Briar Patch (28 page)

‘The little slut kept following me about, pestering me to give her money or another baby. I slapped her down and she fell and hit her head. I didn't intend to kill her, just to get her out of the way.'

‘So that you could continue your affair with Madeline Jenson, I suppose.'

‘She's another scheming bitch – her and her husband both. They cheated me out of all I had. The estate, land, money; it has all gone.'

‘Philip . . .' Roz was stunned. ‘You gambled everything away? What about Julia's money? How is she supposed to live now?'

‘How should I know?' Philip moved towards her. ‘I need money to get away, Roz. You must be rolling in it now. Give me five thousand and I'll never darken your door again.'

‘Five thousand pounds is far more than I have in the house. Harry didn't keep much here and I'm not rolling in it as you so crudely put it. I have my jointure, which is a mere fraction of Harry's wealth. Had you done your duty as a brother the marriage contract might have favoured me more but all you wanted was to get me off your hands.'

‘Damn you,' he grunted and grabbed her arm. ‘Give me some money or I'll make you sorry. It gets easier once you've killed. I was terrified when I killed Carrie but it was a pleasure killing Rushden. He thought he was going to teach me a lesson – but I was ready for him.'

‘You killed Harry . . .' the strength seemed to drain out of her and she leaned against a cabinet to stop herself falling. ‘Oh my God. Philip . . . how could you?' She was trembling as she looked at him.

‘He went for me. I had to defend myself. What does it matter? I'm past caring.'

‘Harry shouldn't have attacked you but you were wrong to kill him, Philip. What are you going to do now? How can you live with two deaths on your conscience? Supposing you were seen . . .' Roz hesitated; he looked scared, sick and she realized he was desperate. She ought to scream, bring the servants running and have him arrested for his terrible crimes, but Julia had enough to distress her without having her husband hung for murder. ‘I have five hundred pounds available but that is all. If I give it to you, I want your promise that you will go away and never come back.'

‘Five hundred bloody pounds,' Philip muttered, his lips white with temper. ‘How far is that going to get me?'

‘I have no idea. You may have to work for a living . . .' Roz gasped as he struck out at her, knocking her against the desk. ‘I'm having a child, Philip. Do you want to kill my baby as well?'

‘I couldn't care less what happens to the brat. Give me the money. And you can give me the diamond brooch you're wearing too.'

‘This was Grandmother's. It isn't worth much.'

‘Give it to me or I'll make you wish you'd never been born.'

‘Very well.' Roz reluctantly unpinned the little crescent and handed it to him. Then she opened the top drawer of her desk and took out a small purse of gold coins. ‘Take them and go. I never want to see you again, Philip. Do you understand me? I have no brother and next time I'll scream for help.'

‘Bitch.' He leaned closer, shoving his fist in her face. ‘I ought to make sure you keep your mouth shut.'

‘You have no need. The reason I haven't been to the law is because I care for Julia. I would see you hang and feel nothing but she still loves you.'

‘Well, she won't be seeing me again.' Philip thrust the money into his pocket. ‘You were a fool to take Rushden. You could have done better.'

Roz sat down as he walked away from her. Now it was over she was trembling, icy cold. How could her brother be so evil? What had happened to make him that way? She tried to make sense of things but couldn't.

Julia must never know the whole truth. In time she would learn to make a new life for herself – but where? And what of Mama? If the estate went to pay a gambling debt both she and Julia would be homeless, though she recalled Julia telling her she had a small income Philip hadn't been able to touch.

Roz closed her eyes. It was all such a terrible mess. They could both come and live here but if her child was a daughter they would have to move when Keith Rushden took over the estate.

‘I'm so sorry, Harry,' she whispered. ‘It's my fault. Why did I let you go believing I wanted Philip dead that night?'

‘Here he comes now,' Jack whispered. ‘He's going into the cottage. Are you sure you want to do this, Mary Jane?'

