Or at least, that was what was meant to happen.But Edward shifted with stunning speed for a sleeping man.The pillow barely had time to touch him before he battered it aside and dived out from under the covers, half-kneeling on the bed, his bandage wildly askew.For an instant, almost like some bizarre painting, they stared at each other.
Until, breaking the spell, the wardrobe door opened and Lady Petteril stepped out.
It was a nightmare.And yet horribly real.
“Good evening, Constable Barley,” said Lord Petteril, removing his bandage and gently taking the pillow from his would-be-killer’s nerveless hands.
***
HIDING IN THE WARDROBEhad been April’s own idea.In fact, it was the only way she would countenance Piers substituting himself for Edward as the bait.Even though Stewart lurked just behind the baize door to the kitchen.
Neither she nor Stewart appeared to be necessary.Abraham Barley looked completely non-plussed and about as dangerous as a cabbage.Piers dropped the pillow back onto the bed.
Barley looked dizzy.Surely even relieved behind the agony of despair in his expression.
“How did you know?”Barley asked hoarsely.
Mrs.Riley appeared in the doorway, glaring as usual, a large meat cleaver in her hand.April nodded to her, curiously warmed by her protection.The woman nodded back curtly, turned, and went out again.
Stewart replaced her in the doorway at once, although Barley seemed to be no threat now.
“I didn’t for certain,” Piers said.“But we’d ruled out just about every other possibility.You are an older man, which had become one of our criteria; you kept an eye on this house even before the attack on Edward; and though everyone told us how thorough you are, your investigation into the attack was anything but.Then Stewart here had an enlightening chat with your neighbours—it seems you’re given to walking in this direction at all hours of the day and night—while he helped spread the word of Edward’s wakening.”
Barley stared at him, frustration and something very like hope warring in his eyes.“Then Edward isn’t really awake at all?Is he alive?”
“Oh, yes, both alive and awake,” Piers said.“In fact, he’s very uncomfortably sitting in the drawing room with Lady Temperley’s shawl around his shoulders and her lace cap on his head.”
Barley’s jaw dropped.“Why?”he asked blankly.
“Well, he had to go somewhere, and I had no objection to making him a little uncomfortable considering the trouble he’s caused.And if you did look in the window, we wanted some kind of host for the gathering so you wouldn’t really notice that both my wife and I were missing.”
“I’m glad it’s over,” Barley said.“Apart from the shame.It’s been a nightmare, and I couldn’t seem to wake up.I suppose I’ll hang.Me, a constable sworn to keep the king’s peace.”
“Why did you do it?”April asked him.
Barley shook his head.“Madness.A moment of stupid, unforgivable madness.”His whiskers twitched.“Temper, if you like.He laughed at me.”
“Perhaps,” Piers said, “but it was a little more than that, wasn’t it?Obsession.”
The constable’s face reddened.“I’ll say nothing about that.Someone’s coming.You’d best send me to Mr.Alexander.I won’t give any trouble.”
“Sadly, my wife and I are too given to curiosity to leave it there.Ah, Edward, just the man.”
Still pale and bandaged, but minus the shawl and cap that had made April snort with laughter, Edward entered the room with Dr.Fosterson at his elbow and sat down on the bed with obvious relief.He didn’t look at Barley.
Fosterson raised his eyebrows at Piers, while he crouched and removed Edward’s shoes before helping the footman lift his legs onto the bed.
“This is your culprit?”Fosterson said, nodding at Barley.“Or didn’t your little ruse work?”
“It worked,” April said at once.“Barley tried to smother Piers with a pillow.”
Edward closed his eyes, not in sleep but in pain.“Your lordship looks well enough to me.What will you charge him with?Rearranging my bedding?”
“That’s enough insolence from you,” Piers said severely.“We seem to be in a very odd position where neither the victim nor the perpetrator of a crime are prepared to tell us anything at all.So why don’t I tell you what I think happened, and you can each tell me where I’m wrong.”
“There’s no point,” Edward said.“I won’t make any charge against him or anyone else.”
Barley stared at him, a frown of incomprehension on his brow.
