twenty-eight
PERRY WAS SORE and tired all over. He’d suffered from more seizures in the past few weeks than in the past few years.
When Edith had been shoved into the water, panic had seized him. He’d tried to help her, but the seizure had been faster. If she hadn’t found the courage to overcome her own moment of panic, she might have got hurt. And last but not least, he’d revealed his condition to everyone. Dukes, earls, and members of Parliament had witnessed his malady. He’d not been conscious during the seizure, but he could guess what comments they’d made.
After the disastrous party, he’d hidden from society in his parlour with Edith for the whole day. He didn’t even want to see his servants around.
“Perry, you must react.” She took his hand and stroked it. “We must do something.”
“The party was a trap, and we fell for it.” He rubbed his aching forehead. “Miss Ferguson and my uncle witnessed my seizure in the Scarlet Room and mistakenly thought that water triggered it, but as it turned out, their mistake didn’t matter. They got what they wanted.”
She laced her fingers through his. “I have no evidence, but if Neville manages to steal the title from you, I’m sure Daphne will be his countess. The good thing is that I’m not as scared of the water as I was before.” She chuckled. “Well, I’m still scared, but I jumped out of the pool on my own.”
He kissed her knuckles. “You’re a strong, brilliant woman.” A horrible thought made its way through his mind. “If the worst happens and I’m declared insane and locked up in an asylum, we won’t be able to get married.”
Her beautiful eyes shone with a fierce light. “We’ll get married. No matter what happens, we’ll find a way. I promise you.”
He put a hand on her nape and pulled her for a kiss. Her sweet, soft lips parted, and the tip of her tongue darted over his.
The knock on the door interrupted them.
He released her reluctantly. “Come in.”
“I’m sorry, Perry.” Oliver slid inside the parlour tentatively. “Two letters have just arrived. One contains great news, the other bad news. Which one do you want first?”
“Good news.”
Oliver flashed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Mr. Lochard, the private detective, caught the infamous stable hand, a John Clarke.”
“Yes!” Edith squeezed Perry’s hand.
“Lochard is currently interrogating him,” Oliver said. “The police are involved as well.”
Perry sagged in the armchair. “Great. The bad news?”
He handed him a long letter, his smile vanishing. “I took the liberty of reading it in case it was something unimportant, so that I wouldn’t trouble you, but that’s not the case.”
Perry forced down the wave of worry rising up. “Under a request filed by Lord Neville St. George, Master of Tallbridge, an official medical report will be issued by a member ofthe Royal Medical Society to ascertain if Lord Ravenscroft possesses the mental capability and ability to hold his title. Lord Ravenscroft might request to be examined by a physician of his choice, as long as the said physician has been a member of the Royal Medical Society for no less than ten years.As if that changes anything. Given the particular circumstances, Dr. Bernard Winkworth is not eligible to be the medical inspector… yours respectfully… etc….” Perry lowered the letter. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Could your brother be reinstated?” Edith asked.
“Once renounced, the title would be difficult to reinstate without a long legal battle and most likely some scandal. I certainly don’t want that.” He folded the letter and set it aside. “Besides, my brother is happy where he is. I don’t want to draw him into this.”
“Not all is lost,” Oliver said. “The medical inspector must catch you in the middle of a seizure. Right? He has no means to verify that you suffer from seizures unless he witnesses one.”
“Too many people saw what happened,” Perry said. “Plenty of witnesses. The visit is a formality.”
“We have an ace to play though.” She glanced at the curtains covering Astrea. “We can request Sir James as the inspector. He’s very much interested in the Star Maiden. We might offer it to him in exchange for a favourable report.”
“A bribe?” Oliver sounded both hopeful and shocked.
“Why not?” she said. “Neville and Daphne are playing a dirty game. So can we.”
Perry glanced in the direction of the painting. He was fond of the Star Maiden. He wasn’t fond of the idea of another man ogling over Edith’s nude painting, maybe showing it to his friends. “I’m sure we can find something else to bribe him with.”
“Would it be so difficult for you to give the Star Maiden away?” Edith asked.
Perry scratched his chin. “Sir James feels guilty about the carriage accident. He won’t refuse to be my examiner. We don’t need to use the painting.”
