Epilogue

Three Months Later

The night was dry but cold, making the warm air of the flat all the more welcoming when Saffron and Alexander stumbled inside. In truth, Saffron stumbled, giggling, and Alexander followed with a fondly exasperated expression. As soon as the door closed, that fell away into a heated look she'd come to anticipate.

His mouth had just captured hers when a throat cleared.

Alexander stepped back, and Saffron turned to Elizabeth, blushing. Apparently, her encouragement for Elizabeth to leave the house and go out that evening had not been effective. She stood at the end of the hall, dressing gown tied at her waist and a mostly empty glass of wine in her hand. At least she wasn't drinking straight from the bottle as she'd been doing almost every evening for months.

"Sorry, Eliza," Saffron said, stifling another giggle. She'd definitely had one too many cocktails, but keeping up with Alexander on the dance floor was thirsty work.

"Don't mind me," Elizabeth drawled. "Only you received a telephone call that sounded rather urgent."

"Who from?" Saffron asked.

"That lawyer fellow, Mr. F.," Elizabeth said.

"Feyzi?" Saffron asked, frowning. She'd not heard from Mr. Feyzi since she and Alexander visited him in November.

"Said to telephone his office, no matter the hour."

The last of her tipsy glow left her. "That cannot be good." She reached for the telephone.

Alexander frowned. "Would you like privacy?"

She paused, hand on the receiver. She had no idea what bad news Mr. Feyzi might tell her—for that was the only kind of news one received at nearly midnight. "Yes, thank you," she said softly before speaking to the operator.

Alexander disappeared around the corner, ostensibly going to the parlor. She was glad he hadn't decided to leave. Things had been going very well between the two of them lately, and she wasn't quite finished with him this evening.

"Miss Everleigh," Mr. Feyzi's voice said.

"Yes, good evening."

"I apologize for requiring you to telephone so late," he began, "but I received news from Ellington that I am obliged to pass on to you as quickly as possible."

Saffron's stomach dropped. "What is it?"

"Lord Easting has suffered a heart attack."

"Is he—" She couldn't bring herself to ask if he was alive.

"He is alive and conscious," Mr. Feyzi said, anticipating her. "I know scarce more than that. Mrs. Everleigh requested I pass on the message that the family has installed the telephone in the manor and awaits your telephone call."

Surprise and delight momentarily chased away the worry for her grandfather. If Ellington had a telephone, that meant she could speak to her mother whenever she wanted. They'd been relegated to letters for a very long time, since her mother never left the house anymore.

"I will 'phone there now. Thank you, Mr. Feyzi." She rang off before he'd finished saying goodbye.

She tucked an errant strand behind her ear while she awaited the connection to Ellington. Bobbing her hair only last week had been another ploy to bring Elizabeth out of her bitter melancholy, but boasting victory over Saffron's long tresses lasted only a day or two before she'd sunk back into her bad mood.

"Hello?" came a cool voice on the telephone.

"Kirby!" Saffron could hardly believe the crusty old butler was speaking on a telephone. "This is Saffron."

"Miss Saffron," the somber voice said. "Allow me to summon your mother."

There was a brief crackle, then her mother came on the line. "Saffron, my darling, are you there?"

A sharp ache in her chest had tears flooding her eyes. "Yes," she choked out. "I am. Oh, Mama, I'm so happy to hear your voice."

"My dear girl," her mother gasped. "I cannot tell you—but I must tell you about your grandfather."

Her mother explained that her grandparents had visited a nearby friend's estate, where her grandfather experienced pain in his arm he told no one about until after he'd fallen off his horse during a hardy morning ride. Saffron gasped, but her mother reassured her that apart from a few bruises, the fall had done him little harm. "The heart attack was far more serious." She spoke so quietly that it was hard to hear her. "Lady Easting sent for a specialist from town and has hired him to look after Lord Easting for a few weeks. They returned to Ellington just today, and Dr. Wyatt arrived this evening."

It must have been her mother's low voice that made Saffron question what she thought she heard. "What—what is the doctor called?"

"Dr. Wyatt. He's a cardiologist, in fact. It was terribly good luck that he was available to come to Bedford so quickly."

It seemed it was too good of luck. But it couldn't be. "What does this Dr. Wyatt look like?"

"What does he—what does it matter, darling? Now, I've looked at the train timetables—"

With too much urgency to be gentle, Saffron repeated, "What does he look like, Mama?"

The line went quiet for a long moment, then her mother said, "He's a middle-aged man, with dark hair and spectacles. He wears a short beard, and he stoops slightly."

Saffron released a relieved breath. "I'm sorry to shout, Mama, I'm just worried for Grandpapa."

"I understand, my dear," her mother said quietly. "Oh, and a scar."

"A scar?"

"Yes, Dr. Wyatt has a rather significant scar. It's just below his ear."

Her vision swam. Bill.

She gripped the small table on which the telephone rested and curled her fingers tighter around the mouthpiece. "Mama, listen. This is very important." How could she possibly explain Bill? If she revealed what she knew about him, she'd have to explain about the Path Lab and her investigations and everything she'd been keeping from her mother for the past year. Her mother was fragile. She didn't want to upset her on top of her worry for Lord Easting.

"I'm coming up there," she said firmly. "I know that Grandmama might not wish to see me, but I am coming to Ellington as soon as possible. If you could please smooth the way—"

"That is what I'm trying to tell you," her mother said. "Lord Easting has asked for you. He's asked for you and John. Even your grandmother can't deny him that. John and Suzanne and their little boy will be arriving in a few days. Do you think you could join us at Ellington now?"

"Yes," Saffron said, a drop of hope mixing with her worry. If John was coming, everything would be all right. For all that her grandfather argued with John about living so far away and plagued him with complaints about inheriting the title someday, John's presence would soothe her both grandparents. Not to mention she would have another ally against Bill.

Her mother spoke about the train times and transportation to the estate for a few minutes before Saffron said she had to ring off. Her mind buzzing like an angry wasp, she slumped against the wall.

Bill Wyatt was in her family's home masquerading as a physician. That put him into direct contact with each of her family members, not to mention he would be at his leisure to give her grandfather anything under the guise of medication.

But why now? She'd heard nothing from Bill since that evening. She didn't suddenly have access to any dangerous secrets he could pluck from her.

"Everything all right?" Alexander asked, making her jump. He was peering out of the parlor. Next to him, Elizabeth stood with a shoulder leaned on the kitchen door jamb, a fresh glass of wine in her hand.

With effort, Saffron pasted on a smile she didn't think either of them would believe. "It seems I've been invited to Bedford. How would the two of you feel about a little trip?"