Marblestone Mansion, Book 4 Read online

  Again, she lowered her eyes. “I know and I loved him too. He was a very good man, the best that ever was.”

  For a moment, he thought she might cry and that would make great fodder for his book. Alexandra Sinclair has feelings after all. Yet, there was a lot more to this story and if she cried, she might not finish telling it. “I say, however did you get out of the Colorado prison?”

  She kept her eyes glued to the floor when she answered. “If you must know, I was forced to betray my husband.”

  “Which husband?”

  “Jedediah Tanner.”

  This was a name he had not yet heard and Crisp was tempted to rub his hands together with glee. “You married again?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. It was a grave error on my part, I assure you, but…well he…I mean, I simply could not resist him.”

  “You fell in love with him?”

  “If you saw him, you would understand. He was…is the most compelling man I ever met.”

  “In what way did you betray him?”

  “I turned him in for robbing a train. I had to, I was completely without funds and I desperately wanted to come home.”

  “Is he guilty?”

  “He is guilty of that and much more.”

  For a long moment, Crisp remained silent as the future pages of his new manuscript flashed through his mind. This time, he would hand deliver it himself to the publisher and perhaps even write in long hand so no secretary could get his hands on it. Indeed, this time he would do everything differently, including saving enough money to make his escape from the clutches of Lord Bayington and Cameron MacGreagor.

  “I think I know of a way you might get even,” John Crisp said finally.

  The duchess leaned forward in her chair. “How?”

  “Well, I have been tempted to write a book.”

  “What sort of book?”

  “About you, my dear, all about you.”

  She sat back and considered it. “You mean all about my husbands?”

  “Possibly. We could make a great deal of money, you and I.”

  “And how am I to keep from getting arrested again? No, Mr. Crisp, I cannot allow it.”

  What she really meant was, I’ll think about it. Already there was a plan forming in her mind. Why not let Crisp write a book and once it was written she could take it to Edward and ransom it? That was it, she could sell it to Cameron too and perhaps even Hannish would pay to keep it from being published. Indeed, Hannish could easily afford it, and she deserved the money he cheated her out of.

  “Alexandra…Alexandra?”

  “What?”

  “My dear, have you eaten? Perhaps we might share a meal and you can tell me what color you would like for your new ball gown.”

  “I shall be delighted.”

  For the first time in weeks, months perhaps, the duchess had a plan that could not possibly miss.

  *

  December 26, 1901

  My dearest, sweetest sister,

  We received your Christmas gift and cannot tell you how thrilled we are to have it. Hannish had the canvas mounted right away and the beautiful painting of the MacGreagor Castle is already hung on our parlor wall.

  Forgive me for not giving you a full accounting of our precious Margaret Ann and Roy Keith’s wedding. Did you know his first name is Roy? I did not. I always thought it was Keith. Abigail out did herself this time with a gala event the king would surely have envied. Hannish says, with Charles gone and only Gloria to care for, she is in need of planning events, and has already asked her to begin preparations for a February winter dance in our ballroom. I believe, however, that my beloved husband is far more eager to show off the painting of the MacGreagor Castle than to dance with our guests.

  Margaret Ann and Keith are gloriously happy, as is little William now that he has a father.

  I find I am again not with child. I hoped to be, but not yet, it seems. Paulette is sought after by several young men and has not mentioned Mr. Swinton in months. There is still no proof that he set fire to our warehouse, which by the way, is rising from the dust once more. We pray the weather holds out. The Sheriff has not forgotten and is still looking into the matter.

  Mr. Swinton did indeed sell the mines at Cripple Creek and comes to town far more often than before. He has yet to take a wife, to the delight of several hopeful ladies. I wonder occasionally, if we should not warn them of his true nature, but Hannish says not. Swinton is riled enough now that he knows he cannot marry into this family – if indeed that was his desire.

  Lenox wishes to go back to London and study art, now that Hannish has offered to pay his way. Both Moan and Elizabeth are delighted. I shall notify you when Lenox’s plans are firmly settled. He is quite talented.

  McKenna’s baby will be born soon and we shall call to announce the birth-and to assure Cameron she is well, even if it means waking him in the night. She so hopes it will be a boy, but Hannish still claims it to be a girl. I believe he, Nicholas and Prescot have placed wagers on it, and I’d not be surprised if the servants have done the same.

  Oh, there appears to be a budding romance growing between Gretchen and Shepard. They try desperately to hide their affection from the rest of us, but with little success. I find it most amusing.

  Justin is crawling everywhere and will soon learn to walk, if Hannish has anything to say about it.

