Reluctant Berserker: Isaacson Trilogy Book One

Chapter 28

She retreated to the hearth and turned to look at the fire, "And was it—missing?"

"No." Watching her withdraw from him made his heart hurt. He gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair, "As a matter of fact, my father and I discovered who was behind the poisoning...and we found Mrs. Foley."

Nora turned to him, her eyes wide. "You did?" She made to move toward him but checked herself, remaining where she stood. "Was it Mrs. Foley that was responsible?"

He shook his head, "No, it was Reverend Hornsby."

"What?" she gasped, holding a hand to her mouth, "Why would he do such a thing?"

Gunnar rubbed his forehead, unsure if she wanted an answer to that question or not. Instead, he said, "We found Mrs. Foley in the mercantile's cellar. The coroner says she's been dead at least eight to ten days, and if he's correct, it would mean she died around the same time as...the others."

"Was she poisoned as well?"

"It appears that way."

Nora stared at him but said nothing.

He was taken by surprise when he heard himself speaking, asking the question he most feared to hear the answer to. "What happened that night—the night...of the fire?"

She swallowed and licked her lips, rubbing her arms as though she were chilled even though she stood beside the hearth. "How much do you want to hear?"

"All of it."

Sitting on the sofa, Nora pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "After you dropped me off at the inn, I spoke to Martha and then went to my room. I began sorting through my belongings, needing to do anything that would keep me from rereading the letter from Uncle Franklin. But then Eloise came to my door saying there was an argument about me downstairs in the great hall between Charles, Fanny, and a male guest."

"Did you see who the male guest was?"

"No." She rubbed her forehead, "We were halfway down the stairs on our way to find out when Martha stumbled from her room drenched with blood." Taking a shuddering breath, she continued, "By the time we made it to her side, she was convulsing...blood poured from her, but I couldn't find any wound. Eloise was screaming, and then Charles and Fanny were suddenly there. None of us had ever seen anything like it before."

He sat on the opposite end of the sofa and turned to face her. "Then what happened?"

She laid her head on her knees and looked at him, "Charles wrapped Martha in a blanket and carried her outside, saying he would send someone to fetch you or one of your brothers. When he returned, Fanny had brewed a special tea she'd promised would calm our nerves."

Gunnar watched Nora struggle to put her thoughts into words and wanted to shake them loose but knew any interference on his part would only further halt her efforts.

She stared at him, offering him a glimpse of the torment her memories caused within her mind. "We all drank it...unsettled by what had happened to Martha. Eloise was on her second cup when I noticed she..." words trailed into silence. She took a deep breath and walked over to the window. "Did you see them?"

"Yes."

"Then you know," she paused, staring at him for a moment before saying, "I killed them."

Gunnar walked to her and gripped her shoulders. "No, you didn't. They were poisoned, just like everyone else who died that day."

She shook her head and paced away from him. "Poisoned by what? Why didn't I die? I was there, drinking what they drank. I thought I was dying—I felt so strange, and then..." Nora clutched her hands tightly in front of her, avoiding his gaze when she said, "Ulric and your father found me outside sometime after. The inn was on fire, and their bodies were lying around me, covered in blood."

"You went berserk, Nora, but you didn't kill anyone. There wasn't a mark on them, I checked." He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "From what you've just said, I believe Fanny may have unknowingly added the poison into the tea."

"What do you mean?"

"I found more bottles of the tonic you gave Martha at the mercantile. When I tasted some, I discovered there was baneberry juice in it. Everyone who died that day had a bottle of the stuff in their home. "

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"We were looking for the person responsible. Yesterday, Hornsby mentioned the tonic in connection with my...my mother's death and admitted to being responsible today before he died."

"He's dead?"

Gunnar nodded, watching her closely. "You didn't kill them, Nora. Hornsby did."

Nora stared into space for several heartbeats, then squared her shoulders and looked directly at him. "There's more I should tell you about that night."

Gunnar hung his head, knowing in his gut what she would say next.

"I almost claimed Ulric when he found me that day."

He closed his eyes, bracing himself against the onslaught of emotion that bombarded him with her words. With great effort, he forced his mind to focus on what she continued to say.

"When I b-berserked, it was as if I was watching someone else move my body toward him. Something drew me to him, but then I stopped because I couldn't give in to—" Nora turned pleading eyes to him. "I want it to be you, Gunnar...not him. When you were gone this morning, before I had a chance to tell you, knowing Ulric had mentioned it last night—it has to be you. I don't want it to be anyone else."

"You heard him?" Gunnar met her gaze, forcing his muscles to relax. He couldn't be angry at her for an event out of her control, and he refused to believe Ulric had been malicious in mentioning it last night.

Folding her arms across her chest, she nodded. "I know you think we barely know one another; technically, that may be true—" Pausing, she took a deep breath and whispered, "but from the moment I saw you at the train station, I knew I belonged with you. Honestly, I don't know what terrifies me more...knowing I love you—far more than I ever thought would be possible...or knowing I might have lost you because of what almost happened that day."

The truth shined like a beacon in her mismatched eyes, drawing him to her.

He was hearing the words he'd wanted to say himself but held back for the same fears and reasons she'd just admitted to harboring, and it set his heart to thumping chaotically in his chest.

Confusion swirled in his mind, tumbling with those three delicious words. Nora loved him, and he was more than sure he loved her. It was absurd because they'd only known each other two weeks, and yet what else except love could he call what he felt for her?

A sudden idea took hold of him as he reached into his back pocket, withdrew his tin of white baneberries, and strode to her, holding out his hand.

Her brow creased in confusion, but she took the hand he offered. "What are we doing?"

"Settling this matter once and for all," He said as he gripped her hand firmly and whisked her out through the kitchen door, not stopping until they were a hundred feet away from the house.