“Everything. It is all lost now, Matt.” With a wild grunt, he lunged at Matt with the axe, swinging it with both hands.
Matt jumped back. The axe just barely missed him. He thought of the knife in his boot. It was no match for an axe. He needed the pistol. He took a step in the direction he thought it had fallen.
“George, you need to stop this. The magistrate is coming. It will be worse for you if anything happens to Minerva or me.”
“The worst has already happened,” George answered. His shoulders sagged. He stood between Matt and the door. But it didn’t make any difference, Matt would not leave Minerva behind. “I won’t make it out of this,” George predicted.
“No, you won’t,” Matt agreed. In the chair, Minerva was weeping.
“You’ll not make it, either.”
Matt was determined that he was going to be wrong about that. But he wanted to keep George talking. He wanted answers. “Because you want the title for your sons.” George had three of them. The oldest was James.
“Am I that obvious?” George swung the axe viciously. Again, Matt managed to avoid the deadly blade, but it was becoming more difficult. George was pushing toward the corner of the room. “After all,I’mdone. I’ll hang for my deeds, but my descendants will be Camberly.”
“It didn’t start off that way, did it? In the beginning, all you wanted was the money.”
“Because it could have been mine,” George answered. “My father and Henry were twins. It could have gone either way. And then I had to watch the old bastard squander what had been given to him. Henry chased every silly notion that crossed his head. I’d advise him not to do it. He never listened to me.”
“Therefore, you took his money.”
“You aren’t listening, Your Grace. It should have been mine.”
“And the murders? Did you have a hand in William’s death?”
“No. The silly sod killed himself. Always riding animals too spirited for him—” He swung the axe as if he believed he had lulled Matt into complacency.
He hadn’t. However, the action did force Matt two more steps toward the corner.
“What of Ross and that woman this morning?”
George shot Matt a look of pure reproach. “What of Donel? Your hands aren’t clean, Your Grace.” He pointed the axe at Matt in triumph. “You didn’t think I suspected what happened.”
“I had little choice in the matter, cuz. It was him or me.”
“The same with Ross. When I found out that he’d let you escape because he wanted to sell a horse... well, I lost my temper. I also knew it was over for me. You would reason it out.”
“Why do you want to kill me?”
“Because I must. You see, William and Henry’s deaths were unfortunate but natural. And then, there you were. Unsuited for the role of Camberly. You didn’t have an idea about anything. And I knew so much. I could have made this into a great estate.”
“It would have been a great deal better off if you hadn’t robbed my grandfather blind.”
“He could have refused to pay,” George said reasonably.
“Then he would be exposing William.”
George shrugged. “His choice.”
“So you wish to kill me because I’m not a good duke?” Matt pressed.
“No, I wanted to kill you because I realized, I could have it all.” George gifted him with another mighty swing of his axe. It hit a side table, destroying it, and pushed Matt farther into the corner. “And now James will have it. My precious son.”
His voice had taken on a sing-song. He was obviously in a bad state. All Matt needed was a second’s inattention.
“What is the plan?” Matt asked. “You kill me and then what happens to my grandmother?”
“She dies as well. We all die, right here in this house. I’ll take my own life and pay for my sins. But first, I’ll set the house on fire. Mayfield will be burned to the ground. There will be mourning, especially from your lovely wife.” He sighed with regret. “But I won’t let you escape this time. There is too much at stake.”
