"Richard? Can we not be happy just for a moment. We have so much to be grateful for?" Juliana asked struggling to sit up and wincing in pain as she did so.

Her sharp intake of breath brought Richard to her side to assist her, he smiled down at her, "Of course, you are my priority. I will let the rest wait until you are well enough to stay by my side not just now but always. I never want you away from me not even for a moment. So, tell me Love what can I do for you today?"

Juliana could think of several things but she would need more strength to pursue them so instead, she settled for, "Well, I am hungry?"

"Done!" Richard said and left the room immediately to fulfill her request.

Annabelle and Cyril were in the parlor about to sit down to breakfast when Richard had entered. Annabelle looked surprised but pleased to see him. "Richard, does this mean you are going to join us?" she asked hopefully.

"Where are the boys?" Richard asked looking around.

"Oh, they are at Clara's after what had taken place I thought some time away in the country would be best."

"I see, well then I guess that means you have enough for two then?" Richard said stroking his chin in a pondering way.

"Two?" Cyril asked momentarily confused until his wife leaped up squealing. "Juliana!!!" Annabelle ran from the room nearly knocking Richard over in the process who just laughed at his little sister's reaction. Juliana cringed from the pain of laughter as her best friend practically crushed her, hugging her voraciously.

Cyril was close behind. "I can not believe it!" Cyril said, joining his wife in hugging Juliana.

"Careful! I am not totally healed but thanks to you both and Richard I have no doubt it will be a complete recovery." Annabelle's tears were evident when she pulled away from Juliana.

"You are awake! You came back to us! Oh, Juliana, I was so scared! You are to NEVER, EVER do that to us again! Oh, and you must be starving!" Annabelle was a flurry of energy and appeared to be all over the place. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and ran from the room only to return shortly with a light fare of food and some strong tea to drink on a tray.

"Thank you!" Juliana said grateful for some sustenance but taking it slow as she still felt a bit shaky.

They all ended up eating together in Juliana's room. It was wonderful to enjoy a meal but even more so surrounded by her family. Juliana knew Richard was worried over the fact that Marcus was not the killer but if Marcus was correct then Cecilia took her own life but it was evident by Richard's demeanor he did not believe that. If he still expected there to be foul play he would not rest until he got to the bottom of the issue.

Juliana desired no more than to be free of the whole fiasco and truthfully just wanted time with Richard. They have missed out on so much and she knew it was selfish but she no longer cared what happened to Cecilia. She was eager to begin her life with Richard and she did not care for more delays.

"So when is the big day?" Cyril asked almost reading Juliana's thoughts it would seem.

Richard looked over confused.

"I have the license, you just, name the date and time and I will make the arrangements," Cyril added.

The wedding? How could he have forgotten? He had said upon his return. "Today!" Richard said. "I do not wish to waste another moment without making it binding that this beautiful woman is my wife."

"Today?" Juliana said wistfully.

Annabelle jumped in as the voice of reason. "No, no, no! Absolutely not!"

Richard looked at his sister shocked. "And what makes you believe you get to weigh in on this decision?"

"Are you mad?" Annabelle said equally shocked. "She will never say so, but Juliana deserves more. She deserves to be courted. She deserves a real wedding with all the trimmings," Annabelle stated, now standing with a very firm, this is not to be negotiated stance, ready to do battle for her best friend.

Richard felt annoyed at being thwarted but had to agree Juliana did deserve all these things and so much more. Putting his hands up in surrender he said, "I concede. You are absolutely right, little sister."

"But Richard?" Juliana said not knowing how things were getting so turned around, "I do not need all..."

"Shhh!" Annabelle said, "He has already agreed! Until you are well enough to walk down an aisle you will be courted by my brother! Trips to the park, the theatre, you will be seen and known publicly as a couple, and in the meantime you and I..." Annabelle said with barely contained excitement as she took her friend's hand in hers, "have a wedding to plan."

Cyril took pity on Richard and said, "I will go get Doctor Feller. Let us see how much time we have to court and plan."

Richard found he was actually excited about this idea and he felt grateful Annabelle thought of it. Juliana deserved to be courted as he had planned to do upon his return home, and she should be showered with love tokens and taken out publicly letting everyone know she belonged to him.

"I will go with you," Richard said jumping up and about to leave with Cyril when he had seen Juliana's pout. "Now Love you will not be alone long and you have our wedding to plan with Annabelle here. The sooner we get back with the good doctor the sooner we have a date to make us man and wife." He gave her a quick kiss and laughed as she was still pouting.

"If we must," she said not wanting to be away from Richard especially so soon. She would marry him today, she would not care if she were married in her dressing gown. She just wanted to be bound to Richard in every way as soon as possible and personally thought any delay was pure nonsense, but it would seem she was outvoted and so would have to endure the delay a little while longer.

"Thank you!" Richard said, seeing the resignation on her face.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Annabelle said practically jumping up and down but Juliana looked completely unconvinced and Richard could not help but chuckle as he left the room.

