Chapter 11

“The Earl of Stonyhurst has arrived and asks if he might speak with you, Your Grace.”

Wulf had only sat down to dinner with Billy a few minutes earlier, a treat he had been looking forward to since the two of them parted earlier. He was doubly pleased at seeing Billy was once again wearing the gaudy red jacket.

Having first written and sent a note asking his doctor to call upon Henry Miller tomorrow, Wulf had then instructed his butler to ensure the small table in the family dining room was laid with the very best cutlery and glasses. Miller had added a three-pronged candelabra to the center of the table as their only illumination besides the fire glowing in the hearth.

But they hadn’t even been served the soup course yet. Consequently, Wulf was furious at Miller for entering the small dining room and making this announcement.

There was a conspiracy, Wulf decided frustratedly.

There had to be.

One where a veritable army of people conspired to prevent him from spending time alone with the young man who held both him and his heart completely in the palm of his tiny hand.

“It could be in regard to the identity of the witness you asked him to discover,” Billy reminded softly when Wulf opened his mouth with the intention of telling Miller to inform the earl he was unavailable and would call upon him tomorrow.

Wulf knew it would be the height of bad manners to send Stonyhurst away in such an abrupt manner if that should be the case.

Even so, Wulf was tempted to do just that?—

“Show the earl in, would you, Mr. Miller?” Billy was the one to instruct the butler, waiting until the other man had left the room before speaking again. “I am hoping your friend has important news to tell us,” he pleaded, no doubt at the sight of Wulf’s scowling countenance.

A displeasure that faded as quickly as it had appeared in light of Billy’s obvious anxiety. Of course, the younger man would be anxious to know if Stonyhurst had learned anything more about Moreland’s murder. Most especially the name of the person who was responsible for accusing him of that murder.

Wulf realized the younger man had also managed to remind him, within a single sentence, that not only had Stonyhurst spent the afternoon making enquiries on their behalf, but he was also one of Wulf’s closest friends.

The speed of the other man’s return to Wulferston House would seem to indicate the earl might actually have found answers to those enquiries.

Wulf reached out to cover and squeeze one of Billy’s hands with his own as it rested on the small dining table, just as Miller showed Stonyhurst into the dining room.

“I will not keep you long from your dinner.” The other man appeared to have taken in the intimacy of the situation with a single glance at their joined hands and the candlelit table at which they sat. “I merely wished to inform you that the name of the witness claiming they saw Billy kill Moreland is a Mrs. Edith Hodges.” He quirked a single eyebrow. “I believe she was previously employed here as your cook?”

* * *

Billy gasped upon hearing the identity of his accuser.

He and Mrs. Hodges had not been friends—he had not been friends with any of the servants in Wulf’s household—but neither had he thought of the cook as being his enemy.

But surely only an enemy, someone who disliked him intensely, could have accused him of a crime he did not commit?

A crime for which the penalty was to hang.

Billy felt a cold shiver run down the length of his spine. “What reason could she have for telling such a blatant lie?”

The earl’s expression softened. “I believe the more relevant question is, what possible reason could this woman have had to be walking about the streets of London in the early hours of the morning that would have enabled her to witness Moreland’s demise?”

“Hm,” Wulf murmured. He rose to cross to where a full decanter sat on the side dresser.

Billy frowned as he watched him pour an inch of brandy into three glasses. “Explain, please?”

Wulf handed one of the glasses of brandy to the Earl of Stonyhurst before placing the other in front of Billy. “Drink first,” he encouraged him.

Billy’s hand shook as he lifted the glass and took a sip of the fiery liquid. “Thank you,” he murmured when he immediately felt the warmth in his stomach as it also melted the feeling of icy apprehension that had taken up residence inside him.

Wulf nodded his satisfaction before turning to the earl. “Join us for dinner,” he invited. “We can then all discuss the significance of Mrs. Hodges’s nocturnal behavior.”

The earl gave a rueful smile. “I really have no desire to interrupt the rest of your evening by playing gooseberry now that it appears the two of you are no longer dancing around your attraction to each other.”

Billy’s cheeks warmed at the obvious reference to the intimacy of the table and room. As Billy had thought might be the case earlier, the earl’s comment seemed to imply Wulf had previously discussed his attraction to Billy with his friend. Perhaps at the same time he asked the earl to assist them in this matter.

“You are most welcome to join us, my lord,” Billy assured.

“It is very kind of you to say so,” the earl drawled. “Perhaps a compromise would be for me to join you for the soup course whilst we discuss this situation, and then leave the two of you to enjoy the rest of your evening alone?”

