left.'
'Why?' Caroline asked, worried by the frustration in her husband's voice.
'In six more days it will be the anniversary… fifteen years to the day when the accident took place.'
'Then there's only one thing to be done,' Caroline announced. There was a determined glint in her eyes when she continued, 'We have to set a trap and I can be the bait.'
'Hold it right there! I've already decided on a trap, but you're not going to be involved. Is that understood?' His voice brooked no argument. Caroline kissed him and snuggled up against him again. She was so overjoyed that he was finally confiding in her that she didn't want to cause him any irritation right now. Besides, she told herself with a smile, she had six days to change his way of thinking. She had every intention of helping to catch the man out to get her.
A sudden thought turned her attention. 'Bradford, who knows what happened that night?'
'Let's see,' Bradford replied. 'He told your Uncle Henry, but the rest of your Boston family doesn't know. And he told me. So that's four of us who know what happened.'
'No,' Caroline returned, almost absentmindedly. She was thinking about her Uncle Henry and how he had helped her overcome her fear of pistols. He had been so patient and understanding when she had gone to him and asked him for help. She remembered that she had wanted to go hunting with Caimen and Luke, and felt like such a coward over her terror of any kind of weapon. It had taken almost a year to overcome the fear, but with her uncle's assistance, she had succeeded.
'No, what?' Bradford asked, puzzled. 'Only four know what happened, if you exclude the three men involved in the plot. They're dead, and that leaves your father, your uncle Henry, you, and me.'
'And Uncle Milo,' Caroline supplied.
Bradford shook his head. 'No, love. Your father was very specific. He said he only told his younger brother. No one else,' he stated. 'I'm sure of it.'
Caroline nodded. 'Yes, I understand what you're saying,' she replied. 'He didn't tell back then, when it happened, but after I came home, he went to the marquis and told him everything. I'm almost certain, because he said he owed him the full explanation so that he wouldn't deny me. I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but now I think… Bradford, why are you looking at me like that? What's the matter?'
'Why didn't he tell me?' Bradford yelled, and seeing his wife's alarm, he quickly lowered his voice. 'It's all right. It's all starting to fit together, that's all. Damn, I knew Franklin had to be behind it!'
'Franklin? Bradford, are you sure?' Caroline sounded incredulous. 'Why, that little cur! He doesn't get along with his brother and he constantly tries to rile him, but I didn't think he'd be capable of… my own uncle!'
She was suddenly quite speechless and her face turned pink with anger.
'I'd bet on it,' Bradford stated. 'He has a powerful motive, Caroline. Greed. The marquis is going to settle quite a bit of money on you. He changed his will and only then told his brother what he had done. Thank God for that,' he muttered. 'Your uncle Franklin would have killed him otherwise.'
'What about Loretta?' Caroline asked. 'Do you think she's in on it?' She was horrified just thinking about the vile twosome, remembering how Loretta had flirted with Bradford the night of her father's dinner party.
'She has accumulated vast gambling debts and is desperate for money. The lenders have her vouchers and are waiting for the marquis to die.'
'You mean she promised them my uncle Milo's money?' Caroline was outraged. 'Well, you've answered my question! Of course she's in on it. The woman has absolutely no morals!'
'Franklin must have overheard your father telling the marquis what happened, and he's using that information to escape suspicion.'
Caroline shook her head. 'I don't understand.'
'You've showed the letter to Milford and me, and your father is still alive to tell what happened back then. Franklin has set it up to look like a case of revenge. That's why the date is important. If something happened to you on the twentieth, it ties up in a nice little package for Franklin.'
Bradford's tone of voice was mild but his eyes showed his anger. Caroline trembled and felt goosebumps cover her arms. He saw her reaction and drew her down on top of him. 'God, I hope I'm right and it is Franklin. Never did like the bastard!'
'We'll find out soon enough,' Caroline whispered.
'Don't be frightened, love. I've waited all my life for you. I'll not let anyone harm you.'
'I know you'll protect me,' Caroline answered. She kissed him on the chin. 'I always feel safe with you, except when you're yelling at me, of course.'
'I never yell at you,' Bradford replied, smiling, knowing full well he lied.
Caroline returned his smile. Her stomach grumbled. 'I'm hungry,' she told her husband.
Bradford deliberately chose to misunderstand her meaning. He told her he was hungry, too, and kissed her quite thoroughly. And then he rolled her onto her back and began to make love to her. Caroline thought to explain that she was hungry for dinner, but the explanation got lost somewhere in the back of her mind. Dinner could wait a while longer. Besides, Caroline told herself, she was always an obedient wife.
Chapter Fourteen
Bradford's disposition changed overnight. His voice was curt, his manner brisk. Caroline understood that he was concentrating on his plan to trap Franklin and wasn't at all concerned.
Neither Bradford nor Milford excluded her from their discussions. Milford was certainly astonished when Caroline told him what had happened to her almost fifteen years ago, but he wasn't fully convinced that Franklin was using the information to get to Caroline. He cautioned his friend, stating that there could well be a relative out for revenge.
The three were seated in the drawing room, discussing the issue. Bradford patiently waited for Milford to finish with his theories, and then countered with his own arguments.
'I don't think that Franklin knew about Caroline's past when he pushed her down the stairs. I also think he arranged the carriage accident before his twisted mind formed the plan of revenge.'
'But if that's true, then Uncle Milo would have had to tell Franklin,' Caroline argued, shaking her head.
'Caroline, your Uncle Franklin wouldn't let up on trying to discredit you in his older brother's eyes. I believe that the marquis tried to defend you and told his brother what happened.'
Bradford shrugged, concentrating on his theories, and continued, 'Franklin didn't think you'd be killed falling down the steps, love, but he wanted to frighten you. He assumed that you'd tell your father. Most daughters would,' he added. 'When you didn't, he arranged the carriage mishap. He knew you were riding with Milford and me, remember?'
Caroline nodded. 'Yes! I do remember. Uncle Milo told us that my father had decided who was to ride with… and that Franklin had disappeared,' she added. 'I was so angry with you, Bradford, that I didn't think anything of his sudden disappearance.'
'Why were you angry with Brad?' Milford asked, trying to follow the conversation.
'Nigel Crestwall was all over her and I got a little carried away,' Bradford admitted.
'A little carried away?' Caroline asked her husband.
Bradford shrugged, dismissing the subject. 'I think that Franklin was certain one of us would report the mishap to your father. All he wanted then was for you to go back to Boston. His brother would be furious all over again, and write you out of the will. See how simple it all is?'
Milford nodded, seeing the logic of his friend's thinking. 'You must have been another frustration for Franklin,' he commented. 'Everyone knew that you meant to have Caroline.'
Bradford was about to answer his friend's remark when Caroline interrupted. 'This is all speculation, but if it is true, then isn't Uncle Milo in jeopardy too?'
Bradford nodded. He had wondered how long it would take his wife to reach that conclusion and knew full well what her next thought would be.
'We must return to London,' Caroline stated.
'It isn't safe,' Milford countered, frowning. 'Besides, if Brad is right, the marquis has to be kept alive until
