Page 34

“He’ll be back soon,” Mrs. Park said, dropping a hand on April’s shoulder before she remembered herself. April could see she didn’t believe it, but she could not yet put the housekeeper right. She didn’t know herself what the outcome would be of Piers’s far too risky plan.

She wished she had opposed it more forcefully. She wished she’d had something more practical to offer in its place. She could not bear that he was still there. But at least she had ruled Simon Park out of Piers’s suspect list.

She realized Mrs. Park had spoken and was waiting for an answer. “I beg your pardon?”

A frown of deeper concern twitched across the housekeeper’s brow. “I said, Miss Gussie and Sir Peter called while you were asleep, and have insisted on waiting all this time. You’ll not want to see Sir Peter, but I could let Miss Gussie—”

“No, no, ask them both to come up here to my sitting room. I would like to speak to them.”

Mrs. Park hesitated a moment longer. “They’ve been asking Park questions about his lordship and asked for Stewart—and I’ve no idea where he is either!”

“Stewart? I sent him on an errand. I’ll talk to them...” Though exactly what she should say to keep them out of the whole thing, she didn’t quite know.

In the small part of her that was capable of considering anyone other than Piers right now, she felt glad, even hopeful, that they were calling together, whether by chance or design. For she suspected Haggs’s feelings for Gussie had matured from mild and tolerant attraction to something much deeper, while Gussie seemed to be still utterly confused about him. She could be both off-hand and downright rude to him. And yet her eyes often followed him when he wasn’t looking. He mattered to her. She had admitted that much to April.

It had all stemmed from her illness, of course, when she had suddenly seemed to think that her faded looks would appal him. April had hoped they’d got past such foolish misunderstandings, but the pattern continued. When this was over, perhaps April might nudge them along a little...

Although Hortensia wouldn’t thank her. She wanted a more brilliant match for her youngest child.

Gussie swept into the room, both hands stretching out to her. “April! I’m so glad you got some sleep! How are you?”

“I’m fine,” April said, squeezing her hands and releasing them. “Though I gather I don’t look it! Everyone is trying to get me to stay in bed where I am bored out of my mind. Haggs, how good to see you!”

She gave him her hand too, and he bowed over it, his harsh-featured face relaxing into a smile, though his eyes searching her face were a little too sharp.

“And this is the little Petteril, is it?” He walked to the cradle and stood for a moment gazing down at the sleeping baby before he glanced back to her. “Piers would be proud.”

Her throat constricted and she could not answer.

He came back to her. “Where is he, April?”

Locked in a bare, smelly room in Seven Dials, though he can leave whenever he wishes. Oh God, if only he had left with me... She swallowed and sank onto the chair behind her. “You must not ask me that, not yet. I need to ask you a few things, though. First of all, please don’t go to Bow Street or start tearing London apart in search of him. Not until I say.”

“Why not?” Gussie demanded.

“Because you’ll endanger him even more. We can’t risk that.”

“Oh, April.” Gussie came and perched on the arm of her chair, putting her arm around her. “How is he endangered? What can we do?”

“Just what I have asked, though I know how worried you are and how hard this must be for you... And you could answer these few questions to help me clarify... Haggs, when Piers and I dined with you a couple of weeks ago, you had two other guests. Are they still in London?”

Haggs frowned. “Dangerfield’s gone back to the country, I believe. I think Cauldwell is still in town, though—I spoke to him last night and he didn’t mention plans to leave London. Why?”

“No reason,” she said vaguely. “I just had them a bit confused in my head. In appearance. Which one had the almond-shaped eyes?”

Sir Peter’s eyebrows flew up, then contracted in worry as though he imagined some temporary madness. “I never thought about it, but I suppose...I suppose Cauldwell’s are vaguely that kind of shape.”

“Did either of them question you about Piers?”

“Well, yes, they both did. They knew the old viscount had left the estates somewhat the worse for wear and were interested in how Withy had dealt with it. That’s why I asked them to dine with me when you did. You must remember all their discussions that evening.”

“Of course I do. Are they very old friends, Haggs?”

“To be honest, I don’t know much about Dangerfield—seems a grumpy sort of a fellow though he can be good company, too. But I’m fond of Cauldwell. He did me a big favour a few years back and I’ve never forgotten it. April—”

She turned quickly to Gussie. “Have you heard recently from Maria? Is she glad to have her husband home?”

“I suppose she must be since she has not written!”