He saw no harm in it, though MacLachor seemed to disagree and was already shaking his head. ‘My lord, I do not think that would be wise.’
Dalton took the basket from her and set it down, taking her hand in his. ‘It will be fine.’ He led Regina towards the parlour, ignoring MacLachor’s discomfort.
But when he opened the door and saw Lord Havershire bound like a prisoner, he understood the butler’s reasoning.
Regina gasped and went to the earl. ‘Father, what has happened?’
The earl’s clothing was ragged, and Dalton recognised it as the attire Havershire had worn to the wedding. His face was dirty, and blood stained the front of his shirt. He turned his face away from his daughter and coughed heavily into his sleeve.
Gabriel met Dalton’s gaze. ‘Havershire tried to kill Frances Goodson,’ he informed them, ‘and nearly succeeded.’
‘Dear God.’ Regina dropped to her knees before her father. ‘Papa, why would you do this?’
The earl didn’t answer, but MacKinnon said, ‘He thought if Frances were dead, then the laird would marry you.’
An act of desperation, Dalton realised. One bordering on madness.
‘Papa,’ she pleaded. ‘I was never going to marry the laird.’ But the older man did not react to her words. His face was stony, as if he were lost in thought. Regina turned stricken. ‘Why would you do this?’
But the earl remained silent. Dalton suspected that the man was unable to explain anything. And in truth, Havershire was lucky to be alive. If any man tried to kill Regina, Dalton wouldn’t hesitate to protect her. The laird had shown mercy by letting Havershire live, and no doubt, it was for Regina’s sake.
Dalton exchanged a look with his friend, not knowing what would happen now. Gabriel let out a dark sigh. ‘Frances is fighting for her life, and Lachlan bade me to take the earl to London. He promised not to press charges, as long as he never sees Havershire again.’
‘That can be arranged,’ Dalton answered. ‘But leave him here, with us. Do not take him to London.’ In the earl’s state of unrest, he could not be trusted.
Gabriel hesitated, and then nodded. ‘I will let Lachlan believe he’s in London. But he will be your responsibility now.’
‘So be it. But he must be confined so that he cannot harm others.’ Dalton sent a pointed look towards Regina. He didn’t want her to believe the earl could come and go as he pleased. Especially when he had threatened Lachlan’s wife.
Regina gave him a nod of assent as she rose to her feet. ‘My father is very ill,’ she said to the butler. ‘He will need his own room and the care of a physician. He is suffering from consumption.’
‘I will find a room for him,’ MacLachor promised. He glanced at Dalton, who nodded permission for him to leave.
‘We need to talk in private,’ Dalton told his wife. ‘Your father can remain here in the meantime.’
‘But the ropes,’ she protested. ‘He need not be bound.’
He understood her frustration. ‘As soon as his room is prepared, we will take off the ropes,’ Dalton said. ‘And I will see to it that he has a meal. For now, we need to make some decisions.’ He offered his arm, but Regina hesitated before she took it.
He led her back to his study and closed the door. His wife appeared pale and shaken by what she had seen. ‘I don’t understand. I know Papa was angry with me for marrying you, but why would he believe he could stop the laird from marrying Miss Goodson? Why would he be that desperate?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It seems that he lost sight of everything. All sense of right and wrong.’ Regina’s voice was numb, and she sank into a chair. ‘Perhaps the blackmailer did something. Perhaps this involved money.’
Dalton came to stand behind her, and he rested his hands upon her shoulders. ‘You needn’t worry about wealth, Regina. I will repay your father’s debts, if it is necessary.’
But his words did little to allay her worries. Although she had confided the reasons for the blackmail, there were many details she had omitted. For instance—her father’s role in Mallencourt’s death.
The scandal of near rape was bad enough, but the baron’s disappearance had a more sinister cast. Dalton went to stand before her, needing to see her eyes. ‘Regina, there is something I must know. Did someone witness your father killing Lord Mallencourt?’
‘No,’ she whispered. But her face had gone white, and he suspected that the earl had hired someone else to handle the matter, if he had not struck the killing blow.
‘You know that I will help him, for your sake.’ Dalton knelt down and cupped her face. ‘But I need to know everything.’
A tear spilled over her cheek. ‘I’m so sorry I brought you into all this.’ She pulled him close and hugged him tightly. ‘You deserved better.’
‘Don’t,’ he warned. ‘I wanted to wed you. And I still want to marry you here, one day when you’re ready.’ He leaned in to kiss her and tasted the salt from her tears. ‘We can begin anew.’
She ventured a smile. ‘I would like that.’
Regina sat beside her father, gently bathing his raw wrists. His stare was vacant, as if he had given up hope on life. She didn’t know the right words to say to him, for she couldn’t understand what had driven him to such despair. All she could do was wash the dried blood away, hoping he would speak to her.
For a long time, his hands were limp, and he gave no reaction to her ministrations. Then she finally broke the silence. ‘It will be all right, Papa. I—I am happy here with Lord Camford.’
Again, there was nothing. But she took a strip of linen and wrapped it around his left wrist. ‘You would like him, I think. He has given me everything I need.’ She tied off the bandage and took a second strip.
It seemed strange, talking about Dalton in this way. But
