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Letty’s eyes widened as she took in that information. “You…?” She opened her mouth and closed it, wondering how to ask if he’d changed his mind about letting her go.
He took a deep breath. “We found you four days ago, passed out on the beach and burning up.”
“We?”
“My soldiers and I. We were headed back here.”
A niggling itch made itself known at the back of her throat. There was something about his words that should worry her but she didn’t know what. Suddenly she sat up as she remembered. “What about George? Did you catch the poisoner?”
Bertram placed his hands on her arms, pushing her back down. “You need to rest.”
“But…t-the—”
“It’s all right. I didn’t leave George undefended. And you said they were after me, is that not so? So if I’m not at the manor, there is no need for them to go after the boy.”
She stared at him in horror. “You wanted to draw them to you here? To make yourself the bait?”
“It’s better than the alternative, don’t you think?”
Letty felt her heart beat accelerate with anxiety. “But…” she shook her head, “It could be anybody now. Do you know who you’re expecting?”
The Duke took a deep breath. “I conducted some inquiries when you left. The Countess of Perrin claimed that she had no knowledge of any gentlemen on her property on the night in question.”
“And you believe her?”
“She has no reason to lie to me.”
“Does she not? Isn’t what they’re plotting tantamount to treason?”
Bertram sighed. “In any case, we learned nothing so we have no choice but to bait the hook and hope they bite.”
“That’s remarkably courageous of you.” Letty swallowed. Courageous was not the word she would have preferred.
Idiotic? Reckless?
Those words seemed more fitting to her way of thinking. But she knew she did not have the right to utter them. She was nobody to the Duke—a mere nuisance, an inconvenience. She was surprise he’d bothered to help her.
But he’s clearly a kind-hearted man. And now he can arrest me as soon as I am better.
She looked around the tent. There was no guard and there was no door. Once she was better, she could simply slip out and escape. Of course she didn’t put it past him to have someone watching her from afar.
“I disagree. It’s a threat, and we must apprehend it. I am merely being practical.”
Letty’s lips turned down in wry amusement. “Of course. Englishmen do not have anything so pedestrian as emotions.”
His eyebrow quirked. “Exactly.” He said dryly as he got to his feet. “I shall fetch the doctor’s wife to help you bathe.”
* * *
Bertram walked away from his tent, his heart lighter than it had been in a while. Letty truly looked as if she was getting better, finally. He stepped into the physician’s tent and his wife stood up at once, her wide green eyes seeming to see too much. “She’s awake?”
Bertram nodded. “I thought it would be a good idea for her to get refreshed. But she needs help to do that.”
She nodded. “Aye, all right. I’ll go and help her.”
She gathered her things and walked out. Bertram watched her go before turning to the doctor. “I’d like to know how Miss Strange is doing? Is she on her way to recovery or is there still cause for worry?”
Mr. Fischer sighed. “We have the fever under control which was the greatest worry. Should there be no more spikes then I think we can safely say she is on the road to recovery. But we won’t know for sure for another few days.”
