He shook his head at her insouciance, then turned to follow the others into the main parlor. Ellinbourne, Ann, and Ursula had come back downstairs and were before them. They had hurried through their ablutions when they heard a brief summary of what the castle conditions were when Cassie and the Nowltons arrived. They didn’t want to miss the Tidemark’s reactions.
* * *
Lakehurst watchedCassie settle Mrs. Tidemark on the sofa with the plumpest cushions and encouraged her to slip off her shoes and bring her legs up on the sofa. She draped a throw over Mrs. Tidemark’s legs.
“Thank you, dear. That is so sweet of you, isn’t it, Edmund?” the woman said, looking over at her husband.
“Yes, yes, very. But I am extremely vexed with her!” he stated, throwing out the first salvo.
Lakehurst grinned as Cassie looked at Edmund Tidemark with feigned equanimity.
“How well do you know the Gallaghers?” she asked.
“Well enough. Why are you asking? They have nothing to do with my unhappiness with your actions. How dare you allow Alex to go with the Duchess of Malmsby without consulting me first!”
“Would you have forbidden it? We discussed it at the dinner party.”
He squirmed, his lips working. He pushed his glasses up his nose. “That is not the point!” he finally said.
“Tell me about the Gallaghers,” Cassie countered again.
Lakehurst leaned back in his chair. The formerly timid Marchioness had become a virago.
“I know them only through letters,” he admitted.
“Ah. Why did you cut Mr. Browning's responsibilities?”
“Why are you asking these questions? This is no concern of yours, nor anyone else’s. Mr. Gallagher suggested the estate didn’t need him full-time. With him paying the bills, all Mr. Browning needs to do is collect the rents.”
“Did you tell Mr. Browning to raise the rents?”
“No, of course not. I don’t communicate with Mr. Browning. There is no need. I let Mr. Gallagher do that. Mr. Gallagher said that would make for cleaner communications, and I have found that to be true. I have absolute faith in the man. But again, I say, that is not the point!”
“On the contrary, Edmund,” Cassie said serenely. She sipped her tea. “I think it is precisely the point. You do not know, nor did you ask, for an estate accounting. You have no idea as to the condition of the marquessate, do you? Have you hired an accountant to balance the books?”
“Of course not. I get reports from Mr. Gallagher.”
“You won’t get them any longer.” She set her cup down on the table.
“What have you done, woman? If you have fired him to the detriment of the estate, you are crazy, and that gives me grounds to assign you to a sanitorium, and don’t think I won’t!”
“You would have to go through me and my family to do that,” Ellinbourne growled.
“Mine as well,” said Lakehurst, staring Mr. Tidemark down.
Mr. Tidemark stared at Ellinbourne and Lakehurst and squirmed under their regard. “The Gallaghers have been good caretakers of the property,” protested Mr. Tidemark in a whine.
“Are you sure of that?” Cassie asked calmly.
He stared at her for a moment, his lips tightening, loosening, and tightening again as he ran through what he would say. “Yes, I am, dammit,” he finally said, the words bursting from between his lips. “Where are they? I demand to speak to them!”
“They ran away,” Cassie said complacently. She smiled as she picked up her cup of tea again and took another sip.
“If they did, you threatened them! You are piling on the reasons why you need to be institutionalized. You are erratic and unsafe, and I shall also report this to the magistrate.”
Lakehurst rose from his chair. He crossed to the fireplace and leaned against the mantle behind Mr. Tidemark. The man glanced up at him nervously.
Lakehurst grinned. For perhaps the first time in his life, he deliberately used his size for intimidation.
