Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 223: Pointing fingers (1)

"Kidnap you? Dear Lady Hastings, what would push you to have this idea about me? You must speak to me first and not listen to others who are against me. I am now glad you invited me here so I can clear my name," Alistair said, looking at Victoria as the culprit.

"Was it my niece who came to you with this thought that I wanted to take you from Lord Hastings? It would not be the first time she has concocted a lie against me. All she does is create friction between the Hastings family and me. It must stop," said Alistair.

"You cannot keep using your niece as your scapegoat, Alistair. I know that you are close to the king. That is the side you have chosen," Ophelia said.

Alistair chuckled. "My growing friendship with the king means nothing. A man like myself is free to build friendships with others outside the Hastings land. It doesn’t mean that I want to kidnap you. I have no reason to wish something so bad on you. My niece, on the other hand-"

"Do you always deflect when you are in the hot seat? You are trying to pin it all on your niece. Do you think she is so cunning that she could plot to create this story without evidence, and I fell for it? Do you take me for a fool?" Ophelia asked.

Alistair bit his tongue.

Anyone who knew of Ophelia’s little background would think her a fool. Could she even read the invitation she sent to him?

"Of course not, Lady Hastings. You are a wise woman, and that is why it puzzles me to see you listen to the woman who created a lie about being your husband’s mistress. My niece has caused a lot of trouble-"

"There it is again. The shifting blame," Ophelia pointed out. "I am curious if you will take responsibility for any of your actions today. You have been writing letters to Cecilia, haven’t you? Or, will you claim Victoria forged your handwriting?"

Alistair licked his lips. "I don’t know what you speak of."

"The beads of sweat starting to form tell me you do. Would you like a window to be opened?" Ophelia asked, motioning for Alice to do it. "You seem to be uncomfortably hot while the rest of us are cool. Should I take you outside?"

"I thank you for your kindness, but I am well. At my age, you become hot faster than others. I assure you that I have never written to Lady Cecilia about wanting to take you. You can ask her yourself," said Alistair.

Alistair was curious as to how Ophelia found out about the letters. He knew from the letters Cecilia wrote that she wasn’t fond of Ophelia, so she wouldn’t give away the plan so easily.

Alistair glanced at Victoria.

Had she found them?

Ophelia nodded her head. "Indeed, we should ask Lady Cecilia. Unfortunately, she is in the dungeon. Should I place you in the cell next to her own so we can interrogate the two of you at the same time?"

"Lady Cecilia is in the dungeon?" This news shocked Alistair. This was the first time he heard of this.

Panic started to overcome Alistair.

What had Cecilia said about him?

Alistair already knew that Cecilia was the kind of person to throw someone else into the fire to save herself.

’So, that’s how they know,’ Alistair realised.

Alistair cleared his throat. "I now know what you speak of. Lady Cecilia approached me with a daring plan, but I assure you that I was never going to go along with it. I have been gathering evidence of what she planned to do."

"Yet you did not think to inform the castle by now? How much longer were you going to gather evidence and help her plot? I might not have had a lot of schooling in my youth, but when it comes to the danger in this world, I am quite educated. You are not going to fool me," said Ophelia.

"What I said is the truth. It is not easy for anyone to approach Lord Hastings to tell him of his mother’s crimes. I thought about it over and over again, yet I could not think of the best way or time to come to Lord Hastings. You must understand me," Alistair pleaded.

"You truly take me for a fool," Ophelia said, shaking her head at Alistair. "I have seen better acting in the market. The evidence is stacked against you. You have picked your side, and now it will cost you."

"I prefer to speak to Lord Hastings. I fear you two are acting upon emotions. Where is Lord Hastings?" Alistair questioned Alice as he stood up.

"Sit down, Alistair. You aren’t in any position to give orders to my maid. I urge you to sit down and keep calm. You won’t like it if my husband arrives and finds that you have upset me. He might just kill you where you stand. Sit," Ophelia ordered Alistair.

Alistair hesitated. "I wish to speak to your husband. It is improper for me to speak to a wife without her husband around."

"Why? It is not as though we are speaking about courting each other. We can speak without needing to worry about how it looks to others. Like Cecilia, I am certain that you kept evidence of the letters she sent to you. That is why your home will be searched-"

"That is absurd!" Alistair exclaimed. "You have no grounds to search my home. That woman reached out to me first. I don’t know how she found out about those plans. Victoria must have told her what we spoke about- No."

"Told her what? Did you have plans with Victoria to take me?" Ophelia asked with a smile as Alistair exposed himself. "Tell me, what could you have told Victoria that led Cecilia to believe that you wanted to take me and send me to the palace? Enlighten me."

"That," Alistair started, but he realised what he had done. "You see."

"You see? You must speak, Alistair. You were explaining what it was you were plotting with your niece. That day when you came to my home, is that when you offered Victoria her home in exchange for taking me? Speak," Ophelia said, wanting to hear what lie Alistair would come up with.

"No! She is lying on my name. She is the one who wanted you out of the way so she could be at Lord Hastings side," Alistair accused Victoria.

"That is not what happened. You are the one who made the offer," Victoria spoke up. "It all started with him trying to get on Edward’s good side."