Page 12 of The Wedding-Crashing Duchess

Before anyone could respond, the door opened. Ravenhill entered and closed it behind him. The voices from the chapel had grown quieter, although movement could still be heard outside.

“The guests are being sent home,” he announced. “They have been told that the ceremony has been postponed because of a private family matter.”

“Do you truly believe they will accept that explanation after hearing my daughter’s friend call you a murderer?” Lord Hewes gave a humorless laugh.

“It is the only explanation they will receive from me.” His gaze moved to Augusta. “In earnest, the burden of explaining does not lie on me.”

She had thought him intimidating at the front of the chapel. In the smaller room, his presence seemed even greater.

For one, he was a towering presence. His height was tall in comparison not only to her, but to the other men as well. And his expression was always one of someone who appeared to be intimidating at all times.

She wondered for a moment if he ever smiled. Surely, he must. Though she couldn’t imagine him doing so. Still, there was a certain allure to him. A moth to a flame. A presence that appears to be rather dangerous at first glance, but still the pull they have is undeniable.

Augusta was surprised at the direction her thoughts had begun to take, and dismissed them promptly. It was no use categorizing him like this.

“I asked for an explanation,” he said. “I have now dismissed my wedding guests and prevented several gentlemen from demanding that I answer your accusation before the entire church. You will tell me precisely why you believe I murdered someone.”

Charity stepped closer to Augusta and Duncan addressed Duke Ravenhill first. “Before she speaks, I ask that you remember she acted from concern for Lady Phillipa, not from malice toward you.”

“That will depend upon what she says.” Ravenhill did not look away from Augusta.

Augusta forced herself not to retreat, though it took every ounce of courage inside of her to do so.

“Several nights ago, during the engagement party at Hewes Park, I went into the garden,” she began. “It started to rain, and I lost my way while attempting to return to the house.”

Ravenhill’s expression did not change.

“I saw a man standing beneath the trees near one of the smaller buildings,” she continued. “He wore a long dark coat with the hood raised. At first, I considered asking him to help me find the terrace. Then I saw someone lying upon the ground at his feet.”

Phillipa’s hand moved to her mouth.

Ravenhill asked, “Did you approach them?”

“No, I couldn’t. The man heard me and began to turn in my direction. I became frightened and ran back to the house.”

“So, you did not see his face.”

“No,” Augusta admitted. “But I saw his height and his build. I also saw the cane he carried. It had a silver bird upon the handle.”

Ravenhill glanced down at his own cane.

“A raven,” Augusta said. “Exactly the same as yours.”

For the first time, something other than anger appeared in his face. It was not guilt, as Augusta expected, but disbelief. If he was guilty, which Augusta was sure that he was, surely he wouldn’t be so surprised by it all.

Augusta thought to herself that the duke must be a great actor.

“You accused me of murder because another man carried a cane?” he said, his tone a mixture of both annoyance and sarcasm.

“The carving is identical,” she pointed toward it. “The man was as tall as you, with the same breadth of shoulders. The woman’s body was later found upon the neighboring estate. Surely, even a foolish person can connect all the clues that have been laid out.”

He gave her a look at that.

“Yes, a foolish person indeed. You have never seen another cane with a silver raven, so you decided mine must be the only one in existence,” Ravenhill’s gaze hardened again. “You had never seen me before today. How could you possibly know whether it was me?”

Augusta hesitated, but then decided to not let him intimidate her again. It was something he did easily.

Ravenhill looked toward Lord Hewes. “I arrived shortly after nine. I spoke with you in the library, remained there for nearly an hour, and then joined several gentlemen in the card room. Can you confirm that?”