For The Love Of My Scotsman (Complete!)

For The Love Of Lottie

Thomas winced as Lottie gasped behind him.

Mr. de Lacy narrowed his eyes. "You? The valet?"

Thomas dropped his gaze and nodded. "I knew Mr. Farraday was causing Miss Lottie great distress and could no longer stand by as he tormented her."

"No!" Lottie pushed to her feet and clutched his hand. "Stop, why are you doing this—"

He pulled away, biting his cheek as the movement tugged at his stitches. He could feel the intrigued gazes of the guests piercing into them. He couldn't let them think that there was something improper between him and Lottie.

"Please compose yourself, Miss Lottie," he whispered, stepping further away.

"What happened?" Mr. de Lacy asked, raising a brow as if he wasn't quite convinced.

Thomas forced his gaze away from Lottie. He would lose his courage if he looked into her tear-filled eyes. "I followed Mr. Farraday up to the laboratory and... and pushed him onto the spear."

Mr. de Lacy clasped his hands behind his back. "How did you move the body?"

"I rolled him in the rug and dragged him onto the parapets. I knew Miss Lottie had constructed a pulley system to transport her supplies up the walls, and I used it to lower his body down. I had access to the stables and it was easy to bury him in the manure pile."

The guests whispered amongst themselves. Thomas spared a glance at William, who was staring at him in horror.

"But that doesn't explain the blood on Miss Lottie's hands or the smear of mud and manure in her room," Mr. de Lacy protested.

Thomas dipped his head apologetically to William. "Miss Lottie had accidentally cut the hand of her friend, Miss Palmer, during the early morning hours. She was running to fetch bandages."

"Miss Palmer has disappeared," Mr. de Lacy's lip twitched as if pleased to have caught Lottie in Thomas's lie.

"The maid, Sally, witnessed it," Thomas said.

After a long pause, Mr. de Lacy gestured to one of his men. "Find the maid. We shall see if she corroborates this." The man hurried off and the magistrate gestured to Thomas to continue.

"Miss Lottie has been out to the stables many times over the past two weeks for riding lessons. She could have easily gotten the mud on her clothes and left a trace in her room."

The guests nodded as if the explanation made sense, but Mr. de Lacy remained skeptical. "What of Mrs. Ashdown?"

Thomas blinked. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Thomas, don't do this," Lottie begged, reaching for him again.

William left Fidelia's side and snatched Lottie's hand, pulling her back. "Be quiet," he ordered her, eyes hard as he glared at Thomas.

"But he didn't—" Lottie protested.

"Silence!" William's voice thundered, stunning his sister-in-law so much that she shrank back.

Thomas clenched his hands into fists. He opened his mouth to protest, but finally, he turned away. He couldn't show concern for her. It would only sully her reputation more. "I overheard Mrs. Ashdown's conversation with ye the night she died. I knew she was trying to cast suspicion onto Miss Lottie, so... so I killed her, too."

Mr. de Lacy finally nodded. "You have convinced me, Mr. Hawthorne. Pardon me, Lord Greyville, but I shall require the use of the castle dungeon until I can transport this murderer to the prison in Sunderland once the storm clears." He gestured to the remaining guards. "Seize him."