A Dreadful Splendor (102)

“Was he?” Audra pulled away from him. “Or was that just another example of why Father was such a disappointment? He didn’t even know the dungeon existed! Grandfather only told me.” She gave the area a sweeping glance with a look of sinister adoration. She held the cane like a scepter. The one ruby eye caught the lantern’s light.

I raised a hand to the large bump on my head. “You’re the one who hit Mrs. Donovan,” I said, remembering how Dr. Barnaby described the odd shape to the wound on her scalp—that must have been when the other ruby eye fell out. “But she’s fiercely loyal. Why did you attack her?”

Audra regarded me with disgust. “Her loyalty lies with William. And she’d been snooping around the third floor, where I’d been hiding all these months. I muddied your boots to make you think you did it.” A sly smile slipped into place. “The wardrobe in my room isn’t the only one that leads to a secret passageway.”

Her eyes gave no hint of remorse. Whether it was the curse or the family sickness to blame, or even the prolonged effects of an unwavering revenge, this was not the Audra I was determined to give justice. She had warped into the horrible creature before me, morals disintegrated and teeming with vitriol.

Mr. Lockhart stood by Audra’s side, unmoving like a snared shadow. He put his hand over hers, slipping the cane out of her grasp.

The next wave washed over my shoulders, licking at my chin before it swept back out.

“Do you really think you can both live at Somerset and no one will suspect?” I asked. My hands shook uncontrollably as I clutched them to my chest. I paused, feeling the cameo brooch. My frozen fingers worked the clasp.

“What other choice do I have?” Mr. Lockhart practically cried. “We have no options, and now you’re . . .” He pressed his lips together.

The pin came unclasped. I lowered my hands out of sight. I nudged the pin into one of the locks, slowly coaxing it through the chamber. “You won’t get away with this,” I said. “Gareth won’t give up until he figures out what happened.”

Audra glared across the dungeon, clenching her fists.

Mr. Lockhart made a sound at the back of his throat. Then he murmured, “He’s handcuffed and halfway to London by now.”

At least he’s still alive, I thought, relieved I hadn’t been responsible for his death. It was time to use my last weapon. “He knows about the dungeon,” I said. “And he’s wealthy enough to hire the best investigators. When they find my body chained to this rock wall, it will prove he was framed. He won’t stop hunting you until you’re exposed for the murderer you are.”

Mr. Lockhart calmly put down the lantern. “They won’t find your body.”

“What?” Audra’s head snapped in his direction.

A thousand angels sang in my ears as energy bounded through my frozen limbs. He was letting me go! I’d done it, I’d convinced him to save me. Then I paused. “You had the key the whole time?”

“There’s no key,” Mr. Lockhart said. He began to weep. “They won’t find your body because I’ll remove it. If they search the dungeon, they’ll only find decade-old skeletons.”

“No!” Audra growled and jumped into the water beside me. She stared defiantly up at Mr. Lockhart. “You can’t take her.”

He held his arms out wide, palms up, pleading with her. “You cannot have it both ways, Audra. We can’t let her live. The only way you can have Somerset back is if Mr. Pemberton is arrested for your murder.”

“I’ll be silent as a mouse,” I lied. “I’m completely selfish; I have no qualms letting him spend a lifetime in jail.”

“Let her live?” Audra called out, as if answering someone else. Then she started to laugh. It grated the air like a piercing scream.

Mr. Lockhart ignored her and looked at me. Two tears rolled down his cheeks, disappearing into his mustache. “And what if he’s sentenced to hang?” He paused, giving me a chance to refute his claim, but he already knew the truth. “You would not remain silent. No, don’t bother arguing. I know he had a horse ready with a satchel full of money for you; I saw the note he’d slipped under your door. I’ve been watching you two through the passageways. The very fact that you decided to follow Audra instead of securing your own escape proves you are not as selfish as you claim.”

I tried to keep my expression blank, but I felt my resolve give way as he continued to cry. I stared at my hands, manacled in rusted bands under the water. I thought I had been clever, keeping them talking, giving myself time to be found. But there was only one reason Mr. Lockhart hadn’t left me.

“That’s why you’re still here,” I said. “You have to make sure I drown.”

Leaving the lantern on the upper stair, Mr. Lockhart descended the last steps into the water. The cane dragged behind him, useless. The sea reached nearly to the knot of his necktie.“Your grave will be unmarked, but I’ll ensure you have a proper burial.” He waded toward me. “I am to blame, but at least I can make sure you don’t suffer.” He pulled off the top of the cane, revealing the small dagger. “It will be quick, and you won’t die alone.”

Before I could react, Audra leapt forward, coming between us. She punched a fist into his jaw, making him stumble backward and lose his balance in the waves. With a murderous scream, she lunged, trying to grab the cane.