  I miss you so and cannot wait to see you again. Give my love to Cameron, Addie, Alistair and Sarah.

  Your most favored sister, Leesil

  *

  January 2, 1902

  My dearest Leesil,

  I share your disappointment at not being with child as you hoped. Nor am I, although I believe Cameron is relieved. He fears losing me the way he lost Flora.

  What a glorious time we had with James this holiday. He has grown taller and considers himself quite grown up. He wishes to stay in school and promises to return when he is graduated, but Cameron believes he has taken a turn toward building engines. Cameron shall not hold him to his promise to come back to us, if that is the case.

  Addie is well and so far, we have heard nothing from or about the duchess. We are exceedingly happy to report that bit of news. The Bayingtons have not seen or heard from her either, which Edward finds unsettling. She is up to something, he is still convinced.

  We have acquired a wild horse it seems, and no one is able to catch him. He is as black as night and the largest horse I have ever seen. I am reminded of the one at Marblestone and hope to get close enough to touch him someday soon. Until now, he has kept to the other side of the river, but the footbridge is wide enough for a crossing, should he come to visit. Perhaps I shall go to visit him, should this constantly balmy weather permit.

  I fear there are still some…a few, here who have not taken kindly to my becoming their new duchess. I say nothing of it to Cameron, for fear it will upset him, but Sarah agrees. She too finds a look or two disturbing. Never fear, I can manage quite well on my own, so long as they do not try to feed me mutton again. I simply cannot stomach the sight or the smell of it. Can you?

  I assure you we are well. We sit by a warm fire, read our books, wait for spring - and your glorious arrival.

  Kindly give all my love to everyone at Marblestone, and especially to you, my beloved sister.

  Cathleen

  *

  He was a man with vengeance on his mind.

  The wealthiest of all of the duchess’ husbands, he was one the others had not heard of and with good reason – the duchess dare not mention him for fear he would kill her. What she took from him was not just wealth, but his pride and dignity, for he had only just proudly introduced the most beautiful woman in the world to his society, when she made a sudden departure.

  Of all the men who admired her, he had secured her affection, convinced her to marry him and therefore had been overly boastful of his accomplishment. Once she was gone, his humiliation became too much to bear and caused him to eventually become a recluse. E
ven now, he loved her to the depths of his soul and would have no other wife.

  In the confines of his self-imposed prison, he still could not comprehend why she left him. He showered her with jewels, bought her all the latest fashions and promised her the brightest of futures. In the end, there was no other answer, and the very thought that he had not been man enough for her, drove him quite mad.

  For days, he fully expected her to realize her error and come back.

  The error was his, for by the time he hired a man to seek her out, she was long gone. Weeks turned to months, months into years, and still he could not get beyond his bitterness or his need for revenge.

  The sighting of a young woman with the kind of beauty that caught the attention of all other men, occasionally supplied him with the smallest of hints as to her whereabouts. Therefore, he sent his man out time and time again, until the man with piercing eyes and a goatee the shape of his pointed chin, had chased her across two continents and back again.

  In the beginning, the reports of her naughty behavior shocked him, but he soon came to expect it. What better way to hide from him than to keep moving from husband to husband and acquiring a new surname from each? She was clever too, for she always seemed to know when to move on. Ah, but it had not worked as well as she hoped. Indeed not, for at last, he knew precisely where she was.

  ~the end~

  Read book 5 and 6 of the Marblestone Mansion Series, Learn more at www.martitalbott.com

  More Marti Talbott Books

  Pick up Marti’s latest book – The Billionaire’s Will – a clean mystery/romance.

  Marti Talbott’s Highlander Series, (books 1 – 13) is a continuing saga that spans four MacGreagor generations, and sees them through plagues, wars, kidnappings, poisonings, and the day-to-day challenges of love and survival.

  The first five books contain twenty short stories, while the rest are complete novels. They include: Betrothed, Book 6, The Golden Sword, Book 7, Abducted, Book 8, A Time of Madness, Book 9, Triplets, Book 10, Secrets, Book 11, Choices, Book 12, Ill-Fated Love Book 13, and The Other Side of the River, Book 14.

  The Viking was written after the first twenty short stories, yet it is a prequel that explains how the clan came into being.

  Marti’s Marblestone Mansion (Scandalous Duchess Series) follows the MacGreagor clan into Colorado’s early 20th century.

  Other Marti Talbott Books include: The Promise, (Carson Series, Book 1), Broken Pledge, (Carson Series, Book 2), and Seattle Quake 9.2.

  Marti is currently working on The Viking’s Daughter and book 7 in her Marblestone Mansion Series.

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  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  ~the end~

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