**3rd Person POV**
Reginald recognised at once that this was a trap and there was no getting out of it. He did not answer the question. He only remained quiet.
“Do you not have an answer to this question?” quipped Titus.
Reginald said nothing.
“Do you realise that your refusal to answer would be taken as an admittance of guilt?” asked Titus.
Reginald said nothing.
“Very well, then. I will give you some time to think but you cannot keep quiet forever. The truth will come out one way or another.”
****
Lady Lowell lay in bed, her heart heavy with worry. She had not noticed her husband slip into bed beside her. Her mind was burdened with Reginald's arrest. She knew of course that it was all a lie. She knew that Reginald could not have murdered Nydia or Major Drieden because he had been with her the entire night. But how could she come forward to say that? How could she step forward to admit that she had enjoyed the evening in the company of a younger man alone when she was married?
Nothing happened safe riding the horse.
But nobody would believe that. She did not believe it herself because there had been that kiss. It had been a mere brush of the lips but it had been the most electrifying feeling that had coursed through her body in a very long time or perhaps never.
“I gave my testimony,” she was a little surprised to see her husband lying down beside her. She wondered why he was not in Francesca's bed tonight.
“Do you hear me? I gave my testimony,” said Lowell. She turned to look at him briefly and wondered why he was talking to her. They usually had nothing to discuss. He gave commands and expected her to follow; he never wanted her input on anything.
“I heard you,” she replied and continued to gaze at the ceiling.
“I saw Reginald with a woman that night; I cannot believe he killed Nydia in cold blood,” the words Lowell had just uttered made her sit up in alarm.
The colour drained from her face as she looked at her husband, horrified at what he had just done. He was going to put an innocent man behind bars.
“You did what?” quipped Lady Lowell.
Lowell was calm and happy to see that he had managed to stir his wife.
“Why? What is the problem? Do you think I would deliberately put a man behind bars? I only said what I saw,” Lowell responded with a nonchalant shrug.
“He is innocent and you know it,” she blurted out.
“And how would you know that?” Lowell quipped, daring her to defy him by saying the truth. When she remained quiet, he smiled at her, “I thought so, you will not trade your virtue for that of a wayward boy. Besides, he is Dagen's son, they will figure it out.”
Lady Lowell scoffed. So he knew. He knew and he was doing this on purpose just to punish her. What right did he have to judge her anyway when he abandoned their marriage bed to f*ck her best friend.
“That boy is more man than you are,” spat Lady Lowell standing up from the bed.
“What do you think you're going to do? Tell them you were with Reginald on that night? Do you know what that will do to you? Have you lost touch with reality because we are so far from home?”
“You bastard,” she spat very much to his surprise. This was the first time he had heard her curse. He looked at her as though he were looking at a different person.
“What did you say to me?” quipped Lowell, half believing that he had heard wrong.
“Bastard! You f*ck my best friend on our marriage bed and you think you have the right to judge me? All these years, I have put up with your disgusting personality afraid of what people may say or what label they would give my family. But look at me now, Lowell and read my lips: never again. The very second we get home, I will request my divorce from you,” Lady Lowell said with the full rage of all the emotions she had been suppressing all this time.
Lowell could not understand what had become of his wife but he found it convenient to blame it on Charlotte. He was convinced that Charlotte’s attitude had rubbed off on her.
“You will do no such thing. Your father will never allow it,” replied Lowell.
“We shall find that out soon, shan't we?” quipped Lady Lowell before walking out of the room.
Lowell followed hard after her. He had been counting on his wife to remain her usual mellow self and yield to him. He did not understand this new spirit in her.
“What do you think you're doing? You will confess that you were with another man just to save him? You will ruin yourself and your father for…” he did not get to finish his sentence because at that moment a slap was dished on his face. Lowell blinked back in shock. By the time his sight was clear, his wife was long gone.
****
Lady Violet Lowell walked away determined to free Reginald. She was not doing this just because she had a thing for the young man but because he was innocent and she could not stand injustice. It was wrong for Lowell to have implied that Reginald had been with Nydia. Who knew? Perhaps, he had murdered Major Drieden himself and was now looking for someone to blame for the murder. After all, Francesca was married to Drieden and he was having an affair with the vampire's wife.
Lady Lowell got to the king corridor where the cells began. The guards stopped her from going any further.
“What does a lady such as yourself want down here?” quipped Titus, who had just come back from asking Reginald more questions.