed upon and we could have lived out our lives happily. Madeleina would have been raised in a manner deserving of her rank.”
Instead, Rayne had returned and amused himself by cutting his mother off from the funds she had obviously coveted more than her second son. His actions might have been considered petty, but Devona understood now the reasons for his cruelty. She trembled, grieving for the lost chance of giving him the love and family he had so long been denied. Lady Jocelyn had underestimated her distant relative. The ruthless man would bury more than one body this evening.
“The killing will not stop with Rayne, Lady Jocelyn.”
“Killing.” She blinked. “Heavens no, my dear. There shall be no murder.” She held up the bottle. “A few drops induce sleep, a bit more a deathlike state for a period. When the person revives, there is a forgetfulness. The severity depends on how much of the drug was consumed. Mr. Rawley will simply encourage my son to drink from the bottle, I assume in exchange for your freedom. He will then place Rayne on a sailing ship headed for an exotic destination. My son will begin a new life, Mr. Rawley will have his title, and I will have the funds to give Madeleina a dowry that will attract a respectable husband.”
