“There aretwowilling maidservants,” Mr. Harley said slowly. “If you understand my meaning. So, we have twice the chance of ending up with a babe, or if both women bear children, then we shall call them twins.”
“Do you mean to say Frederick would be willing to give up his child?”
“More than willing. He says he has several already.”
“Good Lord! By whom? No, don’t answer that. But tell me, how will we fool your aunt? Don’t you think she’ll eventually notice I’m not with child?”
“We’ll go to the continent—all of us—until after the birth.”
“How can you be sure the maidservants will give up their babes?”
“Because they are shallow young women with few scruples, and we can make them rich—at least richer than either could ever hope to be.”
Bridget inhaled sharply. She could not believe what she was hearing.
“Shh,” his wife said. “I heard something. Is there someone else in this room?”
Bridget held her breath as she heard them moving about the library.
“I don’t see anybody,” Mr. Harley said.
“Listen,” Mrs. Harley said.
A short silence followed. Bridget held her breath and held still. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. A single pair of booted feet. A man! But leaving, or entering the room? Or moving toward her? Had she been discovered?Oh no!
Then she heard Frederick’s voice. “Mr. and Mrs. Harley, what a pleasant surprise.”
She let out her breath and sank against the shelf as he continued, “Are you planning on a little reading before bed, madam?”
“Yes, I have found what I want and was just going upstairs. Good evening, gentlemen.” Bridget heard the swish of skirts and the soft pad of kid slippers as Mrs. Harley exited the library.
“Well, we’d best get to the lake. One of us needs to get a maid with child, so your aunt doesn’t leave you to fend for yourself. Which one will you take tonight? The redhead or her dark-haired friend?” Frederick said.
Bridget stood trembling and covered her face with her hands. What was going on in her home? Her papa would turn in his grave if he knew. And what about Nate? Did he know about this scheme? Is that why he’d cut short her interview with Abigail and Sarah?
Well, she would not let it continue. It was time for Nate to dismiss Abigail and Sarah and get his awful friends out of Villa De Lacey! This was not the plan she had in mind for her ancestral home. She wanted all of these evil, plotting people gone.
Chapter Twenty
Bridget stepped outof her dark hiding place into the warm glow of the firelit room and felt an immediate sense of calm. The library, with its wall of books and smell of leather, always soothed her spirit. She turned to the fireplace and thrust out her hands, embracing the heat, while she stared into the dancing, orange flames, and thought about all that had gone on in the past few days.
There was no point talking to Nate. He’d only been humoring her and wasn’t actually on her side. It infuriated her to think that he’d gone along with her “investigation” because he felt sorry for her. She supposed in his mind, she was fragile because of the way her papa had died. He claimed that what she really wanted was justice for her papa, and not Madam Bouffant.
But she knew the truth. Nate was making excuses because he didn’t have the courage to go against anyone in the ton. He refused to acknowledge that Madam Bouffant had been murdered because the suspects were too important—too rich and powerful—to ever accuse them of murder. In the meantime, the servants at Villa De Lacey were running wild, and she knew that Nate didn’t care to do a thing about it, so she would have to take matters into her own hands.
She reached for a lantern that stood above the fireplace, extracted the candle, and gently thrust the wick into the fire. Once the wick caught light, she secured the candle back inside the lantern and set off for the lake. Abigail and Sarah may have thought they were too clever to get caught, but she’d prove them wrong.
It was a chilly evening, and Bridget regretted stepping outsanscoat as she weaved through the outer thicket of the garden. To avoid being seen, she’d chosen to steer clear of the garden proper, which provided a direct path to the gates of Villa De Lacey. She wanted to take Abigail and Sarah by surprise, catching them at the lake with Mr. Harley and Lord Frederick and then Nate would have no choice but to dismiss them. Perhaps, his friends would then grow bored and depart as well.So be it.
But as Bridget continued her determined trek, weaving through the trees in the darkness, an eerie feeling came over her. The night was filled with familiar noises—the rustle of leaves as owls took flight from the trees and the light, quick steps made by rabbits and other small animals going about their nocturnal business. These were the comforting sounds of her childhood. But as she approached the edge of the garden, Bridget thought she heard a heavier step behind her. She turned abruptly, her heart drumming in her chest as she held up the lantern. Its faint light proved to be useless for seeing anything more than a step in front of her.
“Is anyone there?” She shuddered, trying to keep her voice steady. “Nate?” she called, hoping more than anything to hear his voice. As angry as she’d been with him, she now longed for his presence by her side. But she was only met with silence.
Bridget narrowed her eyes, peering into the darkness, desperate to see who was out there. But she heard and saw nothing. Yet she felt the unwanted presence—the life and breath of another person nearby. She knew in her bones that someone else was there. Oh, why had she marched out of the house alone like a petulant child when a murderer was on the loose?
“Hello,” Bridget called again, her voice shaky now.
Silence.
