Chapter 13
Alexander drove faster than he had in years.
Not blindly.
That distinction mattered.
He called ahead.
Sofia was safe.
Rose had been brought to the estate earlier under Elias’s request.
Margaret was with them.
Two guards.
No alarms.
No visible intrusion.
That did not comfort him.
Julian Shaw had been raised inside service corridors.
If he existed, he would not need to break doors.
Alexander entered through the main hall.
Sofia ran toward him.
“Daddy!”
He lifted her.
Held her.
Long enough to make everyone wait.
Then he saw Rose.
Margaret.
Both old women standing several feet apart.
Looking at each other.
Rose’s expression was not surprise.
It was fury.
“You.”
Alexander lowered Sofia into the arms of a trusted woman.
“Take her upstairs.”
Sofia resisted.
“Daddy.”
“I’ll come.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
She left.
Alexander looked at Rose.
“You know about Julian.”
Rose stared at Margaret.
“She said he died.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Alexander felt anger.
“Margaret.”
“My son is alive.”
“Second son.”
“Yes.”
“Why hide him?”
“To keep Raymond from taking him.”
Elias entered behind Alexander.
“Taking him?”
Margaret looked at him.
“Thomas opened Ashcroft.”
“Yes.”
“Raymond learned afterward that Thomas had trained Julian in every household route.”
“Steward.”
“Yes.”
Alexander stared.
“Julian inherited the role.”
“No.”
Margaret’s voice hardened.
“He inherited the skills.”
“Difference?”
“Choice.”
Again.
Everything coming back to choice.
“He refused Raymond.”
“Then?”
“Raymond threatened Peter.”
Her older son.
“Julian left.”
“When?”
“Thirty years ago.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“You told everyone dead.”
“Yes.”
“Did Isabella find him?”
Margaret’s face changed.
“Yes.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened.
“When?”
“Three months before she died.”
“What happened?”
“She asked him who opened Ashcroft nursery.”
“Did he know?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Margaret looked toward Rose.
Rose went pale.
“No.”
Elias frowned.
Alexander felt something shift.
“Who?”
Margaret whispered:
“Rose.”
Silence.
Elias looked at the woman who raised his sister.
Alexander stared.
Rose did not deny it.
“I opened the nursery.”
Elias’s face broke.
“Why?”
Rose looked at him.
“To save you.”
“What?”
“Margaret had you.”
Rose’s voice trembled.
“Isabella was in the nursery.”
Men were entering.
Fire spreading.
Rose had locked the nursery from inside.
She needed an exit.
“The servants’ nursery door opened into the same corridor Raymond’s men were using.”
Alexander understood.
“You opened it to run.”
“Yes.”
“Did they see you?”
“Yes.”
“How did you escape?”
“Victor.”
Alexander froze.
“My father.”
“He was coming upstairs trying to stop Raymond’s men.”
Rose’s eyes filled.
“He saw me holding Isabella.”
“What did he do?”
“Shot the man behind us.”
Silence.
Victor had both created and interrupted the massacre.
Human contradictions again.
“Then?”
“He told me to run.”
Elias looked at Rose.
“You saved Isabella.”
“Yes.”
“Margaret saved me.”
“Yes.”
“Why did Julian care?”
Rose shook her head.
Margaret answered.
“Because someone else saw Victor let Rose escape.”
Alexander stared.
“Who?”
“Charles Hayes.”
No.
Charles had known Isabella survived? Veronica said father knew later. Perhaps he knew possibility but not identity. Fine.
Margaret continued.
“Charles told Raymond.”
“Then why not find Isabella?”
“Because Victor threatened them.”
Alexander’s face hardened.
“What threat?”
“He said if Rose or the baby disappeared, Charles’s daughter would grow up without a father.”
Veronica.
Alexander almost laughed darkly.
Protection through another threat.
Same disease.
“Victor became what he hated.”
Margaret looked at him.
“Yes.”
No cleaning.
Alexander continued.
“Julian.”
Margaret’s voice lowered.
“He learned all of this from Thomas.”
“And Isabella found him.”
“Yes.”
“What did he tell her?”
“That Raymond was using the old Steward network again.”
“To undermine me.”
“Yes.”
“Did Julian arrange ridge road?”
Margaret’s face broke.
“No.”
Alexander stared.
“Raymond said he did.”
“Raymond lies.”
“Where was Julian?”
“With me.”
“When Isabella died?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
Margaret’s eyes filled.
“He came home for the first time in decades.”
“What time?”
“All night.”
Alexander felt the mystery twist again.
“Then who drove the truck?”
Margaret looked at him.
“I did.”
Silence.
Alexander stared.
“You.”
“Yes.”
Elias stepped forward.
Rose covered her mouth.
Alexander’s voice became almost inaudible.
“You were on ridge road.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Isabella called me.”
“Why?”
“She knew Raymond was moving.”
“Did she ask you to help?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Margaret started crying.
Not theatrically.
Like an old woman finally collapsing beneath a weight carried too long.
“I was supposed to meet her after she passed Charles.”
“Truck.”
“Yes.”
“Why flash headlights?”
“I didn’t.”
Alexander frowned.
“The lights malfunctioned.”
“Both high beams.”
“Yes.”
“Then Isabella swerved.”
Margaret shook her head violently.
“No.”
“What?”
“She had already passed me.”
Silence.
“Veronica saw a flash.”
“From behind.”
Alexander stared.
Another car.
“Who was behind you?”
Margaret’s voice broke.
“Peter.”
Her older son.
Alexander stopped.
Peter claimed he moved down road after Raymond.
Could be.
“Did Peter follow Isabella?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret sobbed.
“I thought he was protecting me.”
Alexander felt cold.
“Where is Peter?”
“No one knows.”
Elias looked toward the upstairs corridor.
Then a floorboard creaked.
All heads turned.
A man stood at the top of the stairs.
Not Peter.
Fifty.
Gray hair.
Dark house-staff suit.
Margaret whispered:
“Julian.”
Her hidden son.
Julian Shaw looked at Alexander.
Then Elias.
Then Rose.
Finally Margaret.
“You’re all still blaming the wrong brother.”
Alexander stared.
“Peter.”
Julian nodded.
“My brother never worked for Raymond.”
May you like
A pause.
“He worked for Charles Hayes.”
