The three men coughed as they cleared the mahogany desk and chairs where Beau and Perry would sit.
“I see our visit was more than necessary,” Perry noted.
Beau crossed the room to toss aside the curtains, letting some much-needed light and air come into the room through the French doors. The coughing sent a sharp pain to his tender wound and he hungrily inhaled the fresh air.
“This is worse than I thought,” Beau confessed, his jaw tense. “While I was getting my bearings in London, the situation has been sorely neglected at Bodmin. I’m ashamed I’m only learning of this now. Our steward, Mr. Jeffries, was very good at sending positive reports, giving no indication to what was truly happening. I expected all to be running smoothly at Bodmin.”
A muscle ticked in Beau’s jaw as he clenched his teeth.
Perry wondered if perhaps the sneaky steward might have something to do with his shooting. “Did you send a letter informing the servants of my arrival when I left London?” Perry asked his brother.
“Indeed,” Beau said, confusion creasing his features. “I sent a messenger to alert the steward. Gah, I am furious. Once I get my hands on the blackguard, there will be no witnesses, I assure you.”
A breathy Mrs. Boots pushed open the door and closed it behind her.
“Thank goodness you are here, my lord. The situation has become very grave indeed.” Her eyes darted furiously between the men, brows drawn in concern. Her coloring was ashen, with terror marking her features. The woman had aged more than her years since Perry had last seen her. She had lost her bright spark.
Perry watched as the housekeeper, an older woman with gray hair hidden under a prim lace cap and round cheeks that seemed to be lacking their previous luster. Mrs. Boots had loved him as a mother would a child. It pained him to see her this troubled.
“Start from the beginning. Please,” Beau asked, uncovering another chair and waving for her to sit. Mrs. Boots stood for a moment, then sat, pressing her lips together with a resigned expression. “Leave out no detail. I promise you, there will be no consequences for any servants who continue to work loyally for the family. I seek to punish the one who left the estate in such disarray.”
“When Mr. Jeffries was appointed, the former duke assigned him to ‘cut costs on the estate and eliminate waste,’ as the steward put it,” the woman began.
“Sounds like our father,” Beau inserted, his face grim.
“Mr. Jeffries quickly went through our budgets, necessary budgets that I spent wisely and managed carefully. Funds for properly maintaining an estate of this great size. Mr. Jeffries made cuts that harmed the care and resources we had to maintain the property. It was impossible to keep all the servants on such tight funds. Whispers in the village were that he had tripled rents for no reason. Simply to line his own pockets, I suspect.”
“This is very concerning. I was not aware the former duke was using such means to extract more from the estate than it could handle.”
Mrs. Boots nodded, her eyes wide and fretful. “It wasn’t right. To see our beautiful Bodmin fall into disrepair. Mr. Jeffries threatened all the servants and me when I said I would contact the new duke to make things right. I was quite afraid. He had the look of a man who meant us harm. He intercepted any correspondence.” She sniffed, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbing at her eyes. “Anyone who opposed him was let go without a recommendation. We grew fearful of upsetting him. If Woodsten or I left, who would ensure the estate was put to rights?”
Tenting his fingers before him, Perry absorbed the information without judgment. Losing a job without having a recommendation from their former employer was devastating. It meant someformer servants might have ended up on the streets, or worse. No new employer would look at them without a reference.
“The people in the village must be suffering greatly if they are half as neglected as the house and gardens. We will have much work to do to restore the property. Could you make us a list of the servants who have left us and see if we might hire them back? We will need many hands to return the estate to its former greatness.”
The older woman gave a watery smile and bobbed her head, the first sign of her former joyfulness stretching across her face.
“I’ll make a list straight away, Your Grace. I caution you, when you visit the village, you will see that the people are suffering dearly.”
Perry shook his head, horrified at the new developments.
Beau frowned. “Thank you for the information, Mrs. Boots. Now, where might I find Mr. Jeffries?” Beau pressed, eyes wide and eager for more information. “I would like to question him, as well as all the remaining servants.”
Mrs. Boots clutched her hands in front of her, agitated and breathing rapidly.
“Well, you see, we have been unable to locate Mr. Jeffries,” the housekeeper stuttered. “He was extremely agitated when news of your coming arrived. He mumbled a lot of nonsense about preventing your visit somehow. When we looked for him, it appeared he had been absent for a few days. A good amount of the money and silver left in our coffers is gone as well.”
“I have contacted the magistrate, and he will be sending some agents to search for him. Is there anyone who might have assisted him? A friend, perhaps?”
Casting her gaze to the side, Mrs. Boots considered, a faint blush tinging her cheeks. “It is only a rumor; I am not sure how much truth there is in it.”
“Please, tell us anything that could help locate Mr. Jeffries.” Perry pressed further. “There is a strongpossibility he has committed another grave crime. I was shot on the journey to Bodmin.”
Mrs. Boots pressed a hand to her chest at the news. “Yes, we were informed by a messenger from Fermoy. The news grieved me greatly, my lord.” The housekeeper pressed her lips together, seeming indecisive. “There have been whispers of inappropriate behavior. Talk of Jeffries having a liaison with a maid. I would recommend you speak to Nancy. She works in the kitchen, my lord.” Wrapping her arms around herself with a shuddering sigh, Mrs. Boots watched the men for a reaction.
“Please have Nancy come to visit us here in the office immediately,” Beau commanded. The housekeeper stood up, bobbed a curtsy and hurried from the room, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.
“This is horrible,” Beau lamented, resting his head in his hands.
