Tuppence (The Tipton Hollow 3)

“Because you are titled.”

Isaac nodded. “I won’t apologise for my ancestry, Tuppence. My heritage isn’t something I have earnt. As you know, I have been born to it and was handed the estate when my father died. The expectancy has always been placed upon me that I run it and marry well so I can have children who will run it for me when I die.” When Tuppence’s gaze fell to the floor, Isaac tipped her chin up. “But at no point has either of my parents stipulated that I should marry someone with a title. As far as my father was concerned, he had intended to live until he was old and grey. He might have as well had it not been for the heart attack. However, now that he has gone, my mother would just be happy if I married at all. I don’t think she cares who my wife is as long as she has grandchildren she can bounce on her knee.”

“But I have brought you nothing but trouble. I have brought a killer to your door.”

“That killer is trying to murder a Lord, Tuppence. Believe me when I tell you that when he is eventually caught, he is going be swinging from the hangman’s noose far faster than any other convict. Nobody has the right to steal another person’s life, no matter who in the Hell they think they are. It is murder, pure and simple, and the cost in this country is death by hanging. This killer is going to swing for what he is doing and has done. We just can’t give him more easy targets.”

Tuppence knew that Isaac was right. The truth of it shone in his eyes while his tone hardened. But Tuppence also knew that she had to exonerate herself, and to do that she had to leave regardless of the danger that lurked outside.

“Promise me you won’t do anything foolish.” Isaac grabbed her by the shoulders and peered down into her face when Tuppence didn’t immediately reply. Tuppence seemed miles away, lost in thought. He hoped that she wasn’t making plans to leave anyway.

Tuppence smiled but it didn’t meet her eyes. “I promise that I won’t do anything foolish,” she whispered eventually.

Isaac wasn’t convinced because she didn’t quite meet his eyes when she spoke. He knew then that he had to try something else to persuade her to stay with him.

“Look, because the killer is targeting both of us now, I have already told Sir Reginald where to find my will. Should I die before my mother, everything I own goes to Sir Reginald, whom you already know. He knows what to do with this place. I know that he will keep protecting you until the killer is caught.”

“Do you think I should leave the farm to him?” Tuppence asked thoughtfully.

“No. I think you should sell the farm to me,” Isaac stated flatly. “I already own this estate. Hilltop Farm borders my estate. While I hadn’t planned on making this estate any bigger, Hilltop can be absorbed into my land quite easily. I won’t put a tenant farmer in that house right now, at least until the murderer is caught, but I can use it as a tenant farm when this is all over.” He wanted to suggest that she could be that tenant farmer but had other plans for her future that he couldn’t discuss with her right now. “I will give you the full market value for the place. That way, if something does happen to you, the farm is going to remain in safe hands. While my uncle is here, you can write a will to leave the entirety of your wealth to whomever you please. That way, you know your worldly goods will have real meaning and purpose that others can make use of. The killer need never know that the farm no longer belongs to you until we choose to make it public. If he damages the place, or tries to take possession of it, he is going to be challenged by me. I have far more powerful and influential connections than he will have, I can promise you that.”

“But you don’t know who the killer is. How can you say that?”

Isaac sighed. “I have links to the Lord Chief Justice, as does my uncle. We both know people in high places. If the great Detective Inspector doesn’t get out of his chair and start to investigate these murders properly, and continues to persecute you, I shall ask the Lord Chief Justice to intervene. In fact, I shall do that anyway now that Mark has tried to arrest you again. Meantime, do I have your permission to ask my uncle to sort out the papers for the purchase of your farm? When this is all over, I will sell the farm back to you if you insist on keeping it. For now, it is safest if your property is under my protection too.”

Tuppence’s head was starting to ache with the volume of troubled thoughts swirling around in it. Isaac was to vehement; she didn’t doubt he meant every word. What she couldn’t understand was how she was ever going to repay him for what he was prepared to do to help her.

At least I will have plenty of money that I can use to get away from here when this is all over. Yes, I will be sad to leave the farm because it has been such a large part of my life, but at least I can go knowing that Isaac will look after it. Moreover, he will be safe from the killer.

“All right. If you are sure you are happy to buy the farm, I will be more than pleased to get it off my hands. However, I will buy it back off you when this is all over.” Tuppence quickly closed out all possibility that she might be swinging from the hangman’s noose at the end of all of this if Isaac didn’t successfully contact the Lord Chief Justice. The very thought of being hung was enough to leave her quaking in her boots. She physically shook from head to toe and wanted to claw at her hair with the horror of it. To stop herself from going quietly out of her mind, she forced herself to think of something else, and glanced up at Isaac only to find him staring at her. “What?” she whispered.

Isaac pursed his lips in a parody of a smile. He didn’t ask her or hesitate to step forward to tug her into his arms. Unfortunately, he got no further than stepping toward her when there was a quiet knock on the door.

“Miss? Oh, there you are. Sir Reginald asks if he could see you in the study, sir. The Detective from the Police Station is here again.” The maid kept her gaze on Tuppence when she spoke, even though her words were directed at Isaac.

Tuppence stumbled backward until the backs of her knees hit the bed. She slammed down onto the mattress with a heavy thump and stared helplessly at Isaac while she tried to quell her panic.

“He isn’t going to arrest you,” Isaac assured her. “Just stay up here. If he can’t see you, he can’t arrest you again. Even Mark doesn’t have the power to enter my house and search it. No judge would dare grant him a warrant to search a house like this, especially given Reginald is a respected member of the legal community and the judges undoubtedly know him, or of him. They wouldn’t dare cross him without the full weight of the law behind them. Mark has to rely on me handing you over, and that is something my uncle will ever do.”

But you would.

Tuppence read the hidden meaning in his words and was horrified. Would Isaac hand her over if Mark demanded it of him? Was Isaac’s loyalty to her really all that strong? Mark was his friend after all. They had been acquaintances for many years. Would Isaac really risk everything, including his friendship with Mark, just to help her? Tuppence was already struggling to understand why he was helping her as much as he was. He had, until her arrest at least, barely acknowledged her existence. Now, he was prepared to risk his house, his life, his reputation, his friendships, and his family’s safety, just to help her.

Maybe he is the one who is after the farm.

The thought popped into her head so swiftly that Tuppence struggled to contemplate it seriously. But when it refused to budge, she was forced to decide if it was possible. She wanted to deny that Isaac was possibly behind the deaths. He wasn’t a cold-blooded killer, was he?

He has people on his books who might run around my farm at night to scare me. I don’t really know him. Now, just like that, I have agreed to sell him everything I own, without discussing prices, or why he is prepared to take on such a burden.

But then if Isaac really wanted it that badly, and was prepared to pay her the going rate, why shouldn’t she take the money and leave?

“Stay here,” Isaac murmur

ed, oblivious to her thoughts.

Tuppence nodded and stared blankly at her boots while she waited for Isaac to leave her alone. She wanted desperately to be able to go and listen to their conversation just so she could understand if Isaac was likely to want to protect his friendship more than her. But then Tuppence also wanted to make use of Isaac being busy to sneak away.

Torn, she glanced out of the window and tried to decide what to do. She contemplated which route she could take to cross the lawn without being seen but realised that there really was no way of crossing the huge lawn without someone from either the stables or the house seeing her.