Chapter 48

Edward stood

over the body, dealing with all the conflicting emotions flowing

over him. He felt horror at the realisation of the situation,

sadness for the wife of the man in front of him, uncertainty at how

he would tell his own wife

the news … but also relief that now there would be no more threat

or worry from this man.

"It is him?" the constable

asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes, that is

Tom Missinger."

"And you think he came all this

way to try and take your wife away?"

Edward felt perplexed at the

question.

"All I know is what he told me

at Alessandra's parents' home - that he was determined to have her.

Only he could know to what extent he meant those words," Edward

replied.

"Very well. Thank you for

coming. I may have more questions for you after I speak to the

deceased's wife," the constable said.

"Of course," Edward nodded at

him before realising his curiosity had not yet been completely

fulfilled. "How did he die?"

The constable looked at him

thoughtfully before replying.

"From the position of the

body, we believe he slipped down a sharp drop at the edge of the

forest, and hit his head on a tree trunk. We do not believe there

was any foul play involved. He was simply in the wrong place at the

wrong time," the constable said.

"Thank you,"

Edward replied, finding himself saddened although also relieved at

the news. For a moment, he could see how he could have

been viewed as a potential suspect if it had looked like Tom's

death was not an accident.

He walked away from the

constable with a new dilemma. Should he tell Alessandra, or keep

the news to himself for the moment? She was now six months into her

pregnancy. She was two-thirds of the way there. Was she at a time

that would still be safe if she received a shock?

Before riding home, he

took a detour to the office of the family physician.

"Edward," the older man before

him said happily as he held out his hand to shake Edward's. "What

can I do for you? Are you unwell?"

"Oh no, Sir, I am here about my

wife, Alessandra."

"Ahh yes, Alessandra. Is she

still with child?" he asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes, all

appears to be going well, but I have some bad news to give to her.

I am not sure what such a shock may do…"

The physician sat down behind

his desk and watched Edward's face to see if he would continue.

When he did not, the doctor sat forward.

"Alessandra must be … six

months along?" he asked and saw Edward nod.

"The most dangerous time

has passed, and your wife seems a strong young lady. If you need to

tell her something that could shock her, by all means try and do so

gently, but I think she and your child will be fine."

Edward tried to absorb

the advice being given to him, but it conflicted with thoughts that

had always been in his head.

"I know that you have

grown up knowing the limitations on your mother to have more

children," the physician continued. "I do understand why you would

have a natural concern for your wife when she is with child, but

there are no indications that anything will happen, or that she

cannot see this pregnancy through and deliver a healthy child when

it is time."

They talked some more and then

Edward left with the determination to immediately stop avoiding

breaking the news to Alessandra.

~~~~~

When he returned to the

manor, he was instantly pulled aside by his father.

"Well?"

"It is him, Father," Edward

replied. He watched as his father looked more and more morose.

"What will you do, Edward?"

"I must tell Alessandra. She

knew him and would want to know…" Edward said.

"Are you sure that is

wise?"

Edward found doubt entering his

mind about what was the right thing to do.

"Yes, Father, I think I need to

tell her. Even if they were not current friends, she should still

know what has happened to him," Edward said, thinking about the

possibility that had crossed his mind when he had first heard the

news that the body had been found - that Tom might have been

watching Edward and Alessandra when they were last at the

waterfall. That thought made him shudder. Thinking about that man -

or anyone - watching them as they made love, was detestable. That

was something that he did not want to disclose to his wife, but to

leave that suspicion out would mean that he would not be able to

tell her where exactly on the estate Tom had been found. "I must go

and tell her. Excuse me, Father."

~~~~~

Edward went straight to where

he knew to be Alessandra's favourite place of peace - 'the glass

jungle room', she had fondly named it. When he entered quietly, she

turned and a smile immediately graced her face as she saw him.

Straight away, Alessandra

could tell her husband had something of serious importance on his

mind. She moved over on her favourite stone bench so that he could

sit down beside her, and then waited as he gathered his words,

seeming to want to say something but then not say it.

"Edward, what is it?" she

asked, encouraging him in whatever it was that he had to reveal to

her.

Edward sat quietly, still

uncertain what the probability was that telling her that particular

news could upset her to the point where something serious happened

to the health of her or their child. Remembering the words of the

doctor, he decided to put trust in the physician and the strength

of his wife. He formulated the words in the best way possible so

that the shock might be lessened.

"Tom," he started, and

immediately saw the surprise on his wife's face.

