To Defend A Duke

Chapter 13

As Evelyn strides away she can hear his hurried footsteps behind her but she refuses to turn around, she walks around the tree in the middle of the courtyard and starts down the drive. In her fury, she hasn't processed all that she said and the implications it might have. 

"Wait." The Duke says tapping her on the shoulder. She whips around, throwing his hand away, her eyes glowing. 

"What?" 

"Where's your carriage?" He looks around the empty courtyard. "Or horse?" 

"I don't have one, I walked here." She says, crossing her arms and glaring. 

"You're insane!" He stares at her. She throws her hands in the air in frustration and tries to turn around but he takes hold of her arm and spins her to face him. 

"Let's say I believe you, and that you were there, how do you know I didn't just  shoot her with the gun in my jacket." He says, tilting his head. "This jacket...."

Evelyn scoffs at his attempt to scare her. 

"Becuase I saw you run away and then someone stood up from behind a bush near me and dropped a pistol by the body before scarpering." Evelyn retorts. 

"There was someone else there?" The grip on her shoulder tightens. 

"What, do you think yourself you killed her?" She replies snarkily. 

He ignores her jibe and turns to her seriously. "You saw someone drop a pistol by the body? I thought they hadn't found the weapon yet?" 

Evelyn suddenly feels very guilty. "There was a pistol," She says slowly. "But...I took it." 

Blackmoore lets her go and steps back in shock. "You took the pistol? Where is it now?" 

"In a flower box outside my window," She answers. "Perfectly safe." 

"Why the hell did you take the pistol?" He cries, grabbing a fistful of his hair in frustration. 

"It was obviously being planted to frame someone, you." She defends, "There were initials on the hilt, V.B, any connection of yours?" 

Blackmoore drops his arms and closes his eyes. "Victor Blackmoore, my grandfather." 

"The war hero?" She asks. 

"The very same arrogant bastard." He admits. "How did you even know the pistol would be to frame someone else rather than the murderer leaving a confession?" 

She shoots him a condescending look. "The only murderer's that leave confessions are for crimes of passion. Lady Tremontane was shot while..." She clears her throat awkwardly, "Regardless she was shot in a seemingly deserted area in only one person's company. It's an obvious setup." 

The duke seems to accept her words for the truth.  "If you have taken the only evidence tying me to her murder then aren't I safe?" 

Evelyn sighs. "Unfortunately the legal system has the power to prosecute based on very little and while they have nothing on you there was nobody else there who could of possibly have killed her. It wasn't me, there was someone else, won't hold up in a court of law." 

"Why can't you testify that you were there and that I didn't kill her?" He asks. 

"My statement would never hold," She says. 

"Why?" He demands. 

"You don't know who I am, do you?" 

"No." He eyes her suspiciously. 

"My family lost all it's money four years ago, it was a massive scandal so now I have no title, standing or money," Evelyn explains. "Everyone would think you had paid me to lie, no one would take me seriously, Claude didn't even take me seriously!"