“Did you say everything to Diana that you had wanted?”
“Yes, I believe so.” He paused, trying to think of more to say since it seemed a struggle to do that now. “I thank you for keeping Tabitha occupied. I’m quite certain that was an unbearable task.”
“Uh, indeed it was.” Nic dropped his gaze as he slipped his arms into his coat.
Tristan grabbed the woolen blanket that he’d been wrapped in earlier while he dried. “This should be enough to keep us warm. Grab yourself a blanket, Hawthorne then let us leave this cottage for good.” He turned toward the door. “I, for one, cannot wait to get back to speak to the magistrate about our suspect. I’m certain Sir Felix is intelligent enough to know when to make an arrest.”
“I truly hope so.” Nic took his blanket and folded it before heading toward the door.
Tristan nodded to his friend. “Hawthorne, I thank you for all you have done. You are truly a good friend. You have always been the one person my family has been able to count on for anything.”
Nic smiled. “I appreciate your kind words. I have always felt part of your family—almost like one of your brothers.”
Tristan took a deep breath and opened the door. The corridor was empty. Even the house seemed abnormally quiet. “Let us take our leave now and never look back. We did what we came here to do.” Unfortunately, saying goodbye to his love for Diana wasn’t part of that plan.
*
Tears streamed downDiana’s face as she rocked back and forth on her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest. Tristan’s accusations rang through her head and were permanently branded in her memory. Never would she forget the look on his face or his accusing words.
It had taken her a few moments after Tristan had blurted out his most disturbing thoughts before she found the courage to pick up her shattered heart and tell him to leave. Immediately.
He’d tried to talk some sense into her by grasping her arms and pulling her against his chest. He even had the nerve to kiss her, but she fought him and in the end, he withdrew. She was relieved to know he was the kind of man who didn’t use force—not like Ludlow had.
As she had marched toward the door, his final words echoed in her ears.Diana, know this now. I will not rest until Tabitha is in prison. That is the only way we can be together.
Squeezing her eyes closed, Diana sobbed harder. Why had he hinted they would be together? Hadn’t he realized he threatened to have an innocent woman arrested for a crime she didn’t commit? Diana and Tristan definitely could never be together now that he had broken the trust between them.
Fast footsteps coming up the corridor made Diana look toward the door. Tabitha opened the bedroom door and hurried inside. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were wide.
“My lady, what happened?” She ran to the bed and wrapped her arms around Diana.
More sobs escaped her throat as she buried her head against Tabitha’s shoulder. Tremors shook her body, and she couldn’t control them. Her world was falling apart. Again. And once again, Tristan was the center of her turmoil.
Was loving him worth this much agony?
“Oh, Tabitha,” she said in a shaky voice, “the worst thing has happened. I cannot trust Tristan any longer, and he definitely does not deserve my love.”
Tabitha’s gentle hand stroked Diana’s head. “Tell me what happened.”
It took her a few minutes to collect her strength to pull away, and when she did, she looked into her friend’s worried eyes. “Lord Tristan and Lord Hawthorne think you killed my husband and Lord Elliot.” She sniffed. “When I defended you and told him there was no possible way you could have done the deed, Tristan wouldn’t believe me. Can you believe he would do such a thing?” She wiped the moisture from underneath her eyes, but the tears kept falling in buckets. “I thought he loved me. I thought we would be happy together. Forever.”
“Is that why you ordered him to leave immediately?”
“You heard that?”
Tabitha blinked and nodded. “I think everyone in the house heard, my lady.”
“When I couldn’t sway Tristan from thinking you were the one responsible for killing those despicable blackguards, I ordered him and Lord Hawthorne out of the house. I know the storm is still going full force around us, but right now I don’t care. I don’t want to see his untrusting face or hear his uncaring voice again.”
Tears collected in Tabitha’s eyes and her frown grew deeper. “Bothof them thought I had killed those men?”
“Yes.”
“But w—why?” Tabitha’s voice broke.
“They had overheard us talking in the kitchen before dinner, and they thought the worst.”
Tabitha bit her bottom lip as a tear slid down her cheek. “How could he think that I… um, I mean how couldtheythink such a thing?”
