The two men stood in tense silence for a moment, their shared goal uniting them despite the animosity that still simmered beneath the surface. There was much to unravel, and time was not on their side.
Could he even trust Bedford?
15
Elsbeth sat quietly, her arm resting on the edge of her chair, as Clara deftly removed the stitches from her wound. Her thoughts, however, were far from the present moment. Someone had deliberately tried to kill her that morning. There was no denying it now. The planter had not simply fallen by accident. It had been purposefully dropped, with the clear intent to harm her.
She struggled to process the realization. Could Charles truly be behind such a heinous act? She wanted to trust him, wanted to believe he wasn’t capable of such treachery. His reaction after the incident had seemed genuine enough, but was it all an act? The cold, hard truth lingered in her mind: if she died, her substantial dowry would revert to the estate, providing Charles with the funds he desperately needed.
The weight of suspicion pressed down on her chest. The only person she could trust completely was Niles, but even that trust brought its own complications. How could he possibly keep her safe when he wasn’t residing in the manor?
Clara’s voice pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. “That should do it,” the lady’s maid said with a satisfied nod as shefinished. “Now, do try to avoid getting shot again, if you please.”
Elsbeth let out a soft, humorless laugh. “I will do my best.”
Clara immediately looked contrite. “I shouldn’t joke about such things. Not with everything that’s happened.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Elsbeth assured her. “If anything, I welcome the distraction from my thoughts.”
Clara studied her with concern. “How are you faring? Truly?”
Elsbeth hesitated before replying, “I am… managing. To be honest, I don’t know what to feel or who to trust in this household.”
“Well,” Clara said with a small smile, “you can trust me.”
“And for that, I am eternally grateful,” Elsbeth replied sincerely.
Clara’s gaze swept over her. “Now, we need to fix your hair. Your mother would be rather upset if you came down to dinner looking less than perfect.”
Recognizing the truth in her maid’s words, Elsbeth moved to sit before the dressing table. Clara began removing the pins from her hair, brushing it through before gathering it up into an elegant style. She left two soft curls to frame Elsbeth’s face, giving her a look of composed grace.
Just as Clara was finishing, a knock came at the door. Clara crossed the room to open it, revealing Charles standing in the corridor.
“Cousin,” Elsbeth greeted, forcing a polite smile as she rose from her seat.
Charles stepped into the doorway but did not enter the room. “I came to escort you down to dinner.”
“How thoughtful,” Elsbeth murmured, her voice tight.
As they walked down the corridor together, Elsbeth clasped her hands in front of her to steady herself. She hated the unease she felt around her cousin, hated how suspicion hadcrept into her mind and taken root. But how could she ignore her fears? He had taken a shot at her—accidental, he claimed—and possibly poisoned her. Or was she overthinking everything?
Charles broke the silence. “I know you don’t entirely trust me, but I promise you, Elsbeth, I would never hurt you.”
She kept her gaze forward, saying nothing. She didn’t know what to believe anymore.
He continued. “While you were resting, I spoke with the constable. He’s been made aware of the circumstances.”
“You didn’t think to wake me?” she asked, irritation creeping into her voice.
“There was no need,” Charles replied evenly. “I was there, and I provided him with all the necessary information. Besides, I didn’t want to alarm the household, especially your mother.”
She bit back her retort, knowing he had a point. There was no sense in upsetting her mother unnecessarily, not without more concrete information. Still, the fact that Charles had made the decision without consulting her bothered her greatly. “I would have preferred to speak with the constable myself,” she said.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Charles responded. “Of course you’re more than capable of speaking on your own behalf.”
“Indeed, I am,” she replied, tilting her chin slightly.
They continued down the corridor in silence. Elsbeth saw no reason to fill the space with meaningless words. Her thoughts were already too loud, and the questions swirling in her mind refused to be silenced.
