The Countess Intrigue

by Andrews, Wendy May

  “I can, my lord, but I’m not certain he won’t have already heard about her ladyship’s questions. It’s possible he might have even run off by now if he has anything to hide and any sense.”

  Justice couldn’t help a low chuckle. “Well, Mr. Patrick, I am fairly certain he is unfortunately low on sense. But let us be quick about speaking to him to ensure he doesn’t run off before we can.”

  “Very good, my lord.” With those words the butler hurried from the room as quickly as his dignity and aging knees would allow. He returned a few moments later with a surly looking young man in tow.

  “You must be Fred,” the earl began, surprising Elizabeth with how calm he sounded. She glanced at him and was reassured by the tick in his cheek that indicated he was clenching his teeth in order to maintain his calm façade.

  Reassured, Elizabeth turned her gaze back to the footman. He appeared to be torn between belligerence and fear. His nod was his only answer.

  “I understand you arrived here in the employ of Lady Barbara, is that correct?” Elizabeth could hear the frustration in Justice’s voice.

  “That’s right, m’lord.”

  “Why did you not return with the other servants to Lady Barbara’s family?”

  Fred shrugged and Elizabeth thought he wasn’t going to elaborate in answer to Justice’s question but to her surprise he spoke up. “I had a job here to do and there wasn’t much back there to return to.”

  “What kind of a job?”

  Fred’s face took on an even more belligerent expression as he made an effort to appear innocent. “I’m your footman, my lord.”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, Elizabeth had to stifle her grin as she watched her husband roll his eyes and clench his jaw once more in frustration over the footman’s dense reply. “I realize you are in my employ as a footman, but what other kind of duties did you carry out for Lady Barbara?”

  When Fred merely shrugged again Justice looked at Elizabeth. Meeting his gaze without flinching she gave him a small nod. He shifted his gaze back to the footman.

  “We know you were passing messages for Lady Barbara, Fred. We need to know to whom you gave them.”

  They watched as the footman swallowed audibly and his fear-filled eyes shifted back and forth between the earl and his wife. Elizabeth almost clapped her hands when she sensed he was caving in. His belligerent gaze dropped.

  “It was a man at the livery, m’lord,” Fred admitted in a low voice. “I don’t know what he does with the messages but that’s who m’lady told me to take her notes to. And I would bring her letters from the same man.”

  “Have you had any communication with this man since her ladyship has been gone?”

  The footman could no longer meet his gaze. Hanging his head he offered a shallow nod. “I don’t know my letters real good, but every once in a while I took him notes when I would hear any news about you. I told him about your new lady and that she was going to town on her own the other day.” By the end of his words, he was barely whispering, but Elizabeth heard and felt a cold shiver of dread shake her frame.

  Her gaze clashed once more with her husband’s. She could feel his rage radiating, but he kept himself firmly in hand.

  * * *

  Elizabeth could barely look at the young man. If not for him she would not have been shot. She tried to remain reasonable. If not for being shot she would still be suspicious of her husband. This thought brought her up short. She couldn’t possibly be glad to be shot. That would be ludicrous. But she felt a delicious warmth spread over her as she thought about the delightful future that lay before her. Provided they put a stop to these attacks, of course. She made an effort to draw her straying focus back to the matter at hand.

  Lord Sinclair was still questioning the footman. Elizabeth hoped no one had noticed her lack of attention. She mentally tried to catch up.

  “I don’t know ‘is name, m’lord,” the servant was whining, making Elizabeth’s teeth set on edge.

  “Then can you describe him?” Elizabeth was surprised by how patient the earl sounded. She was ready to throw a book at the young footman. “How did you meet up with him?”

  “Her ladyship, yer first wife, told me where to be and I showed up. That’s it, m’lord.”

  “Very well, where would you meet this other fellow?”

  “It was pretty much different every time,” came the unhelpful reply.

  “Then tell us where some of the locations were. How did you know where to send the message when Lady Elizabeth went for her drive?” Elizabeth could hear his tone harden with that question and watched as the footman swallowed nervously before answering.

  “I was to put a red flag in the window of the eastern turret whenever there was news. And then I was to leave a note in a wooden box behind the paddocks.”

  “So my house has been under watch. Is that what you are saying?”

  “Of course, m’lord.” The footman’s shrug was expressive of his indifference.

  Elizabeth suddenly felt very ill. She stood abruptly. Feeling Lord Sinclair’s gaze on her, Elizabeth tried not to appear rushed as she quickly made her way to the door. Pansy followed in her wake. As she reached the door she heard the earl address his steward.

  “Stay here with him. I will return momentarily.”

  Elizabeth wanted to tell him not to bother about her but she was too preoccupied with her own distress. Her chamber was too far away; she hurried to a side door and made it outside in time to empty the contents of her stomach behind a conveniently planted shrub.

  “Oh, my lady, what has come over you? Have you taken ill?” Pansy was alarmed at this new development.

  Lord Sinclair handed her his handkerchief without saying a word for which Elizabeth was unbearably grateful. She was mortified for him to witness her loss of composure. She struggled to regain it.

