“My goodness, the stories that do go round. Thetonhas poor Lord Dashlend lying at death’s door, quite unconscious. A relief that it’s only talk, yes, it really is,” Lady Margaret said. “I came straight over to warn you of something.”
“Warn us?” Grace said.
Thomas came in with the tea tray and Lady Margaret fell to silence. Valor patted her hand. “You don’t have to be quiet because Thomas might hear,” she said. “I tell him everything anyway.”
“Oh I see, well then,” Lady Margaret said, “I had a very unusual encounter this morning. Lord Montclave came to see me. Of course, I initially thought he’d try to get some money out of me and good luck to that. But no. First, he practically interrogated me about last night, as if I should know what happened. Then he told me that people are saying Dashlend had not regained consciousness.”
Nelson growled again. Winsome said, “Never mind Nelson, we taught him to do that.”
Lady Margaret’s eyes widened just a bit, but she continued on. “Then, Lord Montclave made a speech about him being the senior most family member on the scene and he would need to take charge of his cousin’s recovery. Then, if you can believe it, he saidhemust move into the house andImust move out!”
“Goodness,” Grace said, rather taken aback by Lord Montclave’s heavy-handedness. “What did you say to it?”
“I told him he would have to pry me out of Lord Dashlend’s house cold and dead, that’s what I told him. Among other things.”
Valor clapped. “I knew it. I knew my friend would give that fellow the what for. Mrs. Wendover knew it all along too.”
Lady Margaret patted Valor’s hand. “I am most gratified in your faith in me. And of course, Mrs. Wendover’s approbation. Now, aside from the outrage of attempting to throw me out of a house he does not own, I feel there is something underhanded in Lord Montclave’s ideas. He will be the earl’s heir if Dashlend does not produce one, and I just feel…”
Lady Margaret had trailed off.
“You do not mean he would attempt any sort of violence?” Grace asked.
“Perhaps not violence,” Lady Margaret said, “perhaps more like neglect. After all, why does he need me gone from the house? Is it because he wishes to move Lord Dashlend there and enact some plan in secret?” Lady Margaret wrung her hands. “Oh, I do not know. I just have a very bad feeling about it.”
Grace poured a cup of tea for Lady Margaret and handed it to her. “My father says Lord Dashlend is to stay here for the moment. I will tell him of your concerns—he does not care for Lord Montclave as it is. In any case, reports of the lord’s unconsciousness are not correct, Lord Dashlend can himself determine what ought to be done about his cousin.”
Lady Margaret looked much relieved to hear it.
“Now you can set your mind at ease, Lady Margaret,” Serenity said.
“Indeed I can. I knew I did right to come here straight away.” The lady sipped her tea and then set it down. “Well! I suppose I’d best visit our patient and see how he gets on.”
“Visit him?” Grace asked.
“None of us have seen him since he was carried in,” Winsome said.
“It’s scary that he’s up there,” Valor said. “Last night, I couldn’t fall asleep because he was just down the hall, breathing or whatever he’s doing in that room.”
Valor shivered, as if to make her point more directly.
“We haven’t seen him on account of he’s in a bed,” Patience said. “Only our Felicity has ever seen a gentleman in a bed.”
Valor whispered, “Mr. Stratton sleeps in the same room with Felicity,” in a tone that suggested it was hard to believe.
“We think Mr. Stratton stares at Felicity while she’s sleeping,” Serenity said for added clarity.
“That’s rather uncomfortable, I imagine,” Lady Margaret said.
Valor shrugged. “Felicity seems to like it, though we don’t know why. But Lady Margaret, will you really go into his room?”
“Why should I not? I am an old lady and a relation. I suppose I can charge into any sickroom I like. Thomas, is it? Lead me there.”
With that, she rose and sailed majestically from the room. Her skirts were so wide she appeared a ship leaving a wake as she departed a harbor.
Goodness. She was going to see Lord Dashlend.
As the doors to the drawing room were closed, they all stared at the ceiling once more.
