She had to be content with that. The children would spend the day in the schoolroom. Any outdoor activities must be curtailed to keep them safe. William would be like that caged lion they’d taken him to see in the Royal Menagerie at the Tower, she thought, as she climbed the stairs.
Mary had the children washed and dressed. They both sagged with tiredness. Barbara was playing with Carrot, dangling a piece of wool for it to catch in its tiny claws. William listlessly turned the pages of a picture book. “Did you speak to my father, Jenny?”
“I’m afraid he has gone to London. But I will tonight.”
William wearily nodded his head.
Jenny sat down while she considered what she might do to keep them busy during the long day. The children’s breakfasts arrived; hers came over an hour later, and was cold.
She sighed and picked up the milk jug, hoping it was just a mishap. They must be busy with the guests. That would be the reason. But after she pushed away the congealed porridge and cold toast, the concern that the staff were against her remained, and it made her feel homesick and terribly alone.
*
Andrew entered theLondon morgue to be greeted by the foul odor of death. After explaining what he wished to see he was shown into an office. Minutes later, a box was brought, containing the ball dug out of his friend and colleague, Richard, Earl of Winslow. He removed the ball from his pocket to compare them. They matched.
As the carriage took him to his Mayfair house to wash away the stench and change his clothes, Andrew speculated about what he’d found. It could mean nothing. The ball was not unusual, except that it was of a better make than the cheap shot poachers and London footpads might use. But the one thing that he was sure of was that the gun had not come from the gun room at Castlebridge.
After he’d changed he partook of a light meal in his dining room, and then visited his club in Pall Mall. It was too early to find any friends at White’s, and he wasn’t in the mood for socializing in any event. He’d sent a footman around to Castlereagh with a request to meet him there.
Andrew sat in White’s library reading the newspapers. Winslow’s murder still made the front page. Although nothing new had been reported, the way he’d been laid out with the white lily caught the imagination of the public.
Castlereagh entered minutes later.
“Anything new on Winslow’s murder?” he asked Castlereagh after their initial greeting.
Castlereagh shook his head, clearly frustrated. “What brings you to London?”
“I’ve just come from the morgue.” As another man entered the library, Andrew dropped his voice. “Someone on the estate fired off a gun near where William was riding. The ball lodged in a tree. On a hunch I dug it out, and it matches the ball they extracted from Winslow. It’s a common enough belted ball from a Brunswick rifle. The Brunswick rifle uses a special round ball with raised ribs that fit into two spiraling grooves in the barrel. Castlebridge uses the Brown Bess which is a smaller caliber.”
“Bloody hell! Surely no one would deliberately target William?”
“One would think not,” Andrew replied gruffly. “I’ve questioned the stable staff and the guests. No one saw anyone carrying a rifle, but it stands to reason that whoever fired the shot didn’t wish to be seen. My gamekeeper hasn’t found any evidence of poachers.” He shrugged in frustration. “But nor can I discount that possibility.”
“Are you aware of anyone with a grudge against you? Someone who might get at you through William?”
It sounded so brutal that gall filled Andrew’s throat. He took a sip of coffee. “One cannot escape upsetting a few people on one’s journey through life. And I can’t dismiss the possibility that it might be connected to Winslow’s murder. But why William?”
Castlereagh raised his eyebrows. “If Winslow’s death has something to do with the discontent stirred up by the Vienna Congress, it’s unlikely they’d travel to Oxfordshire with the intention of killing your son. They’d murder the other delegates, or I’m afraid, they’d assassinate you. That’s why we must watch our backs.”
Andrew eyed his paranoid friend sympathetically. “I must depart for the country, I have guests who regard me as a poor host.”
“The baroness?”
Andrew nodded.
“If she loves you, she will understand.”
Andrew ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure she does love me.”
“Really?” A smile toyed with Castlereagh’s lips. “Most women fall at your feet in a dead faint.”
Andrew cocked a brow. “And you used to scoop them up.”
The Irishman’s brief smile reminded Andrew of how rarely he saw it. “You’ve a shooting party planned. Is it to go ahead?”
“The birds have been allowed to breed for several seasons. They need culling.” He frowned. “I may delay it until next month. Hopefully this matter will then be dealt with.”
“Might be wise. It’s a perfect time for them to make another attempt. And this time you could be the target.”
