“Now then, none of you are in trouble. I just want to know how there came to be a baby in my bedchamber. I know that many of you were busy with the party, but surely, one of you must have seen something. It does not seem possible that someone could smuggle a baby into the house without anyone knowing,” he said.
The maids and servants stared at him.
“They are small, Your Grace,” one of the servants said. Victor cleared his throat, and the servant was quickly silenced by a savage glare.
One of the maids peered down the line and whispered something to her colleague.
“You… what are you saying?” Victor said.
The maid looked like a deer caught in a hunter’s gaze. She stepped forward. Victor had never made an effort to familiarize himself with all the staff.
“Apologies, Your Grace, I was just asking after Liza.”
“Liza?” he asked.
“Yes. She should be here, Your Grace, but she is not, and I haven’t seen her since before the ball.”
“And you think that she might know something about the baby?” Victor asked, a thunderous tone in his voice. The maid dipped her head and looked at her feet.
“I’m not sure about that. I just thought it was curious that she wasn’t here, Your Grace.”
“Well then, let us find her. Come, show me where she sleeps,” Victor said, ordering the rest of them to stay where they were. “I want you all to think carefully about what you saw tonight. Someone brought a baby into this house, and there must be a reason why the child was placed in my own bedchambers,” he said. The servants and maids glanced at each other uneasily.
He feared that finding the truth would not be as easy as he hoped.
He followed the maid to the servant’s quarters. She took him to Liza’s bed, but it was stripped, and there were no belongings at all. The maid looked puzzled.
“I do not understand. This is where she sleeps, Your Grace.”
“Did she say anything about a child?”
“She did not say much of anything. She was the quiet sort. We don’t tend to pry,” the maid replied.
“Well, do you know where she is now?”
“I’m afraid not, Your Grace. She could be anywhere. Some people do move between jobs, you know. They get restless,” she said, shifting her weight between her feet. Victor stared at her, getting the impression that she knew more than she was letting on.
“If there’s something else, you should tell me now,” he said, his voice becoming a growl.
The maid gulped and exhaled deeply. Her gaze was furtive and failed to meet Victor’s eyes.
“There’s just one thing Your Grace, but I’m not sure I should…” She trailed away in a soft voice.
“I want to know everything” he said sharply. The maid lifted her gaze, and her eyes widened with panic.
“Of course, Your G- Grace,” she stammered. “It’s just that, well, I’m not sure it means anything really, but she did ask after your brother.”
The maid looked as though she had admitted something secret. Victor poked his tongue against his cheek and scowled. If Harryhad something to do with this after all the times that Victor had warned him…
He whirled away without saying anything further to the maid and stormed through the house. The ache in his head had not subsided and the last thing he wanted was to still be investigating this matter, but he would not be able to rest until he gained some clarity.
After searching through rooms and studies, he found Harry brooding in the library. Harry had a bottle of champagne on a table beside him and a book open in his lap although it did not seem as though he was paying much attention to the literature. Victor’s shoes clipped against the floor, and the sound echoed through the silent library.
Harry glanced up and gave Victor a surly look.
“I’d ask if you have come to apologize, but I should not expect so much from you, brother,” he said, his words slurring a little. There was a haze in his eyes. Victor remained standing, his hands balled into fists.
“Are you responsible for this?” Victor asked.