Once he caught up with Cyril he said, "Cyril I must thank you for everything you have done for me, for Juliana and especially for Annabelle. I could not have hand-picked a better man for my little sister to marry."

Cyril stopped dead in his tracks and just had a stunned expression on his face.

"I know I am not very forthcoming when it comes to compliments but you have been a staunch ally through this entire affair and well I am proud to call you brother."

"Near-death experiences suit you," Cyril says, causing Richard to laugh heartily as they continued up the street.

Suddenly serious, Richard says, "Cyril, I need your thoughts on something?"

"Yes?"

"Juliana believes Marcus to be innocent and I..." Richard stopped talking because for the second time now Cyril had stopped walking due to shock.

"But Barneby?" Cyril said.

"I know," Richard said with a tone of sadness. "All the more reason I need to get to the truth of the matter. I owe him."

"I am not entirely sure he would appreciate knowing the truth," Cyril said. "You see it as clearing Marcus' name but for Barneby it would mean he killed his only son in error. For nothing."

Now it was Richard's turn to stop walking. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated? If he pursued the truth, he may destroy a good man. If he chooses to let sleeping dogs lie the truth may catch up to him and possibly hurt the ones he loves. Bloody hell, how was he to get through this?

Cyril put a hand on Richard's shoulder. He knew without words what Richard was thinking and the dilemma he now found himself in and he did not envy his position.

"If not Marcus who?" Cyril said deciding to help Richard work this out. He knew Richard would never feel at ease until he uncovered the truth.

"Marcus believed she took her own life," Richard said.

Cyril frowned. "It is a possibility."

Richard shook his head. "It is too hard to believe. All her problems were over. I would have taken care of her for the rest of her life."

Cyril countered with, "She was pregnant which would make her more emotional. Annabelle went through extreme highs and lows throughout both her pregnancies. There is also the fact that she loved someone else and if her love was as deep for Marcus as you feel for Juliana imagine how she felt, how lost she may have been."

Richard had to concede he had a point but shook it off as the nagging that there was more to the story just would not let him be. "She and I are cut from the same cloth. Just as I gave up Juliana for the sake of honor and name so, had Cecilia been convinced by my mother to play along. She was scared her parents would be ruined by her mistake, her taking her own life would have doomed them all the same. No, I can not believe, that."

Now it was Cyril's turn to concede. Richard had made a very convincing argument. Cecilia did go along with his Mother-in-law's plan to drug Richard, dupe him into believing he took her virginity and was the father of her child, to go to such lengths to protect her family's name only to ruin them by committing suicide indeed made no sense. Suicide, by English Common Law, was illegal. The person forfeiting all rights of property to the crown. It was a criminal offense. Such a black smudge would make no sense for a woman who tried so hard to keep the truth safe.

A chilling thought crossed Cyril's mind. "What if Cecilia wanted to tell the truth? What if she wanted to start her life with you with a clean slate and your Mother silenced her."

"No," Richard said denying the idea almost immediately, "she would have nothing gain from losing Cecilia as a daughter-in-law and everything to lose."

"Yes, but do you not see, if Cecilia came clean then you would know her devious plot and expel her from the Manor, a position she was willing to drug you, dupe you, make you believe false things just in order to keep," Cyril said not liking the idea any more than Richard but it appeared plausible.

"My Mother and I hate using that term for that woman, is devious and retched, of that I am certain but there is still a flaw to your theory," Richard said, "telling me the truth, I would no longer be bound to Cecilia. The truth would set me free, ruining Cecilia's chance to save her family."

"Tarnation, this is frustrating," Cyril said once again having to submit to Richard and his take on things. "Are we certain it was not Marcus? Could he have been lying?"

"Juliana believes not, and I have no choice but to believe Juliana," Richard said.

"She is a most excellent judge of character," Cyril said in defeat. "Well if not Marcus and not your Stepmother, then who, who else would have cause to see her gone?"

A theory was beginning to formulate in Richard's mind as to who it may be but he kept it to himself. At least for now until he could fill in more of the blanks. "It is a question I plan to get to the bottom of," Richard said more determined than ever to uncover the truth.

They had reached Doctor Feller's home and Richard realized how it was he had gotten there so quickly that fateful night as he was only a few blocks away from Cyril and Annabelle's home. It was a benefit Richard realized to living in the city as you get to know your neighbors and they are quite close in proximity.

Cyril knocked on the door and gave his name. They were bid to enter almost immediately. Dr. Feller had a severe look of concern. "She has not taken a turn for the worse has she?" He already had his bag in hand, prepared to rush out the door.

"Quite to the contrary," Richard said, "She is awake and doing marvelously well. We would just like to know your assessment of when she may venture out of doors and be well enough to take the plunge and marry me."

Dr. Feller chuckled. "Well when she is well enough to participate in activities out of doors I can assess, but as for marriage I would leave that to the Lady's discretion."

"She has already said yes," Cyril said laughingly, "and is pretty eager to tie the knot. However, we would not want to rush things. We want her in perfect health for her big day."

"Well then, lead the way gentlemen. Let us not keep our eager bride-to-be waiting.