The Countess Intrigue (15 page)

“It is rather strange that another wife of yours has been the subject of an attack.” The doctor’s tone was bland but his eyes on the earl were bright and attentive.

Justice could feel himself blanch at the doctor’s words but he kept his gaze steady as he looked him right in the eyes. He had absolutely nothing to do with his first wife’s death. While he felt sick with guilt over Elizabeth’s injury, it was only guilt by association. He should have known she might be a target after what had happened to Barbara.

“Strange is not the word that I would use, Doctor. Do you have any suggestions as to which direction I should take my investigation? Or do you have an accusation to make perhaps?” The earl knew he should be grateful that the other man was taking his wife’s injury so seriously, but he could not allow the man to be side tracked into thinking he was guilty.

The doctor valiantly tried to stare down the earl but finally he allowed his gaze to drop. “I’m sorry, my lord, I don’t have any suggestions for you. If I hear of anything around the village I will be sure to let you know. And I will be back mid afternoon tomorrow to check on her ladyship.”

With a nod Justice dismissed the doctor. It wasn’t the other man’s fault. He would be suspicious of him too if he wasn’t himself. He wondered if Elizabeth knew about his first countess. His stomach clenched at the thought that she might actually be afraid of him. He must catch her attacker and get to the bottom of Barbara’s death before something worse happened to Elizabeth. He went off in search of his men to regroup after their most recent search.

E
lizabeth woke
up slowly the next morning. She could feel Pansy’s worried gaze fixed onto her face. Even though all the worries of the day before came flooding into her mind she couldn’t help but smile as she opened her eyes.

“Oh, m’lady, good, you’re awake. Would you care to eat? The kitchen sent up some oatmeal for you and I had the maid who brought it eat some. She seems fine so I think you should eat it.”

Elizabeth laughed but then winced as she used her arm to try to sit up in the bed. With some careful manoeuvring she was soon propped up in the bed eating the warm oatmeal. It was not usually something she enjoyed but she was feeling ravenous. She had barely eaten the previous day, only a little bit of soup for supper.

“What shall we do today?” Pansy asked causing Elizabeth to raise her eyebrows in question at the strange inquiry. The maid quickly explained. “The doctor has said you are to remain in bed today. Since you lost so much of your blood yesterday he expects you to be weak for days. I’ve known you for a long time milady and I know it’s going to drive you nearly mad to be cooped up in here all day. So I was wondering if you had any ideas as to how I could keep you entertained.”

Elizabeth gazed at her maid wondering if she should confide in her. She was already well aware that the faithful servant was none too trustful of the earl. But she needed help and Pansy was the only one she could absolutely trust.

“I found something the other day.”

Her words had the expected effect. Pansy gazed at her with wide, eager eyes. “What did you find?” her tone breathed anticipation.

“The previous countess’ diary.”

“You didn’t! How could you not have told me, m’lady?”

“To be honest, Pansy, I’m almost afraid of what I will find out by reading it. So I was shy to share it with you. But as you know, I need your help. Why don’t we read it together and see what we can figure out?”

The maid quickly cleared away Elizabeth’s breakfast tray and left it outside the door. Following Elizabeth’s instructions, she retrieved the diary and settled herself beside her mistress on the bed.

Elizabeth opened the book but then thought to offer a brief explanation to Pansy. “So far I haven’t come across anything of import. The only thing I’ve learned is that my husband has dubious taste in women. Her journal entries have all been long, boring descriptions of each gown she bought and why she thinks she should marry a duke. It doesn’t seem that she cares which duke or what he might be like as long as a coronet is in her future. I really do not believe I would have liked Lady Barbara. And that makes me highly uncomfortable to be reading her diary.” She paused for a moment as she found the page to start on. “Why don’t we take turns reading?”

They passed the book back and forth between them, each reading a page at a time. It was just more of the same and Elizabeth’s attention was beginning to wander when something Pansy read caught her ears and brought her focus back to the task at hand.

“What was that last bit? Could you please go back and read the last couple of sentences?”

“Met up with Jason tonight. He directed me toward Lord S. He told me he would be a ripe plum for the both of us. I had been hoping for a duke, but I guess an earl will do.” Pansy paused to ask, “Was that the bit you were talking about, m’lady?”

“Yes, Pansy, it was,” Elizabeth exclaimed, enthusiasm and excitement permeating her being. “And this changes everything. I have a good feeling that we needn’t be so mistrustful of the earl. It would seem he was entrapped into his marriage. And I have a sneaking feeling I know who Jason is, too.”

