Page 48 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)

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.