As Harred debated about his reply, Fredrick interjected, “You were a merchant’s daughter and you spent time on the docks. It wouldn’t be a stretch for you to figure out which of your workers would be capable of murder.”
Ruth brought her hand up to her chest. “You think I would lower myself to have someone murdered, especially someone that has been nothing but kind to me?”
Greydon’s voice came from the doorway. “I do,” he said as he held up a bag. “And this bag of arsenic we found in your bedchamber is all the proof that I need.”
William took a step back from his wife with a disbelieving look. “Why did you have arsenic in your bedchamber?”
Ruth rushed out, “The arsenic is for the rats in my bedchamber. Nothing more. You have to believe me.”
“But I don’t,” William said. “How could you?”
Tears came to Ruth’s eyes as she frantically glanced around the room. “Why does no one believe I couldn’t do this?”
Greydon stepped further into the room. “It is over, and those fake tears are not going to save you,” he said. “The constable is on his way to arrest you, and you can try to convince the magistrate of your innocence.”
Ruth reached up and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. “You only believe I am capable of such a thing because I am a merchant’s daughter.”
“That has nothing to do with it,” Greydon said.
“No matter what I do, I will never be good enough for this family,” Ruth declared. “I would have always been an outcast because of my lowly status.”
Harred had heard enough and he was convinced that Ruth had been behind these crimes. But he didn’t understand why she would do such a thing. “Why, Ruth?” he asked.
Ruth took a step towards him but stopped. “Harred, how could you think I was behind this? You of all people—”
He cut her off. “Our time is short. I would prefer the truth, please.”
“The truth?” Ruth asked as she blinked back her tears. “I was treated cruelly by everyone because I was only a merchant’s daughter. It didn’t matter how rich my father was. I was never going to be good enough for theton.”
“But we could have taken on thetontogether,” William said.
“Together?” Ruth huffed. “You were too busy spending time with your other family to even notice me. I tried to getyou to love me, but you always looked past me. Even you, by your own admission, thought I was beneath you.”
“That was at the beginning. It changed after we kissed,” William attempted.
Ruth’s eyes grew cold. “I never cared for you. You were just a means to an end. What I wanted was to be a marchioness. Can you imagine the power that I would have wielded in Society? Then I could have proven everyone else wrong.”
“Ruth…” William’s voice stopped. “How could you?”
“How couldI?” she shouted. “Did you know that my so-called friends at my boarding school would put manure onto my bed? They claimed that is where I deserved to sleep. They tortured me, and no one did anything because of who their parents were. That is when I knew I had to become one of them so I could beat them at their own game.”
A tall, burly man stepped into the room. “I have heard enough,” he said. “I am Constable Randall and I will gladly escort Lady William to Newgate.”
Ruth took a step back. “No, you can’t do this to me. I am a lady.”
“I don’t care who you are, my lady,” the constable said. “You broke the law and will be tried for your crimes.”
“What about the crimes that were committed against me?” Ruth asked defiantly. “Does no one care about those?”
The constable approached her and reached for her arm. “You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Lord Kendal.”
Ruth yanked her arm out of his grip. “No, I won’t go. This has all just been a terrible misunderstanding.” She turned her attention towards Harred. “Please, don’t do this. I didn’t really mean to kill you. I was just confused.”
Harred saw the fear in Ruth’s eyes but it was of her own making. “William and I will ensure you are given a fair trial,” he informed her.
Ruth’s eyes darted over the room until they landed on William. “Are you going to let the constable take me?” she asked. “If so, you will never get my dowry.”
“I don’t care about your dowry,” William responded. “You tried to murder my brother. That is not something I can ever accept.”
