“Miss Rangaswamy is staying at our townhouse until Soothcoor returns to town.”
“Hmm. You may want to warn her I am coming. If you did not know of her Ayurvedic knowledge, she might be keeping it hidden for a reason.”
James cocked his head. “Why is that?”
“Fear.”
James looked at him closely.
Damon Partridge compressed his lips. “You’re telling me Sedgewick was dying did not come as a surprise. I received a letter over a month ago—so that would have been on a ship that left before the ship Rani and Christopher came on—that he feared someone was trying to slowly poison him. He knew Rani would be blamed. He told me in the letter if he got worse, he would send her and Kit—his nickname for Christopher—to England. When you said Christopher came with his nursemaid, I did not immediately connect that person with Rani as she was so much more to the household, and there was another woman who took care of Christopher. I would wager Sedgewick told her his concerns and warned her not to share her knowledge openly.”
James considered all that Partridge told him. “I understand. All the more reason for you to come tonight. Would you object if I also invite the Bow Street agent who is looking into Christopher’s kidnapping? He believes Christopher is still in danger. From what you say, we need to be concerned for Miss Rangaswamy as well.”
“If what I know can benefit Bow Street and keep Christopher and Rani safe, then by all means, invite him.
“Thank you.” James rose. “Until tonight then.”
James left Damon Partridge’s office with his mind swirling with questions. There were greater implications to Christopher’s kidnapping than just an earldom. He remembered Cecilia’s restlessness earlier in the month. There could be no restlessness now.
15
“Should you like me to read more to you tomorrow?” Cecilia asked Christopher as she closed the book.
Christopher moved his eyes toward her, as that was all he could do within the brace Mrs. Dunstan created. “Yes, please.”
Cecilia smiled. “I know you are frustrated wearing that brace, but if you continue to improve as you have, perhaps Dr. Seeton will allow you to take it off more. He was well pleased with your progress. Astonished even, I’d say.”
“Yes, yes,” said Rani. “So he tell me, too.”
Cecilia looked over at Rani where she sat in the rocking chair she’d dragged in from her bedroom. “And did he tell you he thought it was your massage that helped?”
“No! Did he say so?”
“He did,” Cecilia said, nodding. “He was impressed with your knowledge of therapeutic massage, as he called it. He was wondering if you could teach him. I told him that was up to you, not me.”
A look of fear crossed her face, then she looked down. “No, I do not think so. I am but a learner.”
Cecilia looked at her with concern. It appeared James’s summation might be true. Owen did tell her to hide her talents. She sighed. She would not be happy then with what she next had to tell her.
“Miss Rangaswamy, do you know Mr. Damon Partridge?”
She looked up warily. She hesitated. “Yes,” she finally said, in a quiet voice.
Cecilia nodded. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Mr. Partridge is concerned for you.”
She looked at her like a deer about to flee into the woods. Her dark brown eyes were large and haunted.
Cecilia sighed. “Come, let us go to my parlor to talk.” She turned back to Christopher. “It is time for you to take a nap. Sleep is healing, and we want you to heal quickly.”
He protested, but Rani gently scolded him, and he settled down again. Then Rani followed Cecilia out of the room and down the hall to her sitting room.
“My lady, I—” Rani began, anguish in her voice.
“Shush. It is all right,” Cecilia told her gently. She led her to her sofa and sat her down beside her. “Now, I will tell you what James learned today, and you can tell me what you will or won’t. I shall not demand anything of you. Do you understand?”
Rani nodded, her expression sad, but resigned. Cecilia patted her hand.
“In the papers you let Sir James and me read, there was mention of an investment in a company called Paradise Medicinals.”