"Tom Missinger?"

Alessandra asked, wondering what Edward could be going to say about

the man who had courted her so long ago, and had written letters to

her more recently.

"Yes," Edward continued,

once again feeling such dread inside of him. He also felt a sliver

of guilt because even though he had not done anything to contribute

to Tom's death, he certainly had wished silently that Tom would go

away and leave Alessandra alone. It made no logical sense to feel

guilty, but it was in his nature to do so, given how strongly he

had felt about the man who had threatened to pursue his

wife.

Alessandra saw distress

on Edward's face, and put her hand over his to hold it

tightly.

"Edward, whatever you have to

say, it is alright. Please relax and tell me."

Edward took a deep breath and

held her hand tightly.

"Alessandra, there has been

news of Tom," he said, still trying to formulate words for what he

had to say. "He … died."

Alessandra heard the news

and felt shocked. What she'd just heard could not possibly be true.

She had not welcomed the attentions Tom had put on her since her

marriage, but for a fleeting moment, she cast her mind back to the

time before she had met Edward. It was a time when she'd thought

all it would take for her to be happy was to be married to Tom

Missinger. Now that she was in her marriage with Edward, she could,

of course, see that she would never have been happy with Tom. Even

so, for just a moment, she let herself feel the feelings that

naturally came from the news.

"Dead?" she asked faintly, as

if not believing it.

Edward sat

quietly, giving her space and time to fully comprehend the news.

Silently he hoped she might not ask questions , so he could spare her any details, but of

course she would. One of the things he most loved about her was her

ongoing curiosity about things that made her question so

much.

"How?"

Edward breathed out slowly and

deeply, desperate to let only one piece of information leak out at

any one time.

"I do not know. His … he … was

found, already dead."

He saw confusion cross

the face of his wife and knew that, over time to come, she would

ask all relevant questions to get the full story. The same trait in

her that had always delighted him, felt like a source of heartbreak

at that moment.

"Where?"

Alessandra felt like her

head was racing, with so many questions in it that she felt like

she had to breathe deeply to slow it all down. As she asked that

particular question, she looked right into Edward's eyes and

suddenly became aware of how difficult it was for him as the

deliverer of such bad news. She saw him look away and then slowly

return his gaze to hers once more.

"Here. On the estate," he said

as if the words came out only one at a time. He didn't expand on

the explanation, watching as yet another level of knowledge sunk

into her.

Alessandra looked at him with

disbelief on her face.

"He was here?" she asked and

saw Edward nod in confirmation. "But why?"

Edward kept quiet as she

processed information being fed to her, and could make sense of

it.

"He was here to see me?" she

asked and he waited further. "He died, coming here to see me?"

Alessandra became aware

that her husband had stopped speaking, and knew there must have

been more to the situation.

"Tell me all, Edward," she said

"Whatever you need to say, I am prepared for. Please do not hold it

inside."

Edward waited a few minutes

before moving on in his conversation.

"Just over a week ago,

when Father and I were visiting tenants, we found Mrs Howard tied

up. Upon questioning her, she told us that a man had done that to

her, and had left her like that while he used her cottage as a

place to stay for several nights."

"And you thought it might be

Tom?" Alessandra asked. Edward nodded. "But why would you think

that? He lives a long way from here."

"Before we saw Mrs Howard

like that, we had received news that Tom was missing," Edward said.

"It was suspected that he might come here to see you."

Suddenly, all the moments

in recent weeks that Alessandra had noticed her husband's

quietness, became clear and obvious to her.

"You have

been worried about telling me what was going on," she said and

watched Edward nod whilst avoiding her gaze. "Oh, Edward, this news

of Tom's death is heartbreaking. He had no right to think of me as

he did after he was married, and after I was married,

but he was someone I knew, and had great regard for when we knew

each other. I find this very sad."

She placed her hand under his

chin and raised his face gently so he was looking at her again.

"I understand

why you have kept all of this from me, and I am not going to ask

any more now, but in time - after our baby's birth - you will share

with me all

the details you know about this,"

she said.

Edward nodded before kissing

her gently.

Alessandra welcomed the

kiss, determined to put all thoughts about Tom from her mind. The

sadness she knew could come from that knowledge, she wanted

desperately to put on a shelf and forget for the moment. She only

had another 10 weeks or so to get through before her baby would be

born, so it was important for her to remain calm in the meantime.

Even she recognised that importance and would not do anything that

might cause harm to her baby … or herself.