Pinch of Arsenic

Chapter 6

 Emmett Brickwood looked up at his niece, disappointed.

"What are you going to do?" Lord Emmett asked.

That was a good question. Ansel looked to Lavinia who simply shook her head. She couldn't believe it. She felt death. She felt it deep in her bones.

"Why?" she cried with her gaze on the floor, "Why would you do that?"

"Why what?" the uncle asked.

"You tried to kill me- What do you mean what?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising with every syllable.

"I did no such thing," Lord Emmett feigned, "it's maddening for you to even accuse me of that."

In that moment, Ansel realized they had lost. In essence, he had not committed the crime and between an orphaned lady and a working class man, they could never bring justice against a rich, powerful man like Lord Emmett if he refused to admit anything.

"Put that gun down, sir," Lord Emmett requested, "you could hurt somebody."

Ansel scowled and simply kept the gun steady. He turned to Lavinia and whispered, "He won't admit anything. We can't take him to the police."

"I am getting Mr. Jarvis. Mr. Linton, you stay here." Lavinia grabbed a robe and dashed off. Lord, what was she to do? Subconsciously, she took deep, long breaths, afraid she would lose the ability to breath again.

Mr. Jarvis had his own room. It was small, but he valued his privacy. Lavinia knocked frantically on the door until he woke up and opened.

He saw Lavinia and instantly straightened up, blinking fast. He rubbed his eyes to clear the little crusts and addressed her in surprise.

"Is there something you need?" he continued.

"I- Well, just follow me, and I'll explain along the way." she said. Her voice tight. Winded.

Her composure reminded him an awful lot of when he had to send Lady Holly away. He was not one to demand answers from his lady, but he had assumed that Lady Holly had been guilty in some way. What could be wrong now?

A flickering candle in his hand, he followed his lady along the dark hallway, the measly flame illuminating but two feet in front of them.

"My uncle." Lavinia stopped to swallow. "He was suffocating me with a pillow, and- and I need you to send him away. I-"

"Oh, my lord! My lady! Are you okay? Shouldn't we call a doctor? A medic?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Really. Just a little shaken up."

"How did you even escape him, my lady?" Mr. Jarvis still didn't know which uncle had done it but he suspected the eldest, Lord Henry.

"Mr. Linton has been hiding in my room, waiting for someone to strike. Right now my uncle is on the floor and Mr. Linton has a gun pointed at him."

"Are you both demented!?" Mr. Jarvis scolded and the flame flickered, almost extinguishing. "That boy let your uncle touch you?"

"Please lower your voice," she shushed, "we don't want to wake everyone up."

"My lady-" Mr. Jarvis simply stopped. There were obviously a few screws loose in his lady's head. At least she seemed okay. Physically. He followed her into her room and found the younger uncle, much to Mr. Jarvis's surprise, on the floor.

He also saw Ansel awkwardly pointing the gun and told him to put it down. Without hesitation, Ansel put the death weapon in the drawer, not wanting to touch another second it, unloaded or not.