The Heir - Catherine Coulter [114]
“There is no doubt in my mind. There should be no doubt in yours, only I pray that you will never have it tested in the abbey.”
Dr. Branyon looked from one daughter to the other. If Arabella could have given Elsbeth all her strength, she would have done it, right here, right now, at the dinner table. What was going on? There were such changes in her. He shook his head. Ann would tell him what was going on later. He said to Arabella, “Both you and Elsbeth have the constitutions of horses, but you, my dear countess, you need a more thorough examination. I want to make very certain that you are quite all right.”
Arabella managed a laugh. “What? And be victim to one of your vile potions? No, I thank you, sir. Mother, give him some of these stewed onions. It will focus his attention away from me.”
Dr. Branyon turned to the earl. “Justin, cannot you persuade your wife to reason?”
Justin merely smiled and shook his head. “Let her bear her bumps and bruises in peace, Paul. I am persuaded that she has come to no ill. But you may be certain that I will keep a close watch on her tonight.”
“It is I who must ask your apology, dear Arabella,” the comte said, leaning toward her, waving his knife. These were the first words out of him. “I placed you unwittingly into such danger. It is unforgivable, it is beyond what a man’s honor can tolerate. Tell me, what can I do to make retribution?”
Arabella raised her eyes to Gervaise. She wanted to tell him that he could damned well leave this minute and never come back. He could shoot himself. He could drown himself in the fishpond. She wanted to demand what he knew and why he had come here in the first place. She also realized that she’d heard a note of falseness in his lilting voice. It was now very clear to her. His concern didn’t reach his dark eyes. Perhaps it was relief she saw, relief that she had not died? What was going on here? How could she find out?
She forced herself to smile brightly at him. “I accept your apology, comte. I most readily forgive you, for I also wished to explore the chambers. The fault is both of ours.” Had her voice sounded as false as the comte’s? She hoped it did, to him, the bastard. She didn’t dare look toward Justin. She imagined he would tell her quite plainly exactly what he thought later.
Lady Ann said, “All that matters is that your are safe. I now wish to give an order. No more exploring those old ruins. I remember your father extracting such a promise from you years ago. Come, promise me again.”
Yes, Arabella thought, Father wanted me to stay away from the ruins. There is no doubt at all in my mind. He was afraid of what I would discover. She felt sick, sick to her very soul, but managed to say, “That is the easiest promise I will ever have to keep, Mama.”
Dr. Branyon shifted his attention to Gervaise. He was beginning to detest the young man as much as the earl did, but for different reasons. He was afraid that he posed a threat to Ann. What kind of threat, he didn’t know, but it was a fear, deep in his gut. And he wondered yet again what Justin had found out about him and what he was planning to do. Would he simply allow him to leave? He said smoothly, “I understand, monsieur, that you will leave Evesham Abbey shortly.”
Gervaise gazed between half-closed lids at the earl before replying smoothly, “Yes, Doctor, there are pressing matters that await my attention. I have enjoyed my leisure here in England, but I must return to Bruxelles.”
Dr. Branyon said, “Well, you have stayed here for a long time, have you not? Perhaps it is best that you return to your home.”
Gervaise looked about at all of them. He knew the earl was aware of his goal when he’d come back to tell of Arabella’s accident. Ah, but he didn’t know what it was that Gervaise was after. And that was why the earl hadn’t kicked him out. He wanted to know. Then he would want to kill him. Well, the damned earl would learn about everything soon enough. And Gervaise wouldn’t be the one to die. It made