Jim shook his head. “If I had, I would have told you before now.”
“Makes no sense. Why would Avendale—”
The door opened and Jack strode in, extending a piece of paper. “This just came for you.”
Luke took it. The seal was broken. “You looked at it.”
“I needed to know if it was as urgent as the man who delivered it claimed.”
Luke scowled at him, then unfolded the note. His stomach dropped to the floor.
I need you at Avendale’s.
Bring Dr. Graves.
Quickly.
—C
Luke had left Jim to see to Evans and headed to Avendale’s, with a quick stop by Bill’s residence to alert him that his services were needed. Bill had come in his own conveyance so he wouldn’t be dependent upon Luke for transportation. Frannie had come along as well. Luke hadn’t known what to expect, but had feared the worst. He’d almost fallen to his knees with relief when he’d realized it was the duchess and not Catherine who needed Bill’s services.
Now Luke sat on a bench beside Catherine outside the Duchess of Avendale’s bedchamber. He’d caught only a glimpse of her before Bill had ushered everyone except Frannie out of the room. If Luke hadn’t known who she was because of Catherine’s concern for her, he’d have never recognized her as the duchess.
“The name you’d have eventually given to me, if you’d not changed your mind this evening—would it have belonged to Avendale?” he asked quietly.
With tears welling in her eyes, Catherine nodded.
“I assume this isn’t the first time he’s taken his fists to his wife.”
Taken his fists to her, then fled. No doubt to Dodger’s.
Catherine shook her head. “But it’s the worst. And it’s my fault. He was unhappy that you were in his residence. I should have known better. He’s such a controlling beast. Winnie has to account for every minute of every day. And your name wasn’t on the guest list, but I wanted to dance with you on a ballroom floor. How stupid and selfish. I should have lied and told you he’d taken my virtue and then this matter would be done.”
“It’s not an easy thing to live with a lie, Catherine.” He knew that truth well enough.
“Do you think it is an easy thing to know you are responsible for your friend’s death?”
“She’s not dead yet. Don’t give up on her so easily. Bill is very good at what he does.”
“Two of Avendale’s wives have died. I shall never forgive myself if Winnie does as well. Because I was a coward and waited. As much as I wanted the deed done, I began to worry about how I would feel afterward, how I’d live with myself. And now look what’s happened to her.”
“Catherine, it’s not your fault.”
“It is. As I explained.”
“What did you do, sweetheart? You sent out an invitation to a person he’d not anticipated. I killed a man and no one took a fist to me.” He put his arm around her, drew her near, and pressed a kiss to her temple. “His punishment doesn’t fit your crime.”
Catherine took such comfort from Claybourne’s nearness. From the moment that Winnie’s lady’s maid had shown up at Catherine’s residence weeping, Catherine had feared the worst, and she’d not hesitated to send for Claybourne, for herself more so than Winnie. She knew she could draw from his strength. Knew she would find comfort in his presence.
“How many stab wounds would it take to kill a person?” she asked.
“One if you do it right. But using a knife makes it very personal, Catherine.”
“A pistol would be better then.”
“Only if you’re a very good marksman.”
She moved out from beneath his arm and shored up her courage. “Can you teach me to be a good marksman?”
“I could. But I see no need. I’ll take care of this matter.”
He took her hand, rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, then circled it over the back of her hand. It felt so lovely, so tender, so reassuring.
“I thought you were a beast,” she said quietly.
“Closer to the devil, don’t you think?”
Ah, yes, the Devil Earl. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d thought of him in those terms. “Why did you kill the man you did?”
“Because he hurt Frannie.”
Catherine tried to remember when everything had taken place.
“She would have been a child at the time.”
“Indeed, she was, and in spite of the life she’d led, up until that moment, she was a very sweet and innocent child.”
“Have you killed anyone else?”
He slowly shook his head.
“But you’ll kill Avendale?”