Sophie's Voice (Sex and the Season Book 4) (19 page)

Z
ach swallowed
, his nerves jumping. No wonder they were looking to him to answer for this.

“So you see, Mr. Newland?” Benny said.

Zach said nothing in response. What could he say? The evidence literally pointed straight to him. He had last seen Nanette alive and well after their argument the previous evening. He had left around nine thirty and arrived at Sophie's estate around ten. He had stayed there until four in the morning. Clearly he had an alibi, but he was unable to tell the constables. At least not without talking to Sophie first.

“What have you got, lads?” Harkins asked.

“We haven't been able to ascertain the exact time of death,” Jonesy said. “However, when the employee of the theatre found her at four, he said the body was still warm. Rigor still hadn't set in when our first men arrived. Rigor set in around six. Since rigor can set in anywhere from two to six hours after, we estimate that death occurred between midnight and three thirty, before the employee arrived.”

Zach's heart jumped. Yes! He did have an alibi. Sophie's mother had witnessed him arrive at the estate at ten o'clock. But of course, she didn't know he was still there at three thirty.

But Sophie did.

“Gentlemen,” Zach said, “I assure you I had nothing to do with this.”

“The same employee who found Miss Lloyd said he witnessed you and her arguing last evening. Is that not correct?”

“Yes, that's correct, but she left here alive and well shortly after nine o'clock, after which I also left the theatre and did not return until now.”

“Mr. Newland,” Benny warned, “you may want to stop talking until your solicitor gets here.”

“I'm telling you I need no solicitor. I am innocent.”

“Is there anyone who could testify to your whereabouts between nine o'clock last night and three thirty in the morning?”

Zach forced back a nod. Yes, there was. Sophie. But he could not say anything without speaking to her first. He couldn't be responsible for the demise of her reputation. He also could not name his servants. They would not be able to testify because he had indeed not been home. He hadn't gotten home until after four in the morning.

None of this made him look good.

He needed to call his solicitor. And he also needed to speak to Sophie.

“No, I'm afraid not.”

“Well, if you were at home,” Harkins said, “surely you have house staff who could testify to that fact.”

“I…er… I wasn't at home.”

Harkins let out a chuckle. “So you were with a lady friend, then? Not a problem. We just need to speak with her.”

Zach shook his head. “Afraid it's not that simple, gentlemen.” He cleared his throat. “I would like to send word to my solicitor.”

T
he coach arrived
at the theatre, and the coachman helped Sophie alight. Sophie swallowed. What in the world? The theatre had been roped off. Several of the actors and actresses stood, milling around, talking in hushed tones.

Sophie spied Elizabeth, the young actress who had been kind to her. She approached the young lady. “Do excuse me, Elizabeth, but what is going on?”

“Oh, Lady Sophie, it is the most horrible thing. Evidently a murder was committed at the theatre last night.”

Sophie jolted. “A murder? Who was killed?”

“Nanette Lloyd, the former lead soprano of the company. But that's not the worst part.”

Goodness, what could be worse than someone getting killed? Even if it was that horrible Nanette. Sophie did not wish death on anyone. She said a quick prayer for Nanette's soul.

“What could be worse than someone being murdered, Elizabeth?”

“The inspectors have closed down the theatre. And they're holding… Oh my goodness, it's too terrible to even speak the words.”

“What? What is it?” Sophie's nerves were on edge, and she resisted the urge to shake the information out of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth visibly shivered. “They're holding Mr. Newland as their prime suspect in the murder.”

Sophie gulped. It could not possibly be true. But then…the notes she had received… Had they truly been from Zach after all?

She shook her head, banishing those unwanted thoughts. Zach was not a killer. The tenderness he had shown her, taking her virginity… But again, he liked to smack her. Did that mean he had a violent streak? But that didn't make him a murderer, did it?

Still, he had said that he and Nanette had argued last night, and that was why he was late getting to the estate…

No!
Zach had been with her in her bed for nearly the entire night.

“That's impossible.”

