“I shall go and see her directly. That will be all, thank you, Mary.”
“Nanny is taking a nap,” Barbara said, as she brushed her doll’s hair. “Did you go riding, William?”
“Yes,” William said shortly.
Jenny expected him to tell his sister about his lucky escape, but he said nothing more. Jenny sighed; they would not ride again until the duke returned. His Grace would have to be told, for an accident like this could not be ignored. It seemed unlikely his guests would take it upon themselves to go out with a gun. In any event, they would have been seen. As soon as she was free, she would go to the gamekeeper’s cottage and inquire.
“Now,” she said with a smile. “Shall we begin with a French lesson?”
“Merci,” Barbara said with her perky smile.
William mumbled and shuffled in his seat.
At least here in the schoolroom things were back to normal.
Later, when Nanny woke, she seemed perfectly well. She took charge of the children, and Jenny left the house to cross the grounds to the woods. The gamekeeper’s cottage was a good mile away. Leaving the formal gardens, she took the woodland path. As she studied the sky where rain clouds drifted overhead she failed to see the man coming toward her. She stopped so fast she almost stumbled.
His strong hands gripped her arms. “I’ve got you, Miss Harrismith.”
The gentleman from the Continent, Herr Von Bremen, dropped his hands, gracing her with the full measure of his charming smile.
“I am sorry.” Her cheeks warmed. “I was looking at those clouds. It appears about to rain.”
Blue eyes held her gaze. “I believe you’re right.”
“I regret not bringing an umbrella,” she said somewhat inanely. Still uncomfortable, she rushed on. “Have you been to see the gamekeeper?”
He raised his fair eyebrows. “No. Should I have?”
“Of course not. Please excuse me, I won’t keep you.” She moved to sidestep him.
He held his ground, blocking her way on the path narrowed by encroaching shrubbery. “I hiked over to that hill.” He pointed to a rocky outcrop in the distance. “From there you can see for miles.”
“How delightful. Something for me to look forward to.” She glanced again at the sky. “But not today, perhaps.”
He didn’t move. “Where are you off to alone?”
She opened her mouth to tell him, but his curiosity unsettled her. She wasn’t sure why. “Just a short walk. I have some thinking to do.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “Then it is plain you don’t wish for company.” He moved aside.
With a polite nod, Jenny continued on her way. She didn’t turn, but she sensed he watched her. Herr Von Bremen had been perfectly amiable. She had no reason to doubt him. He was a fair distance from the river and did not carry a gun. Surely she had nothing to fear from him, and yet she increased her pace hoping to find the gamekeeper at home. But when she reached his cottage, and knocked, there was no answer.
She hurried back along the path, her enjoyment of the woods somehow spoiled by an irrational fear that she might be accosted, and no one would hear her cry for help. It made her furious that she allowed herself to feel so vulnerable. Her imagination had taken flight, no doubt because of the episode earlier with William. By the time she reached the house, reason had returned, and those foolish fears had lost their power over her.
The episode with Herr Von Bremen forgotten, Jenny entered the nursery to see how Nanny fared. She’d become less confident than ever that Nanny was coping. Should she say something to the housekeeper? Jenny disliked the idea and decided it was better to wait. Perhaps the matter would be resolved without her interference. She had mentioned it to the duke and hoped he would take the matter in hand. It was clear that Nanny would welcome a rest for she spoke of it often.
*
Andrew deposited Gretaat a hotel where one of her friends stayed, then traveled to Whitehall to meet Castlereagh. Four sober-faced men he knew well from Vienna greeted him.
“Some bad news, I’m afraid,” Lord Fenton said. “Richard, Earl of Winslow has been murdered.”
“Good God!” It hit him like a blow. Dazed, Andrew shook his head as he took a seat and accepted a glass of whiskey. Winslow was a good friend. “Where did this happen?”
“Here in London. Winslow intended to return to his estate the following day. Found shot near his club in Pall Mall in the early hours.”
Andrew still couldn’t believe it. “Were there witnesses?”
