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An envious cull like Oswald, a man who always coveted what others had, and he could never hope to have for himself, wouldn’t be hard to sway to dastardliness.
A pretty pout formed on Narcissa’s full, rosy mouth.
Perhaps even a forbidden kiss. A suggestive skimming of her hands. Seductive whispers in Oswald’s ears of all he was missing and all she could give him. Would do to him.
All lies designed to manipulate the weak-willed solicitor to do her foul bidding.
Unfortunately, a morally bankrupt sod like Oswald would leap at the chance to better his station. To claim a woman like Narcissa as his own.
Much like the black widow spider, she probably intended to dispose of Oswald, too.
A crafty smile bent her mouth, her pale blue eyes peculiarly blank and fiendish at the same time. “That’s a promise of a new life to a man like Oswald. An existence he could only fantasize about. He’ll do anything to achieve that goal.”
“Did ye honestly think ye could succeed with yer ludicrous plan?” Broden was careful not to say demented or unhinged. Those drowning in lunacy couldn’t face their derangement.
He shifted his stance, prepared to lunge and wrest the flintlock from her grasp.
“You will both precede me from the house.” Shrewdness filtered into her features as she waved the weapon back and forth between him and Kendra. “If either of you attempts to alert the men I have no doubt are skulking about outside…” She cocked the hammer. “I shall shoot the other.”
“Yer plan is doomed to fail.” Kendra slipped out from behind Broden. Like a warrior princess, she faced Narcissa, brave and bold and beautiful. “Oswald didna kill Edwin McGregor, and when he followed Edwin to Scotland, he was captured.”
Liam caught Broden’s eye, a question in his.
With the merest flexing of his eyelids, he warned Liam to wait.
Furious at Kendra for endangering herself, he stifled his first reaction to shove her unceremoniously behind him once more. However, she’d obviously caught Narcissa off guard with her brilliant lie.
And that could be used to their advantage.
He’d scold her soundly afterward. Right now, he must concentrate on preventing Narcissa from shooting her.
Momentarily stunned at the unforeseen news, Narcissa blinked wildly. She tossed her head back, jutted her chin up, and surging forward, threatened Kendra with the gun. “You’re lying, slut. I had a letter from Philibius two days ago telling me to meet him at the Tates’ charred cottage today.”
Good.Now Broden knew where Oswald was, the bugger.
Only the merest shifting of Liam’s eyebrows acknowledged he’d made a mental note of the useful information.
Kendra shook her head, more hair tumbling from her pins. “He’s no’ there. We coerced him into writin’ that letter. He’s been promised a reduced sentence if he identifies the mastermind behind the scheme. Otherwise, he’d hang for certain.”
Where had she learned to lie like that?
A seasoned prostitute and swindler couldn’t have fabricated such codswallop out of thin air with as much ease or expediency.
Oswald would hang, in any event, for attempted murder.
However, a woman of Narcissa’s breeding and background probably knew little about penal codes or criminal sentences. Had little understanding she’d meet the same fate, no matter whether she cooperated or not.
She’d admitted to killing her sons. There’d be no redemption or mercy.
Christ.Broden was guardian to five lasses whose mother would hang for killing their brothers and father.
The girls must never know. Never.
He’d concoct a believable tale, and as tragic as it was that the lasses would grow up without their mother, he’d protect them from the sickening truth.
He must, for their sake.
“No, Philibius adores me. He wouldn’t betray me.” Confusion etched shadows across Narcissa’s pallid features. Uncertainty battled with fury and insanity for dominance.
