Mrs. Fenwick stood near the hearth, rigid with fury. Mercy hovered beside her, her eyes rounded to saucers. Elias took his place near the door.
Major Ellis looked at Mrs. Pembroke. “Madam, I requested the maid, not an audience.”
“And yet here we all are,” Mrs. Pembroke replied, motioning to the others. “How fortunate that you do not have to repeat yourself from room to room.”
“I will question her alone.”
Mrs. Pembroke calmly clasped her hands in front of her. “No.”
Rothborne blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Mrs. Pembroke gave him a pleasant smile. “You may question my servants in my house with me present, or you may remove yourself from both.”
Major Ellis studied her employer, and Anna stilled. After a moment, he turned his attention to her. “Very well.”
Anna continued to force herself not to move. If she could, she’d bolt like a rabbit.
“Miss Turner,” Major Ellis said with a sly smile.
She curtsied. “Sir.”
“You served at Captain Whitby’s gathering last night.”
“Yes, sir.”
He began to circle her. “You moved through the parlor, dining room, the halls.”
She nodded. “The dining room, halls, and pantry. Yes, sir.”
“And you spoke to Mr. Reed.”
Her heart picked up. Mrs. Pembroke shifted slightly beside her, just enough that Anna knew she’d heard the danger in the question too. “Mr. Reed spoke to me, sir,” Anna said.
“About what?”
She tried to remain calm. “Mrs. Wexford’s complaint about the sugar, sir.”
Rothborne huffed an impatient sound. “You expect us to believe that?”
Anna lowered her gaze. “It was a very loud complaint, sir.”
Mrs. Fenwick coughed into one hand as Mercy stared at the floor, her lips pressed together. Major Ellis didn’t so much as glance their way.
“And in the hall?” he asked.
Anna’s palms began to sweat. “He told me crowded rooms were dangerous, sir.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“I suppose because I was carrying a tray of glasses.” That should appease him.
He stopped circling her. “Do you often require warnings from couriers to carry glassware?”
Then again, maybe not. “No, sir.”
“Then why would he say such a thing?”
Anna looked up at him just enough to let her embarrassment show. “I don’t know, sir.”