‘I'm not afraid of squire,' she said and grinned at him. ‘He's always had an eye for a pretty girl. Besides, five hundred pounds isn't much to him. He'll give me what I want and I'll promise never to tell or ask for more.'

‘I'm not sure this is a good idea, Mary, lass. If anything happened to you . . .'

‘It won't,' she said and kissed him on the mouth. ‘This is for us, Jack. Think of it: our own shop and no working on the land or milking smelly cows – and you'll be your own boss.'

‘I'd like that,' he admitted. ‘Go on then but be sure to scream good and loud if he attacks you and I'll be right there.'

‘He won't,' she said, looking confident. ‘I can handle the squire, don't you worry.'

‘Go on then, afore I change my mind.'

They had been lying in the grass out of sight of the cottage. Mary Jane giggled and got to her feet. She walked away from him, looking back once or twice to wave.

Jack watched as she entered the cottage, leaving the door open. She was a brave lass. He wasn't sure he would have had the guts to do what Mary Jane was about to do. The squire was a dangerous man and she was vulnerable. He looked at the door anxiously, beginning to regret that he'd agreed to this mad scheme. It was unlikely that Philip Thornton would simply pay up. Jack was a fool. He should never have let Mary Jane go in there alone.

He was getting to his feet and thinking about whether he should go in after her when he heard the scream. Mary Jane had a good pair of lungs on her, he thought as he took the iron bar he'd brought along as protection and charged towards the cottage. There was no way he was going to let that devil murder her as he had Harry Rushden.

‘It's late,' Ellen said as Tom came in after finishing the milking that evening. ‘Mary Jane has never stayed out to this hour before – except that once on Christmas Day.'

‘I want my supper, Ma. She'll come back when she's ready.'

‘She's your wife, Tom. You may wish she wasn't but there's nothing you can do about it now. If you don't go to look for her I shall.'

‘If I must,' Tom glared at his mother. ‘Give me a piece of that bread to eat as I go. Are you sure she went to her mother's place?'

‘It's what she said. If you go there first you may meet her on the way.'

‘She'll get a piece of my mind when I do find her.'

Tom pulled on the thick coat he'd taken off and went out. The last thing he needed when he'd finished his chores was to go searching for his wife. If she refused to pull her weight at the farm he'd be better off without her. She might as well go home and he'd find a girl to work for a wage. It was what he should have done in the first place.

The night was bitterly cold as he took a lantern and set off across the fields. There was no point in taking his horse because he might miss her. Besides, he needed light because it was a dark night and clouds had obscured the moon.

Feeling aggrieved by his wife's neglect of her work and her thoughtless behaviour, Tom covered the ground between the farm and her parents' house in good time. He was breathing hard, fighting his temper as he knocked at the door. Mary Jane's father answered it, looking at him oddly.

‘Well then, Tom, what are you doing here tonight? Our Mary's not been taken bad, has she?'

‘Isn't she here? She told Ma she was off to visit her ma hours ago and she hasn't come home.'

‘You'd best come in.' Mr Forrest stood back to allow him to enter the kitchen. ‘Janet, Tom says our Mary was coming here – have you seen her?'

Janet Forrest turned round and looked at them, her expression anxious as she wiped her hands on her apron. ‘I haven't seen her since Christmas Day and then she only stopped ten minutes afore she was off.'

‘She stopped only a few minutes on Christmas Day?' Tom frowned. ‘She was late home that evening. She told us she had been with you most of the day.'

‘Well, I don't know why she said that but she was only here a few minutes, wasn't she, John?'

‘Aye – and I've not seen her since. She always was a contrary lass.'

‘You've no idea where she'd be – either of you?'

John Forrest shook his head but his wife hesitated.

‘You've thought of something?'

‘It's just a chance, Tom – afore she decided to wed you, she was sweet on Jack Dawson. She may have been meeting him.'

Tom stared at her in silence, then nodded. ‘She danced with him at the church Christmas do – and she was put out with me. I suppose she might have gone to meet him because she was bored or unhappy.'

‘Well, you've only yourself to blame. You neglected her – leastways that's what she told me.'

