He thanked her profusely as he took three of them from the platter. When Sophia turned to pour her own tea, for just a moment, she forgot how she took it.
Hot, she said to herself. Like the depths of hell would be when she arrived.
“I believe the road can be made somewhat passable for horses and such, if my lady and her grace wish to depart for Eden’s Court as well. Would you like me to make arrangements for a carriage to collect you both there, on the other side of the landslide?”
The bodies would need to be buried quickly after arriving in Kent. They would have to be transported with ice, a great deal of it, as matters stood. To delay the funerals would be… unpleasant. No time could be wasted.
Sophia and her grace must leave right away.
“It was a landslide then? Is that what they call it?”
The magistrate grimaced. “The mud gave way, causing land above and below the road to collapse into the sea. I imagine it would be accurate to refer to it as such, yes.” He answered her and then put the entirety of the last morsel he’d procured for himself into his mouth.
It truly was amazing, she thought, that the bodies had been recovered. A morbid part of her wondered in what condition they had been. “Their necks were most likely broken when they fell,” she said softly, answering her own question.
Chewing, the magistrate nodded in agreement.
And then she made a decision. “Leaving for Eden’s Court will be best for the duchess.”
Would Dev arrive soon? She hoped Henry had been able to locate him. It was a long road to Surrey. With many inns along the way he could easily be missed.
But she could not afford to wait.
She needed to get the duchess away from this horrid, horrid place.
She needed to get herself away from it.
She did not think she would feel an ounce of regret if she were never to see the sea again.
Or the cliffs.
The bodies would need to be put into the ground as expediently as possible.
The bags had been packed earlier, before, when they had planned to meet up with the duke a few days later, at Eden’s Court. But what of the duchess? Would she be able to get down the road on horseback? How would she react to passing the carnage that had stolen her husband and his heir away from her?
And Dev’s father.
She mustn’t forget Dev’s father had perished as well.
And aside from the protocol of following the bodies to their final resting place, Sophia had a pressing need to flee the castle. If only for her own sanity.
“We will meet you there at three in the afternoon.” She spoke more decisively now. It was early in the morning yet. She would rouse the duchess and persuade her as to the necessity of their departure. “Thank you, for your thoughtful consideration,” she added. “Would you be so kind as to make any other necessary arrangements with Mr. Girard?”
The man nodded and then stood, apparently knowing he’d been dismissed.
As he excused himself, Sophia looked out the windows at the craggy cliffs that marred the horizon. If it was up to her, she’d have the castle fall into the sea.
After they’d all left, of course.
Sophia arranged for tea and breakfast to be sent up to her grace and then waited half an hour before tapping on the duchess’ chamber door. As the maid invited her in, she was more than a little relieved to see the duchess up and dressed. She seemed much more alert than Sophia had thought she’d be.
Yes, her mother-in-law had regained control of her emotions, for now, at any rate. The duchess had hundreds, thousands of empty days and lonely nights in her future. For now, she wore a black crepe gown and sat on a chaise lounge with a cup of tea.
Her posture was rigid and her eyes somewhat dull. “Sophia, you will forgive me, dear? For abandoning you to the magistrate this morning? As soon as I heard he’d been here, I realized I’d already neglected my duties, leaving you to cope with them all alone.”
Sophia was quick to reassure her, although she did feel a tremendous sense of relief, knowing the duchess was not, after all, incapacitated by her grief. “Not at all, your grace.”
“I was told you arranged to have the bodies taken to Eden’s Court, but I’ve corrected your orders. A service will be held in London, at St. George’s Cathedral. It must be held in London. His grace loved London and considered it his home more than anywhere else in the world. St. George’s, of course, will be packed. The streets will be lined with mourners. It must be in London.
