Cecilia’s bones were young enough, but that didn’t stop them creaking in protest with every feeble twitch of her limbs. Yesterday they’d beaten dirt from the carpets until Cecilia thought her arms would fall off. This morning they’d dusted every inch of the downstairs rooms, and spent the afternoon scrubbing bedchambers and making up beds with clean linen.
Every bedchamber, that is, except the late LadyDarlington’s.
Miss Honeywell was not, it seemed, to take up residence in the marchioness’s apartments. Curious, that. Whatever secret Lord Darlington was hiding behind those closed doors must be a terrible one, indeed. It was on the tip of Cecilia’s tongue to ask Mrs. Briggs about it, but she didn’t dare pry into that business yet.
She was, however, perfectly willing to pry into other, less sensitive business. “Isabella doesn’t look much like Lord Darlington. Does she not resemble her father’s sideof the family?”
Mrs. Briggs’s gaze dropped to her teacup. “No, she looks more like her mother.”
“She’s an unusually beautiful child, isn’t she? Such pretty hazel eyes.”
Mrs. Briggs beamed. “Oh my, yes. You can’t imagine what an adorable baby she was, with those big eyes of hers, like two bright stars. Fairly hypnotized usall, she did.”
“Her mother must be a great beauty.” Cecilia took care not to appear too interested, aware she’d have to tread carefully here. Mrs. Briggs had been with the family for years, well before the current Lord Darlington’s father inherited the title. She knew more about the mysteries surrounding Darlington Castle than anyone, but she was also the least inclined to gossip.
“Have you not seen Lady Leanora’s portrait hanging in the small picture gallery?” Mrs. Briggs askedwith surprise.
“What, you mean the gallery outside Lord Darlington’s study?” Cecilia did her best not to look at that row of ghoulish faces whenever she was obliged to pass through that hallway, but she was quite certain there wasn’t a single beauty amongst them.
“No, no. The small picture gallery is tucked under the eaves on the second-floor landing. Lady Leanora’s portrait is there. She is indeed a striking beauty, but then Lord Darlington’s elder brother, Nathanial, was as handsome a gentleman as I’ve ever seen. He and Lady Leanora together were…” Mrs. Briggs paused, as if searching for a word that did them justice. “They were truly magnificent.”
Cecilia was stirring her tea, but she paused at the wistful note in Mrs. Briggs’s voice. “Indeed?”
“My, yes. They were both darlings of theton, you know, and the toast of London when they were courting. Such a pity their marriage wasn’t a happier one, but then that’s what comes of a whirlwind courtship, I suppose. They hardly knew each otherwhen they wed.”
Cecilia set her spoon aside. “They weren’t happy together?”
Mrs. Briggs sighed. “Not after the first year or so, no. Lady Leanora was very young, you understand, and then years passed without a child. It put a strain on their marriage. Nathanial—the late marquess, that is—left Lady Leanora behind in Kent and went off to live with Gideon in London those last few years before he died. He came home now and again, but I doubt he would have returned to the castle to live if Lady Leanora hadn’t conceived.”
“That is a pity.” Cecilia poured more milk into her tea, her gaze on her teacup to hide her expression. “Isabella was only an infant when her father died, wasn’t she?”
“Just two months old. Nathanial’s death was a terrible tragedy, and a dreadful shock to us all. I’ve never seen a man more devastated than Gideon—I mean, Lord Darlington—when he returned to Darlington Castle for his brother’s funeral. Indeed, he’s neverbeen the same.”
Cecilia heard a telltale quiver in Mrs. Briggs’s voice, and looked up to find the housekeeper’s eyes bright with tears. She covered Mrs. Brigg’s hand with her own, remorse clawing at her, but she couldn’t be silent now. She’d come to Darlington Castle for answers. “He was an affectionatebrother, then?”
“Oh, my yes. Gideon—forgive me, Cecilia, for speaking of Lord Darlington so familiarly, but I’ve been with the family since the two boys were just wee lads, long before their father inherited the title. Gideon fairly worshipped his elder brother, he did. He and Nathanial were as close as two brothers could be.”
“How did Nathanial die, Mrs. Briggs?”
“One night he was…oh, Duncan Geary, there you are!” Mrs. Briggs shot up from her chair, wiping a hand across her cheek. “Where have you been all thistime, my boy?”
Cecilia’s heart sank at the interruption, but she turned around in her chair to offer Duncan Geary, one of Lord Darlington’s few remaining footmen a smile.
Duncan was a red-headed Scot from Inverness who was old enough to tower over all the other servants, but young enough not yet to have worked out quite what to do with his long, gangly limbs. Cecilia was fond of him because he was a kind, gentle lad, and because he had the good sense to be sweet on Amy. “Hello, Duncan.”
Duncan blushed and ducked his head. “Hello, Miss Cecilia. I’ve been in the woods again with his lordship and Lord Haslemere, ma’am, chasing that lantern light,” he saidto Mrs. Briggs.
Mrs. Briggs was bustling about for biscuits and another teacup for Duncan. “I suppose he’s got you looking for those poachers, has he? Well, well, sit down and have some tea. You must be frozen half solid.”
“What makes Lord Darlington think it’s poachers?” Poachers raiding the woods while the household was still awake, in plain sight of the castle, and carrying lanterns? That didn’t sound like any poachers Cecilia hadever heard of.
“They’re either poachers or pranksters, mayhap, but whoever they are, they’ve got no business being on castle grounds. But never mind that, Cecilia. It’s nearly Isabella’s bedtime. You can go straight to her bedchamber. I’ve had Amy move all yourthings there.”
“My things?” Ceciliaasked, puzzled.
“Of course, child. You’re to sleep in Isabella’s room, now you’re to beher nursemaid.”
Cecilia stared at Mrs. Briggs in horror. Isabella’s room was connected to Lord Darlington’s apartments, with only a flimsy door between them. Why, she might as well be sleeping in Lord Darlington’s bedchamber with him! “It…didn’t occur to me I’d have tochange rooms.”