‘I've been busy.'

‘The man can't work that farm and run after his wife,' John Forrest grunted. ‘Mary Jane always had grand ideas in her head – thought you'd be rich one day, Tom.'

‘I might be one day but I have to work for it. I'll go home and see if she's there; if not I'll have to search for her. After what happened to Carrie . . .'

‘I'll come with you,' John Forrest said and reached for his coat. ‘I've had my supper and I was looking for an early night, but if our Mary's gone missing I'll not sleep a wink.'

‘Oh, Tom,' Janet Forrest looked distressed. ‘You don't think anything could have happened to our Mary, do you?'

‘I hope not, Mrs Forrest, but I can't leave it to chance. I thought she was just playing me up and staying out late to punish me for something, but if she hasn't been here . . .' He broke off because he was beginning to be worried. ‘You'd best bring a lantern, John. If she isn't at home we'll need to split up and search for her.'

‘Roz.' Julia rose from her chair and came towards her, hands outstretched. ‘I'm so very pleased to see you. I was just sitting here thinking that I should drive over to see you tomorrow.'

‘Julia, my dearest, I am so sorry,' Roz said and kissed her cheek. ‘I have some shocking news for you. I fear it will distress you, but I wanted to tell you before anyone else did.'

‘Is it Philip?' Julia's face went white and she sat down abruptly. ‘Is he dead?'

‘No, very much alive. He came to me earlier this evening and asked for money. He has gambled everything away, Julia. I'm so sorry but there is nothing left for you or Mama.'

‘Nothing . . .' Julia stared at her. ‘Those wicked people. I warned him but he would not listen. I'm sure they cheated him.'

‘Yes, perhaps they did,' Roz agreed. ‘I think that is how they earn their living. Madeline blinds the men with her charm and sensuality and Sir Raymond cheats them at the card table. Harry suspected it. He was taken in at first but came to his senses in time. Philip may . . . I'm sorry, but I think he may have had an affair with her.'

‘I suspected something of the sort. Her manner was very . . . arrogant.'

‘It was the same for me. Harry had a brief affair with her in Paris. No, please don't look like that, Julia. He was upset, angry with me over something. I can't tell you exactly but I didn't tell him something he had a right to know before we married and it hurt him. He realized what the Jensens were when they stayed with us and we made an effort to put things right. We were happy enough recently.'

‘Everything is so horrible, Roz. Where is Philip? Why hasn't he been here?'

‘I think he means to go away, start a new life.' Julia didn't need to know the worst of Philip.

‘Leave me here?' Julia looked stunned. ‘He is deserting me knowing that there's nothing left – and your mother too? She will have to leave the dower house. What are we going to do, Roz? I have a small income but it won't buy us a house – at least, not one your mama would consider fit to live in.'

‘For the moment you can live with me. Unless you wish to remain here until the lawyers tell you to move out?'

‘This is my home. I think both Mama and I should stay put for the time being. Perhaps he didn't lose quite everything.'

Julia was clinging to straws, refusing to believe that Philip had gambled his entire estate.

‘I've been thinking. Harry left me a little money and a house in London. I could sell that and buy a house somewhere else for you and Mama to share. If I have a son we could live at Rushden Towers but I may have to leave if I have a daughter.'

‘It is so unfair. Philip gambled my money away as well as his own. You may be turned out of your home because your husband left the property to a son or his cousin. I thought better of Harry.'

‘He had his reasons, but at least he left me a house and money. Philip took everything you own and wasted it.'

‘Where is he? I want to see him.'

‘I don't know. He may have gone back to Wisbech or . . .' Roz tried to think. ‘It is possible that he might be staying at the cottage.' Seeing that Julia did not understand, she went on: ‘It used to be kept for the estate manager but my father dismissed the man because they fell out and after he died Philip neglected to employ a new man. There wasn't much money and he thought he could solve the problem by marrying an heiress. Forgive me, Julia, but you knew why Philip asked you.'