“That’s impressive... for a corpse.”
“The locksmith received another contract, however. He needed to add another smithy and worker to assist in his manufacturing. I engaged a solicitor to act in my stead so he could get several investors involved.” She finished off her drink and released a shudder. The blue day dress tightened at her bodice, a touch of lace covering her neck. In the light of day, she was truly fetching.
He shook off the notion. It was the time to learn about her fraud, not to lust after her. “Mr. Zander provided the additional funds?”
“Yes. In a matter of three months, the widow had quite a nest egg. The other investors were making money as well. By this time, however, we were committing a crime by burying Mr. Zander’s body in a cemetery in the next county.”
“And fraud.”
“Yes. If my father ever found out, we could be arrested, or worse. During this time, I had taken on more and more responsibility for Waverley Park. I used the funds I made off Zander’s stipend to make improvements to the estate, so technically, my father didn’t lose out on any money.”
“You were rich. Why not declare Zander dead and move away?” Her father was a horrible man to allow the estate repairs to weigh on her shoulders. He didn’t deserve her loyalty.
“I was not rich at the time, and there is more to the story. Widow Jones’s son returned to Upper Waverley with a harrowing tale. On the merchant ship’s return voyage, it was set upon by a French brigade.”
“I am familiar with the story.” Langdon had learned about the ship during another investigation. He had even met Captain Jones socially on several occasions. “The captain and first mate were killed during the fight.”
“Yes, and it was all he and the others could do to escape with their lives. Jones took control as captain and returned the ship safely to England. The captain’s widow was distraught over her husband’s death and had no plans for the ship until Zander asked to captain it for her. She sadly told him she didn’t have the funds for another expedition and would most likely sell the vessel. After much discussion, he persuaded her to not sell the ship but allow him time to fund an expedition. She agreed, and he returned home desperate for money from his uncle.”
“Only to find out he was dead.” All the pieces fell into place. She had confided in him about her intelligence, and as the story unfolded, he was more impressed than ever with the way her mind worked.
“We were forced to take him into our confidence, and after much discussion, hit upon a plan. I approached the locksmith who readily agreed to the scheme and provided monies for the cause. Cook gave her life savings as did Gellman. My mother had left me jewelry, enough to pawn for the remainder of the cash. After the first expedition went off without a hitch, we funded a second and then a third one. All of this takes time and detailed preparation. One misstep and all would be lost.”
“And now you’re an heiress in your own right.” Unlike the first time he’d seen her, she was dressed in a fashionable dress the color of the sky. It enhanced her pale skin and inky hair. He’d had the pleasure of burying his fingers in the mass and tasting her sweet flesh.
She gave him a sad smile. “We almost lost it all. I thought I was so clever in hiding the trail, but Idle somehow found out.”
His softer emotions threatened to take over and he looked down at his feet. Her explanation revealed a past full of pain and despair, but it didn’t negate the fact that she had committed several crimes. “He had all the governments’ recourses at his fingertips, and from what Bradley said, he fed the information to Idle.”
“I could not risk exposure to the others involved. I knew Zander was not guilty of any crime, but I was shocked to see his name listed in both Randell’s study and Pike’s office. I knew he was not involved in the smuggler’s ring but I couldn’t tell you how I knew. I was trying to protect all of those involved. If anyone should be charged with a crime, it is I. I was the mastermind behind all of this.” She released a long breath.
Langdon tried to absorb everything she had disclosed. Remarkable couldn’t describe the petite woman sitting quietly across from him. She’d taken a small amount of money and amassed a fortune. On the preface of a lie. Except Elizabeth was trying to help people with her plan. Maria had acted in her own best interests and didn’t care who she hurt. The two women were as different as night and day, and he would be a fool if he continued to compare the two.
“Do you think I will be arrested? What I did was wrong, but I did it for the right reasons.” She plucked at the fabric of her skirt and winced. The rocks had cut the ends of her fingers and scratches marked her skin. She stared down at them for a long moment before lifting her head.
“It is not up to me to make that decision. What I will tell you is that I will do everything in my power to make sure you aren’t. I am certain your cousin and uncle will sway the proper authorities into giving you clemency. Your crimes, after all, were minor.” He had seen members of the aristocracy get away with murder on multiple occasions. There was no justification for breaking the law; except not everything was black and white. He would have to navigate the shades of grey in their relationship. His world was intertwined with hers and he couldn’t—wouldn’t—let her go without a fight.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Elizabeth was exhausted from revealing every detail of her deception. Each word of the story that she had told lifted an invisible burden off her shoulders. Until they were kidnapped, her greatest fear was being exposed for her crimes. Everything was all in the open and she no longer carried the burden on her own secrets. Regardless, she was still culpable for the illegality of what she had done. “I would like to speak with Stanton about the matter forthwith,” she said.
The sooner she confronted her past, the quicker she could move on with her life. She desperately wanted that future to be with Langdon, but there was still a bone of contention between them.
“He will no doubt want to speak to Idle first. His betrayal will be difficult for Stanton.” He tapped his thumb against his thigh and arched his neck. There was more bruising along the column of his throat from his altercation. She had to flee the cave while he was struggling with Jocko. Even after fighting off the man, he had still come to her rescue. She was safe because of Langdon.
