Page 58 of Sinfully Mine
I can make her a widow again.
Drew pasted a pleasant smile on his face once more. “I can understand his discretion.”
“Mr.MasonGodwick, Senior,” the clerk paused, “may he rest in peace, would behorrifiedby his son’s behavior. As am I.” A sigh escaped Stone. “It is just as well I will no longer be in his employ.”
Drew regarded the clerk with sympathy. “I am sorry to hear that, Mr. Stone. I found you to be a most competent clerk.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sinclair.” Stone gave a sniff. “My loyalty has always been to the elder Mr. Godwick. He’d asked me many times to watch out for his son, who was unwell at times.”
Clearly, Godwick’s father had found something amiss with his son.
“It is the only reason I’ve stayed on since Mr. Godwick’s death despite his son threatening to fire me at every turn.” He looked up at Drew. “It was I who sent the letter informing you of Blackbird Heath. I’m sorry it took me so long to find it.”
Because Martin had intentionally hidden the documents. Drew might still be unaware of his ownership of the estate had Stone not found and sent the letter.
He strolled about the office, noting the small miniature of a lovely blonde dressed in pale blue. “Mrs. Godwick, I take it.”
“Yes.” Stone flushed a bit. “Gone far too soon.” He cast a glance at the miniature, his pudgy face worshipful.
Interesting. It seemed Martin Godwick wasn’t the only one suffering from unrequited love. Perhaps Drew could use that to his advantage.
“Mrs. Godwick was quite lovely. From my brief time in Horncastle, I heard her mentioned with great respect.”
“Everyone loved her.”
Drew moved from the portrait of Ellie Godwick to a drawing of a small house next to a stream, tucked into the woods. A hunting lodge of sorts, perhaps. The artist had been quite good.
“This is a lovely drawing,” Drew said, feeling a hum beneath his skin. “A hunting cottage of Mr. Godwick’s? I don’t recall seeing it on my travels around Horncastle.”
Stone opened up the folder, leafing through the documents before looking up. “Not a hunting lodge, it’s not nearly so fine. More a place to fish. Mason Godwick loved to fish. Trout, mostly. He took me there for a few days once. We fished. Drank a great deal of brandy. Unusual, to be sure, for a solicitor and his clerk. But we were quite close.” He frowned. “Pity his son never cared for the place. I’m sure it’s fallen into disrepair.”
Drew’s heart thumped harder in his chest as he stared at the drawing. Godwick would want to keep Hester somewhere near Horncastle but secluded. “Is it nearby?”
“In a manner of speaking. The area is remote. Well off any known road. Mr. Godwick said the trout didn’t care for noise. And he liked the silence.”
Hester was there. Drew would bet his life on it. “Stone, do you recall where this cabin is located?”
“I do. As I said, I’ve been there several times. Not only to fish, of course. That was only the one time. But I used to take Mr. Godwick papers and such when he was there.”
“Can you draw me a map? Give me directions?”
“Of course, but—” The clerk’s brow furrowed.
“And Stone, I’m going to need you to do the same for the constable when you alert him immediately after I depart.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Drew urged hishorse faster, glancing down every so often at the map clasped in one hand, grateful that Stone detested Martin Godwick and had been only too happy to help once Drew explained some of the situation and swore the clerk to secrecy. At least until Hester was safe. Godwick was clearly not in his right mind and there wasn’t any telling what he was capable of.
Hester, I’m coming.
He cursed himself again for leaving her to the tender mercy of Godwick, and for doubting her.
Stone clearly detested Martin Godwick and relayed a wealth of information about his soon-to-be former employer. Godwick, according to Stone, had been behaving oddly for some time. Stone had witnessed several violent episodes recently, one in which Godwick had repeatedly punched a wall until his hand was a mass of bruises and blood. The elder Mr. Godwick harbored suspicions about his son, but it wasn’t until after Martin wed Ellie that he confided in Stone. The clerk also mentioned the sudden death of the elder Godwick from a fall down a flight of stairs in which he’d hit his head. But before that, Martin’s father had complained of a stomach ailment to Stone, the same as Ellie Godwick.
There was also the matter of a strange man who’d come to Godwick & Son’s only last week. Stone didn’t hear the man’s name, but he’d barged in and argued with Godwick about payment before storming out, cradling the splint wrapped around his obviously broken wrist.
Drew’s assailant in Horncastle. Hired by Godwick.
