"Lizzie, let us see it, what does it say?" Amelia asked impatiently, trying to catch a glimpse of the note over her sister's shoulder.
Elizabeth continued staring at the words, reading them over and over, trying to make sense of their meaning. Nodding slowly, she lowered the paper so that her aunt and sister could read it.
Mr. Montgomery,
I'm afraid there's been an emergency. You are needed at home, please come right away. I'll explain when you arrive, please make haste.
Sincerely,
Thomas Briggs
"Elizabeth, where did you find this?" Aunt Charlotte glanced at Elizabeth, concern filling her eyes.
"I found it in the pocket of this travelling coat; Mama was wearing it that night..." Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut.
Amelia scrutinized the paper more closely, "It's addressed to Papa. What did Thomas mean by this? What emergency?"
"I don't know...could this be the reason that Mama hurried to come back home that night?" Elizabeth glanced at her aunt. "Aunt Charlotte, do you know anything about this?"
Aunt Charlotte furrowed her brows as she considered, shaking her head slowly. "Lizzie, this is the first I've heard anything of this note or an emergency occurring during that time. I don't recall there being any sort of problems here... Of course, things were quite stressful after...after the accident, but if something had been wrong here at the plantation, I'm sure we would've known about it, especially your father. All of us were puzzled as to why Lydia would rush off like that, and at night, too. I just can't fathom how this note went unnoticed, and for so long."
Elizabeth shrugged. "I feel sure that Papa never wanted to set his eyes on these things again, and so they've been put away for all these years. I suppose no one bothered to check her belongings because it was such a sudden accident..." Her voice trailed off, and she locked wide eyes on her aunt's face as a realization dawned on her.
Aunt Charlotte nodded, "Yes. Perhaps...it was not an accident after all."
Elizabeth swallowed, whispering, "But who could've possibly wanted Mama to die?"
The three women stood in silence, staring at one another with bewilderment, not wanting to voice the apparent suspect.
Amelia broke the silence. "If this note was written on purpose to deceive Mama, we need to start with the obvious. Thomas has some explaining to do."
Aunt Charlotte nodded, "Yes, we need to get this to your father right away."
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"Mr. Montgomery, I'm glad that you alerted me to my father's manipulation. I'm just sorry that he involved you in his scheming."
"No, Edward, I was foolish to ever entertain Charles' marriage arrangement. God knows I learned my lesson the first time... I am so thankful that he was not successful in having his way. I just want to be done with this nonsense." Peter rubbed his temples with his fingers.
Edward and Matthew had been in Peter's office for a couple of hours now, discussing everything they could think of about Charles and the mess he had made. They had decided collectively that bringing everything possible out into the open would help them to piece together the puzzle that was Charles' devious mind. Edward only hoped that they were making some progress.
"Yes, I am thankful as well that you made an attachment necessary for the arrangement to be binding. I am quite sure that my father was confident that I would compromise Amelia in order to please him. He must have thought this plan to be infallible." Edward snorted and shook his head.
"Yes, small wonder you vexed him so chasing after the elder Miss Montgomery," Matthew added with a grin at his friend. "How did he know about that, anyway? Or did he just hazard a guess and come here to make sure you were playing by the rules?"
Edward shrugged. "I'm really not sure about that. Although, come to think of it, when Elizabeth and I were out horseback riding that day, we heard someone or something in the woods. I wouldn't be surprised if he had us followed."
"Good heavens, I hadn't even thought about someone lurking about the plantation," Peter ran a hand over his face. "I must alert my most trusted servants to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior. I will speak to the ladies as well; we must all be cautious," he leveled a serious gaze at both of the young men.
Edward and Matthew glanced at each other solemnly and nodded at Peter.
A haphazard knock sounded at the door, followed by Amelia, Elizabeth, and Charlotte bursting into the office in a whirlwind.
"My word!" Peter jumped and exclaimed in surprise, visibly startled.
Edward shot out of his seat at the appearance of the ladies, as decorum would expect; Matthew and Peter followed suit after recovering from the shock of their entrance.
"Papa," Amelia began excitedly, "you must see what Elizabeth has found!"
"Elizabeth...?" Peter's questioning gaze settled on Elizabeth.
Edward's eyes roamed over Elizabeth's person; she had stopped hesitantly, and he saw that she held a faded piece of paper in her hand. He smiled to himself as he watched her.
She is so meek in manner, and yet her beauty demands attention.
Elizabeth's eyes flickered over to him briefly, and as she stepped forward toward her father, she brushed her hand against his, sending warm tingles up his arm.
"Papa," Elizabeth spoke softly, "I wanted to help by finding something to use against Mr. Stanton, so Amelia and Aunt Charlotte and I searched Mama's room to see if we could find something useful. I don't know if this is useful in this particular case, but it is surely important; I found this note in the pocket of Mama's travelling coat, the one she was wearing when, when..." her voice faltered.
Edward twitched, willing himself to stay in place; it took all of his strength not to fold Elizabeth into his arms when he heard her voice waver like that.
Peter reached out a hand and patted her cheek, his own eyes misting with unshed tears. They shared a meaningful gaze for a moment before Peter gently plucked the paper from Elizabeth's hand.
It seemed as though the air had been sucked from the room, there was not a sound; Edward thought not a person in the room dared to move while Peter read the contents of that paper.
Peter stared down at the paper for a moment, pausing before reading it aloud.
Everyone in the room continued to stand motionless as each one absorbed the information from the mysterious note.
Edward mulled its meaning over carefully in his mind.
Elizabeth's voice invaded each person's thoughts. "Papa... Have you seen that before?"
"No, my dear, I have not." Peter continued to stare at the paper, swallowing, "But it surely explains what I have wondered for many a year. Why she left like that..."
"Mr. Montgomery, what emergency is that note referring to?" Matthew asked.
Peter looked up at Matthew, shaking his head. "There was no emergency to my knowledge. When I was notified of the carriage accident, I went straight home. I don't recall there being anything out of place. Of course, I was slightly preoccupied..." Peter sank wearily into his chair, planted an elbow on his desk, and dropped his head into his hand.
Charlotte cleared her throat as she stepped forward, placing a hand on her brother's arm, "Peter, that note is addressed to you, by Thomas. You must certainly question him, but the girls and I considered the possibility...well, that perhaps that note and the accident...that, perhaps it was no accident at all."
Amelia piped up, "Do you suppose that perhaps the intention was to get Papa into that carriage, not necessarily Mama...?" She clapped a hand over her mouth as the realization of what she had just said began to sink in.
Once again, the room felt devoid of air as no one breathed. Time seemed to slow as Edward squeezed his eyes shut.
Oh Lord, I know what I have to do... Please God, let me be wrong.
Peter nodded slightly, his voice held a menacing note. "Yes, I will question Thomas directly. And I will discover the truth. Edward, I would appreciate your presence when I speak to him."
"Mr. Montgomery," Edward found his voice, and all eyes turned to him, "I will do as you ask, and when my father returns, I'll wait until he retires, and I'll go on horseback to Richmond and see what I can dig up."
Elizabeth gasped, "Edward, no..."
"I have to, darling. I'm not entirely sure that my father had nothing to do with this, and I intend to find out."
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So, any theories? I'd love to hear them! I can't tell y'all just how much I enjoy interacting with you! :)
I thankfully found some time to write and update, as things are winding down for the moment since my hubby is starting his new job tomorrow (thankfully he can commute until we are able to move!). However, when our house sells, there may be another lull in my updates, but the story is coming to a close, and I might be able to finish it before that happens. I thank you all for being patient and sticking with me! :)