“It wasn’t like that.”
“What was it like then?”
Jacob’s fury was bubbling to the surface and about to boil over. If it washed over her, how could she keep from being scalded?
“You agreed to marry me,” she said, “and I won’t allow you to cry off.”
“After what’s been revealed, you think I’d proceed? You’re the kind of woman who would kill her own daughter. You’re a monster, and I declare our nuptial contract to be null and void.”
Roxanne bristled. “I didn’t start that fire!”
“I don’t believe you. I’m certain you were at Kit’s side, directing his aim.” Jacob peered over at his brother. “Get her out of my sight. I can’t look at her another second.”
Caleb Ralston pushed away from the wall. He walked over, grabbed her arm, and lifted her to her feet.
“Let’s go, Miss Ralston.”
“To where?”
“You’re being arrested, and there are men waiting in the driveway who will convey you to the jail.”
She laughed, as if it was the most ridiculous comment she’d ever heard. “Arrested on what charge?”
“Attempted murder—for now.” Her knees gave out, but he didn’t permit her to fall. He simply tightened his grip and continued. “I suspect it will be arson too, as well as destruction of property, false dealing, breach of promise. I’m very rich, and I can hire the best lawyers in the land to help Jacob skewer you. The prosecutor will likely pile on so many felonies that we’ll have to have a book printed to list them all.”
She tried to wrench away, but couldn’t, so she turned her beseeching gaze to Jacob. “Jacob, please. Don’t do this! You can’t want to.”
“I do want to actually. I want to very, very much. And just so you know, I’ve decided to wed Joanna James.”
“What? No! I refuse to step aside.”
“After I’m her husband, I will adopt Clara, so she’ll be mine forever. You don’t care about her, but I shall be delighted to be her father.”
He nodded to his brother, and Caleb Ralston said, “Come, Miss Ralston. We’re escorting you to the magistrate, then you’ll be locked away until your trial. In light of the seriousness of your crimes, you shouldn’t plan on ever being released.”
“This isn’t right! I’m guilty of nothing!”
Neither of them would listen, and she was so disoriented, she could barely keep her balance. She’d thought she’d been invited down to the library to play hostess for Jacob, to pour tea, to charm his half-brother. But she was being arrested? She was on her way to jail?
She was a modest, ordinary female. How was she to grapple with such an outrage?
Caleb Ralston dragged her out so fast that she didn’t manage a final glimpse of Jacob. She was marched to a carriage, her wrists and ankles bound with a rope, then Mr. Ralston tossed her in and shut the door.
Despite how she wrestled and begged, he didn’t heed her, and he didn’t let her go.
“What did you need?” Kit glared at Jacob and said, “I’m in no condition to navigate the stairs, and it was cruel of you to demand I attend you down here.”
Jacob was seated behind his grand library desk, and he waved Kit to the chair across. Kit limped over and eased down, wincing in pain as he knocked his wound against the chair leg.
“You’re looking worse by the second,” Jacob said.
“I’m feeling worse.”
“It’s too bad Miss James ran away. She might have been able to help you.”
Kit shivered, desperate to forget the curse she’d leveled, then he scoffed. “I’m not sure I’d have let that witch lay her hands on me, and I use the term witch literally. The woman was unnatural, and we’re lucky she’s gone.”
“Are we?” Jacob studied him in an unnerving way. “We’ll be making some changes at the estate.”
“You brought me down to talk about the estate? It couldn’t have waited until I was better?”
“No. My news is a tad urgent.”
“May I hope it involves that pompous bastard Sandy? He can’t be rewarded for his mischief with Margaret.”
Jacob didn’t offer an opinion on the comment, but said, “A bit earlier, I tried to discuss the audit with you, but you weren’t interested in the results.”
“I was interested! I’m simply miserable. Can’t we dicker over it later?”
“It doesn’t appear to me that you’ll improve any time soon.”
Jacob was drinking a glass of whiskey, and Kit wanted to ask if Jacob would pour him one too. A shot of fortification would be beneficial, but from Jacob’s glum demeanor, Kit received the distinct impression that he oughtn’t to request any liquor.
“Could we get on with it?” Kit was too grouchy to be sociable. “I’d like to head back to bed.”
“Yes, we can get on with it. How about this? You’re fired.”
Kit couldn’t have heard correctly. “What?”
“You’re fired. For embezzlement.”
“Now just a damned minute!”
“I will be hiring investigators to search your bank accounts. Any money that’s left? I’ll find it.”
“I’ve never stolen a farthing from you,” Kit furiously fumed. “If some idiotic London accountant claims otherwise, let him raise the allegation to my face!”
“It’s hard numbers, Kit, and you never were very good at math. You didn’t hide your larceny very well either. It was a simple matter to unravel it.” Jacob sighed, as if Kit was a great burden, then he added, “Unfortunately, I’ll never recoup the income that was squandered due to your mismanagement of my affairs. It’s a loss I’ll have to swallow as unrecoverable.”
“I’ve been terrific at my job! It’s not my fault if crops fail or the weather won’t cooperate. You can’t
