The butler brought her coffee. “Good morning, Miss Leeming. I’m afraid we had a sad event last evening. After breakfast, his lordship wishes to speak to you in the library.”
Carrie took a few sips and put down the cup, as concern for Nicholas churned in her stomach. “Never mind my breakfast. I’ll see him now.”
She knocked on the library door. When Nicholas replied, she entered and saw him at his desk writing. He looked up. “Good morning, Carrie.” He stood and slowly crossed to her. “Sit down for a moment, will you? There’s something I must tell you.”
“What happened last night?” She sank down with a sense of foreboding while studying his face, noting his rigid jaw. His gray eyes met hers, deeply troubled. She swallowed and waited for him to tell her, guessing the news would be grim.
He sat beside her. “Someone attacked two of my footmen last night. They killed Alex and knocked Jerry out. We don’t know who is guilty or what their motive is.”
Shocked and saddened, Carrie shivered. “Oh, no. Poor Alex.” She swallowed, grief-stricken for the footman who always greeted her with a warm smile. “Is Jerry all right?”
“He appears to be. Fortunately.”
She longed to reach out to Nicholas, to put her arms around him. But he held himself rigid and seemed so far away from her, she guessed any attempt to comfort him would be unwelcome. “Are we in danger? Nicholas, please tell me.”
“They appear to have gone, but don’t worry. We’ll keep guard.” His cold, emotionless voice chilled her. “The villains tried to set fire to the house. Warren, Giles, and I put the flames out before much damage was done.”
“Is my Uncle Simon behind this?” she asked after he grew silent. She struggled to believe a relative of hers could be so evil.
A murderous expression heated Nicholas’s eyes but vanished when he softened his gaze. “I don’t know, but Warren and I intend to find out. I’ve sent for the magistrate and the constable, the vicar, too, and the doctor for Jerry. They laid Alex in his bedchamber. If I’m not back by the time they arrive, will you deal with them? I’ve explained everything to Abercrombie. He and Giles are armed. They won’t admit anyone into the house, except these three men my butler knows. I hate to ask it of you, Carrie, but there’s no one else. Lady Penelope is not up to dealing with any of this. And it will be better for Gwen to go home today as she planned. Make sure Bella and Jeremy remain indoors, give them something to occupy them. I don’t care what it is, as long as they don’t go to the kitchen looking for biscuits and annoy Armand. Heaven help them if he’s cooking a souffle for luncheon.” He looked at her, his smile strained. “He might chase them out with the carving knife.”
She was glad of his confidence in her. Carrie returned his stiff smile with a tremulous one, appreciating his attempt to lighten the moment. She wanted to hug him, but eager to be gone, he resembled a coiled spring.
“Warren and I are about to ride out to look for a trace of these devils before rain washes away any sign of them.”
“You think there’s more than one person behind this?”
He gave a helpless shrug. “I suspect whoever it is doesn’t act alone, but I really don’t know.”
She held out her hand to him. “You will be careful?”
He took her hand and pressed it gently in his. “I will. If we fail to find them, I’ll ask the constable to send more men.” He released her hand. “Try not to worry. I don’t want the others upset.”
“You can rely on me.”
He stood. “I know I can. Go to breakfast. They will be wondering where you’ve got to.”
She couldn’t eat a bite. “What shall I tell them?”
“Only that Warren and I have gone out. I’ll explain later.”
“Gwen will want to say goodbye.”
“I’ll speak to her before I leave. I don’t want her to return here until it’s safe.”
“Very well.” She rose and went to the door. When she glanced back at Nicholas, he had returned to his letter, his shoulders slumped. She had the peculiar feeling that she had lost him. Odd, when he had never been hers. She shuddered with distress as she stood outside the library door, wanting to go back, to ease his suffering somehow, but knew it to be the wrong time.
After another shaky breath, she hurried to the breakfast room. They would all be there, except for Lady Penelope, who had a tray sent up to her bedchamber.
They’d notice the changes in the house, the absence of the footmen and the nervousness of the staff, but she must make things appear as normal as possible. It was all she could do to relieve the burden he carried.
Carrie didn’t fully understand what he was going through but suspected, although the tragic death of the young footman affected him profoundly, something else troubled him. She’d been aware of the deep sadness in him from the first. This was the barrier which stood between them. Of this, she was sure. She was determined to find out when this was settled.
Chapter Twenty
An odd hush settled over the house after Abercrombie gathered the staff together in the servants’ quarters to tell them what occurred and warn them to be vigilant.
In the library, Nicholas described the villainy which had been afoot on the previous evening. Gwen gasped, her hands forming fists against her cheeks. “But this is beyond imagining Nicholas! To attack a marquess’s property? How could they expect to get away with it? Can Winston help? He could bring extra men. I’m sure he’d want to.”
