Chapter Thirteen
Piers was genuinelysurprised when April told him what she had done.They had found a moment of privacy outside the retiring room nearest to the drawing room, provided they spoke in almost whispers.
“I thought you didn’t trust Fosterson,” he commented.
“You do,” she said simply.“So you think it is a good idea?”
“Probably a vital one,” Piers said, and told her quickly what he had learned at the inn.
“So Troycouldhave rolled up here from the inn on Saturday night, full of jug-courage and...”
“He could have.Only how could he have been sure that Edward would be there?”
“Perhaps it was just luck.He knew Edward took his wife to the summer house so he would guess he must take other women there.We think his wife was lying about them both sleeping all night.And if Troy was in the taproom until after midnight, he couldn’t have got home much before one at best, three if he came up here and tried to croak Edward.”
“Well, if itisTroy, at least we won’t have to worry about him sneaking into the house and smothering Edward in the middle of the night.”
“But you don’t think it was him, do you?”April said.
“It doesn’t feel right, though it could easily fit.I don’t think we shouldassumeit’s Troy until we have evidence.”
“Meaning we should keep Edward’s waking quiet for as long as possible, and keep guard over him as much as we can without drawing attention to it?”
“Exactly.Though I think we should expand your circle of knowledge to include Stewart.That way, I can join the others in the library now, and you can sleep in your own bed.”
She gave a rare frown of irritation.“I am quite capable of—”
“I know.But we agreed at the beginning to give this child the very best chance we could.”
He didn’t say it in so many words, but she probably knew anyway.More even than for their unborn child, he feared for April in the hazardous business of carrying and birthing a baby.He watched the struggle wage across her face and since there was no one around, leaned closer and kissed her.
“Please.”
“Drat you, Piers.”
“By all means,” he said affably, relieved to have won her over.“It’s more than time I had a thoroughly good dratting.”
She grinned and pushed him toward the stairs.“Best tell Stewart then.He must be in your room or his own, for he’s not in the kitchen any longer.”
***
IT WAS BOTH A PLEASANTand a useful hour spent in the library after the ladies had retired and before the rest of the company did.
April’s faith in his opinion of Fosterson had clarified a few things in his mind, not least that he could trust his own judgement in such matters.None of his friends could be guilty of this crime, whatever secrets they were keeping.A vicious attack in the dark, particularly on a man beneath them in the social hierarchy, simply was not in their make-up.Nor in Claudia’s, he was sure, however much of an enigma she seemed to have become.Though he did not know Mrs.Hubb or Meg so well, his mind still boggled at either of them committing such an act, even in defence of their menfolk.
Whoever the culprit turned out to be, they needed to keep Edward safe from him.Or her.It would also be best if, should Edward wake again, either Piers or April was with him at the time.It was going to be tricky to arrange, especially in the daytime, without making it clear to the entire household that something had changed.
Retiring at the same time as the other men, he found April sound asleep and smiled.He was glad he had insisted.Her notebook lay open on the bed beside her, the pencil in the gutter between the pages.He picked it up and returned to the dressing room where he took off his cravat and quizzing glasses and changed out of his evening clothes and into an old and comfortable shirt, breeches, and coat.When all was quiet in the passage, he slipped out of his chamber and went down to the kitchen to relieve Stewart, taking the notebook with him.
“Did he wake?”he asked the valet.
Stewart shook his head.“He whimpered once, and touched his head as if it hurt, but he didn’t wake.He didn’t when Dr.Fosterson changed his bandage either.Are you sure you want to do this?”
