“We need to tell our husbands,” Kalina said.
“Why?”Lady Astrid asked.“They are leaving us out of everything.”
“Drake might be leaving you out, but Nathanial tells me everything afterward, even when we are not invited to the discussion.”Kalina glanced at Tiffany, who nodded.
“As does Gregory,” Tiffany added.“Besides, at the very least, we’ll need to tell my brother.He’s the best one to go and question the man.It is not as though any of us can just hie off to Bolton Manor and question the staff.”
Lady Astrid sighed.“There is that, I suppose.But I think we should come up with some kind of plan to ensure they cannot continue to cut us out of the investigation.”
The discussion continued, though Johanna stayed quiet for most of it.Her only concern had been whether Tiffany would be upset with her mother, but it did not seem to have even crossed the other duchess’ mind.Which was a huge relief.
They kept having to lower their voices as they heard passersby coming along the paths beside their hidden spot to ensure privacy.Eventually, Kalina suggested they decamp to the home Nathanial had rented for the Season to continue their discussion, but Tiffany pointed out that she had too many nosy sisters-in-law and suggested they come to Clarence House instead.
Lady Stark seemed pleased that Johanna had become friends with the other duchesses and immediately waved her and Rose off, while she remained with her friends.
Despite protesting that they needed no such involvement in the investigation, Lady Astrid persuaded Delilah and Mei to come as well, pointing out that an outside perspective could be handy, as well as their keen minds.
All in all, Johanna’s confession had gone rather well.The rush of relief she felt as she sat in the Duchess of Clarence’s carriage, Tiffany as friendly as ever to her, was acute.
She had been worried over nothing.
ChapterForty-Two
Matthew
“Who wanted your father dead?”Drake asked, immediately intent on Matthew’s statement, which Matthew was grateful for.If he could focus the others on the man with the grudge against his father, rather than Johanna’s mother, that was for the best.
Zachary still appeared sullen, though his ire had been dampened by cooler heads.Even so, Drake also appeared to be struggling, but he was doing a better job of hiding it.Sebastian was silent, staring at a painting on the wall of a huntsman atop a horse with a dog beside him.
Those three had had good relationships with their fathers, unlike the rest of them.
“His name was Aaron Heywood, and he was a tenant on our estate.His family had been on that land and in their cottage for generations, but there was a year when he was unable to tithe the required amount, and…” Matthew clenched his jaw, turning his head aside.“You know what my father was like.Threw him and his wife out.I did look for him, for a bit, but not very hard.I had not thought about him until I heard the description of the messenger who collected the second delivery of potions.”
“Well.”Christian cleared his throat, rubbing his hands over his thighs and pointedlynotlooking at Zachary.“He sounds like a far more likely suspect who might actually know something than some poor person who merely sold the potions with the best of intentions.”
Even though he snorted in derision, Zachary did not look at Christian, either.
“Speaking of suspects, Zachary, did you ever ask your uncle about whether he was the one who suggested that Cornwall invite Nathanial’s father to the hunting lodge?”Christian asked airily, as if it were not a particularly pointed question, especially at this juncture in the conversation.
Unsurprisingly, Zachary bristled in response, sitting up straight as a poker.
“I did.He thinks he might have been, though he admitted it was so long ago he could not remember to be sure, but he knew there was some conversation about it.Apparently, Hereford had boasted of his win, so it was not uncommon knowledge.”Zachary sniffed.“And my uncle had no reason to want Hereford dead.”
“No more than a common potion maker would have to want any of our fathers dead,” Christian pointed out.“Your uncle is far closer to our father’s deaths by comparison.”
Now, Zachary did turn to glower directly at Christian, who was still not looking at him.
“I, for one, am not going to blame Matthew for wanting to protect his wife or anyone else who has joined his household,” Gregory said stoutly.“Especially since, as he said, they had no motive to harm any of our fathers and certainly could not have guessed what a sleeping potion might have been used for.And while I might not have cared very much for the demise of my own father, you can be sure that I still want justice formywife’s father.”
“Indeed,” Nathanial murmured.“It is hardly any secret that my father’s death was not a hardship on my behalf, but I still want justice for those of you who did grieve.Not to mention, I would like the security of knowing that nothing more will be coming for me and mine, and until we know who was behind the dastardly plot and why, there is no such assurance.”
The sound of exhalations echoed around the room as more than one of them sighed.Matthew included.He wanted the assurance for Johanna and any children she might bear as well.
“I am not blaming him for wanting to protect his wife,” Zachary snapped.“Though, in the interest of justice, I might make a different decision.”
“Even if Delilah was your wife and not Lady Annabelle?”Christian retorted, making everyone suck in a breath very much the same way as they had when Zachary had brought up Christian’s father.
Zachary actually rocked back in his chair as if Christian had struck him.Sinclair chittered above his head, the first sound the little monkey had made since the conversation started, and climbed atop it, stroking Zachary’s hair.
