“You look pale. Let me check if your room has been prepared. Perhaps you should rest before searching. I can organize the servants on your behalf. This is my duty. I have neglected it and I will be the one to set things right.”
Perry scowled, unhappy with being left out of the investigation.
“I am well. I would like to see this through.” Dropping the small note on his brother’s desk, he watched as Beau inspected the paper.
“Were there other notes?”
“Yes, I brought you what I believe is the most recent one based on the freshness of the ink. From what I decoded, they had a few preferred meeting places. I believe the D belongs to Mr. Jeffries.”
“That would make the most sense,” Beau agreed. “The other servants I have interviewed didn’t make mention of Mary having any other friendships. Her attachment to Mr. Jeffries was well known. Let us have the cook prepare us a simple luncheon and then we will begin the search. I’m not convinced we will find anything on the property. I fear they have fled with what small fortune they could carry.”
Perry frowned, bowing his head in agreement. The way Mary had cleaned out her room seemed quite final.
After feasting on the simple but delicious luncheon of soup, followed by roasted meats and vegetables, renewed energy bubbled up inside him. To maintain his recovery, he would rest, but only after a thorough search. He was motivated to capture Mr. Jeffries, since he suspected the man of pulling the trigger and taking the shot that had almost cost him his life. The man was a viable suspect.
The duke ordered most of the servants to meet him in the gardens to begin the search. Perry helped assign some to the stables, the icehouse, and the lake house. With a small group of his own, he began searching the gardens. Convinced this was likely their final meeting place, Perry scoured the land and various outdoor spaces. His heart dropped as they finished the flower and kitchen gardens. Perry chewed his bottom lip, tryingto ascertain where to go next. Sending a few people through the maze, he continued to walk the grounds, searching for new places to explore.
Seeing the overgrown maze tugged at his heartstrings, bringing forth a flood of heated memories he needed to leave in the past. His relationship with Charlotte had changed, and he mourned ever finding that kind of freedom with her again. This search for Mr. Jeffries was the distraction he needed from his disastrous wedding night. Beauregard caught his eye as he emerged from the lake house and jogged to meet him.
“Any luck?”
“Alas, nothing of note has been found yet,” Perry admitted, his shoulders slumping in defeat. While wandering further, they came upon a small thatch of trees. Wildly growing bushes created a quiet and protected space that Perry suspected would be an excellent meeting place. He sent a group of servants to search deeper in the trees.
Rounding the small forest, they came upon a clearing with an intricate stone pathway leading to the old gazebo where his mother used to have tea and invite friends to paint while in residence. The building had been maintained, though it sat unused since the duchess had passed. Perry could envision it being used once again in due time, when his brother returned with his own duchess. Once the estate was restored, it would be a happy and welcoming place once again.
He stopped, standing at the end of the path leading to the gazebo, and studied the delicate structure with its swooping points and painted ornamental wood details.
“G for Gazebo. Of course. The gazebo. I had completely forgotten this place existed.”
Beau watched him. “Let us investigate. It looks empty.”
Perry took a step forward, his heart racing as the connections were coming together in his mind. Yes, this would be a private place for a meeting.
It took only a few steps for them to arrive at the structure. A horrible odor grew stronger as they approached. The air was still, an eerie silence draping the area as they climbed up the stairs onto the thick wooden plank floor. Not a bird chirped, not a breath of wind tangled in the trees. A chill ran down his spine.
Perry swallowed.
Yes, this must have been their meeting place. Of that, Perry was now sure. It would be easy to have privacy in such a hidden place for carrying on an affair or for planning to carry out evil deeds. He glanced at his brother up ahead, who stood with his mouth gaping open in shock, then turned away abruptly.
“Found the maid,” he said, choking on the smell.
Gripping the peeling wooden balustrade, Perry coughed as the foul stench thickened around him. His arm ached, a terrible sense of foreboding flooding his every cell.
The maid lay sprawled on the floor, her skin a grayish color. The woman was clearly dead. She had no pack with her. All signs pointed to her being there for a few days. Her lover had most likely taken the spoils for himself. With sudden certainty, Perry was sure Mr. Jeffries was responsible for shooting him.
The man was now proven capable of murder.
Her silent corpse filled his mind with questions. Fear clawed at his chest at the implications of this discovery. He followed his brother from the scene, desperately gulping the fresh air as they stepped away from the area.
Finding Mary had confirmed his greatest fears.
Mr. Jeffries had a taste for murder and ample resources at his disposal.
A killer was roaming free in the countryside, and Perry had left his family alone at Fermoy.
Chapter Thirty
If Charlotte spent more time at this window, there was a distinct possibility that a servant would dust her off during their daily cleaning rituals. Turning her head, she moved toward the desk, running her fingers on the marriage certificate Perry had dropped there in a hurry, eager to get to Bodmin to clear up the mystery.
