“I had my usual breakfast—one egg, one piece of toast, and ham,” she replied impatiently. “I admit it doesn’t look good for Charles, but that doesn’t mean he poisoned me.”
Niles gave her a pointed look. “He shot at you.”
“That was an accident.”
“Was it?”
Before she could retort, muffled shouting reached them from the direction of her stepfather’s study. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling Niles to follow her.
They approached the study quietly. The door was ajar, allowing her to peer inside. Alfred sat at his desk, his face set in a scowl. A man she had seen only once before stood before him, speaking in hushed but heated tones.
“Why is Lord Bedford poking around in matters that do not concern him?” Alfred demanded.
The man shrugged. “Do you want me to take care of it?”
“Yes,” Alfred said sharply. “But make sure it can’t be traced back to me.”
“I can be discreet.”
Alfred’s expression darkened further. “If Lord Bedford keeps asking questions, it’ll be his funeral.”
Elsbeth’s breath caught in her throat. Her stepfather’s words echoed ominously in her mind.
“I won’t disagree with you there, Sir. I’ll handle it,” the man responded before he turned to leave.
Elsbeth’s pulse quickened at the sight. They needed to hide, and quickly. Without hesitation, she reached for Niles’s hand and pulled him into the nearest room, a parlor just off the corridor. The soft click of the door closing behind them felt deafening in the tense silence. She leaned against it, taking a steadying breath to calm her racing heart.
Niles remained close. “What do you make of that conversation?” he asked in a low voice.
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But it doesn’t bode well for Charles. What could he be poking around in that has my stepfather so agitated?”
“Do you know who that man was with your stepfather?”
“I’ve seen him once before, the last time I overheard my stepfather in conversation. He’s not someone I recognize from our social circles.”
As the words left her mouth, she became acutely aware of the warmth of Niles’s hand in hers. She froze, the realization sending a wave of mortification through her. What must he think of her, dragging him around like this? Quickly, she released his hand and took a step back, putting a bit of space between them.
“Now do you believe me?” she asked, hoping to distract Niles from her embarrassment. “My stepfather is not who he pretends to be.”
Niles’s gaze lingered on her, thoughtful. “I’ll admit, that conversation was... troubling.”
“Troubling?” she echoed, her voice full of incredulity. “What is he involved in? And why would he want to harm my cousin?”
“I know that look. You’re about to go off half-cocked, aren’t you?”
She straightened her posture, indignant. “No, I’m merely considering my options. For instance, I think it’s time I follow my stepfather and see where he’s been going. He travels to the next village over far too often for it to be a coincidence. What business could he possibly have there?”
“It might be perfectly innocent,” Niles suggested, though his skeptical tone betrayed his true thoughts.
“Or it might be illicit,” she countered.
He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stern. “Elsbeth, you promised me you wouldn’t play highwaywoman ever again.”
“I did,” she agreed with a sigh. “But following someone discreetly is hardly the same thing.”
“And if you’re caught?”
She shrugged. “Who says I’ll be caught?”
