The implication behind her question sent him to his feet. If she wanted to argue, then by God he would accommodate her.
'I love you,' he roared.
The argument didn't end there; it escalated. She was distraught and terrified by what was happening to her, and he was simply too exhausted to reason anything out. The combination was explosive.
What the hell had she meant about a canvas, for God's sake? She started shouting again when he demanded she explain. They said some unkind things to each other, though nothing that couldn't be forgiven, and when Mary Rose realized she was going to start weeping again, she pointed to the door and ordered him to leave.
He did just that. Then she got into bed and cried herself to sleep. She was awakened by her husband's fervent apology.
'I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry,' he told her over and over again.
She believed she could forgive him anything. She loved him and would do anything to protect him and their marriage.
They made love, each desperately needing comfort from the other, and when he was just drifting off to sleep, he heard her whisper, 'I love you.'
'I love you too, Victoria.'
Dear God, he'd called her Victoria.
She went home two days later.
Chapter 21
Harrison returned to Lord Elliott's house just as the ship Mary Rose was on sailed for America. He didn't know she'd left, of course. No one did.
He walked into the conservatory, where Elliott sat with his assistant going over transactions.
'Where's my wife?'
Elliott looked up at Harrison and smiled. 'She went shopping with her lady's maid,' he answered.
'Will you excuse us, MacPherson?' Harrison asked. He clasped his hands behind his back and forced himself to look composed. He wanted to grab MacPherson by the neck and send him hurling into hell for what he'd done, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to give in to the impulse.
'Why don't you go and order some tea for us while I talk to my son-in-law?'
MacPherson bowed to his employer and left the room. Harrison pulled the doors closed behind him.
'I doubt anyone will hear us talking, Harrison. Everyone's gone out for the day, and the staff is busy packing. Something's wrong, isn't it? You've got that look in your eyes.'
'We have company, sir. The authorities are waiting in the hall to arrest MacPherson. God willing, they'll get him to confess everything. There's enough evidence though to convict him of embezzlement, and one way or another, the son of a bitch is going to be locked away. He's the one who planned the kidnapping.'
Elliott dropped the papers he'd been holding in his hand. His mind raced to keep up with the information Harrison had given him.
He couldn't seem to take it all in. 'George… George took my Victoria from me? No, no, he couldn't have. He was fully investigated, and no one found a thread of evidence to connect him to my daughter's disappearance. Now you're suggesting…'
' Douglas saw him get out of the carriage and hand the basket to a woman.'
' Douglas? Who is he?'
Harrison was taken aback by the question. Dear God, Elliott didn't even know the names of her brothers.
'One of the men who raised her,' he answered. ' Douglas is one of her brothers in every damned way that counts. You'd better come to terms with that reality before it's too late.'
Elliott was so stunned by what Harrison had told him about MacPherson, he couldn't think about anything else. He didn't even notice how angry his son-in-law was becoming.
'There was embezzlement?'
'You've been making donations to an orphanage that doesn't exist. The place did exist at the time Victoria was taken, of course, but it closed a couple of years later. I doubt any of your money ever got past MacPherson's pockets.'
'But embezzlement and kidnapping are two different…'
'MacPherson was behind it, sir. There isn't any doubt.'
Elliott doubled over in pain. He was so sickened by the truth, he thought he was going to throw up. He desperately tried to compose himself.
'Give me a minute, son, just a minute,' he whispered.
Harrison sat down beside him and put his hand on Elliott's shoulder. He didn't say a word, but patiently waited for the man to sort it all out in his mind.
It only took Elliott a short while to calm down enough to want to know everything.
'Start at the beginning and don't stop until you've told me everything.'
'We know MacPherson took a large sum of money from one of your accounts the day before your daughter was kidnapped. He took Victoria late the following night, and delivered her to the nursemaid. I suppose the money he'd stolen was for the woman to use to support herself and the baby while he milked as much ransom out of you as he could. The papers he'd taken from the Bible were probably going to be sent back to you as proof he had your daughter.'
'But what happened? We never received a ransom demand… just that first note…'
'It all went sour on MacPherson,' Harrison said. 'That's what happened, sir. Douglas told me the woman didn't want to take the basket. He saw her shake her head at MacPherson, but her mind was changed when he produced the envelope full of money and waved it front of her eyes.'
'And then?'
'The nursemaid got cold feet, and after MacPherson left, she found the nearest alley and threw Victoria into a pile of garbage. Then she ran away.'
'Can you prove all of this, Harrison?'
'I can prove he embezzled, sir. It's enough to put him away for the rest of his life. Douglas insists he'd recognize MacPherson today. I'm not so sure myself, but I think your assistant will be convinced by the authorities to talk.'
'If the nursemaid hadn't had second thoughts, would I have gotten my daughter back? No… no, of course I wouldn't have. He would have killed her, wouldn't he?'
'Probably,' Harrison agreed.
Elliott began to shake with fury. 'All these past years that monster has been sitting by my side, calmly acting as though…'
He couldn't go on. Harrison nodded with understanding. 'Sir, it was damned clever of him. He must have