Elizabeth nodded. “We all think so too. But for now, we must pray that the inspectors find the truth so Mr. Newland can be let go.”

“Did they know what time the alleged murder took place?”

“From what I hear, sometime after midnight.”

Perfect. Sophie could give Zach an alibi. Of course, it would mean exposing the fact that he had been with her all night. But Zach's innocence was more important than her reputation. She had to see the constables right away.

“Do excuse me, Elizabeth, but I have an errand I need to run. It's of the utmost importance.”

“All right, Lady Sophie. Keep Mr. Newland in your prayers.”

“You can be certain that I will.”

Sophie spoke to the coachman quickly and told him where to take her. A few moments later, they arrived at the law enforcement headquarters.

As the coachman helped her down, Sophie said, “I'm afraid I don't know how long I'll be. I need to speak to someone in charge.”

“Not a worry, my lady. I'll wait for you.”

“Many thanks.” Sophie curtsied and hurried in. It was a small building of red bricks, nothing like Scotland Yard in London. A uniformed officer sat behind a clerk's desk, a frown on his face. Several other peelers milled about.

Sophie's timidity set in, and her skin turned to ice. Now what? Was she truly ready to destroy her own reputation to save the man she loved?

Love
. Zach might never love her back, but she could save him. Was it worth her reputation to do so? Yes, it was. She slowly approached the clerk's desk and softly cleared her throat.

The young clerk looked up. “Yes, madam, may I help you?”

Sophie inhaled and let her breath out slowly. “It's my lady, if you please. I am Lady Sophie MacIntyre, and I wish to speak to…whomever is in charge of arresting Mr. Zachary Newland.”

“Yep, Mr. Newland was just brought in. Got him in a holding cell at the moment.”

Sophie shivered. The thought of Zach being stuck in a tiny cell… Oh, she could not bear it. “You have made a terrible mistake.”

“I'm afraid the evidence we have against Mr. Newland is overwhelming.”

“I don't care how overwhelming your evidence might be. Mr. Newland is innocent, and I can prove it.”

“And who exactly are you, my lady?”

“I just told you. I am Lady Sophie MacIntyre. I am the lead soprano in his new production. We've been working together for the last couple of weeks.”

“A lady of the peerage rehearsing for a musicale?”

Sophie's cheeks warmed. “Yes. I, a lady of the peerage, am now the lead soprano in Zachary Newland's company at the Regal Theatre. I am proud and honored to be a part of his company.”

The clerk's cheeks reddened. “Of course, my lady. I meant no disrespect. But I'm afraid that unless you were with Mr. Newland at midnight last night, you cannot offer any proof of his innocence.”

Sophie opened her mouth to speak, but her lips trembled.

The clerk narrowed his eyes. “Oh…I see. My lady, are you sure you want to do this?”

Sophie nodded. She was sure. More sure than she'd ever been about anything.

“I assure you, telling lies to save your employer is not a wise decision.”

Sophie stood on her tiptoes to appear taller. “Who says I'm going to be telling lies?”

“I see.” The clerk shuffled some papers on his desk. “Mr. Newland is conferring with a solicitor at the moment. I will let them know you're here. Please do have a seat.” He pointed to some uncomfortable-looking wooden benches.

Sophie nodded, walked away from the desk, and sat on one of the benches. Yes, they were indeed uncomfortable, especially on her sore bum.

In a few moments, a constable appeared and escorted her to a room where Zach sat with a man she didn't know. “Gentlemen,” the constable said, “here's Lady Sophie MacIntyre.”

He shut the door behind him, leaving the room.

“Sophie”—Zach stood—“what are you doing here?”

“I've come to prove your innocence.”

“I can't let you do that.”

“Newland,” the other gentleman said, “if the lady is willing—”

“No.” Zach pounded his fist on the table. “I won't let her ruin herself.”

The other man stood. “My name is Declan Tate. I'm Mr. Newland's solicitor. I will be preparing his case for one of the barristers.”

Sophie curtsied politely. “Would you please tell him to let me help him?”

