Chapter 24

Lydia went back to sleep. She was exhausted—the poison having almost killed her—and slept for what seemed like hours. She only awoke to the feel of a hand on her arm, and looking up, she found her lady's maid smiling down at her.

"Lady Westborough is here to see you, My Lady. She was most insistent," Catherine said.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat, and she sat up, the exertion causing her to gasp. "Here? But where's Philip?" she asked.

Catherine shook her head. "I'm not sure, My Lady. But Lady Westborough seems very anxious about something. Shall I show her in?"

Lydia knew she could not refuse, but she was fearful of her cousin. What if Caroline had come with murderous intent?

"Yes… but I want you to stay with me, Catherine. I don't want to be alone with her," Lydia replied, and the maid nodded.

A few moments later, Caroline was shown into the bedroom. She seemed to be agitated, and she hurried to Lydia's bedside and clasped her hand.

"Oh, Lydia, I'm terribly worried. I don't know where Edward is!" she exclaimed.

Lydia looked up at her cousin curiously. There was no question about her condition, no commiseration over her current state. It was as though Caroline's mind was only on her husband.

"Well, I don't know," Lydia replied, but the thought of where Philip was now caused her to sit up in bed.

Both their husbands were missing. A curious thing, indeed

Philip had spoken of sorting out his business, and now Lydia wondered if that business involved Edward.

"I think he and Philip were going to meet. He's been very angry this past day. But I don't know where. I thought perhaps he might be here," Caroline said.

Lydia shook her head. "No… Philip went out."

But a dreadful thought occurred to her—had Philip taken matters into his own hands?

Caroline gasped, throwing her hands up in horror. "A duel, that's what's going to happen. Oh, how terrible—the rivalry of cousins. I've told him often enough that it's Philip who inherited the title, not him. My foolish husband!" she exclaimed.

Lydia looked at her in astonishment. Surely it was Caroline who was the jealous one. She was the one who had been so eager to see Edward's ambitions realized, and yet now she was openly accusing him of that same jealousy.

But though her words were shocking, Lydia could well believe what she said about the duel. Thinking back to the moment she and Philip had parted, there had been something in his eyes—in his promise. He had told her he was going to put things right, and a duel would be the perfect way of doing so.

But now terror gripped her. A duel could go either way, and it could well be that it was Philip, and not Edward, who lost…

"Are you certain? But where?" Lydia asked.

All thoughts of what had happened—the horse, the carriage, the sweets—did not matter now. Lydia had to find Philip before it was too late, and with a supreme effort—for she still felt decidedly unwell—she rose from the bed.

"Are you sure about this, My Lady?" Catherine asked.

But Lydia's mind was made up.

"We need to find them, Caroline. This rivalry can't go on," she said, and together they hurried out of the bedroom, even though Lydia knew she could not trust her cousin…

But who was the true culprit? Lydia had assumed it to be her cousin, and yet behind his quiet fa?ade, perhaps it was Edward who had been the one to hold a grudge.

They left the house, taking Caroline's carriage in the direction of Royal Park—a famous place for dueling—and where they assumed their husbands would be found.

"I told him, I begged him, but he wouldn't listen to me. He never listens to me," Caroline cried, shaking her head sadly.

Lydia did not know what to make of her distress. Was she genuinely aggrieved, or was this just an act? In their previous encounters, she had sensed a seething jealousy from her cousin, a jealousy manifested in the wicked acts perpetrated by the two of them. But now Lydia was not so sure…

"Has he always had such a rivalry with Philip?" she asked.

In Caroline's eyes, Lydia knew nothing about the horse, or the carriage, or the sweets—at least in terms of their being meant to harm her and Philip. She had given no intimation of her current state, nor had she told her cousin anything of what she suspected had occurred. As far as Caroline was concerned, the two of them were friends, and happily so.

"Oh, yes, very much so. But these things are foolish—men settling their differences. But still… I'd prefer they didn't do it with pistols," Caroline replied.

Again, Lydia felt uncertain about her cousin's sincerity—or lack thereof. Was she really telling the truth? It was all so confusing. Lies and intrigues… none of it made sense.

