“I recognize it,” Owen said from beside Diana. She snapped her gaze towards him, watching as he lowered the cloth from his nose to speak. “I have passed it to the duke many a time before he has left the house. It was given to him by his mother.”
“Thank you. Mr?” the magistrate asked.
“Mr Arnold. I am his butler.”
“Not anymore,” Gilbert said tartly. Owen revealed the smallest of smiles as he looked at Diana, evidently not bothered in the slightest that he had lost his position.
“Jessie, would you care to tell us please how you came by this handkerchief?” the magistrate asked.
“My friend, Mr Parker,” she said, turning her gaze on the magistrate alone. “I went to his house this afternoon to find his wife. She told me he was clutching it the night they had found him badly burned. He had been whispering when he was unconscious.
He talked of chasing a man who started the fire, trying to stop him from fleeing. He was wiping ash from his face with this.” She gestured to the handkerchief. “He pushed Parker back where he fell into the flames.” Her voice squeaked at the end, trying to hold back the emotion.
Diana felt her hand curl around Owen’s arm, clinging to him. She had known for some time that Gilbert was a cruel man but capable of such horror as this?
“Do you deny it, Your Grace?” the magistrate asked.
“Of course I bloody well deny it!”
“Mr Potts doesn’t.” The magistrate shook his head. “Earlier this evening, he agreed to give his testimony against you for a shorter sentence. Unable to find another man willing to start the fire, you assisted Mr Potts at Brokerwood. He is willing to testify to it in court.”
“This is madness, utter invention!” Gilbert barked the words into the air and backed away, clearly intending to leave the hallway, but two constables blocked his path, preventing him from leaving. “Out of my way. This is my house, damn you. I will not have anyone take me from it.”
“Do you deny the charges still, Your Grace?” the magistrate asked.
“I had nothing to do with the fire at Brokerwood.”
“That is not true.” Lord Haroldson’s voice made Diana look around. He had been standing at the edge of the hallway with his hat in his hands, watching the scene before them unfold with interest.
“Be quiet.”
“You think I will be quiet now?” Lord Haroldson shook his head. “You killed a man, Your Grace. How can I stay quiet after that?”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“I owned Brokerwood forest.” Lord Haroldson stepped forward, addressing the magistrate.
“I said, be quiet!” Gilbert marched towards the lord as if intending to stop him with his hands, but another constable blocked his way.
“The duke approached me with a scheme in which we could both make money off the land. He purchased the land from me with the tenants. He promised when he sold the land at an inflated price we would split the profits. He never paid me,” Lord Haroldson explained.
“I knew of the fire, but I did not know anyone had died.” He stood straighter, walking towards the magistrate. “I am willing to pay the punishment for fraud, but I had nothing to do with the death.”
“Your name, Sir?” the magistrate asked.
“Lord Haroldson,” he said, bowing with the words. “You can have my statement in court too.”
“You little –” Gilbert tried to advance towards Lord Haroldson, but the constable restrained him. “Take your hands off me!”
“I think we have all the evidence we need.” The magistrate pocketed the bronze box and the handkerchief, before motioning to Lord Haroldson. “Would you come to make a statement for me, My Lord?”
“Of course.” Lord Haroldson hurried out the door, following one of the constables.
“Let go!” Gilbert snapped the words and tore himself away before he turned his eyes on Diana. She flinched under the strength of his gaze. “You started this, didn’t you?” he asked, stepping towards her.
“I …” She thought of trying to deny it, but why would she wish to? “I found your list,” she said quietly. “How could I stay quiet about that?”
“You harlot. You betraying chit of a wife –” He advanced towards her, somehow striding around one of the constables before he had realized what happened.
