Page 63 of In the Midnight Hour

“You sound as if you might want to hurt him—or even kill him.”

“Any man who abuses women deserves a terrible fate.” Northwood’s eyes blazed with fury.

“That is a motive,” Hypatia said, perhaps unnecessarily. “We just need to determine if he attacked his servants, and if so, which one did it.”

Chapter 15

North and Hypatia settled in her sitting room and awaited tea. Hypatia also kept looking out the window. She was watching for Drummond, as he had not yet called.

“Shall we review our list of potential suspects?” North asked.

“Yes, of course.” Hypatia turned more fully to the round table at which they sat. “I can’t help expecting Drummond to arrive at any moment.”

“Allow me to distract you by using our intellect to solve this murder.” He flashed her a smile, and she vaguely shook her head at him.

“Your charm will not distract me,” she warned him. She took a deep breath and settled back in her chair. “I’m torn as to whether one of the women servants may have killed Sir Radnor, perhaps to protect themselves, but I could also see them acting from revenge. Or the killer could be one of the men. They may have wanted to stop Sir Radnor’s abuse.”

“They all have motives,” North concluded. “Provided we’re right that Sir Radnor was abusing his female servants.”

Hypatia flattened her lips. “Do you think we’re wrong?”

“No, but we do need proof. Right now, we just have our suspicions.”

“Backed up by my personal experience,” she added fiercely. Exhaling, she inclined her head. “But I understand what you’re saying, and I know Drummond will expect proof. I should like to point him in the right direction when he interrogates me.” She sent him a tentative look. “You’ll come with me?”

“Whether you want me to or not,” he said with a dash of humor, in an attempt to keep her from becoming too agitated.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Let’s start with the men.” North lifted his hand and held out his index finger. “Maberly. Devoted and loyal butler. If he’s aware of Sir Radnor’s objectionable behavior, he does not seem bothered by it. I don’t see a motive.”

“Nor do I. Usher?” she asked as North added his middle finger to his index, counting each male servant as they discussed them. “Also devoted and loyal. He’s been with Sir Radnor almost his entire life. I should think he’d be aware of his employer’s actions. He hasn’t always been senile.”

“True. And he sleeps right next to Sir Radnor’s bedchamber.” North rounded his eyes. “Which he’s not allowed to enter at night. The conniving blackguard. Sir Radnor, I mean.”

“I know who you meant.” Her brow puckered. “I’m not sure Usher has a motive either, which is awful. I should think he and Maberly would have known what was happening and they should have put a stop to it.”

“I’m sure you know this, but such things happen in many households,” North said quietly. “I unfortunately think it’s not uncommon for other retainers to simply look the other way and try to maintain their employment.”

“That doesn’t make it any less despicable.”

“I only mean that some probably don’t feel as though they can say anything,” he elaborated. “They need their position too much and don’t want to risk it.”

“I know,” she said with great frustration. “It’s a terrible inequity. What about the footmen? Samuel and Amos.”

“I don’t know that we’re well enough acquainted with them, Samuel in particular, to estimate what they might be capable of.” North had dropped his hand and now drummed his fingers briefly on the table. “Is it possible they could have stepped in to protect one of the female servants?”

Hypatia scowled faintly. “I feel as though we’re stumbling around in the dark. It could be one of them, but it could also be a groom we haven’t met. Or it could be one of the maids he attacked—assuming he attacked them.”

“I think we’re missing the most obvious suspect,” North said. “Mrs. Babcock would want to protect the maids, and she could have been angry enough to put an end to Sir Radnor. She certainly has the surliest demeanor.”

“She does make the most sense. There are also the cook and the scullery maids. Mrs. Spragg could have wanted to protect the girls in the kitchen. They’re awfully young.”

As scullery maids typically were. The thought of Sir Radnor assaulting girls of that age was completely repulsive. It genuinely made North ill to consider it.

“I pray they weren’t victims of his cruelty,” North said with grave disgust. If Sir Radnor were not already dead and he was found to be guilty of such abhorrent crimes, North would not rest until the man was unable to hurt anyone ever again.

“Lord Northwood?”