Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery

Truth

"Lord Tennyson killed Penelope! But why?" Eliza gasps, struggling to keep her tears at bay.

"Why? Because she became a liability!" Andrew shouts. He throws the rest of the sheet across the room and his anger frightens her. Andrew's a broad man, slightly overweight and taller than Colin. Eliza didn't have a chance in a hand-to-hand fight. Even if she could escape the knots, she couldn't overthrow him physically.

He still has the knife in his hand and as he comes closer to her, he says, "She knew what it was. He told her he'd never leave my mum. Then she starts blackmailing him and then suddenly she's pregnant?!" Andrew shouts, clearly aggravated over Penelope's actions. "I had to find out if you knew. If she told you about the blackmail. She said she had a fail-safe in place, we both thought it was you."

"Did Bradshaw have any idea that it was you and your father that did this?" Eliza asks, tears now streaming down her face.

"That's what I was supposed to find out, but Bradshaw kept saying he was looking at some bloke in St. James. We couldn't tell if we were being deceived," Andrew states. "So, you tell me. Did he ever mention us!"

Eliza shakes her head, "He never mentioned you. All he knew was that Penelope was someone's mistress. I had no idea it was your father! Don't you think if I would have known, I wouldn't have had dinner at your house! Called for Bradshaw repeatedly? Showed up unannounced to speak with him?"

"We invited you to the dinner to observe your behavior. Did you not find it odd that your family was extended an invitation last minute?" Andrew says with a laugh, almost acting as if Eliza was dense for not figuring it out right then.

"We thought you were hunting for an heiress to pay off your gambling debts. Everyone in London knows I am still up for the taking, it didn't seem that odd," Eliza bluntly admits, but something she said makes Andrew laugh again.

"My gambling debts? Try my father's gambling debts. He's the reason we are losing Ainsley, he's the reason we lost this house and he's the reason Penelope is dead!"

"Then why are you covering for him!" Eliza shouts while shaking with anger.

"Because I have to! He holds my entire life in his hands. He can take away everything from me," Andrew says, almost with a sob.

"He already has! What do you have left to lose?" Eliza asks him and he drops his head into his pudgy hands. He finally looks back to her and says, "I was supposed to court Lady Penelope. Her dowry would have saved us and our family wouldn't have been ruined. But she caught my father's eye. Suddenly he wanted her for his own. And at first, she agreed. He was charming her with gifts and making promises he couldn't keep. Well suddenly she wanted a title. She wanted the wealth she thought came with the Tennysons. She wanted to be able to step out with Lord Tennyson."

"So, she blackmailed him because she found out it was his mounting debts and not yours. I knew of an ultimatum. I now know that it was for him to leave Lady Tennyson or she was going to tell everyone that the Tennysons were broke. Is that it?"

Andrew nods, "He told her that no one would believe her. That everyone already thought they were mine and could be fixed once I was married. She went into hysterics. Left saying it wasn't over and then a couple days later, she comes back to tell him she's with child. His child. He stabbed her with a letter opener right then and there." He says softly and by the look in his eyes, he was either there when it happened or he had a hand in disposing of her. Eliza can tell it still haunts him.

Eliza's hands are still shaking and her coat is stained with her tears. She doesn't know where to go from here. She got her answers, but she's still tied to the bed. She looks to Andrew who is gazing at her.