"As would I," Lydia agreed, for she was fearful Philip was not strong enough to fight a duel.

The carriage pulled up at the gates of the park. Lydia and Caroline hurried to climb out, but as they did so, the sound of a shot rang out, and then another, echoing in the still morning air. Caroline screamed, hurrying through the park gates in the direction of the shot. Lydia followed behind, though her pace was slower, for she still felt decidedly unwell. But up ahead, she spotted Philip, a pistol in hand, pointing it in the direction of…

"Edward… oh, no… Edward," Caroline cried out, running to her husband's side.

Edward was lying on the ground, his own pistol at his side, as Philip stood a hundred yards away. He stared at Lydia in astonishment as she hurried to his side, throwing her arms around him in relief.

"Oh, Philip, thank goodness you're all right. I was terrified you'd—oh, but you're bleeding!" she gasped, seeing blood seeping from a tear in the arm of his frockcoat.

"It's only a flesh wound… But I don't understand… why are you here, Lydia? How did you know?" Philip asked.

Lydia glanced over to where Caroline was sobbing over Edward's body.

"She came to the house looking for him. I didn't know what to do. I hadn't thought… oh, but I'm so relieved. I was so worried," she cried, and without thinking, she kissed him, pressing her lips to his, holding him in her arms, not ever wanting to let him go.

Had there been any doubts in Lydia's mind as to her feelings for him, now she knew them with certainty. Love had crept over her, and in coming so close to losing him, she had realized all she had gained in him and from him. She loved him—a seed planted in childhood now blossomed and grown.

Philip had felt like a stranger to her, but in truth, she had still known him, even though she had only realized as much when she had almost lost him.

As their lips parted, Lydia smiled up at him, forgetting for a moment what had happened, and wanting him and him alone.

"You've killed him. Oh, my poor Edward. You've taken him from me! How could you?" Caroline suddenly shrieked.

Lydia turned to find her cousin advancing towards them, pointing her finger at them accusingly.

She shook her head, ready to challenge her, but Philip stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.

"I challenged him to a duel. He's not dead," he stated tonelessly.

But as Lydia glanced at Edward's still body, she could not be so sure.

"You've killed him. You're a murderer and a sorry excuse for the man you purport to be. You're not worthy of your title. Wasn't it enough you took it from him? That your birth meant Edward could never aspire to be more than he was. He'd always be second, and now… oh, it's too awful. I can't believe… and abandoning your wife to come out here and duel with him. She'd been poisoned, and yet you still sought your own glory!" Caroline cried, stomping her foot.

But at those final words, Lydia gasped. She had said nothing to Caroline about having been poisoned. There was no possibility her cousin knew, unless…

"Poisoned? How did you know I was poisoned?" Lydia asked.

At these words, Caroline faltered. Her eyes grew wide and fearful, as though realizing what she had said. She shook her head and tried to deny it.

"What d-do you mean? I didn't say anything about poison," she stammered out.

Lydia and Philip shook their heads.

"We heard you, Caroline. And I'll ask you again. How did you know I was poisoned? I didn't tell you. You didn't even enquire about my condition. No one else knew what had happened except for Philip and the doctor," Lydia pressed.

Caroline shook her head and clenched her fists. She cursed under her breath, glancing back towards Edward as she began to sob.

"I… it's all your fault!" she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Philip.

Philip opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Lydia interrupted.

"It's not Philip's fault, Caroline. It's yours. You're the one who did this. You wanted to poison him, but you poisoned me instead. You must've known as soon as you saw me. Your gift was meant to kill—just as the damaged carriage was. And the horse," she hissed.

Caroline sank to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. "No… no, no. It's not fair. I'm the one who deserves this. Not you. If he'd died, I'd be the one to live on the estate and to have the townhouse, the pretty dresses, and the fine things. We couldn't even afford a carriage to take us to Bath for our honeymoon. Oh… but you got it all, didn't you, Lydia? Yes… you're the Countess of Walford, and what am I left with? Nothing. Just a dead husband…" she wailed.

Lydia and Philip exchanged glances, shaking their heads in disbelief.