“But Lady Elizabeth, just because the earl was trapped doesn’t mean he didn’t kill his wife. In fact, it could be argued that would give him motive. Maybe he found out his wife was in cahoots with this Jason fellow and he was so angry he killed her in a fit of temper.”

Elizabeth could feel the blood drain from her face momentarily. Pansy anxiously apologized to her mistress, obviously regretting her words.

“No, no, Pansy, pay it no mind. Your words were a little bit of a shock to me, but they held a great deal of sense, so please don’t feel bad about it. You are quite correct. We still cannot know who to trust. Let us keep reading. Maybe we’ll get closer to the truth.”

They went back to their reading. There were many more long, boring sections but they were interspersed with enough tidbits of information that it held the girls’ attention. They had gotten closer to each other on the bed as they continued reading. At this point, even though they were taking turns, they were both huddled over the diary. Even though it could be described as deadly dull reading, both girls were engrossed in the endeavour.

“Jason told me Lord S would be attending Lady Yorkleigh’s musicale so I arranged to be there as well. I need to catch this man’s attention.” Elizabeth was reading this with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She herself had attended one of Lady Yorkleigh’s musicales. It was two years later but it still made her feel guilty by association. Perhaps that was why the earl hadn’t been at the one she attended. Mayhap he remembered meeting his first wife there. She was beginning to feel quite morbid and was deeply grateful for her faithful maid’s presence.

Pansy shook her from her dark thoughts. “Don’t stop now, m’lady, we’re finally getting somewhere.”

“Is it just me or does she sound a little more desperate in this last entry? There was less talk about what to wear and much more about how to go about catching the earl’s attention. From what I heard from Lord Dunbar while I was still in London, Lady Barbara was quite popular. She was beautiful and had a reasonably generous dowry. There was no reason why she had to focus on the earl except for Jason’s direction. Why did he care who she married? What was in it for him? And what connection did the two of them share?”

“I don’t have the answers but those sure are good questions, m’lady. Do you still think you know who this Jason is?”

“Do you remember my friend Rose? She was involved in a plot against the Duke of Wrentham, which was instigated by Sir Jason Broderick. This sounds just like his sort of scheme. He wanted to use a young lady, you remember Lady Anne, to trap Wrentham into marriage so that Sir Broderick could control him. Since Wrentham had just inherited the dukedom and taken his seat in the House of Lords, Sir Broderick was hoping to be able to influence the government through him. Perhaps he has other, similar arrangements, or maybe Lord Sinclair was his first attempt. Do you think we should discuss this with the earl?”

“Maybe.” Pansy sounded doubtful, still not ready to trust the man. “But I think first we should finish reading what the countess wrote. If she kept writing, even after the wedding, it might give us more information about the earl’s involvement.”

“That’s a good point. All right, we already know she trapped the earl at the instigation of Sir Broderick. Perhaps we can just skim through the next section and get as quickly as possible to after the wedding.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be comfortable reading your predecessor’s diary from when she’s married to your husband?” the maid asked with a subdued voice. It was obvious she was concerned about her mistress’ tender feelings.

Elizabeth had to laugh. “No, of course I won’t be comfortable with it, but I’ll be even less comfortable with being dead, so let us get on with it.”

With a shared sigh they resumed their reading.

More references to Jason telling her where to meet Lord S.

Lord S’s interest is finally snagged.

She gloats about her conquest.

Jason tells her what to do.

The wedding.

In between these references the housekeeper and the earl stopped in to check on Elizabeth, but Pansy refused to allow either one to enter. She said her ladyship was resting and should not be disturbed. Elizabeth was torn, but followed the maid’s dictates knowing it might be for her own good.

Pansy called a halt. “It is about time for you to eat something, m’lady. The doctor said you need to regain your strength. Let me ring for more of that delicious soup from last night.”

“Are you going to make the servants taste it again?” Elizabeth asked with a scolding tone, which she completely ruined by giggling immediately after.

“Of course, m’lady. After all the reading we’ve done, we have all the more reason to suspect someone. We don’t know who, but the countess was most definitely conspiring. I am a firm believer that those who conspire are sure to be conspired against. The first countess is proof positive that I am right. She was in league with a snake, and it turned around and bit her.”

“So you think Broderick killed her?” Elizabeth asked almost eagerly.

“Or her husband once he found out,” Pansy countered.

Elizabeth changed the subject. “You are right, Pansy. We ought to eat. And I need to get out of my nightgown for at least a few hours.”

“Whatever for, m’lady? You shan’t be leaving this room.”

