Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

W hat is that noise?

Susanna had not been sleeping well as it was. She could not shut off her worries that the wedding was in the morning and that Edwin had still not managed to pull off any of his hare-brained plans. Every time she almost drifted off to sleep, images of terrible events occurring flooded her mind and snapped her awake once more.

What if tonight was the night he decided to act out? Before it was too late ?

Susanna wished that there was more she could do, but without proof that something was going on, she was left hopeless.

As she sat up in her bed, and blinked a few times, she started to hear something outside.

“I am thinking about Mary. I am always thinking about Mary. You do not understand at all. In fact, you have been nothing but a problem to me. I think it might be you who has been in the way the whole time. Perhaps it is you who I need to get rid of.”

Her blood ran cold.

She knew that terrifying voice all too well. It was Edwin, outside of Mary’s bedchambers, talking about her sister as if he was going to do something to her. It did not matter how utterly scared Susanna was, she knew that she needed to act, and she knew that she needed to do something right now.

Much as she hated the idea of him harming Luke, it crushed her to think that he might do something to Mary. She could not stand it…

What is happening?

But as she pushed the door open, an even more petrifying sight caught her eye.

Edwin had his gun with him, and it was pointed at Martin.

Susanna feared she might throw up.

She rapidly looked between them both, not quite sure what she should do. But as it turned out, she did not need to think. She acted on instinct. As soon as Edwin’s finger pulled that trigger, she leapt in front of Martin in an attempt to save him.

Edwin was not going to hurt him either, not a chance!

The deafening sound of the gunshot reverberated through the hallway. Susanna felt a searing pain in her arm as the bullet tore through her flesh. She collapsed to the ground, her vision blurring as she struggled to stay conscious. Martin screamed and lunged forward, knocking Edwin backwards and out of the way.

“Susanna! No!” Martin’s voice was filled with panic as he cradled her in his arms. “Edwin, what the hell have you done? What is wrong with you?”

Edwin stood frozen, his face a mask of shock and horror. “I did not mean to… I just wanted to scare him,” he stammered, backing away. “This is not how it was supposed to go. I thought… I thought I would be able to convince Luke to leave Mary. I did not actually mean to harm him. I never would have done such a thing. You know I never would have done such a thing… I could not… I would not… I am not that sort of person…”

Martin, his face twisted with rage and desperation, glared at Edwin for only a moment, before he refocused his attention on Susanna. “You tried to kill me, and you almost killed Susanna! That was you. Of course, you could do such a thing.”

“But I did not… I would not?—”

“You would, and you have. You admitted what you did to Duncan…”

Even though Susanna already suspected this, hearing Martin’s confident accusation chilled her to the bone.

Edwin had confessed to what he had done?

“I would not have hurt Luke…” Edwin did not even deny it. He just tried to change the subject.

“How could you do this, Edwin? And all the lies. You have done nothing but lie. You wanted to hurt Luke. That is what all of this was about. I found you outside his room with your gun.”

Susanna’s breathing was shallow and labored, but she forced herself to focus. “Martin,” she whispered, “call for help. Please.”

Doors to other rooms started to open. The gunshot had alerted others to Edwin’s diabolical plan, and they all started to filter out into the hallway. Susanna did what she could to keep her eyes open, but it was not easy. Not when every fiber of her being resisted that.

“Susanna, what happened?” It was Mary’s voice that screeched through her brain. “Oh my goodness, who did this to you?”

“E-Edwin,” Susanna hissed. She had no idea where he was, but she needed everyone to know that he was the issue. He was the one who had done this. “He… he is still in love with you, Mary. He has been trying to kill Luke. Martin and I… we have been trying to stop him. We could not let you or Luke get hurt.”

“Shh, it is alright,” Mary whispered. Susanna was not sure if Mary was taking on board what she was saying, she seemed to be just trying to calm her down. “It is alright, Susanna. It seems like the bullet only just scraped your arm. It is a flesh wound, I am sure you are going to be just fine. But we will get the physician here to check on you.”

“Edwin,” Susanna whispered. “Where is he? What has happened to him?”

Susanna watched as Mary’s eyes darted around the hallway, searching for any sign of Edwin. The tension in the air was palpable, and the gathered crowd began to murmur in fear and confusion.

“We need Luke,” Mary declared. “Can someone please get him? Martin, can you go and see where Edwin went? I assume he ran off while we were distracted. I will try and stem the bleeding here. Oh, and can someone get the physician here?”

“I am sorry,” Susanna whispered as she felt the consciousness slipping away from her once more. “This is the night before your wedding. I did not want anything bad to happen…”

“Do not worry about the wedding, Susanna. I am worried about you.”

Susanna swallowed hard. She needed her sister to really understand what was happening here. “But you should worry about Edwin. He is a scary man. I think he killed Duncan.”

“What do you mean?” Mary whispered. “Edwin would not have killed Duncan—they were the best of friends…”

“He killed him, for you, Mary. He thought that you would pick him. He still thinks you would pick him. He stabbed him, he did all those terrible things to him. We thought it was bandits, but it was him.”

“She is right,” Martin cut in. “He admitted it to me.”

Mary’s face turned pale as Susanna’s words sank in. Finally, she seemed to understand. But still, her focus was on Susanna, because that was how kind and sweet she was.

“Susanna, stay with me,” Mary pleaded, her voice trembling. “Do not close your eyes. Help is on the way. “

In the midst of her confusion, Susanna felt a small smile creeping up her lips. “I was not sure about Luke when we first came here. I was worried that he might not be the right man for you, but now that I have gotten to know him properly, I can see that he is perfect for you. I cannot wait until you get married. I believe you will be perfect together.”

