Turning her attention towards Harred, Ruth looked desperate as she said, “My father is rich and he will pay you whatever you want if you don’t let me get arrested.”
“Enough of this,” the constable said as he grabbed her arm. “It is time to transport you to Newgate.”
“But I haven’t had breakfast yet,” Ruth cried out.
The constable led her towards the door as he replied, “They will feed you in Newgate.”
“You can’t treat me like this! I am a lady now!” Ruth exclaimed, digging her feet into the ground.
“I don’t care if you are the Prince Regent, you are going to jail,” the constable stated.
After the constable had forcefully removed Ruth from the study, Harred turned his attention to Octavia and asked, “How was it that you came to suspect Ruth?”
“Her own words are what convinced me,” Octavia said. “She tried to pretend the past didn’t affect her, but she told me that she was going to start fighting back. Which made me realize that she was the only one that would truly benefit from your death.”
“Aside from me,” William pointed out.
“Yes, but Harred never quite believed that you were responsible,” Fredrick said. “And I trust my friend.”
“I should be grateful for that,” William acknowledged.
Greydon tucked the bag of arsenic into his jacket pocket. “If you will excuse me, I need to go make a statement to the magistrate.”
“How did you know to search Ruth’s bedchamber?” Harred asked.
“When Octavia’s abductor mentioned he worked at the docks, I recalled Lady William’s father was a merchant and spent plenty of time there,” Greydon replied. “It wasn’t inconceivable to me that Lady William might have used those connections to advance her position in high Society.”
William dropped down on the chair. “My wife is not who I thought she was,” he muttered. “How was I so easily fooled?”
“We were all fooled by her,” Fredrick said, “but Octavia figured it out. I am beginning to think she may have spy senses as she claims. She even concocted her own invisible ink.”
“It worked?” Octavia asked, her eyes brightening.
“Yes, but we can discuss that later,” Fredrick replied. “Don’t you need to speak to Harred about something?”
Octavia clasped her hands together, exclaiming, “I do, but I can’t wait to tell our cook that we were triumphant.”
With a wry smile, Fredrick added, “And there goes the spy sense. A true spy never utters a word. Now don’t you have something to do; something far more important than discussing invisible ink?”
Octavia exchanged a meaningful look with Fredrick, a silent communication that Harred couldn’t quite decipher.
Turning towards Harred, Octavia asked, “Would you mind terribly if you took me on a tour of your gardens?”
Harred was not a fool. He would gladly spend time with Octavia, especially if it meant he got her alone for even a moment. “Nothing would make me happier,” he replied. And that was the truth.
As he approached Octavia, Fredrick remarked, “I will be watching from the window. Do try to behave yourselves.”
Harred held his hand out to Octavia. “Shall we, my lady?”
Octavia accepted his arm and Harred knew the time had come for him to confess his love to her. And he hoped he didn’t make a fool of himself. However, even if he did, it would be worth it if she agreed to be his wife.
It was time. Octavia had gotten Harred alone and she was going to confess how she truly felt for him. Fredrick thought it was utter madness on her part, but she had to at least try. She knew Harred cared for her, but she could no longer go on the way they were. She loved him far too much to settle with just being friends with him.
As they walked along the path, Octavia tried to think of how she could start off the conversation but, for once, she was at a loss for words. What could she say that wouldn’t scare him off?
Harred’s voice broke through her musings. “You seem rather quiet.”
“Do I?” she asked as she let out a nervous laugh. “I suppose I have a lot on my mind.”
