“Did Lord Beaufort not accompany you to Duncan Place?” Lady Orson inquired.
“His lordship said something of first delivering Caroline to the authorities and then assisting Lord Liverpool’s men with the investigation with someone named Yates.”
Lord Duncan said, “Beaufort does not do well when someone for whom he cares is seriously injured. When I found him as a child, he begged his mother and father to come back to him.” Annalise was not confident why Lord Duncan shared such private information with her, but she simply acknowledged the information with a nod of her head.
“I am Lord Graham,” the other man in the room said. “What happened to those Moreau employed?” he asked. “I mean when both Lionel and Beaufort showed up to fetch you?
“They all left before I managed to escape,” Annalise explained. “Mrs. Sable thought to prevent my leaving, but Lionel’s appearance sent them scattering. Mrs. Sable kept saying my uncle was a marquis, but the maid Clara claimed she warned them all that my uncle was not an aristocrat.”
Lord Graham’s eyebrow rose slightly, which also lifted the scar on his cheek. “That is assuredly odd behavior, for the housekeeper knew something of Moreau. The woman was having an affair with the man.”
Annalise knew she frowned, but she could not disguise the gesture. “I was not aware. Perhaps she is the reason why I was made to move my belongings into the drying room.”
“Before others begin to question those Moreau employed, one of us should do so, do you not think, my lord?” Lord Graham asked.
“As is customary, you remain the sensible one, Aaran,” Lord Duncan said with a heavy sigh. “Though I know you, too, are worried for Alexander.”
“I am, but I mean to be useful. There are still many questions to beanswered, and Alexander will wish to know all those answers when he wakes. We must bring all involved to justice. We cannot permit Alexander’s sacrifice to be in vain,” Lord Graham declared.
“I would be happy to assist you in any manner you think necessary,” Annalise declared.
“For now,” Lady Orson instructed, “why do you not come with me, Lady Annalise? Lady Theodora has taken up a vigil outside Alexander’s room. She could use your company.”
Annalise was not so assured Lady Theodora would welcome her presence, but Annalise meant to be as loyal to Alexander as he would be to her. At least, when she approached the young woman, Lady Theodora did not attack Annalise for being the cause of Alexander’s injuries. She did ask if Caroline had been caught or not. “Thompson said she is the one who shot Alexander.”
Annalise was not confident she knew who Thompson was, but she explained how Caroline had returned to Amgen House and how she and her cousin had fought and finally how Beaufort had escorted Caroline to the authorities.
Naturally, Ladies Emma and Theodora asked about Annalise’s relationship with Beaufort, and Annalise had been happy to explain how he had saved her from the fire and how they had become friends.
That is, until Lady Emma warned, “Do not set your heart on him. His lordship is the only one of his family who survived a slaughter and that was because his mother had hidden him away in a secret room. His lordship may appear debonair on the outside, but he is quite shattered.”
“As are all of Lord Macdonald Duncan’s sons,” Lady Theodora added.
Annalise was quite uncomfortable, for her heart had a mind of its own when it came to Lord Beaufort. However, she managed to say, “Our relationship is nothing of the sort. Lord Beaufort assisted me in saving Lord Amgen’s kitchen and perhaps the man’s house. After that,he would bring me meals and keep me company. I was in the house alone and quite frightened by the prospect that my uncle did not mean to return for me. He proved to be a friend when I desperately required one. In fact, he came to rescue me a second time when he spotted my fighting with Alexander. He did not know it was Alexander. Neither of us knew of my connection to Marksman then. When he learned, Beaufort told Alexander that all his brothers would be extremely jealous, for Marksman would have something none of them would ever know.”
Their days andnights were quickly consumed by tending to Alexander’s recovery. Annalise could not say she was any happier to be in Lord Duncan’s house and under the watchful eye of all of Alexander’s family, but not her family. She might have found it more comfortable if Lord Beaufort had made an appearance, but, like the others, she had learned that his lordship was in Birmingham and serving the British government. Meanwhile, Annalise had convinced herself the man was purposely avoiding her.
Perhaps it would have been better if she and Lady Theodora could overcome the awkwardness that remained present between them since coming into each other’s lives. On that evening, they had taken each other’s measure, and it was obvious that their base sentiments remained. That is not to say that they did not experience moments when Lady Theodora and she seemed of one mind, but Lady Theodora had been raised in luxury, where Annalise had often fought for her safety and meals.
Though others would tell her something different, Annalise blamed herself, for she was the outsider in Lord Duncan’s household.Everyone else could finish each other’s sentences, but not her, for she shared no history with anyone in the house, not even with Alexander, who remained heavily sedated and offered no signs of recovery.
The first two days, she and Lady Theodora had shared a room, but Annalise had finally suggested that she should claim one of the other rooms so they both would rest better. Predictably, Lady Theodora had offered no objection. They truly had nothing in common. All her life, Lady Theodora had been coddled and loved by six men, while Annalise had only known her Uncle Jacobi’s conditional recognition.
Yet, what really bothered Annalise happened yesterday. The evening before, Annalise had told Lady Theodora, “Should not Alexander be coming out of his constant fever by now? It does not seem right to me. Could your Mr. Rheem have missed a sliver of bone or a flake of metal off the bullet?”
Mayhap, it was Annalise’s use of “your” that had Lady Theodora pulling herself up royally in objection. “I assure you, Mr. Rheem is one of London’s finest surgeons,” her ladyship had pronounced in tones of dismissal.
Imagine Annalise’s irritation when she returned from a day out at a modiste with Lady Emma to learn that Theodora was being congratulated for discovering that an infection had set in around the bandage wrapped under Alexander’s arm and never once did the woman thank Annalise for the suggestion.
She attempted to tell herself that what really mattered was a turn for the better for Alexander, but Annalise could not shake the idea that Lady Theodora’s actions were purposeful. The problem was she had no one to whom she could complain. Though she was no longer scrubbing floors, she was still being ignored by those around her. They talkedather, notwithher.
When Alexander finally awoke two days later, Annalise could have lodged her complaint, but the whole house was so elated that her brother had taken a turn towards healing that her concerns wouldsound petty, especially as Alexander appeared quite happy to return Lady Theodora’s affections.
Annalise would have preferred to retreat to Dutton Hall, but she dared not make the request. Finally, Beaufort arrived on Friday, and after spending time with Alexander, he sought Annalise out in the library.
“There you are,” he said with a smile, and the knot in Annalise’s stomach unwound. She scrambled to her feet to greet him.
“You have been sorely missed, sir,” she said.