  With a muffled curse the earl pulled his pale wife into his arms. He could not stand to watch her fight her distress. He made an effort not to jar her injured arm, but he needed to offer her comfort and be comforted in return. Feeling her relax as he rubbed her back was a balm to his own troubled soul.

  Chapter 13

  The steward had left the room by the time they returned, leaving the butler to watch the errant footman. Justice was frustrated that he would not be able to discuss with him what they had learned from Fred, the footman, before he had left.

  “Mr. Patrick, have you seen my steward?”

  “He just left, my lord. He said he was going to catch a traitor. I thought you had sent him, my lord.” The butler was surprised by Justice’s question.

  “In a manner of speaking, I did send him. I just wanted to have a few words with him before he left is all. Do not trouble yourself.”

  Once more he clenched his jaw in frustration and stalked from the room. He found his wife pacing in the upper hallway.

  “Is aught amiss with you, my dear lady?” She stopped in her tracks and he took her cold hands in his.

  “Nothing is amiss except for the obvious, my lord. I cannot abide this waiting. It was better when I was questioning the servants, it gave me something to do.” Justice grew wary when she turned to him with a pleading gaze. “Couldn’t we go into the village and start asking questions? Now that we know most of the facts, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get the rest of the tale.”

  “Absolutely not, my dear. I am not letting you out of my sight or out of this house until we have your assailant captured.”

  He almost chuckled as she threw him a disgruntled look. “Truly, my lord, what if this doesn’t get straightened out today, or this week? Are we both going to be confined here, cowering in fear? That is not how I intend to live my life.” She renewed her pacing and Justice could not blame her for being frustrated and upset. He tried to distract her.

  “How is your arm feeling today, my dear? Would you feel up to having that billiards lesson you were hoping for?”

  It was impossible to contain his laughter as she
looked at him with warring expressions of delight and disgust on her face. “You are just trying to turn me up sweet now, aren’t you, my lord?”

  “Is it working?”

  “No, but I will take you up on your offer anyway.”

  With that they both laughed, even if hers sounded on the edge of hysteria. Justice was relieved to see her maintaining her sense of humour. The activity gave them something to do and helped pass the time while they waited to learn more.

  They had managed to become so engrossed in their game that they were surprised to be interrupted by the steward some time later.

  “My lord, my lady, I am sorry to disturb you, but I was sure you would want to hear from me at your earliest convenience.”

  “Of course, David, please come in.” The earl gestured gracefully for the man to enter the room. “I must tell you, though, that I was disappointed that you had left before I could speak to you.”

  David, the steward, bowed his head sheepishly. “I apologize, my lord. When you left to see to the countess, I was too anxious to get on with finding the cur who was conspiring against you. After what that numskull Fred said, I was certain I knew just who to speak to. And I was right.”

  “What did you find out?” Justice was surprised to hear his wife’s voice but then reprimanded himself for not expecting it. Has the chit not been investigating on her own? She was not the shrinking violet he expected such a young woman to be. Forcing his attention back to the matter at hand and away from his beautiful wife, Justice focused on what his steward had to say.

  “I found the contact at the livery. Not the brightest chap in the world. It would seem he was just a go between. He had no idea the messages weren’t from you, my lord. He thought he was doing you a grand favour by passing your messages along. Right disappointed he was to find out otherwise. And when he finally realized that he had helped in injuring her ladyship the bloke nearly wept.”

  Justice was gratified to hear his wife’s giggle. “I shouldn’t find that funny, should I?” she asked rhetorically. “When this is sorted out we ought to go and visit the poor man to set his mind at ease.”

  “You are a marvel, my lady,” was all he could reply in the presence of the steward but it was with difficulty that he tore his gaze back to the other man.

  “What else was he able to tell you?”

  “He had been passing messages to two different people, interestingly enough. One was usually another go between, but it would seem that on occasion Broderick himself came for the messages. Of course, he used an alias but from the description I am certain it is him, my lord.”

  As the steward was talking, the earl’s secretary arrived. It was obvious from his anxious expression that he had news to share. Justice could see that he was unsure if he should tell what he knew with Elizabeth in the room. Turning to meet his wife’s gaze, Justice’s heart felt like it skipped a beat when he realized that she was amused rather than offended.

  “Michael, please share whatever you have learned. Her ladyship is prepared to hear whatever you have to say and she has every right to be here while we figure this out.”

  The secretary fidgeted nervously in response to his employer’s words but he didn’t hesitate much longer.

  “Turns out I wasn’t much behind David with my questions, my lord. Seems your cousin, Hector, was using the same messengers to keep up to date on what was happening on your estate. He was in league with Sir Broderick as you had suspected.”

  Neither Elizabeth nor Justice was overly surprised by this news but having it confirmed hurt more than he would have expected. He had never been close with his cousin but he had always considered that, as family, there was a certain amount of loyalty owed to the relationship. He was startled to feel Elizabeth’s hand sliding into his own. When he glanced down into her upturned face all he could see was her warm sympathy towards him. His hand tightened around hers. I am no longer alone. That thought filled him with a sense of joy and contentment that he had never felt before.

