“So, assuming you got your hands on this cash, what do you intend to do? I mean, you would have committed murder. It wouldn’t be safe to settle in this country in case anything went wrong and Peter found out. If he found you shacked up with your mistress playing happy families with a load of cash he knew wasn’t yours he would have you behind bars in a thrice.”
&
nbsp; “You are leaving the country.” Poppy felt sick. The image of the hatred in the strange woman’s eyes she had bumped into in the coaching yard the other day suddenly burst into life and she stared at Clarence. “She was in the coaching yard the other day, your mama.”
Henry suddenly grinned at her. He reminded Poppy of an eager puppy, happy for any kind of attention, and even more eager to please.
“She wanted the money,” she whispered to Clarence. “I cannot help wondering what you plan to do with him once he has done what you want,” she added quietly. “I mean, if I am a burden, what is he?”
Luke looked at her for a moment and then nodded. “Planning to get rid of him too were you?”
He knew from the cunning look on Clarence’s face that he had stumbled upon the truth and wondered just how bad a situation Clarence was in to be prepared to go to such lengths to secure a fortune.
“So, you planned for Henry to kill Poppy and, while he was still in the area, you were going to do away with him too. You could then live abroad with your stolen money and your mistress without fear of discovery.” Luke’s voice was pure menace as he assessed which one to relieve of their weapons first.
“I am afraid that your scheming has failed, Clarence. You see, I have already paid Peter a visit, and he has signed a document to confirm that he gave Poppy the cash, not you. He also has made it clear that you are not to get your hands on any of it. Therefore, if you leave this house with anything that isn’t yours, I shall arrest you for theft. You are already going to be arrested for breaking and entering anyway, so be very careful because anything else illegal you do will only make your situation worse.”
“I ain’t broken nothing’,” Henry grumbled. He scowled at Clarence as a small child would do and huffed sulkily. “You got me in trouble. Mama is going to be cross with you.”
“Oh, shut up you imbecile,” Clarence snapped.
“Leave him alone,” Poppy ordered.
Sensing an argument was brewing, Luke stepped forward. “Henry, did Clarence tell you to kill Poppy?”
“I-I-I-,” Henry looked from him to Poppy and back again. He stepped backward until his back hit the wall then jumped and threw a worried glance over his shoulder. Like a frightened animal, he suddenly barged past Luke and raced to the back of the house.
Luke turned and watched him go and spied movement just around the corner. Thankfully, help had arrived. Marcus was lying in wait just inside the kitchen. Apart from a slight scuffling noise, nothing betrayed what had really happened to Henry.
“The boy has to go,” Clarence remarked drolly. “Now give me the money and I will get out of your hair.”
Poppy snorted. “Yes, it looks like it. If you just wanted your money, why have you brought a gun with you?” she demanded, but gave Clarence no opportunity to reply. “You have no intention of leaving us alive if you were ever allowed to get your hands on the cash but I don’t have it. It was returned to Peter yesterday. I have no need for it you see.”
“That’s right,” Luke agreed mentally applauding Poppy for her ingenuity. “Poppy doesn’t need money now that she has me in her life. I can provide for her. She is my wife now, and it is my duty to protect her. If you have anything to say to my wife then you say it to me. Unfortunately, as she is my wife, everything that is hers is now rightly mine and I absolutely refuse to give you a single penny of our cash.”
“You are lying,” Clarence snarled.
“No. I have a friend here who can vouch for the fact that Poppy is now my wife.”
Marcus silently appeared in the doorway that led to the kitchen.
Inwardly, it felt wonderfully right to Luke to be able to declare that Poppy was his wife. As far as he was concerned, the sooner he could make that slight fabrication a fact, the better.
“I am her husband now and here to stay.” As he spoke he kept his eyes locked on hers, and put all of his emotions into his words, silently pleading with her to stay with him, remain calm. She understood because she smiled at him and edged a little closer. She was aware that they painted a picture of sublime domesticity that had temporarily flummoxed Clarence and knocked the edge off his arrogance. For now, they had the upper hand.
“Ah, that’s nice,” Clarence snapped sarcastically. “But I know you still have that money. I have been keeping watch on this house since the day you entered it and apart from that kid who keeps coming and going, nobody has left here with that bag. It’s in this house somewhere. I want it.”
“It is irrelevant whether the bag is here or not, it is not your money so you shall not have it, no matter how much you threaten.” Luke shook his head sadly and sighed theatrically. “I am afraid you chose to pick on the wrong person and killed the wrong man.”
“I didn’t kill the man in the park, nor did Henry. We just want the money.”
“But you were prepared to murder your daughter for it,” Luke challenged.
Clarence’s silence was condemning.
“So, to be with the woman in the coaching inn you have to be free of all burdens. You need to get rid of your daughter she doesn’t want around, and she wants to off-load her somewhat awkward son. I wonder why? Why now, Clarence? What’s happened to change the situation so suddenly because I know Helena has been your mistress for a long time now?” Luke felt Poppy stiffen against his side but she remained quiet. Luke allowed silence to settle over them for a moment before he decided to take a random guess that he suspected was right. “I think that you have been living way beyond your means for a long time now. Your mistress has gotten used to a lifestyle she cannot afford herself. You are incapable of working because you have no skills and have never worked a day in your life. Because your options are limited, and the only thing of value was the roof over your head. You had to sell up to be able to keep your mistress happy. Unfortunately, that left you with the problem of the house sale not raising you enough funds for the foreseeable future, and two serious problems in the form of Poppy and Henry.”
“Shut up,” Clarence snapped.