Mary squeezed Susanna’s hands. “That means the world to me, Susanna. Thank you. But please, do not think about anything right now. Just keep yourself awake for me.”

But Susanna could not do it. She wanted to apologize again but could not find the words.

It was too late.

With that, the blackness claimed Susanna. She could not fight it any longer. At least she knew that everything had been taken care of. There was nothing else that she needed to do…

The darkness around Susanna was suffocating, a thick, oppressive void that swallowed her whole. She ran through an endless maze of twisted hallways, her heart pounding in her chest like a war drum. Every turn she took, every door she opened, led to another identical hallway, and always, always , she could hear Edwin’s footsteps echoing behind her. No matter how fast she ran, the sound of his pursuit never faded.

The walls seemed to close in on her, the air growing thicker and harder to breathe. Panic clawed at her throat, making her gasp for breath. She turned another corner and found herself in a dimly lit room, the shadows playing tricks on her eyes. She stumbled, her legs heavy with exhaustion, and her mind raced with a singular, desperate thought— I have to get away.

“Susanna…” Edwin’s voice slithered through the darkness, sending a shiver down her spine. It was a voice filled with menace, dripping with malice. “You cannot hide from me. Just like your sister. You will never be able to escape me.”

She pushed herself harder, her feet pounding against the cold, unforgiving floor. The hallway seemed endless, a never-ending stretch of fear and desperation. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him. Edwin, his face twisted into a grotesque mask of anger and obsession. He moved with an unnatural grace, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

“No!” she screamed, the sound echoing around her, mocking her terror. “Leave me alone!”

But Edwin’s laughter filled the space, a dark, chilling sound that made her blood run cold. “You cannot escape, Susanna. You have always been in my way. Always. You and Martin. The pair of you need to die. Why do you think I brought a gun with me?”

She felt a sharp pain in her arm, a reminder of the gunshot that had brought her here. Her body ached with every step, but she could not stop. She would not stop. She had to get away from him. She turned another corner, only to find herself in a dead end. The walls loomed high above her, unscalable and merciless.

“No,” she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. “This cannot be happening.”

Edwin’s footsteps grew louder, closer. She pressed herself against the wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps. There was no escape. She was trapped. Her eyes darted around, searching for any possible way out, but there was none. The walls closed in, suffocating her with their cold indifference.

“Game over, Susanna,” Edwin’s voice was right behind her now, dripping with satisfaction. “You have lost.”

She turned to face him, her body trembling with fear and exhaustion. “Why, Edwin? Why are you doing this?”

His eyes gleamed with a twisted light. “Because Mary is mine. And you will not stop me from having her. Ever. You tried… you even tried back when I was coming to visit your home, and it is time for you to realize that you will never win.”

He lunged at her, and she screamed, throwing her hands up to protect herself. But just as his hands closed around her throat, the world around her shattered.

Susanna jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat, her heart racing. She was back in the room, the physician and Mary hovering over her, their faces etched with concern.

“Susanna, it is alright. You are safe now.” Mary’s voice was soothing, her hand warm on Susanna’s forehead. “You are going to be fine. It is just a flesh wound, just as I said earlier.”

The dream still clung to her, a dark, lingering presence that refused to fade. She could still feel Edwin’s grip on her, hear his laughter echoing in her mind.

“He was chasing me,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I could not get away.”

Mary’s eyes were filled with sympathy and determination. “You are safe now, Susanna. We will not let him hurt you again. I promise.”

Susanna nodded, but the fear still gnawed at her insides. Edwin was still out there, and the nightmare had felt all too real. She knew she had to be strong, not just for herself, but for Mary and everyone she loved. They had to stop Edwin, once and for all. And this time, she would not let him catch her.

“Martin is going to find Edwin, and we are going to put an end to this. I am sure we have nothing to worry about.”

But that did not ease Susanna’s worries. She was concerned about Martin too. He was the one Edwin was shooting at. It seemed like he had started targeting Luke, but it was Martin who the bullet was supposed to hit.

What if another bullet hit Martin and she was not there to save him this time?

“Come on,” Mary declared as she tucked her hands underneath Susanna. “The physician is going to help me get you into bed now.”

With gentle care, Mary and the physician lifted Susanna and guided her to the bed. Each movement sent sharp pains through her arm, but she gritted her teeth and bore it. Once she was settled, the physician checked her bandages, ensuring they were secure and clean.

“You need rest,” the physician said firmly. “Sleep will help you heal faster. That is just a flesh wound, as your sister thought, but it will not heal without proper rest.”

Susanna wanted to argue, to insist she stay awake and help plan what to do next, but her body betrayed her. Exhaustion pulled at her, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She looked at Mary, who sat beside her, holding her hand.

“Please be careful, Mary,” she murmured. “Edwin is truly the most dangerous man that I have ever met. He will not stop until he gets what he wants. I do not want you anywhere near him. I do not want him to hurt you.”

“We will be careful,” Mary assured her. “You just focus on getting better. We need you strong. Remember, it is going to be my wedding soon, and I need you there with me. I need you to be there as Luke and I say our vows.”

Susanna wanted to smile. She could not wait for the wedding now. She could not wait to celebrate her sister’s love.

Mary deserved this more than anyone in the world, and Susanna was not about to let her down. She would make sure that she recovered. She would do whatever it was that Mary needed her to do. If that meant recovering from a gunshot wound, then that was no problem. Anything for Mary.

“I will be there,” Susanna murmured, her eyelids heavy. “I promise you, Mary, I will be there for you.”

As she drifted off, the remnants of the nightmare still lingered, but Mary’s presence was a comfort. She let herself sink into the darkness, hoping for a dreamless sleep this time.