“I cannot say.”
“It is,” she followed up flatly. “Which makes me wonder to what I owe the pleasure of this most unexpected visit—and at such a strange hour. Nothing is wrong, I hope.”
It was taking all the self-control that Hudson possessed to not storm across the room, grab his stepmother by the shoulders, and shake her into confessing what she had done. If she were a man, Hudson would not have bothered exercising such restraint, choosing to instead pummel the betrayer into submission until they were begging for mercy.Oh, how I wish I could...
The ride to his stepmother’s home had been one of deep contemplation, fueled by his steadily growing anger because the more he thought of it, the more he decided that his assumption had to be correct, that his wife’s illness was his stepmother’s doing. She had poisoned Florentia and for that she must pay!
A good thing that the ride took as long as it did, as it forced Hudson to consider the action he might take and what he needed to achieve. A simple confession would not be enough, as that would not save his wife’s life.
He needed Caroline to confess and then tell himhowhe might remedy the illness, because there had to be a means to do so. He refused to believe there was no answer, just as he refused tobelieve that Caroline would not submit it to him...assuming he played his cards aptly.
Oh, it was going to be a hard thing to keep his temper in check and coax his stepmother into a confession. For Florentia, he reminded himself, he would do it. Her life depended on it.
“I am afraid I have some bad news.” He stopped short once he entered the room, not trusting himself to get too close. “News that cannot wait.”
“And what news it that?”
“It is Florentia...” Hudson felt his chin tremble, forcing it to calm. “She has taken ill.”
“Oh no,” his stepmother said, doing well to look surprised. “Nothing serious, I hope. Perhaps a summer flu?”
“It is far worse than a mere flu,” Hudson said. “She has been bedridden for over a week now and I fear the worst. I fear...” A deep breath. “I fear that if her condition does not improve, and soon, she might die.”
He looked closely at his stepmother’s reaction, unsurprised to see how well she played into the supposed shock of the news. Her eyes widened and she gasped, touching her mouth and paling. A wonderful performance.
“Oh no,” she said again. “Hud— Your Grace, surely that is not...how can this be? What has happened?”
He sighed and bowed his head. “We do not know. I have had a dozen doctors attend her and none can find a cause of her ailment. Most seem to think that she has ingested something, but without knowing what, there is little to be done but wait and...” Again, his chin wobbled, only this time he allowed his stepmother to see it. “...and pray that it passes. Sadly, it does not look as if it will.”
“Your Grace...” His stepmother was up and sweeping across the room toward him. He tensed and clenched his jaw as she reached him, draping an arm over his shoulder in a show of comfort. “That is dreadful news. I cannot even imagine how you must be feeling.”
“It has been wretched,” Hudson admitted, forcing himself not to push her away. “I’ve been unable to do anything. Forced to watch my wife suffer like this. It’s a pain unlike anything I have ever felt.”
“Your wife is a strong-willed woman,” she said gently. “The strongest I have ever known. If anyone can fight it, it is her.”
“I do hope so.” He looked right at her, letting her see the pain in his eyes, hoping that might do it...
She gave him a final squeeze and let go, taking a step back and then returning to the couch. “Oh, I hate to hear this. Truly, I do.And tomorrow, I will be sure to pay her a visit. Perhaps a kind face will help?”
“That will be greatly appreciated.”
“I assume that is why you are here?” She was so calm, so believable in her candor. If he had not been as certain as he was, he might have believed that she was as surprised by this as she pretended to be. “To ask me to pay a visit?”
“No, actually.” He bit his lip. “I...I am here for two reasons, although I confess that one is a fool’s errand as much as anything.” He made sure to appear unsure. “I was speaking with Florentia earlier and she said that you visited her on the morning she fell ill.”
“Possibly,” she said without missing a beat. “What day was it?”
“Seven days ago now,” he responded, his heart hammering inside his chest, his blood boiling. “My hope is that you might have seen something while you were with her? Perhaps you took a walk in the garden? Did she touch anything or press anything to her face?”
Caroline’s brow tightened as if in thought. “No...we stayed indoors, and my visit was a short one. I just wished to pop in, as I was passing by at the time. Alas, I was with her for less than an hour and she was perfectly healthy.”
He bowed his head. “It was a shot in the dark, but thank you.”
“If there is anything I might do,” she spoke quickly. “Please, I care for Florentia, as I am sure you know. And it pains me to think of her suffering.”
“That is the second reason I am here,” Hudson said. “Not for what you might do for me, but what I wish to do for you.”
“Oh...?”
