Page 38 of Word of the Wicked (Murder in Moonlight #5)
Chadwick felt an ache in his heart, a happy, appreciative ache, for his family was precious to him. He wished he had more time to enjoy with them. Sophie would surely marry in a few years and be gone. Edgar was growing up so fast. There should be more days like these.
The sound of the front door knocker interrupted his thoughts and his heart sank. Everyone heard it, though they all pretended not to. They carried on chatting while Nora’s footsteps sounded hurrying up the passage from the kitchen…and back again.
Nora’s head appeared around the door. With a sigh, Chadwick rose to his feet to deal with the inevitable medical emergency.
“Mr. Ogden is here, asking for you, sir.”
“Oh!” Sophie jumped to her feet too.
“He says he’s not ill,” Nora added.
Chadwick brightened. “Show him in, then, Nora.”
Ogden was a slightly awkward young man, though Chadwick never held that against him. In fact, Chadwick approved of him, for he had brought Edgar forward in leaps and bounds, academically speaking, and encouraged a change of attitude to school and to other people.
“Greetings, Mr. Ogden,” Chadwick said cheerfully, going forward to shake his hand. “Come and sit down. Cup of tea? Glass of sherry?”
“Oh, no thank you.” Inexplicably, Ogden’s hands were shaking.
So was the rest of him. The man was intensely nervous. He sat down on the edge of the chair Edgar vacated for him and cast a quick glance around the room. His eyes rested briefly on Sophie, who seemed to be glowing as she returned to her chair.
“I have something to tell you,” Ogden blurted.
“And something to ask you. I’ve tied myself in knots working out which to do first, but this is the only honest way.
” He wiped the palms of his hands on his trousers, then clasped them together tightly in his lap, perhaps to hide their trembling. “It’s about the letter.”
“Letter?” Sophie repeated, clearly startled.
“Well, letter s , plural. The anonymous letters.”
Chagrin flickered in Sophie’s face, and then a sort of resigned amusement. No, this was not what she had expected.
Emmeline was frowning. “You know something about the letters?”
“I know everything about the letters,” Ogden stated. “I made them and I sent them.”
“ What? ” Chadwick sprang to his feet again.
Color surged into Emmeline’s cheeks and Chadwick went to her, dropping his hand to her shoulder in comfort. Sophie’s face was suddenly white. Edgar stared at his teacher, almost fascinated.
In Chadwick, fury warred with sheer disappointment. He knew an urge to strike the younger man.
“Why?” he barked. “Why would you do such a nasty thing? And to my wife…!”
“I’m sorry,” Ogden said desperately. “I was wrong, misguided, and I truly never meant to cause you pain.”
“She was already in pain,” Sophie said hoarsely. “How could you, Quintin?”
The utter misery in the young man’s eyes disarmed Chadwick into silence.
It was Edgar who said clearly, “I don’t understand.”
“I’m not surprised,” Ogden said. “I don’t understand it myself now.
I’ve tried to teach you and the other children to do as you would be done by , to see things from each other’s points of view.
And yet I forgot to. I saw only Richard Gimlet’s pain, and wanted to stop any other such tragedy…
” He shook his head, almost violently, and seemed to force himself to meet Emmeline’s gaze.
“I was blind. I knew you for a kind lady, and I knew Sophie’s—um…
Miss Chadwick’s affection and admiration, and yet I still thought I could do good by such means.
I never thought of your being hurt or frightened by it. ”
“How could you not ?” Chadwick exploded.
Ogden’s hands twisted. “I don’t know.” He swallowed convulsively.
“I am quick in some things, slow in others. It’s just the way my mind works, though I strive to make it better…
I—I don’t want you to be hurt or frightened anymore, Mrs. Chadwick, and I thought you wouldn’t be if I told you.
And you knew how sorry I am, how appalled with myself, not just for yours but for the others.
I thought I was standing up for the children, making things better… Totally misguided, you see.”
“Totally,” Emmeline said faintly. She took a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me this, Mr. Ogden. I am shocked. But…oddly, it does make me feel just a little better.”
“Jenny’s parents don’t blame you either,” Ogden said. “I know, because I spoke to them about Richard.” His Adam’s apple wobbled as he swallowed. “I asked you to return to kindness, Mrs. Chadwick, but you never left it. I did.”
“Oh, Quint,” Sophie whispered.
Chadwick sank back down onto his chair. Well, he thought numbly, that was that problem solved, and without the aid of his expensive investigators from London.
“There is more,” Ogden said in a rush. “I think I also wanted you to be more receptive to Sophie—er…to Miss Chadwick’s wishes and stop leaving her alone with Mr. Mortimer, who is not a good man.
Neither am I, of course. But I do love her, and you had to know everything before I asked you for her hand in marriage. ”
Chadwick’s jaw dropped. A stunned silence echoed around the room.
“Oh, Quint !” Sophie said again, in what sounded like sheer frustration.
Which was when the parlor door opened again and the vicar walked in, followed by the expensive investigators from London.