“Because I hate feeling like an invalid!” Elizabeth exclaimed before continuing in more moderate tones. “I’m so sorry, Pansy, I know you are trying to look after me, and you are doing a lovely job of it. I just hate feeling so weak and confined. It is maddening. Perhaps you are right, and I needn’t dress properly, but I would like to brush out my hair, wash my face, and perhaps change into a fresh nightgown before we continue.”

“Very well, m’lady, but you must mind your arm. I would hate for it to begin bleeding again.”

“As would I,” Elizabeth agreed. “Do you know when the doctor planned to return?”

“All the earl told me was sometime this afternoon.”

“Very well. I might as well make myself presentable.”

Pansy followed through on her mistress’ requests, ringing for servants to bring fresh water as well as the fortifying soup. Within the hour Elizabeth was cleaned, changed, fed, and they were once again studying Lady Barbara’s diary.

“Here’s an interesting passage. ‘Jason has gotten word to me. He needs me to convince Lord S to resume his seat in the House. Doesn’t he realize by now that it was all for nothing? I have no power over the earl.’ I can almost feel sorry for her,” Elizabeth began before quickly amending her statement. “That is to say, of course, I feel dreadful for her that she is dead, but getting to know her through her diary, I cannot say that I like the poor woman. But here it would seem that she is seeing the futility of her choices. And it seems we’re getting closer to the information we seek.”

“It sounds like you were right, m’lady. This Broderick fellow wants to influence the government and is using easily influenced young women to do it. He doesn’t strike me as being too smart.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Why do you say that? I think he’d have to be diabolically brilliant to be able to carry out these schemes.”

“True, but he is choosing silly young women as his partners in the crimes. Lady Barbara was after a lofty title and deep pockets. She doesn’t really care about the government. If Sir Broderick had chosen idealistic young women who were eager to share in his plans, I would think he would have more success. As Lady Barbara said, she really had no idea how to influence her husband.”

“I guess that would explain why Broderick has yet to have any amount of success,” Elizabeth agreed before pausing in thought. “Or none that we know of anyway,” she continued with a slight shiver of dread. “There is really no way for us to know if he was merely unsuccessful with Lady Barbara. It is entirely possible that he has a legion of men sitting in his pocket through the influence of their wives or sisters or daughters. Dear heavens, the thought is hardly to be borne.” She turned her attention back to the book in Pansy’s hand. ”I dare say we ought to continue as quickly as possible.”

Pansy had been scanning the next few passages and she looked at her mistress with a blush staining her cheeks. “I don’t think you’ll care for the next few pages, m’lady, I think we ought to skip them.”

“We aren’t going to start skipping pages at this point, Pansy. And I am not about to turn squeamish on you. Just go ahead and read it.”

Pansy was clearly reluctant but she got on with the ordeal.

“Lord S keeps talking about having babies. He says he needs an heir. I don’t think I’m ready for that. I want to go back to London. Life out here in the country is boring and stuffy. The earl keeps trying to get me involved in his interests as he calls them, but they aren’t at all interesting. And now he wants babies? Yuck!”

Elizabeth could see why the maid was hesitant to share this particular passage with her, but it didn’t bother her at all. In fact, she burst into laughter and had trouble containing her mirth. At that moment there was a knock at the door. That certainly stemmed the flow of her laughter. The two girls gazed at each other in dismay. Pansy quickly went to the door while Elizabeth shoved the book under her pillows.

It was the doctor who had returned to check on his patient. The earl was with him, but Pansy glared him away from the door.

“I am delighted to see that color has returned to your cheeks, my lady. You seem much revived after a night of rest. How are you feeling?”

“Rather tired of being stuck in my room, I must say, Doctor. I am truly hoping you shall lift my sentence of confinement,” Elizabeth accompanied her words with as sweet a smile as she could muster.

The doctor returned her smile with a wink. “Let’s just see what your arm has to say on the subject, shall we, my lady? I am not going to allow you to sweet talk me into violating my own principles.”

Elizabeth wanted to pout but couldn’t pull it off. She had to laugh at the doctor’s witty comeback. “Very well, examine away.”

The doctor was moderately pleased with the appearance of her wound but much to her dismay did not lift the restrictions on her movement. “My lady, if I say you can leave your room you will want to dress. If you dress, you are sure to jar your arm and that will undo all the lovely progress you have made thus far. I think it is far better if you remain in your nightclothes for at least one more day. If you are bored beyond belief you may put on a dressing gown and allow yourself visitors but under no circumstances are you to get dressed and go about your regular activities. We shall revisit the issue on the morrow.”