No stays for three days?Two days of bedrest?!
No. Absolutely not.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, he added, “Considering the morning you’ve had, I believe a sedative would be best.”
From his case, he brought forth an amber bottle of liquid and uncorked it. A pungent, all too familiar smell of bitter alcohol and earth assaulted her nose.Laudanum. She was in pain, but notthatmuch. She didnotneed opium.
“That isn’t necessary. It doesn’t hurt,” Cassandra lied as he filled a dropper with the dark liquid.
“If not for the pain, for the mind, my lady,” he said. “It will facilitaterestfulsleep.”
“I’m fine,” she argued again. “There’s nothing wrong with my mind. And, I’m exhausted. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep right away.”
“You went through something dreadful, dear,” Aunt Valentine said softly, taking her face in her hands. She kissed her on both cheeks and met her eyes. “Do it for me, it’ll makemefeel better.” With theconcern in Aunt Valentine’s face, Cassandra couldn’t refuse her, and nodded. Aunt Valentine turned to the doctor and said, “Asmalldose, sir.”
A few drops of putrid tasting medicine later, Aunt Valentine eased Cassandra’s head onto her shoulder. A giddy, dizzy feeling came over Cassandra and the room spun. Voices warbled around her. Closing her eyes, she sighed as she felt consciousness slipping away.
The door opened and closed as the doctor left, and she surrendered to sleep.
***
After sending a tray of food to Cassandra’s room, Seth found Adrian Hollingsworth biding his time in his father’s study. He was five years younger than Seth, but he held himself like a man twice his age. There was a calculating coldness to his demeanor. If a soul existed within him, it was long since smothered.
The last time Seth had seen Adrian, he was well on his way to building an empire of intelligence networks in the London underground. The Bow Street Runners answered to him, as well as several private detective firms and a collection of thugs that worked in the shadows. God only knew how far his reach extended now.
Or how dirty his hands are.
Adrian would have the answers that Seth sought, or he would know how to find them.
“Who is Ezekiel Sanderson?”
“An acquaintance of my father’s,” Adrian answered at once.
Expecting this, Seth asked a more deliberate question, “Is there a reason that someone might want Lord Bolderwood’sacquaintancedead?”
Adrian’s face remained impassive. It was endlessly frustrating that Seth couldn’t read the man, leaving him to decipher his cryptic words and simple sentences.
After some time, Adrian said, “You believe the round was fired intentionally.”
“I’m sure of it,” Seth replied. Being shot at wasn’t something that anyone would forget, and he had plenty of experience. “It wasn’t Mr. Nott or Bishop. Their location doesn’t match with the angle of the shot. Their surprise and offense at Cooper’s accusations were genuine. Regardless, the inventory all checks out. But someone did shootatus, and I think they were aiming for Mr. Sanderson. And His Grace…”
Duke Kendallhadbeen absent for the event and had been acting suspiciously from the start. The man was slimy, and his reaction to Cassandranotbeing hurt grated on him, but a perverse interest didn’t make a man a murderer.
Or did it?
“Nonewinformation, then,” Adrian said. After a silent moment, he spoke again. “I’m already looking into it.”
He looked as though he might speak further, but the door to the study opened and Lord Bolderwood entered with Dr. Farnsworth.
“Your turn, Mr. Reeves,” the doctor said brightly. “Have a seat.”
“No.” Seth narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Tend to Cassandra.”
Lord Bolderwood’s scowl deepened, but it was too late for Seth to take back his slip.
“I’m finished withMiss Cooper,” Dr. Farnsworth said. “You’ll be pleased to hear that time and rest will heal her injuries.”
“What injuries?” Ice seeped through his veins. Cassandra.Hurt. His hands clenched into fists at his side while he waited for the doctor to explain.