“Believe me, I want nothing more than for you to help him. My client is innocent, as we both know. And unfortunately, you're the only one who can prove that.”

“I'm willing.”

“Sophie,” Zach said, “have you thought this through?”

“What is there to think through? I cannot let an innocent man go to the gallows when what I know can save him. Especially not you. You're…too important to me.”

Zach's lips trembled. “But your reputation…”

“My reputation?” Sophie shook her head. “Do you really think my reputation is more important than your life?”

Mr. Tate nodded. “The lady is quite right, Newland.”

“You'll be ruined.”

“I'm ruined anyway, Zach. I have been since the first time you laid a hand on me. And you know what? I didn't care then, and I don't care now. I care about you. I will not let you hang for something you didn't do when I can stop it. Now bring in the constable, and I will make my statement.”

Zach shook his head. “No one has ever been willing to do something like this for me. You're putting my needs above your own. I don't know how I can ever repay you.”

“I'm not doing it in any expectation of repayment. I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do. You know as well as I do that it is, and I would like to think you would do the same thing for me if our positions were reversed.”

“Of course I would, only I wouldn't be the one ruined. You would be.”

“Well, as Ally would say, that is just the way of the world. We women don't get a fair shot. Perhaps in the future we will, but for now I have to accept life for what it is. I'm sure I will be the fodder of much gossip. But Ally, who I respect more than anyone in the world, never cared about that. Why should I? Now”—she nodded to Tate—“could you please find a constable and bring him in?”

Tate nodded and left the room.

Zach took Sophie's hands in his own. “Are you sure you want to do this, my sweet?”

Sophie wiped a tear rivering down her cheek. “I can't bear the thought of you locked up in here when you didn't do anything wrong. Besides, I know who did this.”

“You do?”

Sophie shook her head. “Well, I don't know actually, but someone has been sending me notes. I had assumed they were from you.”

“No, I haven't sent you any notes. What kind of notes?”

“They seemed innocuous at first, but then I got one this morning. It said that Nanette would no longer be a thorn in my side.”

Zach caressed her cheek. “You could be in danger, sweet, and I can't bear the thought of that. Tell the constable about the notes, Sophie. Perhaps they will lead to the real killer, and you will be safe.”

“I will tell him. And believe me, I don't regret what I'm about to do. I don't regret any of the time I've spent with you.”

“Nor do I. And Sophie, for what it's worth…thank you. For saving me. And I don't just mean today.”

Sophie smiled. She truly didn't know what he was referring to, but if he could remember their times with pleasure, she would be all right, no matter what their future held.

A
fter Sophie's statement
, Zach was released. However, the theatre would be closed for a few days while the inspectors continued to gather evidence. It would open again next week, and rehearsals would continue. Zach had high hopes that the production could still go on schedule. It would just require some long days and a lot of work. He had to cancel the dinner with his benefactors as well.

Something niggled at the back of his neck. Who had been writing Sophie those notes? Whoever it was had probably murdered Nanette. Nanette had been unkind to Sophie on more than one occasion and had assaulted her.

Worry nagged at him. Sophie was not safe. Whoever was writing those notes was a threat to her and had tried to frame him for Nanette's murder. That much was clear, for the killer had used her lifeless fingers to form the letters Z-A-C in her blood.

He had to protect Sophie. As for Nanette, he'd let the inspectors do their job. He was exonerated, and though it pained him to know what Sophie would go through because of it, he couldn't be sorry. To know that there was a person in the world who would do something like that for him…

He had never imagined being that special to anyone.

And the truth was, Sophie was also that special to him. He had to find out who had been writing those notes. Zach Newland was not a killer, but if he got his hands around the neck of whomever was threatening Sophie, he might turn into one. Her safety was paramount.

Once all of this died down, he would go to Sophie, confess his love, and ask for her hand—that is, if Brighton didn't come to him and demand he do so first. Her stepfather may not think he was good enough for her, but he had compromised her now, and soon everyone would know. If the earl forced Sophie to marry Zach, he would have what he wanted most in the world.