Secrets of the Heart (37 page)

She turned and nearly collided with Donavan. “Hurry. We must get out of here. He’s coming!”

She ran ahead, Donavan following, and they made it to the first floor and ran through drawing room where they had entered the house.

The front door slammed shut. “Vale,” she whispered. “He’ll find us.”

Donavan grabbed her hand. “This way.” They slipped through a window that led outside, and within moments they were running toward the stables. They reached the shelter of the barn, and Donavan pulled her inside. “I must return to the house. I’ll find your mother and Agnes. Make not a sound, and you’ll be safe here.” He turned and disappeared into the deepening gloom.

The storm raged fierce and strong, and the stable was so thick with darkness that Madeline could barely see. Her eyes now adjusted to the dark, she looked up and saw Sullivan’s body, slumped in the corner, a bullet hole in his head. Her blood ran cold.

Tentatively she stepped farther into the barn. Then she heard a sound. A groan. She followed the sound and spotted a dark form slumped at the base of a horse’s stall. She crept nearer. “Devlin!”

She ran to him, kneeling at his side. Her hands slipped under his coat and closed around his back. A sticky wetness covered her fingers. He shuddered and seemed to awake to her presence. “Madeline!” His eyes widened with alarm. She pulled back.

“Ravensmoore, you’re bleeding. Let me help you.”

“Madeline, you must leave. Now!”

Suddenly the stable door blew open, and Vale entered like a giant bird of prey, his cloak billowing around him, a lantern in his hand. He drew his pistol. “What a pretty little reunion,” he sneered. “Aren’t you dead yet, Ravensmoore?”

Ravensmoore struggled to sit up, pulling Madeline behind him. “You’ll never get away with killing us,” he said.

Vale laughed. “Oh, that will be easy enough. I’ll blame it all on Sullivan. You rescued Madeline from the asylum, discovered the fraudulent workings of Sullivan, and threatened to turn him in. He followed you here and killed Madeline before turning the gun on you. Unfortunately, he did not mortally wound you, so you were able to take the gun from him and kill him. But this is a deserted place, and you died of your gunshot wound before help could arrive. It’s a bit complicated, but I think I can lie well enough that the authorities will believe me.” He smiled and raised his gun.

Suddenly Donavan appeared from behind and tackled Vale. The gun went off, and for a few moments all Madeline could hear was the sickening sound of flesh against flesh as the large groom pummeled Vale into submission.

The pistol spun in their direction, and Ravensmoore reached to pick it up. “I’ve got the gun, Donavan.”

Donavan sent one more blow to Vale’s jaw for good measure before standing up and dusting himself off. Then he hauled Vale to his feet, where he stood glaring at them, blood dripping from his nose. Undaunted, he sneered, “Grace is still my wife. You cannot change that.”

Ravensmoore struggled to stand, and Madeline wound her arm around his waist to help. Lightning flashed, and they could see Vale’s exposed skin through a rip in his shirt. Madeline gasped. The markings on Vale’s chest and neck were unmistakable.

Ravensmoore pointed. “I don’t think you’ll be up to any husbandly duties for some time. You’ve got smallpox.”

“Liar!” Vale jerked back as though an invisible hand had reached out and slapped him. He pulled his shirt apart and stared at the pustules on his torso. “No! This isn’t possible!”

“You’re sick, Vale. You must return to the asylum and wait this out with the others. If you survive, you can go to the gallows.”

Vale fell to his knees. In a shocked whisper he said, “This cannot be.”

“Tie him up, Donavan.” He put an arm around Madeline. “Let’s go find your mother. And then let’s go home.”

“My home or yours?” Madeline asked.

He smiled wanly. “Whichever you choose.”

She pressed closer, fearful that he would fall without her support. “I choose Ravensmoore.”

C
HAPTER 25

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

—E
PHESIANS 2
:8

I
N THE DAYS
following, Devlin succeeded in persuading Madeline and her mother to stay with him at Ravensmoore until the situation with Vale could be fully resolved. He sent for his mother as well and carefully saw to the healing of both women, rejoicing as they slowly returned to full health. He too recovered from the ordeal—Langford’s expertise made certain of that, as well as days of rest and respite, where he was coddled by his sisters and comforted by the presence of Madeline and his mother.

Two weeks after the tumultuous events, word came of Vale’s death from smallpox, and just days later came a message from the constable in York. Alone in the library, Devlin scanned the letter quickly.

Dear Lord Ravensmoore,

The following information is most sensitive in nature. I thought it best that you should disclose this knowledge when and as you see fit. I hate to add to your burdens, as you have been through much of late, but I rest in the assurance that you will relay this troublesome bit of news to the countess at the appropriate time.

It appears that Vale was a very busy man. We have discovered that he was legally married to another woman, and that after staging her own “death,” she schemed with him to attain the countess’s fortune. Vale’s marriage to the countess is therefore null and void.

As you know, in addition to this abomination, Vale and Sullivan found another avenue for gaining riches through the unnecessary and undeserved incarceration of innocents to the madhouse at Ashcroft. This included the unfortunate imprisonment of your mother and many others. Typically, young girls and married women were victims of his schemes. We are currently engaged in investigating possible victims and securing their release. Simon Cox has agreed to help us in this investigation since he has firsthand knowledge of the schemes that Sullivan and Vale employed.

