Tomlinson’s voice stopped him. “Who do you think busted your eye, Eversby?”
“No way to tell, but if I don’t mistake my guess, it was someone else who is looking for the Black Fox.”
CHAPTER TEN
Danielle’s skirts skimmed over the back staircase that led down to the kitchens. It was dinnertime for the servants. They ate early, before the rest of the house. She thought about Mr. Cavendish.Cade. He hadn’t given her permission to call him Cade despite the fact that she’d ended up in his lap last night.
She considered what she knew about him. He was a twin. His brother was a viscount. Both his brother and sister-in-law seemed to expect the worst of him. Why? What had he done? Why was he living with them? For General Grimaldi to be keeping an eye on him, Cade must be up to something important. But what?
Grimaldi had asked her to leave a note under the flowerpot at the side of the mews each night letting him know if she’d learned of any appointments Mr. Cavendish kept. They were to be written in code, of course. The problem was, she had nothing to write so far. She hadn’t learned much about him. She’d asked Trevor, the footman, a few innocuous questions and was only able to verify the man didn’t have a valet, a fact she already knew. If she wanted to know more about him, the only alternative would be to ask the man himself.
She was sitting in the kitchens mending one of Lady Daphne’s handkerchiefs.Dieu merciAunt Madeline had taught her to sew.
She stuck the needle through the fine, soft cloth. What else did she know about Cade Cavendish? He thought nothing of getting foxed and bleeding on expensive rugs and bedding. He was a man who came home with a wound almost certainly caused by a blow to another person’s face. Not that she was judging. She herself had had to participate in hand-to-hand combat upon occasion. Perhaps it was the nonchalant bleeding that seemed off. The man had surprised her. People rarely surprised her. Especially men.
She smiled to herself, remembering him saying she had the most enticing backside he’d ever seen. She wasn’t about to tell him he had a fine-looking backside himself. The man was arrogant enough without her adding to his enormous opinion of himself. It had been foolish of her to assume he didn’t understand French.
“Are you truly from France?” a small voice asked.
Danielle turned to see the housemaid, Mary, peeking at her from a corridor in the kitchens.
She turned toward the younger girl and smiled. “I used to live there.Oui.”
“How did ye get here? Ta London?” Mary asked, her hazel eyes inquisitive.
Danielle had learned not to answer too many personal questions. “How did you come to work here?” she asked instead.
The girl took a tentative step toward Danielle’s seat. “Me mum’s worked for the Earl of Swifdon for years and when Lady Daphne made her own household, why, she said she’d be sure ta hold a position for me.”
Danielle smiled at that. “That was kind of Lady Daphne.”
“Oh, yes. Me lady is one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met.”
“How long have you been in service to Lady Daphne?” Danielle studied her face. The girl couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen.
“I only just began last month. Right after the wedding.”
“The wedding?” Danielle blinked at her.
“Yes. My lord and my lady only just married last month.” The maid dropped her voice to a whisper. “I ought not to say it but there’s a rumor wot they were actually married last autumn.”
“Last autumn?” Danielle blinked more. “If they were already married, why would they marry again?”
The maid glanced over her shoulder. Then she gestured for Danielle to follow her. Danielle stood and set the mending on the chair. They made their way down the corridor to a small antechamber just off the housekeeper’s office. Wine bottles and kegs of beer sat stacked on tables in the corners. An assortment of spices and bags of sugar and salt sat propped upon shelves. Otherwise, the room was empty save for two wooden chairs and a small table. Mary sat on one of the chairs and motioned to Danielle to sit on the other. They were alone, even in the busy servants’ wing.
“They ran off together, so the story goes,” Mary said as soon as they were both seated.
Danielle leaned forward, fascinated.
“Lady Daphne was missing for near a week and on account of Lord Rafe being a spy and wot not.”
“He’s a spy?” Of course Danielle already knew that, but she couldn’t allow Mary to realize it. How unfortunate it was for Lord Cavendish to have such a loose-lipped maid in his employ. But Danielle couldn’t help but like Mary. She seemed like the friendly, helpful sort.
“Ah, I should not say any more.” Mary blushed. “If Mrs. Huckleberry catches me gossiping…”
“She’ll be angry?” Danielle prompted.
“Oh no, knowing Mrs. Huckleberry, she’d probably join right in on the conversation. I just would hate ta make her feel as if she should hafta scold me. On account of her being so very unhappy about havin’ ta deliver scoldings.”