"And you thought you could take all that from me? And kill Philip to gain what you desire? It's madness," Lydia scoffed.

"I…We had to do it. We had no choice… not if we… wanted more than this. No servants to speak of, secondhand dresses, unlit fires… What's a title without its comforts?" Caroline sobbed.

It was an extraordinary revelation, and yet it was just as Lydia had suspected all along. Caroline had been the jealous one, and it was she who had encouraged Edward to attempt to murder his own cousin. Had Lydia not known it for herself, she might never have believed it, and she could only imagine what her brothers would say when they discovered the truth.

"But… think what you've done, Caroline," Lydia said, for it seemed her cousin did not realize the implications of her actions. Caroline had tried to kill them both—not once, but thrice.

"I know what I've done. I did it for us—for him. Oh, when we were courting, it seemed as though we had our whole lives ahead of us. I loved him, and he loved me. The rest didn't seem to matter, but… then I realized the truth of our circumstances. I was torn… but… he never had a chance," Caroline exclaimed, shaking her head sadly, before glancing over her shoulder to where Edward still lay motionless on the ground.

Lydia almost felt sorry for her cousin. Caroline was a broken woman, eaten up by her greed and ambition. Jealousy had blackened her heart, and there was now no question of her guilt. It was not Edward who had planned this, but Caroline. She was responsible, and the thought of it made Lydia's stomach churn.

"We should send for a doctor. I didn't kill him," Philip whispered.

The spectacle had attracted the attention of a small crowd of onlookers, and Philip ordered one of them to summon help as he and Lydia went to Edward's side.

Edward was lying on his back, his eyes closed, but Lydia could see he was breathing, and as Philip kneeled down at his side, Edward stirred.

"Cousin?" Philip called, stooping down with some difficulty.

Edward opened his eyes slowly. "Philip… what… you should be… what's happened?" he exclaimed.

"I shot you, but it's only a flesh wound. I sent for the doctor," Philip said.

Lydia turned to find Caroline still sobbing. "He's going to be all right, and so is Philip," she murmured.

Caroline looked up at her, her eyes growing wide with astonishment. "You mean, he's alive?"

Lydia nodded. "He is, yes," she confirmed as Caroline got to her feet and ran towards them.

"Come away," Philip said, taking Lydia by the hand.

But as they stepped back, Lydia was surprised to see Edward recoil at the sight of Caroline, even as she threw her arms around him.

"No, Caroline, this is too much. We can't go on like this. I won't do it. I could've been killed. Philip could've been killed," Edward snapped, pushing her away.

Caroline stared at him in astonishment, but it seemed he had at last come to his senses, no longer willing to tolerate her erratic behavior.

The sight of them together confirmed what Lydia had come to realize—that all of this was Caroline's doing. Edward, though not entirely the innocent party, would never have acted the way he had if it weren't for Caroline's influence. She was the driving force behind the extraordinary set of events that had befallen them.

Caroline gripped Edward's hand, beginning to sob even as he pulled away once again. "But, Edward, this was all for you! I did it for you! He's not worthy of the earldom. You are. It's your rightful place. Oh, Edward, please, you can't… I won't allow it… no, it can't be…" she cried.

Lydia and Philip exchanged glances. They were witnessing the end of a marriage that had hardly begun. But what was to happen next?

"Will she… be punished?" Lydia asked, looking up at her husband.

Philip sighed. "I don't know. I suppose she should be, and yet… I rather think we're witnessing her punishment now. Don't you?"

As Lydia looked at her cousin, sobbing pitifully on the grass next to Edward, she felt fairly certain Philip was right.

It was not long before a doctor arrived to tend to Edward, whose wounds were only superficial. He and Caroline were taken home by carriage, and given no one else knew the truth as to what had really happened, Lydia and Philip decided to keep the matter to themselves, rather than cause a scandal.

Back at home, Philip insisted on Lydia going straight to bed, dismissing Catherine from the bedroom and pulling up a chair at Lydia's bedside.

"I really do feel better now, though perhaps it was the excitement of… well, everything that's happened," Lydia said as she lay in bed, holding Philip's hand.

