“Good.” Catherine handed him a small pocket watch. “When that hand points to the twelve, if you have not heard our secret knock, you are to sneak out and go to Auntie Fiona’s house. Do you remember the way?”
“Yes.” Oliver shivered. “Scared.”
“I know. But I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?” Catherine brushed a smudge of ash from his cheek.
“Brave.” Oliver straightened, his green eyes serious, reminding Catherine of Alaric.
She pushed the thought aside. Alaric was days away, and she needed to act. She closed the door and took a deep breath before walking to the w estern drawing room.
She deliberately walked loudly as she moved through the house, calling out greetings to the maids along the way. “If you see Oliver, tell him I will be in the w estern drawing room.”
Then she opened the door, slipped inside, and picked up a book, doing her best to feign deep interest in it as she moved to the sofa. Her hands sought the fire poker she had hidden in the sofa cushions days earlier—every room contained similar items, meant to serve as a weapon in case of an emergency.
Let us hope I will not have to use it.Every muscle in her body tensed, her ears straining to hear every little sound.
She did not have to wait long.
The sound of the door sliding open behind her interrupted the dull thump of her heartbeat. “Ah, Mrs. Langley. How kind of you to join me.” She took a deep breath and turned around. “Although, perhaps I should call you Miss Ashcroft, since that is your real name, is it not? Miss Marina Ashcroft?
Marina’s eyes widened. Catherine took in the pallor of her skin; it was gray. Her hair was in disarray, and there was a wildness about the woman that set her teeth on edge. The maid’s uniform was stained, and Catherine suspected the woman had pilfered it from the laundry.
Catherine stood and placed the book on the sofa, ignoring the pounding of her heart. She forced herself to smile at Marina, refusing to let her see how scared she truly was.
She watched as Marina gave herself a little shake, the moment of shock dissipating as a twisted smile forced itself onto her face. The sight of it turned Catherine’s stomach. “Clever, clever, Catherine. Though you were always rather sharp.”
“It isYour Grace, if you do not mind, Miss Ashcroft. There is no reason for us to eschew propriety.”
“And there is that classic arrogance. You people think you are so much better than me. You think you can do whatever you want, and the world will reward you for it.” Marina’s lip curled.
“High talk considering only one of us in this room has tried to kill someone.” Catherine arched an eyebrow at the other woman, relieved that she could not hear the thundering of her heart.
“Twice.” Marina laughed, an ugly, hysterical sound that made every muscle in Catherine’s body tense, every hair standing rigid. “I know you know about the poison, but I bet you did not know about the carriage, did you?”
Alaric was right.“I had my suspicions.” Catherine shrugged.
“Liar!” Marina roared.
“Really? That seems a little unnecessary, do you not think?”What is wrong with me?Catherine had no idea where the bravado had come from, but she could not seem to turn it off.
Maybe it was the sight of this woman, disheveled and angry. Maybe she was just tired and did not wish to play her game. She saw Marina’s nostrils flare, her face turning purple as she took a step forward.
“I will call you whatever I darn well please.” Spittle flew from Marina’s lips, landing on Catherine’s face.
She wrinkled her nose and wiped the droplets away with her hand. “How did you do it? The accident, I mean.”
“The stable hand. Joshua, Gregory, or Benjamin. Something like that. Silly little sod, though he had a pretty enough face, I suppose.” Marina ran a hand along the windowsill, wrinkling her nose and flicking away an imaginary speck of dust. “I convinced him to break the spokes on the wheel, to saw through them so they would break and the damn thing would crash.”
Catherine forced herself to stare into Marina’s cold green eyes.Of course, I did not see her features in Oliver; his face is kind and warm, and she is anything but that.
“And what did you offer him? It cannot have been money.”
“What all men want, my dear.” Marina gestured to her body and let out a shriek of laughter. “They are such predictable creatures.You do not even have to give yourself to them, not really. Just make them think you will, and they are like puppies. Desperate to do anything to please you.
“Is that what happened with the late Duke?” Catherine inched closer to the sofa.
Marina’s face darkened. “He told me he loved me. That I was special to him. He promised me a life of luxury. And then I got with child and everything changed. He threw me aside, tossed me away like some used handkerchief. Or he tried.”
“What... what do you mean?”Keep her distracted, off balance.Catherine froze as Marina turned back to look at her.
