It was a thing of such beauty that he didn’t know whether to cut a slice and eat it, or have it placed in a display cabinet.
“Have we a new cook, Colin?” John said, settling into his seat.
The younger of the two footmen glanced up, blushing as he caught Charles’s eye, and shook his head.
“You may speak,” John said, grinning. “The benefit of Lord Devereaux not speaking is that he won’t shout at you. Has Lady Devereaux hired a new cook in his lordship’s absence?”
The boy stepped back, his color deepening.
Not even the finest cook in the world would cost one thousand pounds.
“Now, now, sir, it’s not the time to be churlish,” John said. “Colin, who baked this pie? Lord Devereaux won’t bite you, I promise. Only the pie.”
“I-it was Lady Devereaux.”
Charles rose, and the boy stepped back, fear glistening in his eyes.
“Sh-she was up late into the night making it, your lordship. All week she’s been showing Mrs. Groves how to get the pastry just right so it’s not hard on the teeth. I-it’s pork and apple, sir. Pork from Mr. Faulkes’s farm. Proper tasty.”
How the devil would he know?
Ignoring Charles, John nodded to the boy. “Have you tried some?”
“Oh yes! When Lady Devereaux first made one, she shared it among all of us. She wanted to try it out to get it just right for when his lordship returned home.”
“Thank you, Colin,” John said. “You may leave us now.”
The young footman exited the dining room, and Charles approached the door.
“Colin’s done nothing wrong, sir. There’s no need to go after him.”
I know that,Charles signed.I’m the one in the wrong.
“Where are you going, then?”
To apologize to my wife. I’ve no right to eat a pie she made for me while she’s unhappy elsewhere, especially when I’m the cause of her unhappiness.
He waited for a caustic response from his valet, but none came.
As he emerged from the dining room, a housemaid scuttled past, increasing the pace as she caught sight of him. He climbed the stairs and made his way to his wife’s bedchamber. His heart sank as he heard sobbing from within, and he paused, his hand on the doorknob, swallowing his shame at eavesdropping on his wife’s misery. Then he heard a voice.
“Don’t be such a fool, Susie. You know as well as I that it’s the only thing to be done.”
“No! I cannot be party to this!”
“The bitch and her pup cannot be allowed to live. If you say anything, I’ll tell everyone what you’ve done.”
“B-but you made me do it even though I didn’t want to!”
“Ungrateful brat, after everything I’ve done for you! I—Shh!”
The voice broke off, then footsteps approached, and the dooropened to reveal a young woman. Behind her, standing at the fireplace, was his wife’s maid. But there was no sign of Olivia.
“Oh!” The woman dipped into a curtsey. “Begging your pardon, Lord Deveraux. Are you looking for her ladyship?”
She was the one who’d been fawning over Jacob. Pretty enough, but behind the smile, a look of greed shone in her eyes.
What are you doing in my wife’s chamber?