  Clearing his throat, Justice returned his attention back to his secretary. “Was there anything else?”

  Michael shuffled his feet, and flicked another uncomfortable glance toward the countess, but after another moment of hesitation he blurted out what else he had learned. “The other footman that had come with Lady Barbara didn’t go back to her family as you had thought, my lord. He stayed in the village, found a job in the stables at the inn. I have good reason to believe it was he who shot at the countess. He was seen speaking with your cousin on several occasions, so I believe they were in cahoots.” The secretary wrung his hands as he continued. “I’m right sorry, my lord. It seems your cousin wanted your estate. Whether he would have killed you or just hoped to have you deported and taken over by order of the crown, I cannot say, but I am pretty sure it was the footman who pushed your first wife, my lord. Even though she had been cooperating with Hector and Broderick, it seems they were no longer happy with her.”

  Hearing his wife’s murmur of distress, Justice tightened his hold on her and nodded at the two men. “Thank you for your work. If you would meet me in my library in a couple minutes I will be right with you.”

  As soon as they had left the room, he pulled his wife into his arms. “Are you quite all right?”

  She gazed up at him as a tear trickled from the corner of her eye. She offered a low, watery chuckle. “It makes no sense to be distressed over it. I already was certain she had been killed. But to hear that it was by someone she no doubt trusted, it just makes me feel bad for her.” She shook her head and sighed. “I know she was asking for trouble by being involved with Broderick, who is a very bad man. And from what I can tell your cousin is just as bad or even worse. I cannot even fathom what she was thinking. But no one deserves to be pushed to their death.”

  They stood there quietly for a moment. Justice felt as though he could remain like that all day with his wife’s slight frame leaning against him. She glanced back up at him and his stomach tightened. He wished he could do more than offer her comfort but there were serious matters to be handled before he could truly demonstrate his feelings toward her.

  “Are you all right, my lord?” she enquired in a soft voice.

  “Why do you ask, my dear?”

  “You have just had it confirmed that your cousin has made attempts on the lives of both your wives as well as possibly your own. And he was successful at least once. That cannot be comfortable knowledge.”

  He had to smile over her understatement. “You are quite right, my dear, it is not comfortable. But I am relieved to know the truth. Now it just has to be handled in such a way that there is no longer a threat toward you, and all shall be well.”

  “But what about your family?”

  He was gratified by her persistent concern. He rubbed her back slowly as she continued to lean against him. Justice wondered if she was even aware of it. Up until now she had shied away from much contact with him. Hoping to prolong the moment, he brought his attention back to answer her question.

  “You, my dear lady, are my family now. I never cared too much for Hector anyway. I am angered by his wickedness rather than truly saddened by his betrayal. As you say, it is too bad about Barbara, but it is behind us. We just need to ensure that justice is served on her behalf.”

  “What do you intend to do?” He could hear the worry in her voice and tried to ease it.

  “There is nothing for you to worry about any longer. Now that we know what we are up against, we will be able to keep you safe.”

  “That was not my foremost concern, my lord,” she returned, her tone dry, much to his surprise.

  To his regret she pulled out of his arms to be better able to fix him with her stare.

  “What is your concern?” he was puzzled. He was able to grab hold of one of her hands as she gestured to make her next point.

  “What are we going to do about Broderick and Hector, my lord?” Justice had to smile over her aggrieved expression. She spoke as though she w
ere explaining it to a child.

  “I regret to inform you that you will have to remain here cooped up in the house a while longer. The men and I will ride out and deal with Hector. From what Michael said it would seem he is still in the vicinity.” This statement made her pull her hand from his grasp and take a step away from him. Her attentive gaze verged closer to a glare.

  “You cannot be serious, my lord. Surely you cannot expect me to stay out of it while you go off on an adventure.”

  Justice was incredulous. “This is not an adventure, my lady. These are very desperate men we are dealing with. I cannot have you anywhere near them. You shall remain here, where I know you will be safe.”

  “I’m safest with you, my lord,” she answered stubbornly.

  Taking his wife’s face between his hands, Justice held her gaze steadily. “I need to know you are safe, my dear. I cannot deal with this betrayal if I have the least fear that my cousin could harm you again. Please, Elizabeth, do me this favour. I swear to you I shall make it up to you for the rest of our lives. But you must promise me that you will stay here in the house with the doors locked.”

  He could feel her intelligent gaze searching his face. He had no idea what she saw there but it must have been convincing for she finally gave a small nod. She brought her hands up to cover his where they still cupped her face. “Very well, my lord, I will do as you ask. But you must swear to me that you will keep yourself safe. I have no interest in becoming a widow at this point of my life.”

  His laugh was husky with relief and joy before he slowly lowered his head toward hers. He brushed her lips gently with his own. Justice could feel hers quiver at her sharp intake of breath. He was drawn to her warmth and he wanted to linger and savour the experience. Their lips clung as he deepened the pressure. She was oh so sweet, and he wished to spend the rest of his life enjoying this moment. An eternity passed although it was not many minutes.