Sincerely,

Constable Barton

Devlin mulled over the letter, frowned, and asked Hummel to have Madeline brought to the library. Meanwhile he read another letter, smiling at the very different news he read there.

A moment later Madeline appeared, and he set that letter aside. His eyes roamed over her, and he marveled at the difference in her from the time he met her on the hunt field till now. Today she was dressed in a lilac silk gown that made her eyes sparkle. “You are beautiful, Lady Madeline.”

Madeline blushed. “Thank you, my lord.”

He led her to a chair. “It appears we must trouble your mother further. And though you intuited Vale’s character from the beginning, this will be a shock.”

“What’s wrong?” Madeline furrowed her brow.

Devlin handed her the letter from Constable Barton. Watching the array of emotions that crossed Madeline’s face, he wished he could have spared her this latest insult. She had been through so much already, and he had held back these two weeks, watching her carefully to be sure she did not slip back into depression. Knowing that they all needed time to recover from the trauma of recent events, he had not yet declared his feelings but instead treated her with brotherly gentleness.

“The bigamous thief!” Madeline jumped up from the chair and paced the room with the letter in her hand. “How could he get away with such horrible crimes? To think how close my mother came to dying. And your mother. Look at all she’s lost. It is so very sad. Why does God allow these dreadful things to happen?”

Devlin shook his head. “There are many mysteries we will never be able to understand, yet God has a plan. All we can do is trust.”

“You’re right. I know you are, but still it is difficult.” She turned from him. “I must share this with my mother immediately.”

He followed as she led him down the hallway toward the drawing room.

“We have more news—about Vale, Mother,” Madeline said, as she and Devlin entered the room.

“What have you heard?” Grace rose from her place at the pianoforte.

“You both look so serious. Is something wrong?” Elethea asked from the sofa where she sat reading. She adjusted the veil that covered the smallpox scars upon her face. Miraculously, in spite of the years of suffering, her mind was less scarred than her face. Her stability of mind amazed them all and relieved Devlin of the fear he’d harbored of carrying the seed of madness.

Hally and Melton had joined them for the afternoon. Both brought joy and laughter into the house and were a comfort to them all. Hally caught Madeline’s hand, and Devlin heard her whisper, “Isn’t that the lilac silk gown your father bought for you? The one you promised to wear only for a special occasion?”

“It is.” Madeline smiled. “I thought it time.”

Devlin rejoiced at this sign of Madeline’s progress. Perhaps today
was
the day...

Madeline squeezed Hally’s hand then continued to the pianoforte, where Grace had been playing for their entertainment. She held out her hand, leading her mother to a settee. Devlin waited as they settled themselves, hands entwined.

“I’ve received a letter that will explain it all,” Devlin said, and then he read it aloud.

Grace gasped. “How could I have been so blind to his nature? You were right, Madeline. You were right from the beginning.” Grace dabbed at her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief. “Why didn’t I listen to you?”

“We all have our blind spots, Mother.”

“But I was so certain that he loved me. How could I have been so wrong?”

“Perhaps he did, Mother, in his own distorted way. However, his love of self and his obsessive greed were stronger. I am so sorry.”

“God’s love is greater, Countess Richfield,” Elethea said gently. “He will heal your broken heart, and in His time you may yet love another man.”

“I do not believe I will ever trust another man,” Grace said sadly, “much less love one.”

Hally spoke up. “Lady Ravensmoore is right. When I lost James, I too felt that I could never care for another man. But then God sent Mr. Melton.” She smiled. “I mean Dr. Melton.” She pressed his hand and gazed into his eyes.

Elethea smiled and turned back to Grace. “Give it time, my dear. If God could keep me sane in a prison of insanity and despair, He is mighty enough to heal your heart as well.”

Leaving their mothers behind to comfort each other, Madeline allowed Ravensmoore to lead her into the gardens. “It’s been a difficult day, my dear. But I don’t want you to go to sleep tonight with bad memories.” Ravensmoore took her hand and led her deeper into the maze of flowering plants and blooms the colors of the rainbow.

Stopping under a shaded trellis drooping with trumpet vine, he smiled. “I have another surprise for you. A good one this time.”

“What is it?” She eyed him curiously. “I can’t imagine.”

Ravensmoore’s eyes twinkled. “I have received good news today from Dr. Langford. He has declared me competent to practice medicine. He will provide the highest recommendations regarding my expertise in surgery and that of general practitioner. I am finally and officially a qualified physician.”

“Congratulations!” Madeline smiled up at him. “You are truly gifted, my lord. Never doubt that God has called you to this work. After observing your efforts over the last few weeks, both within the asylum and with our mothers, I cannot begrudge your calling in medicine.”

Ravensmoore shrugged. “Granted, I am not a typical physician. Society will say I serve below my station, but I serve only God.”

“I’m very proud of your accomplishment.” Madeline beamed.

“There’s more. I’ve hired Wiggins as a blacksmith. And I’ve made inquiries about purchasing Ashcroft Asylum. Melton has agreed to run the place for me so I can attend to my duties here at Ravensmoore and still do hands-on work for the patients in need. I want to do all I can to help the poor souls at the asylum as I expand my medical knowledge. It is the only thing I could think to do.”

Madeline looked up at him, letting her pride in him fill her gaze. “I think that is a marvelous idea. It will mean so much for so many.”