《Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery》Truth
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"Lord Tennyson killed Penelope! But why?" Eliza gasps, struggling to keep her tears at bay.
"Why? Because she became a liability!" Andrew shouts. He throws the rest of the sheet across the room and his anger frightens her. Andrew's a broad man, slightly overweight and taller than Colin. Eliza didn't have a chance in a hand-to-hand fight. Even if she could escape the knots, she couldn't overthrow him physically.
He still has the knife in his hand and as he comes closer to her, he says, "She knew what it was. He told her he'd never leave my mum. Then she starts blackmailing him and then suddenly she's pregnant?!" Andrew shouts, clearly aggravated over Penelope's actions. "I had to find out if you knew. If she told you about the blackmail. She said she had a fail-safe in place, we both thought it was you."
"Did Bradshaw have any idea that it was you and your father that did this?" Eliza asks, tears now streaming down her face.
"That's what I was supposed to find out, but Bradshaw kept saying he was looking at some bloke in St. James. We couldn't tell if we were being deceived," Andrew states. "So, you tell me. Did he ever mention us!"
Eliza shakes her head, "He never mentioned you. All he knew was that Penelope was someone's mistress. I had no idea it was your father! Don't you think if I would have known, I wouldn't have had dinner at your house! Called for Bradshaw repeatedly? Showed up unannounced to speak with him?"
"We invited you to the dinner to observe your behavior. Did you not find it odd that your family was extended an invitation last minute?" Andrew says with a laugh, almost acting as if Eliza was dense for not figuring it out right then.
"We thought you were hunting for an heiress to pay off your gambling debts. Everyone in London knows I am still up for the taking, it didn't seem that odd," Eliza bluntly admits, but something she said makes Andrew laugh again.
"My gambling debts? Try my father's gambling debts. He's the reason we are losing Ainsley, he's the reason we lost this house and he's the reason Penelope is dead!"
"Then why are you covering for him!" Eliza shouts while shaking with anger.
"Because I have to! He holds my entire life in his hands. He can take away everything from me," Andrew says, almost with a sob.
"He already has! What do you have left to lose?" Eliza asks him and he drops his head into his pudgy hands. He finally looks back to her and says, "I was supposed to court Lady Penelope. Her dowry would have saved us and our family wouldn't have been ruined. But she caught my father's eye. Suddenly he wanted her for his own. And at first, she agreed. He was charming her with gifts and making promises he couldn't keep. Well suddenly she wanted a title. She wanted the wealth she thought came with the Tennysons. She wanted to be able to step out with Lord Tennyson."
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"So, she blackmailed him because she found out it was his mounting debts and not yours. I knew of an ultimatum. I now know that it was for him to leave Lady Tennyson or she was going to tell everyone that the Tennysons were broke. Is that it?"
Andrew nods, "He told her that no one would believe her. That everyone already thought they were mine and could be fixed once I was married. She went into hysterics. Left saying it wasn't over and then a couple days later, she comes back to tell him she's with child. His child. He stabbed her with a letter opener right then and there." He says softly and by the look in his eyes, he was either there when it happened or he had a hand in disposing of her. Eliza can tell it still haunts him.
Eliza's hands are still shaking and her coat is stained with her tears. She doesn't know where to go from here. She got her answers, but she's still tied to the bed. She looks to Andrew who is gazing at her.
"What happens now? You won't turn your father in, otherwise, your family and their legacy will lose everything. I know everything, your cousin is literally trying to sniff you out...where do I factor into all of this now? You can't keep me tied to this bed." Eliza asks while displaying her hands still clearly tied to the bed.
"How I see it, you have two options. The first, is you can walk out of here, engaged to me. Keeping this secret between us and promising to pay off the debts with your dowry," Andrew states, like it's the most obvious choice. Eliza laughs and shakes her head, "Like bloody hell I will!"
Andrew smirks and then says, "Then you'll have to write out your suicide note."
"Suicide note?" Eliza asks in fear. Andrew holds up the knife again and says, "You see, you were so distraught over your friend's death and my cousin turning you down, that you realized you didn't want to be Crazy Eliza Winter anymore. You wanted to join your brother and Penelope."
"No one would believe that. Especially Colin," Eliza replies in shock.
"Oh so he's Colin now eh? You two have gotten quite chummy rather quickly." Andrew says with a scowl. "Unfortunately for you, everyone would believe that Lord Bradshaw turned you down. You're known for being a cuckoo and he's in line to inherit quite the title. A madwoman taking her own life, not that hard to believe." Andrew says with shrug. He brandishes the knife again and continues, "I'll slit your wrists and leave you here to bleed out. Bradshaw will be spinning in circles trying to find you, that Penelope will become old news. It will take so long to find you, that I will be married to some other dimwit heiress that will do anything for a title."
