Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama) by Carole Williams (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

and tired.  All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and pretend none of this had happened but she needed to find out what had caused Charles to have a heart attack and exactly who had died.

Having rung Hardy to give him the news that Charles was out of danger Ruth sat wearily in a high-backed chair by the window of the waiting room, staring blankly out at the inky black sky and the lights of the hospital twinkling merrily. Vicky, looking shattered, was slumped on a two-seater sofa.

“Right,” Ruth said firmly, turning to the sergeant as the two men entered the room. “Can you please tell us why you visited Canleigh this evening and what caused my husband to collapse?”

The newly promoted sergeant drew in his breath.  He had been horrified at the reaction of the Duke when he had told him his son was dead, never expecting him to immediately clutch his chest and crash to the floor.  He was almost frightened to utter the same words to the Duchess.

“It’s the Marquess of Keighton, Your Grace.”

“Richard!” exclaimed Vicky. “What’s my brother got to do with anything?  He’s in Oxford … actually, that’s a point, Ruth,” she said turning to her step-mother.  “We ought to tell him about Father and quickly, before he finds out by other means.”

The sergeant coughed.  “That won’t be necessary, Your Ladyship.  You see, the reason we called to talk to your father was because we had to inform him that Lord Richard was … I’m most dreadfully sorry but he was … killed … earlier today.”

“What?” cried Vicky.  “How?  Why?  What do you mean killed?  I don’t understand.  He’s studying medicine in Oxford.  How can he be killed?  He does nothing but work and study …  he doesn’t go anywhere to be killed.  You’ve made a mistake.  A stupid, senseless mistake that’s nearly cost Father his life.”

Ruth had gone cold.  She couldn’t feel her fingers.  She raised them to her face and recoiled from the icy touch.  Richard.  Dead.  No wonder Charles had reacted so badly.  She looked at Vicky’s ashen face.  The poor girl already had her own problems and this was going to hit her even harder.

“What on earth happened?” Ruth asked, so quietly, it was nearly a whisper.  She didn’t really want to know the details.  Her head was already spinning with worry over Charles and now this.  It was too much to comprehend.

The sergeant took another deep breath.  “It all seems a bit confused at present, Your Grace.  We’ve been informed by Thames Valley Police that Lord Richard was visited by Lady Delia Canleigh earlier today ….”

“What?” Vicky jumped to her feet and paced up and down the room, wringing her hands.  “Delia!  Well, of course.  Any drama in this family and she is in the thick of it … but don’t tell me she’s killed Richard.  He is her twin after all.”

“Well, it seems there was a gentleman with her … by the name of Peter Percival ….”

Vicky looked questioningly at Ruth, who had a stunned look on her face.  “Peter Percival … I don’t know anyone of that name … do you, Ruth?”

Ruth shook her head.  She was still trying to take in the news that Delia had re-surfaced.  She felt a dreadful sickness in her stomach.  What had happened?  Two hours ago, she had been blissfully happy, now her husband was desperately ill in the Coronary Care Unit, Richard was dead and Delia had re-appeared.  She wondered if she was in some ghastly dream.

“So,” said Vicky, turning back to the sergeant, “what has this man we don’t know got to do with Richard and Delia?”

“There seems to have been some sort of disagreement and by all accounts, Percival shot Lord Richard and then Delia shot him.  She managed to get out of the flat unscathed.  I am sorry, but it’s all I can tell you at the moment.  There will, of course, be a couple of detectives travelling up from Oxford to ask you some questions to see if you can throw any light on what occurred.”

“Where is Lady Delia now?” asked Ruth, praying that she wasn’t on her way to Canleigh.  She was the last person Ruth wanted to deal with at the moment.

“In custody, Your Grace.  She is pleading self-defence apparently but will be held for questioning so that the facts can be established.”

Ruth and Vicky looked aghast as the reality of what he was saying begun to sink in and that out of the three people in Richard’s flat, only one walked out; and that person was Delia.

Vicky walked over to Ruth, sat down, took her cold hands in hers, and attempted to rub them warm.

“I don’t believe this.  Delia goes missing for nearly two years and then turns up in Richard’s flat with a man we’ve never heard of and he and Richard are shot.  It sounds crazy … are you absolutely positive you have your facts right?” asked Vicky, staring hard at the sergeant.

Ruth’s heart was pounding.  It was so loud to her she was surprised no-one else in the room could hear it.  She could see the scene in the kitchen with Richard clearly, before he attempted to rape her.  He had been telling her about the row with Charles and Delia earlier.  How Delia had wanted to run the estate and neither he nor Charles would agree.  Delia had been furious, threatened revenge on them both but dreadful things are said in temper.  There was no way Delia would have willingly gone out of her way to kill Richard.  Not after all this time.  It was unthinkable and anyway wouldn’t achieve anything.  Stephen was the next in line after Richard to inherit Canleigh so Delia couldn’t get her hands on Canleigh anyway.  No, it was ridiculous and too dreadful to contemplate.  No, it was impossible.  Or