•••
Thefootman in the hall and the butler who joined him there on Ashley’s return did not know where Major Cunningham was, though they believed it was somewhere outside the house. The butler thought he was probably in the carriage house, personally supervising the preparations for the afternoon’s drive.
“You will find him,” Ashley said curtly, “and ask him to meet me in the ballroom at his earliest convenience.” He turned toward the staircase and took the stairs two at a time.
Some minutes later, as he was leaving Roderick Cunningham’s room, he came face-to-face with Luke.
“Ah,” Luke said, “the wanderer has returned. And the revelries are about to begin.” His eyes lowered to the sword Ashley held in his hand and moved to the other sword he wore at his side. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. He looked thoughtfully at the door to the major’s room.
“I am on my way to the ballroom,” Ashley said. “He is to meet me there. Go to the ladies, Luke, if you will be so good, and keep them well out of the way.”
“I trust,” Luke said, looking again at the swords, “that there is good reason?”
“Everyreason in the world,” Ashley said.
“Then I shall be present in the ballroom too, my dear,” Luke said. “After I have given my instructions to Anna and to Emily, that is.” He turned and walked away without another word.
•••
MajorCunningham was already in the ballroom when Ashley arrived there. He was standing in the middle of the floor looking up at the high-coved ceiling.
“’Tis really quite magnificent, by Jove,” he said, half glancing at Ashley. “I did not particularly look up when you gave me the tour of the house, Ash. Are you planning to give a ball here? A farewell ball, perhaps? I would be delighted to assist you.”
“No,” Ashley said.
“Then why the summons here?” His friend looked at him with a grin. “It had a dash of mystery to it. The ballroom in the middle of an afternoon.” But his eyes had lighted on the sword—his own—clutched in Ashley’s hand. Then they moved to take in the sword at Ashley’s side. And finally they looked up to Ashley’s grim face. “Ah, Lady Emily has spoken to you already then?”
“I have been your dupe,” Ashley said.
“No, Ash.” Major Cunningham did not move from where he stood. “You have been my friend. You still are.”
Ashley saw the major’s eyes move beyond his shoulder and guessed that Luke had come into the ballroom. He did not look back and Luke made no move to intrude.
“You killed my wife,” Ashley said. “And my son.”
“He was not your—”
“You killed Thomas Kendrick,my son,”Ashley said. “You killed Lady Ashley Kendrick, my wife.”
“Ash.” Major Cunningham spread his hands to his sides. “She was a wicked woman. You have learned that for yourself during the past week. She killed her own brother, for whom she had an unnatural passion, to prevent him from marrying a woman she thought beneath him and to prevent that woman’s child from becoming his heir. She made you miserable. Do you think I did not know that? I was yourfriend.I released you from a life sentence.”
“’Twas why you befriended me,” Ashley said. “So that you could get close to her.”
“But I soon felt a genuine friendship for you,” Major Cunningham said. “I did for you what you could not even dream of doing for yourself, Ash.”
“Why was she at home that night?” Ashley asked.
The major shrugged and looked apologetic. “She disliked me,” he said. “Much can be made of dislike, Ash. Attraction can come of dislike. She found me attractive.”
“And you knew I would be safely from home for the night,” Ashley said. “Did you arrange that too?”
“A few words supposedly from Mrs. Roehampton to you, a few words supposedly from you to her...” The major shrugged. “I merely enabled the two of you to recognize a mutual attraction, Ash. Forgive me for the pain you felt afterward. I know there has been a great deal. But I rescued you from a great evil. I am glad you have discovered the truth. Yes, I truly am. Now you will be able to let go of your damnable sense of guilt. You will realize that you were not in any way to blame for what happened.”
“You murdered my wife and son,” Ashley said.
“Murder,” the major said softly. “’Tis a harsh word, Ash. I am a soldier. I have killed a hundred times—more. I have never thought of myself as a murderer. And if ’tis any consolation, they died quickly, the two of them, and the nurse—they were dead before the fire. I did that much for them.”
“You tried to kill Lady Emily Marlowe yesterday morning,” Ashley said.
