Sebastian admitted Harry to the peace of the study and the two men subsided into the masculine leather chairs that stood by the empty grate. Johnson brought two stout ales on a silver tray. The absurdity of the gesture did not escape Sebastian. He caught the footman’s eyes but, beyond a slight quirk of the mouth, the man was too well trained to react.
‘I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have a familiar face here,’ Sebastian said.
Harry smiled. ‘It’s good to see you too. Not sorry to miss the fun at Waterloo.’
Sebastian laughed without humour. ‘Oh, trust me, you missednothing. The rain and the mud for starters... and when the Imperial Guard charged us, I thought my day had finally come.’
‘Ah, but you stood up to them, Alder.’
‘The square held but Heyland—you remember him?—died in my arms. We took La Haye Sainte farm but I got hit in the process. We lost a lot of good men that day.’
Harry nodded. ‘You look to have made a good recovery.’
‘I have Lady Somerton to thank for that. She’s the one who found me. If I’m honest, she probably saved my life.’
‘Ah yes, the formidable Lady Somerton,’ Harry said. ‘I can imagine she let nothing stand in her way when she thought she had found Lord Somerton’s heir.’
Sebastian regarded his friend for a long moment. ‘I’ve heard that it was not a happy marriage.’
Harry took a draught of his ale before replying. ‘A more mismatched couple you would never meet, but they tried.’
This was news to Sebastian. ‘What do you mean?’
‘In the early days of their marriage, they were the centre of quite an influential circle of theton. The house in London was the place to be seen but his eye started to wander and the marriage soured.’ Harry drained his cup and seemed to contemplate the empty vessel for a moment before he said, ‘Lady Somerton retired to the country. I don’t think she’s been seen in London much in several years.’
‘And Anthony?’
Harry swilled his beer. ‘I don’t think he was seen much at Brantstone.’
‘Tell me about Anthony. Did he have any enemies?’
Harry frowned. ‘Enemies? A man like that is sure to have enemies. Possibly a few cuckolded husbands, certainly cheated card players, but no one in particular comes to mind. Why do you ask?’
Armed with the information Bennet had given him, Sebastian had slipped unseen into the stables and inspected the saddle for himself. The cut had been subtle but the evidence damning.The saddle had been tampered with in such a way as to cause a rider serious injury ... or death.
‘I think …’ Sebastian voiced, for the first time, the thought that had been growing in his mind since Bennet first told him about the saddle. ‘I think he may have been murdered.’
Harry’s eyes widened. ‘Good lord! What on earth makes you think that?’
‘I’ve got evidence,’ he said.
‘What sort of evidence?’
Sebastian shook his head. He’d said too much, even to Harry, whom he would have trusted with his life.
‘I’m probably seeing shadows where there aren’t any. Take no notice of me.’
Harry shook his head in disbelief. ‘You must be mistaken, Alder. God knows he could be irritating and he certainly owed money to all and sundry, but I can’t think of anyone who would want tokillhim.’ He paused and laughed, raising his glass to his lips again. ‘Apart from you, that is!’
‘I didn’t even know he existed and, besides, I have an impeccable alibi.’
Harry frowned. ‘Be sensible, Alder. Who would want to kill him?’
‘That’s what I was asking you.’
Harry laughed. ‘No, you are seeing shadows. Somerton broke his neck taking a hedge. Accidents happen. It doesn’t mean there is anything sinister about it.’ When Sebastian didn’t respond, Harry’s face sobered. ‘You surely don’t suspect someone in this house capable of such a thing?’
Sebastian had considered that question. It seemed to be in Freddy and Fanny’s interest to keep Anthony alive. The servants? It seemed ludicrous that a servant would kill their master unless they had very good reason to do so.