“Much as I usually abhor any form of compromise, your suggestion does indeed seem to be one that satisfies all,” the duke accepted. “Billy?”

Billy was more than a little startled at being consulted for his opinion on the matter, especially when he knew Wulf didn’t like compromise of any kind. He had a feeling that the older man was allowing this one because he knew Billy wished to hear more of the situation from the Earl of Stonyhurst.

Billy made a mental note to thank Wulf appropriately for this concession once they were alone again.

“I agree.” He nodded.

It took only a matter of minutes for Miller, once called, to set a third place at the table. If he thought it a little odd after the duke’s previous instructions for candlelit intimacy, he didn’t show that either by word or expression.

Indeed, Billy thought that Miller’s demeanor seemed more formal than he had seen it before now.

It was also noticeable that the other man kept his gaze lowered when the Earl of Stonyhurst thanked him before the butler left the room to go to the kitchen to collect the soup course.

Interesting.

But it was a curiosity Billy would have to put aside for the moment. His own situation of being thought to be a murderer was currently of much greater urgency.

* * *

Wulf kept one of his hands on Billy’s much smaller one as it rested on top of the table while the three men discussed the situation between eating their soup.

“Mrs. Hodges is a woman of forty years of age, possibly older, so I believe we can assume she was not out and about in the early hours of the morning intent on prostituting herself now that she was no longer employed in my household?”

“Wulf!” Billy was obviously shocked by his bluntness.

He gave his lover a reassuring smile. “I am merely trying to point out that Stonyhurst is quite right in questioning Mrs. Hodges’s reason for being out at such an hour, rather than whether she claims to have witnessed a murder whilst doing so.”

“It is odd…” Billy allowed after several minutes thought.

“Not if she is the murderer,” Stonyhurst put in softly.

Billy’s eyes widened. “What reason do you have for even thinking that might be the case?”

Stonyhurst shrugged. “I have yet to question all the other dismissed servants on the subject, but the ones I have spoken to said there had been several loud arguments between Moreland and Mrs. Hodges in recent weeks.”

Billy frowned. “I don’t remember hearing anything.”

“That is possibly because, for the main part, you were relegated to the attic,” Wulf rasped, making it obvious he was still displeased at learning of that situation.

Stonyhurst grimaced. “None of the other servants seemed to know the reason for the arguments. Or, if they did, they did not choose to share that knowledge with me.”

Wulf scowled. “Billy seems to think she and Moreland were cousins, so perhaps it was a family issue?”

“I only repeated the gossip I heard regarding a family connection,” Billy defended.

Stonyhurst nodded. “I gathered, from the servants I spoke to that they are all, as you surmised, related to each other. I have not been able to speak to Mrs. Hodges herself as yet, because none of them were willing to reveal, or perhaps did not know, where she is currently residing. Hopefully, I will know more on that situation tomorrow, when I have had the opportunity to investigate further. I only thought that you would both at least like to know the identity of the witness this evening rather than waiting and worrying about it until morning.”

“I am sure Billy and I are both very grateful for the diligence you have so far shown on our behalf,” Wulf said warmly.

One of the earl’s eyebrows rose, no doubt at the manner in which Wulf had chosen to couple his name with Billy’s. “Grateful, but now desirous of seeing me take my leave and so allowing the two of you to resume enjoying your evening together?”

“Oh, but?—”

“That sounds like an admirable idea.” Wulf cut firmly across Billy’s awkward attempt at a protest.

Stonyhurst was grinning as he rose to his feet. “I hope I can rely upon you, Billy, to keep doing whatever it is you are doing to bring laughter and joy to my serious friend’s countenance,” he told the younger man. “I have never seen him as happy before as he is this evening.”

Billy’s face blazed a fiery red that clashed horribly with his red-gold hair and caused the freckles across his nose to stand out more prominently. “I will endeavor to do my best, my lord,” he assured gruffly.

Stonyhurst nodded. “And your best seems to be very good indeed. If you will now both excuse me?” He glanced toward the door as he straightened the cuffs of his shirt beneath his jacket. “I believe it is time I allowed your new butler to escort me to the front door.”

Wulf gave a shake of his head once he and Billy were alone again, and the door closed. “What was that about?”

The younger man grinned. “I believe the earl is somewhat taken with Mr. Miller and that Mr. Miller appears to also be taken with him.”

“No! I absolutely cannot lose another butler so soon,” Wulf protested. “The man has been here less than a day—” He broke off his protest after Billy leaned forward and placed his soft lips against Wulf’s.

Causing Wulf to instantly forget whatever it was he had been protesting about.