The Heiress Bride - Catherine Coulter [141]
“No!”
“Oh God.”
It was Colin, and he shoved her aside as he ran into the bedchamber. Quickly, he grasped Aunt Arleth’s legs to push her up, relieving the pressure of the rope around her neck.
Within moments, Douglas, Ryder, Sophie, and Alex were crowding into the room.
Colin held her firmly against him, yelling over his shoulder, “Quickly, Douglas, Ryder, cut that damned rope. Perhaps we’re not too late.”
There was no knife to be found, so Douglas stood on a chair so he could reach the knot at the base of the chandelier. It took him several moments, moments that stretched longer than eternity, to untie the knot. Slowly, Colin eased Aunt Arleth down into his arms and carried her to her bed. He gently untied the knot about her throat and pulled it away.
He laid his fingers to the pulse in her throat. He slapped her face several times. He rubbed her arms, her legs, slapped her again, shook her. But there was nothing.
“She’s dead,” he said finally, straightening. “Dear God, she’s dead.”
Serena said from the doorway, “I knew she’d be dead. Your mother’s kelpie lover came for Arleth because she told Joan about your origins. Oh yes, the kelpie was your father, Colin, and now Arleth is dead, as she deserves to be.”
She turned and left the bedchamber, her pale nightgown floating around her as she walked. She paused and said over her shoulder, “I don’t believe in that kelpie nonsense. I don’t really know why I said it. But I’m not sorry she’s dead. She was dangerous to you, Colin.”
“Oh God,” Alex said, and to her own astonishment, she crumpled where she stood.
CHAPTER
20
“SHE DIDN’T KILL herself,” Colin said.
“But the stool beside her,” Sinjun said, “it was kicked over, as if she—” Her voice simply stopped. She swallowed, her head lowered. Colin hugged her tightly to him.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know. If only we’d been just a few moments sooner, perhaps—”
Douglas rose and strode to the fireplace. He stood there, leaning against it, a cup of hastily prepared coffee in his hand. “No, she didn’t kill herself. I’m positive of that. You see, I untied the knot that was at the base of the chandelier. She simply wouldn’t have had the strength or the ability to fashion such a knot.”
“Shouldn’t we have Ostle fetch the magistrate?” Sinjun asked her husband.
“I am the magistrate. I agree with Douglas. I have only one question for you, Joan. How did you know to wake up and go to her room?”
“Pearlin’ Jane woke me. She told me to hurry to Aunt Arleth’s room. We went immediately, Colin, there was no hesitation. I wonder why she waited so long. Perhaps she didn’t realize Aunt Arleth wouldn’t survive, or perhaps she didn’t want her to live; she wanted her punished for what she did to Fiona and to you, Colin, and to me. How can we possibly understand a ghost’s motives?”
Douglas shoved away from the fireplace, his face red. “Dammit, Sinjun, enough of this bloody damned ghost talk! I won’t have it, not here. At home I have to bear it because it’s a damned tradition, but not. here!”
On and on it went. Sinjun was so tired, so shocked into her tiredness that she simply sat there, listening but not really hearing everyone as they voiced their opinions. And being Sherbrookes and wives of Sherbrookes, they all had opinions and all their opinions were contrary to one another’s.
At one point Sophie shuddered and stepped quickly back, bumping into a chair. Ryder, frowning, immediately went to her and brought her into the circle of his arms. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against his wife’s. “It’s all right, Sophie. Tell me what’s wrong, love.”
“The violence, Ryder, the horrible violence, the pain. It just brought it all back to me, all of Jamaica. I hate the memories, dear God how I hate them.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry about this, but you’re with me and you will remain with me and