An Unsinkable Love

chapter 45


Elizabeth gasped and started to rise.

"Sit down!" Eldon snarled. She cringed and sank back.

Malcolm tried to put his body between the pistol in Eldon's hand and Bree.

"Always the hero, eh, Malcolm? Not this time. I've had enough of this family. Little Percy, the milksop, always crying to our parents when he caught me having a little fun. It was because of him they sent me away to school. But I got even with him, just like I'll get even with you. Percy of all people should have known better than to trust me. But he was stupid, stupid, stupid." Spittle flew from Eldon's mouth as he ranted. "The fool eagerly drank my token gift of wine, happy I'd decided to bury the hatchet, as it were."

The revelation of the true cause of his father's death hit Malcolm like a brick.

"I would have liked to bury the hatchet in his head!" Eldon spat then closed his eyes, clearly struggling for composure.

His gaze flicked to his wife. "So I married his insipid widow, the beautiful Elizabeth, the woman who refused to die." He sneered at her gasp of outrage. "If there had been any way short of marrying you to get my hands on Percy's fortune, I certainly would have taken it. Listening to your simpering conversation nearly made me want to take the poison myself.

But that would have been a great loss, unlike you."

Malcolm seethed at the words. Bree tensed beside him and he grabbed her arm, fearing she might make a rash 267

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

movement. Eldon expanded his smirk to encompass them all.

"But enough idle chit-chat. You, my dear Elizabeth, can join your beloved Percy in death at last, and the two lovebirds here will have the opportunity to spend eternity together, if you believe all that church clap-trap."

He straightened his arm, the pistol centering on Malcolm.

Eyes wild, Eldon tightened his finger on the trigger.

Bree tried to shove Malcolm out of the bullet's path as, for the second time that night, the report of a shot echoed in their ears. And for the second time, they watched Eldon slump to his knees and fall face first. Chief Fletcher stood behind him, service revolver in hand.

Elizabeth rose to her feet and rushed into the waiting arms of the officer. Malcolm turned to Bree and pulled her shivering body tightly against his chest. She leaned back and looked at him, searching his face intently

"I'm fine," he assured her. At her skeptical expression, he bent down, his lips meeting hers, giving her the best kind of reassurance.



* * * *

Ernie cleared his throat. Bree and Malcolm were roused from their bliss and reluctantly parted. Overwhelmed with a euphoria she'd never experienced, Bree wondered if she was intoxicated from the cognac, or Malcolm's love.

Chief Fletcher had a wide grin on his face as he watched the two lovers. "Pardon me, kids, but I do believe we'd best take care of a few things right now, before you all get too involved there."

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Bree giggled and looked up at Malcolm. She could have sworn he blushed.

Malcolm gave her a wry grin and stepped away, keeping her hand snug in his own. "I suppose you're right, Ernie." He stared dispassionately at his stepfather's body as deep crimson blood spread across the marble floor.

Just then, Anderson and Bertie rushed in. Their eyes widened at the sight of Eldon sprawled in the claret pool. The ever-imperturbable butler recovered quickly. "Do you wish me to call the police, ma'am?" Anderson asked, then realized Ernie was standing next to his employer. His composure cracked. "Er, that is, I suppose—"

Malcolm took pity on the man. "Ernie will take care of the police, Anderson. I think what we need are blankets, a bucket of soapy water and a mop." He turned to the police officer.

"Any reason we can't get this cleaned up and move Eldon to a more suitable location?"

"None at all. Better make it a canvas, though, not a blanket." The servants headed off to find the materials requested.

As Ernie stepped into the foyer and called the police station, the other three silently surveyed the body on the floor. Malcolm spoke first. "The man should have been on stage. I've never known anyone as capable of hiding their true nature as Eldon. I hated the man, but I never suspected he could have killed Father, or planned our deaths so callously."

Elizabeth shivered. "To think I lived with him these years.

He's a monster!"

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An Unsinkable Love

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Ernie returned in time to hear the comment. He pulled the older woman under his sheltering arm. "I've known Eldon all my life. Didn't like him when we were growing up. He was mean. Sneaky like. Percy suffered from Eldon's pranks more than anyone, but he never made a fuss about it. Most summers we would find pets that had been tortured and killed, and I always wondered. Guess I should have paid more attention."

Malcolm shook his head. "You were a kid then too. And you can bet Eldon would have had a story to explain away any questions."

Bree snuggled close in his embrace as he continued, his voice tinged with sadness, "I wonder who besides Father got in his way? How many others has he hurt or killed?"

"You can bet I'll be lookin' into that. I don't suppose it matters much now, but if there's families out there wondering about someone who's missing, I'd like to give them an answer, one way or the other."

Elizabeth pleaded, "Find Eleanor. I never believed she would just leave us. She had no family in France or England and I'm sure she had no money." She gripped his arm tightly.

"Try to find her, please."

"I will."

Malcolm frowned. "You know, while we were in Europe I read some novels by two Frenchman. I forget their names.

Their stories had a villain named Fantômas. He did all kinds of horrible things, but never considered anything he did bad.

They were just things he thought he needed to do to make his life better. He even killed his own son. He adapted to fit 270

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any situation and no one knew what he was really like. I think Eldon was the same—he had no conscience."

Ernie nodded. "I think you're right." He took a deep breath, as if to clear his lungs from the foulness Eldon had become.

Elizabeth spoke up. "I suggest another strong drink for all of us, but perhaps we should partake in the library?"

They trooped down the hall just as Anderson and Bertie returned. "I'll join you in a moment," Ernie said, and turned to help the servants.

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson