The Countess Intrigue (18 page)

“As I told you, it was far too convoluted to have worked.”

Elizabeth wasn’t completely convinced. While she had no admiration for Broderick, she had a healthy respect for the man’s intellect. She wouldn’t rest easy until the matter was fully resolved. They needed to get to the bottom of things. “Anyhow, they must have been in communication in some way. That is one thing we need to investigate. I have been able to ascertain that she was receiving messages, but no one seems to know where the messenger came from.”

“I will set my secretary to research that. I must admit to you, my dear lady, I am impressed that you have been able to find that out. I asked all of our personal servants for information after her death and no one told me that. Clearly you have been far more thorough than I was.”

Elizabeth was delighted by his praise but tried to downplay her efforts. “I had access to more information than you did.”

“I would have had it too if I had thought to search her room.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Well it did surprise me that you hadn’t.” She was taken aback that he grinned at her words but she carried on with her recounting of the information. “So whatever Broderick was telling her was making her desperate. Combined with your refusal to leave your estate to return to London, she was becoming fearful. But she doesn’t say if he threatened her or what he did. I still cannot say if she was lured to the roof and pushed or if her fear drove her to jump. I have trouble believing that she would have jumped, though. She was too obsessed with her own appearance. I would think she would choose a more romantic mode of death, like poison.”

“Do you really think poison would be romantic?” Lord Sinclair was incredulous.

“She mentioned seeing the play Romeo and Juliet so it led me to the conclusion that she would consider it so, my lord. I most certainly do not.” She cast him a reproachful look before continuing. “Other than many long descriptions of all her gowns as well as several snide comments about her new life here, she doesn’t have anything else to say except for a few strange references to your cousin, Hector.”

“Hector? What did she have to say about him?” He had grown still at the mention of his cousin; the air almost grew thick from the tension that suddenly filled it. His usually warm voice had cooled a little as he questioned her.

“She didn’t like him very much and felt that you make a far superior earl than he would.”

The earl sat in silence staring at her as horror filled his face. “Hector is a distant cousin of mine. We Sinclairs have not been a prolific lot. I think I already told you that your large family was one of the things that drew me to you. I thought it would be lovely for any children we shall have to be able to enjoy many cousins as well as aunts and uncles. If I should die without issue, all that is entailed will go to Hector. If he is in league with Broderick it would explain the attack on you. He either wants me to be tried for murder since it would be harder to explain away the deaths of two wives or he’s hoping I will die of a broken heart and he will inherit.”

“Was your heart broken by Barbara’s death?” Elizabeth was rather horrified that he might have been that attached to the wretched woman.

“No, but I do think I might go into a decline if something else were to happen to you.”

Elizabeth burst out laughing. “Now you are just being droll, my lord. Let us be serious. Do you truly think it is possible that Hector might be the link we are looking for?”

“As far as I knew Barbara hadn’t even met Hector, we are not at all close, so if she wrote about him in her diary then it is starting to look like the only possibility to make any sense. It turns my stomach to think on it but it should be reasonably easy to investigate.” He paused and regarded her seriously. “Thank you, my dear lady. I really didn’t think it possible that you would be any more successful than me in investigating these attacks, but you have proven me wrong. I am quite convinced you shall have to accompany me in all estate business from now on. You shall be a most excellent partner.”

Elizabeth was bashful over his words. “If you had thought to search her room you would have found the exact same thing. And perhaps even faster than me as you would have been familiar with things and would not have needed to nap as I have frequently had to do.”

“Or I would have flung the book across the room in disgust after two or three lengthy descriptions of gowns she had purchased.”

Laughing, Elizabeth said, “That would be a distinct possibility, my lord, and I will admit that I was tempted on occasion myself.”

After sharing a chuckle with her, the earl once again grew serious. “I shall set my steward and secretary to investigating the two threads you have brought up, but I am sorry to have to tell you that you will have to remain ensconced within the house for a few more days until we have figured all of this out. I do not want you in danger. We cannot even be sure if any of the servants are involved, so I do not trust that you would be safe on the grounds.”

Pansy had been silent throughout all of this conversation but she must have twitched at the earl’s words, bringing their attention to her. Elizabeth grinned at her. “I have Pansy to look after me, my lord. She has been making the servants taste the food they bring me in order to prove that it has not been poisoned.”

The earl threw back his head and chortled. Elizabeth suspected it was a release of pent up tensions causing his amusement as she had not said anything sufficiently droll to merit such an uproar, but she could not help joining in his laughter.

“I am delighted that you have such a faithful companion as your Pansy, but you must promise me that you will not do anything or go anywhere without keeping me apprised. I need to know you are safe.”

“I promise. Believe me, I am quite vividly aware of the possibilities of what could happen to me.” She pulled one of her hands out of his grasp in order to reach up and cover her bandaged arm. “I have no interest in a repeat performance.” She grimaced at the thought.

“You are going to be heartily bored,” the earl warned.

“Perhaps you could teach me billiards to while away the time.” Her voice took on wheedling tones.

“I will be helping with the investigation, my dear lady,” he was apologetic but firm.

Elizabeth shrugged. “Well then I shall teach myself and become so skilled that I will trounce you when you finally have time to play with me.” She paused and regarded him solemnly. “You will have a care as to your own safety, though, will you not?”

“To be sure.”

“And you will return me the courtesy of keeping me informed?”

“I will do my best, my dear, but now I must leave you to set things in motion.”

“Very well.” Elizabeth nodded and watched him stride toward the door. She realized her mistake and just as he was about to leave the room she called after him. “My lord, I have changed my mind,” she began as she rose to her feet. “I cannot allow you to conduct this investigation without me. Considering the fact that it very much involves me, I do believe I should be at your side while we figure this out. Really, who else could keep me safer?” She heard Pansy’s huff of dismay at being thus dismissed but while she smiled in reaction she did not take her eyes from her husband’s face. He appeared thunderstruck by her words.

Blinking to better focus after his surprise, the earl looked at her with shrewd eyes. “Do you realize that my guilt is making it hard to resist your request?”

“I did not realize I had framed it as a request, my lord,” she began. “But if your guilt makes it easier for you to concede, I am not above using that.”

The earl laughed and grabbed the hand of her uninjured arm. “Very well, I fear I may regret this, but come along.”

* * *

P
ansy padded after them
, refusing to allow her mistress out of her sight. They made a strange little parade as they hurried to the earl’s library where he promptly rang for his secretary and the butler. Mr. Patrick was the first to respond and Justice sent him in search of the steward.

It didn’t take overlong for all to respond to the summons. Within fifteen minutes the library was nearly overflowing with people as the steward, the butler, and the earl’s secretary were standing in front of his desk. Justice had seated Elizabeth in his large chair while he stood beside her, and Pansy watched attentively from the corner behind them.

“No doubt some or all of you have arrived at the same conclusion as we have. We are convinced that there is a connection between the attack on my countess and the death of Lady Barbara. We have discovered that Lady Barbara was in communication with a man named Sir Broderick in the days and weeks leading up to her death. We need to find out how they were communicating. Messengers were bringing notes for her but we do not know who they were or where they originated. I need you,” he indicated the steward, “to go to the village and ask around about anyone who would have been bringing messages to Lady Barbara. This needs to be done discretely and in a non-threatening manner. If it was someone local passing the messages, they might fear reprisals. You have to reassure them that I will not be angry, I just need the information.”

Turning to his secretary, Justice continued, “We have reason to believe that my cousin Hector is somehow involved. I will need you to travel to Hampstead to ascertain his whereabouts both this week and the week two years ago when Lady Barbara was killed. And also find out what connection Hector has with Sir Jason Broderick. Report back to me as quickly as you are able.”

Both men bowed and left the room quickly.

“What about me, my lord, what can I do to help?” The butler wanted to be involved.

“I need you to think back to two years ago. Were there any servants that were new right around the time of my marriage? I have to admit I was fairly distracted around that time and I have no idea if any of the servants were new.”

“Well there were the servants that came with her ladyship,” the butler said, puzzled. “We didn’t have anyone else join the household besides them.”

“Did she bring anyone other than her personal maid?” Justice was surprised.

“Two footmen arrived with her luggage besides the maid, my lord.”

“I guess I should have spoken to you before sending off the steward. That would be how she was getting her messages. But we still need to know who they were speaking to. Hurry and see if the steward has left yet. We ought to tell him who the footmen were and provide him with a description so that he can ask about them.”

“But my lord, one of them is still in your employ.”

“
N
ot Johnny
, I hope,” Elizabeth gasped, her stomach twisting with nerves. She could feel Pansy coming up next to her with the poker frozen in her grip.

“No, my lady, not Johnny, Fred. I can’t be certain if you have met him, since Lady Barbara’s death he has been working in the kitchen and you haven’t been able to have very many meals in the dining room.”

“Fred?” The earl seemed shocked by this new development. “Was he new to the staff?”

“Yes, he arrived the same week as Lady Barbara and she told your steward that he was with her and that you had approved her addition of servants to your staff.”

“Well, yes, of course I did. I just didn’t give it any thought. You said she came with two footmen. Do you know what became of the other one?”

“No, he left at the same time as Lady Barbara’s maid, so I assumed they were both going back to her family.”

By this time the steward had returned to the library and was listening to their conversation. Mr. Patrick was able to provide him with as detailed a description as he could muster of both footmen and even the maid. It was best to be prepared for any eventuality.

“Thank you, Mr. Patrick, you have been most helpful. Could you please have Fred join us here in the library, without telling him what it is about?”

“I can, my lord, but I’m not certain he won’t have already heard about her ladyship’s questions. It’s possible he might have even run off by now if he has anything to hide and any sense.”

Justice couldn’t help a low chuckle. “Well, Mr. Patrick, I am fairly certain he is unfortunately low on sense. But let us be quick about speaking to him to ensure he doesn’t run off before we can.”

“Very good, my lord.” With those words the butler hurried from the room as quickly as his dignity and aging knees would allow. He returned a few moments later with a surly looking young man in tow.

“You must be Fred,” the earl began, surprising Elizabeth with how calm he sounded. She glanced at him and was reassured by the tick in his cheek that indicated he was clenching his teeth in order to maintain his calm façade.

Reassured, Elizabeth turned her gaze back to the footman. He appeared to be torn between belligerence and fear. His nod was his only answer.

“I understand you arrived here in the employ of Lady Barbara, is that correct?” Elizabeth could hear the frustration in Justice’s voice.

“That’s right, m’lord.”

“Why did you not return with the other servants to Lady Barbara’s family?”

Fred shrugged and Elizabeth thought he wasn’t going to elaborate in answer to Justice’s question but to her surprise he spoke up. “I had a job here to do and there wasn’t much back there to return to.”

“What kind of a job?”

Fred’s face took on an even more belligerent expression as he made an effort to appear innocent. “I’m your footman, my lord.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Elizabeth had to stifle her grin as she watched her husband roll his eyes and clench his jaw once more in frustration over the footman’s dense reply. “I realize you are in my employ as a footman, but what other kind of duties did you carry out for Lady Barbara?”

When Fred merely shrugged again Justice looked at Elizabeth. Meeting his gaze without flinching she gave him a small nod. He shifted his gaze back to the footman.

“We know you were passing messages for Lady Barbara, Fred. We need to know to whom you gave them.”

They watched as the footman swallowed audibly and his fear-filled eyes shifted back and forth between the earl and his wife. Elizabeth almost clapped her hands when she sensed he was caving in. His belligerent gaze dropped.

“It was a man at the livery, m’lord,” Fred admitted in a low voice. “I don’t know what he does with the messages but that’s who m’lady told me to take her notes to. And I would bring her letters from the same man.”

“Have you had any communication with this man since her ladyship has been gone?”

The footman could no longer meet his gaze. Hanging his head he offered a shallow nod. “I don’t know my letters real good, but every once in a while I took him notes when I would hear any news about you. I told him about your new lady and that she was going to town on her own the other day.” By the end of his words, he was barely whispering, but Elizabeth heard and felt a cold shiver of dread shake her frame.

Her gaze clashed once more with her husband’s. She could feel his rage radiating, but he kept himself firmly in hand.

* * *

E
lizabeth could barely look
at the young man. If not for him she would not have been shot. She tried to remain reasonable. If not for being shot she would still be suspicious of her husband. This thought brought her up short. She couldn’t possibly be
glad
to be shot. That would be ludicrous. But she felt a delicious warmth spread over her as she thought about the delightful future that lay before her. Provided they put a stop to these attacks, of course. She made an effort to draw her straying focus back to the matter at hand.

Lord Sinclair was still questioning the footman. Elizabeth hoped no one had noticed her lack of attention. She mentally tried to catch up.

“I don’t know ‘is name, m’lord,” the servant was whining, making Elizabeth’s teeth set on edge.

“Then can you describe him?” Elizabeth was surprised by how patient the earl sounded. She was ready to throw a book at the young footman. “How did you meet up with him?”

“Her ladyship, yer first wife, told me where to be and I showed up. That’s it, m’lord.”

“Very well, where would you meet this other fellow?”

“It was pretty much different every time,” came the unhelpful reply.

“Then tell us where some of the locations were. How did you know where to send the message when Lady Elizabeth went for her drive?” Elizabeth could hear his tone harden with that question and watched as the footman swallowed nervously before answering.

“I was to put a red flag in the window of the eastern turret whenever there was news. And then I was to leave a note in a wooden box behind the paddocks.”

“So my house has been under watch. Is that what you are saying?”

“Of course, m’lord.” The footman’s shrug was expressive of his indifference.

Elizabeth suddenly felt very ill. She stood abruptly. Feeling Lord Sinclair’s gaze on her, Elizabeth tried not to appear rushed as she quickly made her way to the door. Pansy followed in her wake. As she reached the door she heard the earl address his steward.

“Stay here with him. I will return momentarily.”

Elizabeth wanted to tell him not to bother about her but she was too preoccupied with her own distress. Her chamber was too far away; she hurried to a side door and made it outside in time to empty the contents of her stomach behind a conveniently planted shrub.

“Oh, my lady, what has come over you? Have you taken ill?” Pansy was alarmed at this new development.

Lord Sinclair handed her his handkerchief without saying a word for which Elizabeth was unbearably grateful. She was mortified for him to witness her loss of composure. She struggled to regain it.

With a muffled curse the earl pulled his pale wife into his arms. He could not stand to watch her fight her distress. He made an effort not to jar her injured arm, but he needed to offer her comfort and be comforted in return. Feeling her relax as he rubbed her back was a balm to his own troubled soul.