Claybourne had to find another way to bend her to his will. She must have secrets. All aristocrats did.
He'd hired an investigator to ask around and delve into LadyStanbury'slife. And who would know her better than her former servants? They'd questioned seven of them so far, but then the stout, gray-haired man before him, Daniel Kerns, had made an odd comment to the investigator in a tavern. Something about how Stanbury had been daft since it had been so easy for the lady to pull the wool over his eyes. And Betty Kerns had been Calla's own lady's maid. Holding such a personal position, she must know something about Calla that no one else did.
"Master and Mistress Kerns, thank you for agreeing to meet me on such short notice. How has work been?"
They gave him a troubled look. "We've had nay work since Lady Stanbury let us go from our positions," Daniel said.
"Ah. I feared as much. That's why I wished to help out."
The Kerns eyed him with much doubt and suspicion.
"I can offer you both positions here in my new home, and extra money besides, if you can help me with something."
They waited in silence. The man frowned. "And what is that,m'laird?"
"I need information. You both worked closely with Lady Stanbury, did you not? Especially you, Mistress Kerns."
The two exchanged a worried look then nodded hesitantly.
"I'm well aware that Lady Stanbury is not all she claims to be. She is a very secretive woman." He searched both their faces, trying to discern whether they knew some secret. Daniel gave him a knowing look but pressed his lips tight and glanced down at his wife. She sat near frozen, her brown eyes wide.
Claybourne forced a reassuring smile. "The lady tricked her husband somehow, did she not?" He prompted.
Betty Kerns blanched. The silence lengthened.
Claybourne sat back, then pulled out a drawer. He took a sack of silver coins from within and placed it on the desk. After opening the drawstring, he poured the coins into a heap.'Twasat least two handfuls, mayhap three. The servants' eyes bulged. They were no doubt imagining how much food, clothing, and rent that much money could pay for.
"I will give you this to start with. As I said, you'll have positions here, along with room and board. You're not as young as you used to be. You worry about the future. But if you take me up on my offer, you'll have the security of a job and a home. And you'll never have to worry about where your next meal will come from." Claybourne pulled out another drawer. "I've even drawn up a contract for your positions and your pay." He slid the paper across the desk in front of them, knowing they probably couldn't read.
They glanced at it, then eyed him again. Obviously, they could read people a lot more easily than they could read contracts.
"But if you know naught…" Claybourne shrugged and scooped the money back into the sack.
"Wait," Daniel Kerns said.
"Nay," Betty whispered, giving her husband a pleading look. "We cannot."
"Betty, we've had nay food. Old as we are, no one will hire us. But this man is offering jobs, money, food, a place to sleep at night."
Betty burst into tears.
Claybourne forced himself to retain a straight face, a sympathetic expression, when all he wanted to do was crow in triumph.
"Aye,m'laird." Daniel cleared his throat. "The lady kept a secret from her husband."
Betty cried harder, sobbing into her handkerchief, but she no longer tried to stop her husband's words.
"Laird Stanbury,bein' an earl and all, wanted a son and heir more than anything.'Twaswhy he'd married the sixteen -year-old lass. But for over two years, she didn't conceive. The earl was threatening her life. And we always liked the lady; she wasverrakind to us. My wife didn't believe the lady was barren. She thought since the earl had been married twice before, with no heirs, the fault lay with him. So… we helped her."
"Helped her how?" Claybourne was near dying of curiosity. He thought he knew, but he wanted to hear it from the man's lips.
"You must understand, the earl was going to kill Lady Stanbury."
"Aye. I understand that part." But he didn't care. He simply wanted to know all the juicy details.
Daniel swallowed hard. "My wife told her she needed to find a… a more virile man to help her with the task."
"I see." Claybourne wanted to shout with elation, but he remained solemn. "And what happened?"