Philip smiled at her and shook his head. "You need to rest. I insist on it. I sent word to your brothers. I think your mother has already left for Berkshire, though I have a feeling when news of what happened reaches the estate, my mother and yours will be coming straight back to London."

Lydia smiled back. "Yes, I fear they will. But what are we going to tell them? All of them, I mean. Would they even believe us?" she asked.

Philip shrugged. "I suppose it rather depends on what happens between Edward and Caroline. He could divorce her, I suppose. Or perhaps he could just… send her away."

"You don't think she's still… dangerous, do you?" Lydia asked.

It was one thing to show mercy, but quite another to be so foolish as to let a woman who committed such terrible crimes—and could readily commit them again—go. Lydia had her doubts. Caroline had proved the danger she posed.

Philip shook his head. "I think she truly loved Edward and thought she was doing this for him. But if he separates from her—if he divorces her—she'll never be the Countess of Walford, whether I'm alive or dead. She's a broken woman now. She's lost everything," he said, and Lydia nodded.

When put like that, it seemed better to let the matter go. Caroline had lost everything, and if her marriage was over, so was any hope of achieving her goal.

"You're right. I'm just glad it's over, and that Edward came to his senses at last," Lydia sighed.

"Yes… but not without doing a great deal of damage beforehand. He was responsible, too, even though it was her who pulled the strings," Philip reminded her.

Lydia nodded. It was all too much to comprehend—an extraordinary tale of jealousy and anger. But now it was over, and she and Philip could look to the future.

Lydia was curious to know if Philip's feelings for her had changed, just as her feelings for him had. She had felt such a sense of relief at seeing him alive, and the urge to throw her arms around him and kiss him had been overwhelming. She could no longer imagine her life without him, for in coming close to tragedy, she had realized the depths of her feelings towards him. They had not come out of nowhere, but rather they had blossomed from a seed planted long ago, one that had lain dormant until the proper time had come.

"Perhaps they deserve one another. But Edward's fortunes are hardly going to change," Lydia replied.

"I was going to make him a proposal—that the two of us share responsibilities. He and Caroline would've lived here in London, and you and I would've lived in Berkshire. I'd have gladly done so, but… well, that was before… everything else occurred," Philip said.

Lydia smiled. But she knew even such generosity as this would not have been enough for Caroline. Her cousin would not have been happy with anything less than the title itself. It was all or nothing.

"That's very generous of you. What a shame they both wanted more." Lydia tutted.

Philip nodded. "Precisely. But it doesn't matter now. It's you I'm worried about—no more sugared almonds. They're terribly bad for you," he chided teasingly.

Lydia laughed. "And no more carriage rides for you," she shot back.

Philip chuckled. "I think they might be a necessity. Though we could take to walking everywhere, I suppose."

"Can we go to Berkshire? I don't mean on foot. But I'd like to get out of London—to leave all this behind us and just be together, alone," she said.

Lydia did not know why she said this, nor did she know how Philip would respond. Would he want to spend time alone with her as she suggested?

To her relief, he nodded.

"I think that's an excellent idea. It'll do us good to be… together," he agreed, and he took both her hands in his.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat, and tears welled up in her eyes. She had not expected to feel like this, even as her feelings towards him were now certain. She had fallen in love with him, and there was no question of what that now meant. She could not hold back—the thought of having come so close to losing him had made her realize how glad she was to have been given a second chance to get to know him, and to fall in love with him as perhaps she might have done had they not parted ways before.

"I was so terrified of losing you," Lydia admitted.

Philip smiled. "As was I."

"And that's why I want… well, I want to tell you the truth as to how I feel." She swallowed.

"And I should tell you, too, Lydia. Seeing you close to death… it was unbearable. And I realized then just how much you mean to me. I love you, and I'm so glad we had this second chance. We can make this work, can't we? This marriage?"

Lydia nodded. "I know we can. Absolutely, we can. Because I feel just the same. I love you, too," she murmured.

Leaning forward, she kissed him, their lips fusing, their hands clasped, and at that moment, she knew all would be well.