Page 67 of A Rogue to Reform

*

The next morning, Felicity stretched next to him, and Evan pulled her close. Once again, they’d made love until he could barely catch his breath. Even now, he was reluctant to move if it meant waking the minx and her wishing for a proper farewell before he left for work.

Slowly, he slid from the bed and managed to dress without waking her. Feeling triumphant, he started for the door.

“Evan?” Felicity called after him sleepily. “It is still early, come back to bed.”

He smiled at the beauty indulgently and went to kiss her soundly. “I must go downstairs and find something to take. I have a bit of a headache.”

“Oh.” She gave him a soft look. “Yes, you see about that.”

Smiling at his cunning, Evan walked down the stairs and found Grant was already awake. Next to him stood Henry. Both looked up at him with strange expressions.

“What happened?”

It was Henry who spoke. “I was riding home earlier, after leaving from a rather entertaining interlude. I happened by the Kerr tea house, the door was wide open, and it struck me as odd as all the lights were off.”

“Where they robbed?” Evan asked, feeling badly for the already financially strapped family.

“No,” Henry said. “I found Mr. Kerr on the floor dead. He’s been murdered.”

Instinctively, Evan looked up to the stairs. He would have to inform Felicity immediately. She would wish to be by her friend’s side. “How long ago was this?”

“Just an hour or so. I spoke to the authorities, and they told me I was free to go. I am not sure, but thought perhaps Felicity could accompany me to speak to Hannah’s family.”

Evan turned and hurried up the stairs. “Yes. Of course.”

It was not much later that he sat next to a stone-faced Felicity. She’d stopped asking Henry questions, seeming to acknowledge he’d have to answer the same ones over again once they arrived at Hannah’s home.

The household didn’t seem to be awake as of yet. The curtains on every window were drawn.

They walked to the front door and knocked. In the distance, Felicity caught sight of two men on horseback headed there. “I think they come to inform them as well.”

The door was opened by a bright-eyed cook, who gave them a questioning look.

“Quick, Marta, hurry upstairs. We must wake Mrs. Kerr and Hannah. I am coming up in a moment.”

The woman obeyed and Felicity turned to Evan. “Can you keep the officers down here? It is best they hear it from Henry.” She took Henry’s arm and they hurried up the stairs. Evan stood next to the closed door, wondering how the women would move forward.

*

At seeing her, both Hannah and her mother immediately knew it was bad news. Henry, bless him, did his best to tell them what he’d witnessed, the entire time wincing each time Hannah or her mother wailed.

“The police are downstairs,” Felicity offered. “Would you like for me to speak to them?”

“No.” Mrs. Kerr wiped at her face. “I will go down. Let me find a more presentable dressing gown.”

Felicity sat on the bed next to Hannah, holding her hand as her friend cried, her entire body shaking as grief overcame her. Henry sat ramrod straight, his arm around Hannah who was inconsolable.

“I cannot believe it. I refuse to.” Hannah finally managed mopping her tears with Henry’s kerchief. “This cannot be true.

It took a while to coax Hannah to dress. Along with Evan and Henry, they accompanied her and her mother to the morgue.

After that, Henry left. He looked exhausted and no doubt wished to sleep and process what he’d witnessed on his own.

“We should go to my parents’. Mother will know what we should do,” Felicity whispered to Evan. “I do not think it is the time to leave them alone.”

It was a long day, mostly of sitting about going over scenarios of what could have happened. She and her mother oversaw the preparation of dinner and then had the servants prepare a room for Hannah and her mother after deciding they were in no state to be left alone.