“I… I need your word that you will protect my mother.”The rush of relief that she felt as she made the request confirmed this was what she needed.
His hand on her hair stilled.
“Your mother?”
His confusion would have been comical if the situation were not so dire.She almost laughed, despite herself.
“Yes.Your word that you will protect my mother, no matter what I tell you.”
He hugged her close again, stroking her hair the way he had been before.
“Of course I will protect your mother.My word on it as a duke.”He chuckled.“May I never find my lucky coin again should I break it.”
There was no ‘of course’ about it, but his words did give her some relief.Even if he did not want to, once he heard what she had to say, she did believe he would hold to his promise.
Thankfully, it was so dark, she would not have to see his face.Would not have to see if his expression changed from tenderness to anger or even hate.If it were not so dark, she did not think she would be brave enough to say the words.
“I… my mother… the Duke of Clarence’s steward bought sleeping potions from my mother.”The words came out in a rush, and even though she could not see his face, she screwed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, her shoulders hunching as she waited to see if he would push her away from him.
Matthew’s fingers in her hair slowed but did not stop.
“Alright,” he said cautiously.
Obviously, he did not understand the magnitude of what she was saying.She would have to explain more.
It felt like dying as she forced each word from her mouth.
“He bought them from her mere weeks before your fathers were murdered.”Johanna took a deep breath, feeling as though she had just run for miles.Weariness, not physical but a kind of soul weariness, pulled at her.“It is possible, likely even, that they could have been used to keep the dukes asleep after the explosion.To ensure they perished in the fire.”
There.She had done it.She had said it.
Confession was supposed to be good for the soul, but all she felt was resigned to whatever happened next.
For better or for worse.
Matthew
His wife’s words circled round his head, and it did not make sense to him right away, though he could practically feel the fear emanating from her.Fear that he did not understand.
“Your mother provided Gregory’s steward with sleeping potions?”he asked, wanting to be sure that he understood everything she was saying and figure out exactly what she was afraid of.Rather than answering him verbally, she nodded, which he felt as she moved her head against his shoulder.“And you think it’s possible that those potions were used to keep my father and the others asleep, to ensure their deaths?”
Another nod he felt against his shoulder.He stroked his fingers through her hair.
Matthew let out a long breath of air, turning it over in his mind.
“What do I need to protect your mother from?”he asked finally.His wife stirred beside him.
“She helped to murder your father.All of your fathers.All dukes.”
“Did she know what the potions would be used for?”
“No.She had no idea.”Johanna sighed.“She is not even certain theywereused, but it makes sense.I… I did not know how you would feel once you knew.Or how the others would feel.If they would blame her.”
Ah.Well.That did make more sense.Matthew had not considered that aspect.
“I do not blame her,” he said immediately.“Even if her potions were used.”
Such a plot would be diabolical, but it also made an unfortunate amount of sense.Whoever was behind the murder of his father and the other dukeswasdiabolical.They’d already used Gregory’s steward.A man who had a considerable amount of hatred for Gregory’s father, but none for the other dukes.
