The girl, red cheeked, had left with Anna’s tray immediately, but Brooke was still smarting over the insult to her and its being witnessed by the kitchen staff.
The kitchen had gotten quite hot while lunch was prepared. As she wiped her brow, Brooke asked Mr. Hibbitt, “Is there a garden?”
“A small one behind the house. Nothing as fancy as the gardens at Rothdale, but it may still be cool there at this time of day. It’s just off the morning room.”
Brooke smiled and left the kitchen to find the morning room, but passing through the main hall, she saw a grand-looking lady entering the house and heard Willis say, “Duchess, always a pleasure.”
“Is my dear friend any better, Willis? She didn’t mention her health in the note I just received from her.”
“Not yet, but with Lord Wolfe’s arrival, we may soon see improvement.”
“Indeed, that should cheer Anna.” Then the lady spotted Brooke and ordered imperiously, “You there, send up a pot of tea for me to your lady’s room and do hurry.”
Brooke might be disheveled from the hours she’d spent in the kitchen, but to be mistaken for a servant was one too many insults in one day. She replied stiffly, “I’m not a servant, I’m Lady Brooke Whitworth.”
“Harriet and Thomas’s girl? Hmmph!” The lady marched toward the stairs.
Brooke swung about and headed to the back of the house, trying not to grit her teeth. Stepping out into the garden a few moments later, she took a deep breath to calm herself. The small area was filled with summer blooms that offered quite a few different scents, and several short fruit trees for a bit of shade. Stone statues of different sizes were set throughout the garden, with even an ornate fountain at the center. She could hear horses beyond the back fence and went up on tiptoe to see a long stretch of mews where horses and carriages were kept, likely shared by the block.
Heading to the fountain to sit down, she bent over to pick a rosebud, so she was quite startled when she heard Dominic say behind her, “Looking for poisonous plants?”
She straightened slowly, but her frown was immediate. “Why would you say that to me? You know I only use herbs to heal people.”
“Didn’t you try to put something quite different in my wine the other night and ended up drinking it yourself?”
She sucked in her breath. He was guessing, hehadto be guessing, but her sudden red cheeks were probably why he added with a sensual smile, “The results were quite memorable.”
She had been far too embarrassed to say anything about the love potion and hoped he hadn’t noticed any difference in her behavior that night so she wouldn’t have to. But he didn’t appear to be displeased by what he’d guessed, quite the opposite. She still couldn’t bear to own up to it, when it smacked of desperation on her part.
So she admitted part of the truth. “Rory’s mother suggested I seduce you, since it might well have been our last night—ever.”
He laughed. “And here I thought you actually had a potion that would send you running to my bed. Too bad.”
Was he really amused? There seemed to be some underlying tension—and he did just mention poison. “In any case, you must know—”
“No, I’d have to be a bloody idiot to believe that you would kill me before or right after the wedding. That would implicate a Whitworth. Or does he not care if you’re the one who gets hanged for it?”
She was confused. “What are you—” She paused with a gasp, guessing. “You saw Robert!”
“The devil is whom I saw,” he snarled.
“What maggot did he put in your head?”
“That you promised him you would poison me!”
She sucked in her breath before she slammed both of her palms against his chest. “And you believed him? Why would I? I aided you. You might also recall that I told you several times I don’t like him any more than you do. He did suggest that I poison you after we are married, but it was too preposterous to even merit an answer from me, much less a promise. And truthfully, I didn’t really think he was serious, though he also warned me not to like you, said it would be disloyal to my family if I did.” She snorted. “I have no loyalty to them. So don’t you dare accuse me again of something I haven’t done or would ever do. I help people. I don’t kill them. And if you are not willing to be logical about this, then I have nothing more to say to you.”
She started to walk past him in high dudgeon, but he grabbed her arm. “I didn’t believe him. But he did warn me that you turned out more beautiful and clever than he expected and shouldn’t be trusted.”
“Because he’s a vicious, destructive person who wants to enrage you and remind you that he’s still walking around unscathed while Ella is dead because of him! I knew the vicious child, I never tried to know the man, preferred to just avoid him altogether. Maybe he hoped you would challenge him right then to another duel, leaving the Regent no choice but to punish you for it. Or he could have hoped you would bring your anger to me, which you did. Killing me would certainly stop you from trying to kill him again since you’d be in prison for it. I’m just guessing. I simply don’t know what his motives are or what he’s capable of these days.”
“He’s capable of driving young women to their death and getting away with it!” Then Dominic added, “I don’t want you giving my mother any more of your teas or magical potions.”
Good God, it felt as if they were right back where they’d started. “Too late!” she said with a furious glare. “She’s already had a full pot of my teaandthe broth today. But don’t worry, her maid already insulted me by wanting me to drink it first!”
“That’s not a bad idea. Very well, you can give your recipes to Mr. Hibbitt, who will indeed test them first. But I think it would be better if you just stay away from my mother altogether.”
She brushed past him, tossing over her shoulder, “I think it would be better if I just stayed away from you!”
