“I will be fine,” she promised between kisses “Just a few scratches.”
Then she pulled back, her small hands fisting tightly in his hair as his own wrapped around her waist, ““You came for me,” Ophelia whispered, “Youactuallycame for me.”
Tristan’s hands trembled, caught between wanting to crush her to his chest and not wanting to harm her further.
“I love you,” he breathed as his lips pulled sweetly from hers, “God, I love you.”
Ophelia sighed happily on his lips and he breathed the sound in; loving the taste of it.
“I love you. You annoying, beautiful, irritating, wonderful man,” she replied, then kissed him deeply.
They pulled away from another, smiling, and he could not stop himself from brushing kisses over her cheek, her nose, her temple.
The sound of Alistair clearing his throat though, soon had them coming back to reality. Tristan kept his arm around Ophelia’s waist as the two of them turned. Outside, the sound of hoofbeats came, letting them know that Everett had arrived with constables.
“I hate to break up such a happy reunion,” Alistair said, his tone wary as he kneeled over Abraham, “But we may a dismal situation on our hands.”
The man was stirring awake, but just by the way his eyes rolled slowly around the room, Tristan knew something was off.
“Abraham,” Tristan stated his name.
Abraham showed no recognition that he knew such a name, just let out a childlike whimper. Tristan’s eyes then widened, feeling disturbed as the man drew his hand to his bloodstained lips. Tristan’s eyes shot to Alistair’s, who looked just as alarmed as Tristan felt.
“Look at the floor,” Alistair gently commanded, pointing to a particular spot.
Tristan and Ophelia both looked. Ophelia curled herself into his side as Tristan felt his stomach lurch when they saw Abraham’s tongue.
“He must have bitten off in the fall,” Alistair sighed, shaking his head. “Poor miserable man.”
“I believe we need to fetch a physician,” Tristan said.
“Aye,” Alistair said with a grave nod. “That we do.”
Three hours later, after constables questioned the guards, gathered evidence, and made their arrests, and Abraham was on his why to the psychiatric asylum, Tristan held Ophelia in front of him as the slowly rode back to London. Abraham had not broken a single bone during his tumble down the stairs, but it was clear that not only had he lost his tongue, but something had broken irrevocably inside his brain.
The man, who had only hours ago threatened all of their livelihood, now spoke in only gibberish and needed assistance walking. It was as if the knock to his head had transported him back to a much younger age- to an innocence he long ago lost.
After he was taken away from the physician, Ophelia seemed to notice Tristan’s discomfort, and she asked him what was wrong.
“It is awful,” he confessed.
“Tell me anyway,” she had gently insisted.
“I wanted him to suffer. But this? He will not ever be the same. Never be able to feel remorse or guilt. He will never be able to tell me what actually happened to my father.”
A moment of silence had stretched between him and Ophelia as the Cookham estate began to clear of constables and their new prisoners. Alistair was inside, looking for any more evidence Abraham might have had on the Devil’s Masquerade. Hugo, Everett, and Dominic were gathered in a circle in the gravel drive, murmuring about something as they occasionally threw worried glances toward Tristan and Ophelia a few paces away.
“He told me,” Ophelia had said after a while. “Of what happened. But I think we should wait for Alistair to come out. I think you all deserve to know.”
Once Alistair came out of the house, the five of them gathered, and Ophelia retold the story Abraham had shared with her. Her words disturbed Tristan greatly. He had no idea Abraham’s hatred for his family had run so deep- but at least now they all had answers.
“What were you thinking back there?” Ophelia asked, nudging the back of her head against his chest.
Everett stirred from his thoughts and smiled down at her as the sun began to set.
“It is hard to believe that this is all over,” he confessed. “Even after Boyle was arrested I had this feeling that something was still not right. Now I understand why.”
He paused, letting out a sigh as he rubbed his chin atop Ophelia’s head.