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"You'll never get away with this," Eliza says as Andrew takes a step toward her.
"This is your last chance to save your life Lady Eliza. It may not be the ideal marriage, but we'd both get something out of it," Andrew says coming closer to her.
"You're mad! I'll never agree to that!" Eliza cries out and Andrew suddenly has her arms in his hands. The knife is close to her face and he pushes her up against the wall.
"Maybe I should give my cousin another piece of the puzzle to solve? Who had fettled Lady Eliza at the time of her death? The newspapers will assume it was Bradshaw, the man that led her to her suicide. Didn't want to bring more shame to her family. She gave up her virtue to him and he denied her. Another motive to slit the wrists!" Andrew says viciously before going for her skirt. Eliza starts kicking him away, but he holds the knife to her throat and breathes out, "Stay still or I'll cut that pretty little face of yours." Eliza starts whimpering and closes her eyes. It can't end this way. She can't die with a weapon strapped to her back and a detective across the street.
She suddenly hears a loud thud and Andrew's hand leaves her thigh. She pops her eyes open and sees Colin holding an iron candlestick. His cousin is now slumped on the floor and Eliza sobs out, "Lord Tennyson killed Penelope!" Colin steps over Andrew's body and starts rapidly untying Eliza. Her crying is muffling Colin telling her to breathe.
"Let's get you out of here, the police are on their way," Colin tells her calmly and she tries to reign her emotions in as he unties her. He gets the sheet off of her wrists and she throws herself into his arms. He pulls her into him as he says, "God I was so worried Eliza."
"I'm so sorry Colin. I shouldn't have run off," Eliza sobs and he pushes her hair from her wet face as he tries to calm her down.
"If you would have come five minutes later..." Eliza chokes out and Colin looks over her red wrists. He grabs her hand and says "Let's go downstairs in case he wakes up." Colin looks behind them and Andrew suddenly jumps to his feet. His ear is bleeding, but he is now waving the knife out in front of him.
"I don't want to kill you Bradshaw, but she knows too much," Andrew spits out and Colin pushes Eliza behind him.
"It's not too late to turn in your father," Colin says.
"If he goes down, we all go down. You'll be linked to this mess too. Your father will be linked to this!" Andrew threatens. Eliza suddenly realizes that Andrew can't see her hands. Colin is completely blocking her. She reaches behind her and as Colin tries to negotiate with Andrew, she silently removes the bow and arrow from its sleeve.
"I'm taking Eliza out of here, the police are on their way," Colin tells Andrew calmly, not showing a hint of emotion.
"I can't let you do that," Andrew says and then his eyes dart to the window. There's a balcony that sits above a tall hedge, tall enough for someone to jump onto.
"Don't try and run Andrew, you'll never make it off the property," Colin tells him, following his train of thought.
"I can if I have a head start!" Andrew says, suddenly lunging at Colin with the knife. Eliza takes a step out from behind Colin and holds her bow with the arrow directed at Andrew.
"If you so much as nick Colin's arm, I will put an arrow right through your eye," Eliza states as she keeps her aim steady. Andrew stops lunging toward Colin and then laughs. He glances to Colin and smugly says, "Really? I should be afraid of her?"
"I'm terrified," Colin tells him and he looks back to the armed woman. Andrew goes to move his knife back out in front of him, but then ducks when an arrow whizzes past his head, sticking into the floral wall paper behind him.
"I only missed because I wanted to. I won't want to again," Eliza warns while rapidly replacing the arrow. "Drop the knife Andrew and move away from the window." Andrew stares at her, contemplating his next move. Eliza is a bundle of nerves, but she tries to keep her face neutral and her hands calm. She just has to appear in control.
Andrew doesn't drop eye contact as he goes to lower the knife to the ground, but as soon as he drops it, he lunges for the window. Colin and Eliza watch as he falls face-first against the balcony, screaming out in agony as an arrow sticks out from his right butt cheek.
"Bloody hell Eliza!" Colin states in admiration. "Nice shot!" Abruptly, policemen are heard running up the steps and Colin yells out to them. They come running into the room as Andrew tries to rip the arrow out.
"Andrew Tennyson, you are being arrested for assisting in the murder of Penelope Vanderwahl, for the kidnapping of Eliza Winter and for obstruction of justice," Colin tells Andrew as the police get him to his feet. Andrew spits at Eliza as they take him out of the room and it takes everything in her not to shoot another arrow into his arse.
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