“Get some sleep, Stewart.You deserve it.”
“Thank you, sir.”Stewart inclined his head, then said, “Oh.I managed to poke around Lady Temperley’s rooms during tea—both her bedchamber and the sitting room next door to it.I saw no signs of bloody or muddy clothes, or a bloody weapon.”
Piers wasn’t entirely surprised.“What about the servants’ laundry?”
“It’s due to be done tomorrow, but I saw nothing resembling blood amongst the stains.”
Piers sighed.“They’re not making it easy for us, are they?Thank you.”
When Stewart had departed, Piers settled onto the chair by the bed, put on his spectacles, and opened April’s notebook.Her notes had always been concise, even when she recorded theories rather than simple facts.Once this had been due to her difficulty in writing, but it had become a valuable discipline, presenting him with uncluttered facts and succinct possibilities.
She had updated the pages to include Piers’s information from the inn, and Edward’s brief awakening.He added Stewart’s searches with the scrap of pencil.Then he read everything through twice and still felt annoyingly unsatisfied.They were missing something or did not know something.Unless April was right about Troy.
Then why this Saturday of all others?According to taproom gossip, Troy got drunk every Saturday night.Nothing had changed for him in several weeks.
So whathadchanged?
Edward’s love life.Peggy had caught him making up to Becky and thrown him over.Who did that affect besides the maids themselves?Peggy’s previous suitor, Bert Godley, who might well have taken umbrage on her behalf, and whom Piers had discovered in this very room with his fingers around Edward’s throat.Perhaps, on the night of the attack, he had tried to speak to Edward and Edward had just laughed or taunted him until he lashed out.
WhowasEdward going to meet at the summer house?Some woman they didn’t yet know about?Had he persuaded one of the maids to at least talk to him there?Becky had certainly been up and about, and was possibly more persuadable, but she claimed she had been attending Lady Temperley.Where was Peggy?Asleep, she claimed, and no one had said otherwise.
What is Fosterson hiding from me?he wondered suddenly.He didn’t doubt his friend’s innocence of the main crime, but it was more than possible he was keeping to himself something vital that could incriminate—or exonerate—someone else.Who would he defend?A friend?
A woman.
Peggy?
Piers would have to press him.It was too urgent now.To prevent another attack, they needed to know everything.
He closed the notebook and held it on his lap while he stared at nothing and settled into some serious thinking.
As often happened, he lost track of time.He might even have nodded off for he had the feeling he actually opened his eyes when he became aware of the change in Edward’s breathing.
Edward lay with his face toward Piers, his eyes fixed on his face.
Piers sat up.“Edward.Welcome back.”
“Where?”he croaked.“Where am I?”
“In Mrs.Ballam’s sitting room.It was the easiest place to take you.You’ve had quite a long sleep.”
Edward licked his lips in a clearly unsatisfactory way.Piers rose and poured some water from the covered jug.The footman let out an involuntary groan as Piers carefully raised his shoulders, but he reached eagerly for the water with his lips and took a couple of hefty swallows.
Piers lowered him back to the pillow, and Edward closed his eyes.“My head’s swimming.It hurts.”
“It will do, I’m afraid.It’s a nasty wound.There’s some laudanum if you can’t bear it.”
“You’re Lord Petteril,” Edward said suddenly.“I woke up before, or at least I think I did, andshewas here.Lady Petteril.I think.”
“She was.”
Edward’s gaze drifted away, though his eyes remained open.Piers guessed he was thinking, remembering, and gave him a moment.
“What happened?”Piers asked softly.“Who hit you?”
The footman’s eyes came back to his, full of pain.Impossible to tell if it was only physical.He said nothing.
“Don’t you remember?”Piers said.“You were on the path to the summer house, late on Saturday night—the early hours of Sunday, in fact.And someone hit you.”
