Carolyn nodded slowly, as if that made perfect sense. 'I see. And how did he ruin you?'
The hatred burned brighter. 'He courted me, flattered me, seduced and charmed me. I fell madly, passionately in love with him. Just when I was certain I was on the verge of winning him, he cast me aside like day-old trash to attend a house party at Lord Langston's country estate. Oh, he was very civil about ending our liaison, but it still amounted to being thrown away.'
Her glittering eyes narrowed. 'I'd planned to regain his favor when he returned to London, but he came back a different man. Every time I approached him, he put me off. And I realized he'd taken another lover. All I needed to do was find out who so I could best plan how to win him back.'
Her gaze raked over Carolyn with ill-concealed disgust. 'I saw the two of you the night of my masquerade ball. On the terrace. I couldn't credit that he'd chosen
Anger over the destruction this madwoman had caused pushed aside a portion of Carolyn's fear and she lifted her brows. 'Perhaps I'm not as boring and timid as you think.'
Lady Walsh's eyes turned to slits. 'He would have returned to me if not for you. I tried to tempt him back, but he stubbornly refused. And turned my love to hate. That's when I decided that if I couldn't have him, no one would.'
'Then why didn't you simply kill him?'
Her lips curved up in a travesty of a smile. 'But that's exactly what I'm doing. Shooting or stabbing him would be too quick, and Daniel must suffer. Must be ruined. So I decided to frame him for murder. Of his former lovers.'
'How did you kill them?' Carolyn asked, straining her ears, praying she'd soon hear footsteps coming along the path.
Pride now gleamed in Lady Walsh's eyes. 'I lured them to their deaths by sending them the sort of time and place lover's notes that are currently all the rage. I disguised my handwriting to resemble Daniel's and asked them both to wear pieces of jewelry to their liaison that he'd given them. After you're found dead, his fate will be sealed. Especially after I plant the notes he sent to Lady Crawford and Lady Margate where the authorities will find them.'
'Why didn't you just leave the notes on the dead women?'
'I'd planned to send one to you on the night you would be killed, and I didn't want you afraid to answer the missive.' Her expression turned cunning. 'That's if you didn't die sooner.'
'You mean the shot you fired?'
A sly smile curved her lips. 'Perhaps.'
'Why this change in your plans?'
Lady Walsh frowned. 'Because Daniel decided both you and I were in danger. Did you know he came to me last night, to warn me to be careful? I almost felt sorry for my plan to ruin him, and I might have halted it had he accepted my invitation to stay. But instead he left.' She glared at Carolyn. 'To go to you, I'm sure.'
'Yes.'
'That final rejection sealed his fate, and forced me to act sooner than I'd planned. I knew he'd see to it that you were never out of his sight.' Another sick smile. 'But I fooled him. And you. And now here we are. And you're going to die.'
A cold fury unlike anything she'd ever known rose in Carolyn. 'You already failed when you shot at me the other night,' she said with a sneer.
'I won't miss this time.'
Realizing it was now or never, Carolyn sprang at her attacker with a feral scream that cut through the chilled air. Shock, then profound hatred, registered in Lady Walsh's eyes as they struggled over the pistol. Carolyn fought with every ounce of her strength to keep the muzzle pointed away from herself, but Lady Walsh was demonically strong, and as determined as she. Fear and fury forced Carolyn to keep struggling. Sweat broke out on her skin, and her every muscle trembled with her efforts.
Yet despite her valiant attempt, Lady Walsh managed to jam the pistol's muzzle directly beneath her breast.
No sooner had the thought whispered through her mind than Lady Walsh cried out and stiffened. Her eyes went wide and her grip slackened on the pistol. Carolyn grabbed the weapon and scurried back, away from her. Shaking, she pointed the pistol at Lady Walsh, fully prepared to squeeze the trigger, but to her astonishment, the woman fell to her knees. A trickle of blood oozed between her lips and a thin line of scarlet trailed over her jaw. Her eyes were rapidly dimming, but they remained focused on Carolyn.
'I'll have my revenge,' she whispered. 'Even from the grave I'll see you dead.' She collapsed forward then, and Carolyn stared with disbelief at the hilt of the knife protruding from her back.
Dazed, she looked up and saw Daniel standing in the opening in the hedges. Before she could move, he ran to her. 'Are you hurt?' he asked, gently removing the pistol from her suddenly nerveless fingers.
'I… I'm fine.' Although fine didn't precisely describe the shakiness attacking her limbs.
He passed the pistol to Mr. Mayne, who'd entered the clearing along with Samuel and Nelson, who held a knife in one hand and brandished a fire iron in the other.
She blinked at her very proper butler. 'Good heavens, Nelson, what are you doing here?'
'Came to help rescue you, my lady.'
For some reason, that filled her eyes with tears. 'Thank you. All of you.'
Daniel wrapped an arm around her then led her away from the body. She glanced at it over her shoulder and shuddered. When they stopped walking, she turned to face him. He cupped her cheeks between his hands and his anxious gaze raked her face.
'You're certain you're not hurt?'
She nodded. 'Yes.'
Before she could utter another word, he crushed her to him in a hug so tight she could barely breathe. She clung to him, grateful for his strength, because her legs still felt decidedly wobbly.
'My God, Carolyn,' he whispered against her hair. 'I've never, in my entire life, been so frightened.'
'She was going to kill me,' she mumbled into his chest.
A shudder racked his frame. 'Yes, I know.'
She lifted her head and leaned back just enough to look into his eyes. 'Did you kill her?'
'Yes.'
'You made an excellent throw with that knife. I'm very relieved you didn't miss.'
'There was no possible way I was going to miss. Not with all that was at stake.'
'I wasn't going to let her shoot me. Not without a fight.'
He brushed back a loosened tangle of her hair. 'I'm very relieved to hear it. I didn't know you were so fierce.'
'Neither did I.'
'You're a veritable tigress.'
'Apparently. But I certainly hope I never have to prove it again in such a manner.'
'As do I. Do you feel able to walk?'
'I'm a bit unsteady, but I'd rather walk home than stay here.'
Keeping his arms around her, Daniel looked over her shoulder. 'I'm going to escort Lady Wingate home, Mayne. Do you need me to send for anyone?'
'No. Samuel's offered to fetch Rayburn, and Nelson can stay with me, if that's all right with Lady Wingate.'
'Of course.'
When she and Daniel reached the opening in the hedges, Carolyn couldn't stop herself from taking one final look behind her at Lady Walsh.
'What did she say to you, at the end?' Daniel asked.
'I'll have my revenge… even from the grave I'll see you dead.'' A shiver ran through Carolyn, and Daniel wrapped his arm more firmly around her shoulders. 'I have no idea what she meant.'
'It doesn't matter. She's dead, and can do nothing to hurt you or anyone else ever again.'
