Page 51 of A Victim, A Viscount, And Miss Mifford
"When I heard that Lord Crabb had died," Prunella continued with a shrug, "I fell to the floor sobbing with relief that I would not be forced to marry him. I did not think that Theodore had anything to do with it, I thought it was Mr Bonville. When I next met Theodore, I expected him to ask me to marry him. I expected him to say that the plan had not worked out, but we would be wed no matter what."
"But he did not?" Jane guessed.
"He said he could not marry a woman with a dowry as insignificant as my own," Prunella responded, her eyes dead, "He moved his affections onto Mrs Lacey."
"You were upset?" Jane asked, and Prunella nodded her head.
"I loved him," she explained, her voice cracking with emotion, "I could not understand how anyone could transfer their affections so quickly. I told him that I would do anything he wanted, as long as he did not leave me, so he suggested that I make another attempt to become a viscountess."
Jane stilled; she had not wanted to think that the encounter between Prunella and the new Lord Crabb had been down to scheming, but she had been very, very wrong.
"I am so embarrassed," Prunella sniffed, dabbing at her cheeks with the handkerchief, "I threw myself at poor Lord Crabb—he practically threw me off him. When the scheme did not go to plan, and Sarah did not discover us as Theodore had planned, Theodore became most upset. He said that I would have to try again, or he would leave me for Mrs Lacey. It was only then that I realised he did not love me at all. What man would keep hurting a woman he professed to love?"
"A bad man," Jane answered firmly, reaching out to squeeze Prunella's hand.
"I told him that I wanted nothing more to do with him," Prunella continued, her voice grim, "But he in turn told me that he would ruin me if I tried to leave him. To bide my time, while I tried to think of a means of escape, I entertained him—meeting him here in the mornings, to talk through our next steps. It was only when that poor maid was attacked, that I realised Theodore was not just bad, he was evil."
Poor Prunella, Jane thought, no wonder she had looked so wretched since Lord Crabb's death, her very existence had been a living hell.
"When did you realise that it was Mr Adonis who had killed Lord Crabb?" Jane asked.
"This morning when I heard that the maid from Plumpton Hall had been attacked," Prunella answered, "I had told him in passing about the conversation I had heard between you and Sarah, thinking it just idle gossip. He became agitated and pressed me for more and more details, which I could not give him. When I heard that the poor girl had been attacked, I realised that it must have been he who did it. I came here today, determined to get the truth from him, but when I confronted him, he attacked me. And, well, you know the rest from there."
Prunella sighed, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. She was so young, Jane thought sadly, so silly and naive to have trusted Mr Adonis—though any green-girl, straight out of the schoolroom, would likely have also succumbed to his charms.
"It is over now, Prunella," Jane assured her, squeezing her hand once more, "You're free to live your life again. Just think, next season this will all be but a distant memory."
"Who will want me as a wife now?" Prunella questioned, her tone dejected.
"Plenty," Jane replied, bracingly, "You are a beautiful young lady and more besides; you are brave and strong, and you now have the wisdom to know that a pretty face is not the only thing required in a husband."
Her words cheered Prunella and, in turn, the sound of footsteps approaching cheered Jane. She turned her head and caught sight of the viscount, flanked by the driver and two footmen, approaching the entrance to the archway.
"The cavalry has arrived," Jane whispered to Prunella, before standing to her feet.
She offered the young lady a hand to stand, and they both walked out to meet the menfolk.
"You can drag him," Ivo said to the servants, nodding towards at Mr Adonis' unconscious form, "Don't waste your energy trying to carry the lout. I shall escort the ladies back to the carriage."
With that, the viscount led the two ladies back to the road, where Lord Crabb's carriage had been joined by that of Sir Charles. Lord Crabb handed a tearful Prunella over to her father, before leading Jane to his carriage.
"I will ride to Hillside House, to explain what happened," he said, taking Jane's hand in his, "Mrs Hardbottle will see you home."
Jane opened her mouth to object, but the viscount shook his head.
"I insist," he said firmly, "You have had a trying afternoon, I shall take over from here. Go home and rest; I shall call on you later to let you know how it all went."
He was so solid and reassuring that for a moment, Jane felt a strong urge to lean against his broad chest and feel his arms around her. How could she have doubted him? How could she have believed that he would betray her so callously, when he was loyal and true?
From the carriage Mrs Hardbottle gave an irritated cough, to indicate that she was unwilling to wait on them any longer. Wishing to convey all that she felt, but without having the time—or the privacy—to do so, Jane gazed up at the viscount, wide eyed, hoping that he might read her thoughts.
It appeared to work, for Lord Crabb smiled down at her in return and Jane's heart soared, only for it to crash back down to earth moments later.
"Have you something in your eye?" the viscount queried, all concern. He placed a hand on Jane's elbow to guide her over to the carriage, where he handed her over to Mrs Hardbottle.
"Miss Mifford appears to have something in her eye," the viscount told the housekeeper, "I beg you attend to her, then take her home. Miss Mifford; I mean it when I say you must rest."
Lord Crabb tipped the brim of his hat to the ladies, before quickly departing. As she watched him leave, Jane experienced a dreadful sinking sensation in her stomach; the mystery of who had murdered Lord Crabb had been solved, and their tenuous link had finally been severed. Was it possible that the viscount would now walk out of her life forever?
