CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

“So once more, you’ve put your life in danger rather than let the police handle a situation better suited for men with guns than middle-aged governesses.”

“I did what I had to, Sean. They would never have found that room if Theresa and I hadn’t found it first.”

I'm in the parlor talking to Sean while Theresa makes dinner. We've spent the day doing chores mostly because there's nothing else to do. Oliver is in surgery right now to repair some of the damage to his lungs. Dr. Thornton assures us over the phone that the surgery is nothing to worry about, but he'll be kept under for at least another day, so we can't visit him yet.

“Yes,” Sean replies, “and you wouldn’t have come face to face with a crazed murderer. Seriously, Mary, you could have died.”

“We’ve discussed this. If you stay with me, you’re likely to find me in that sort of situation quite often.”

Sean sighs. “Yes, but… I wasn’t there with you this time. I wasn’t here to save you.”

I smile slightly. “You did, though. I warned Lord Edmund about you, and that if anything happened to me, you would be able to prove it.”

“That would have been small comfort to me if he’d thrown you to the rocks.”

“Yes, but he didn’t.”

He sighs again. “What unimpeachable logic you show, Mary. It reminds me of the drunk driver who said he would keep driving drunk because he hadn’t yet crashed and killed anyone.”

Such a comment would ordinarily make me laugh, but I don’t have the energy to laugh right now, so I only smile. A moment later, he asks, “So when are you coming home?”

I take a deep breath. “It’ll be a while, Sean. Oliver’s infirm, and he’s alone now. It’s going to be a while before he’s strong enough to return home, and when he does, he’ll be… Well, to be honest, things here are so messed up that I don’t know if he’ll even come back here.”

“He won’t. The castle will have to be sold to pay for the family’s debts, along with probably everything in it. Some of those portraits might be enough to leave him with a little to put in a trust, but it will be a modest one. He’ll probably be sent to Lady Cordelia’s family in Cornwall.”

“Yes, that will be best,” I agree. “But that will take some time. I will stay at least until he is placed with them.”

“At least?”

“He’s so ill, Sean. And he’s just lost the rest of his family. Lady Cordelia might never wake up, and if she does, she’ll leave most of herself behind. He needs someone who cares for him to help lead him through this and find his way to shore.”

“I love you, Mary.”

The phrase comes out of nowhere and stuns me so much that I don’t respond. It’s the first time he’s said that to me.

“Shite,” he says. “Well, I’ve stepped in it, haven’t I?” He chuckles. “Well, I’ve said it, and I won’t take it back. You don’t need to say it to me right now. I just… well, I think it’s wonderful that you’re such a caring person. I know this is a lot to ask right after declaring my love, but would you mind if I joined you? It’s lonely here, and if you’re going to insist on being noble, I’m going to insist on a cuddle every now and then.”

I grin widely. I don’t return his sentiment right now, but I’m sure my appreciation shows in my voice when I say, “I’d like that very much.”

“Wonderful. I’ll book a ticket, then.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Right. Soon, Mary.”

He hangs up, and I sit and allow the glow to build in my heart. It truly is a wonderful thing to be in love. I never thought I’d experience it this late in life. Even with Sean, I never let myself believe that things between us would go this far. I just enjoyed what we had without hoping for anything more.

But now it’s here. For the first time in my life, my luck is good.

I should have told him. I was too shocked to say it at first, but now I wish I had.

Well, I’ll tell him when he gets here. I think I can find a way to say it that he’ll appreciate very much.

“What’s the smile for, Mary?’

I jump when I hear Theresa’s voice. “Oh. Oh, um…” My cheeks flame. “I was talking with my friend. He said some very nice things about us for helping to bring Lord Edmund to justice.”

I consider Theresa my friend too, but we are not close enough yet that I want to share the real reason for my happiness. She gives me a knowing smile, though, so I think she can see behind my lie. She doesn’t press me, thankfully. “Well, supper’s ready. I hope you don’t judge me too harshly, but I’ve opened a bottle of his Lordship’s wine to drink with it. I’m not given to alcohol, but I could use something to take the edge off.”

"I am in full favor of that," I assure her. "Thank you. And thank you for helping me. You risked your life, too. I appreciate your courage. I'll be honest, I… well, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

She flips her hand dismissively, but I can tell she’s pleased. “Oh, you’d have been fine. You’re a far braver woman than you think you are.”

We head to the dining room, the larger one. I’m a little pensive about eating in Lord Edmund’s grand dining hall. Obviously he no longer has need of it, but it still seems a little presumptuous of it.

The thought doesn't linger, though. I start on the food, and as always, Theresa is an excellent cook. The lamb roast flakes off of the bone, and the mashed potatoes are creamy and smooth and delectable. Humans really are simple creatures when it comes down to it. There's nothing like a good meal to soothe the soul.

The wine is just as delicious. Like Theresa, I am not given to alcohol, but I can recognize the quality of this claret. I shudder to think how valuable this bottle is.

For several minutes, we just focus on eating. We finish our first glasses and Theresa goes to the kitchen to pour us another. “Air’s not good in here for decanting wine,” she explains.

“I know nothing of wine, so I trust your expertise, Lady Theresa,” I reply.

The wine, it seems, is already getting to me. I try to remember the somberness of the circumstances. “So what will you do?” I ask.

She frowns. “Do? What do you mean?”

“Well, you won’t have a job soon,” I reply. Now it’s my turn to frown. “Oh, I’m sorry. That was terribly rude of me to say so bluntly.”

“No need to apologize,” she says. “You’re not wrong. To be honest, I don’t know what I’ll do. I suppose I’ll stay here for as long as I can. I have a little saved up, so I can be here long enough at least to ensure no vandals get into the place before the assessors come to take everything. After that, I can stay with my sister in Lancashire until I find a new position. There’s always some lord or another looking for help. What about you? What are your plans now that you’ve dragged all of these bones into the light?”

I grimace a little at the way she says that. “Well, I’ll stay for Oliver as long as I can. I have enough money to live off of, so I can focus on taking care of him until he goes to his grandparents in Cornwall.”

Theresa chuckles. “Always the hero, ain’t you? Have to save everyone.”

My brow furrows at that. There's something in her tone, something odd. Her eyes, too. They're hard now. I haven't seen that expression before.

I blink, and when I open my eyes again, the hardness is gone. She’s only smiling pleasantly.

I sigh and push my glass away. “I think I’ve had enough of this. That’s strong stuff.”

She tilts her head a little, the nods. “Aye. I think it’s enough to work.”

I giggle at that. “Yes, I think so. I’m positively soused.”

“Doesn’t take much with you, does it?”

I shake my head. “No, I rarely drink. I never smoke either.”

“That’s good. Sensible. Drugs and alcohol are the worst things to happen to humanity.” She sips her own wine, something I find deliciously funny, although I control my laughter. “People who fall into that trap are no good. Weak. Just like Lady Evelyn.”

The disquiet comes back. There’s really no need to speak ill of the dead. My curiosity gets the better of me, though. “You mean Lady Alivia, right?”

She scoffs. "Both of them. Evelyn was a drug addict, too. Horrible. Not to mention she cheated on Lord Edmund. Used to do it with the local dealer for a dime bag of dope or a rock of fentanyl. Don't know if they call 'em rocks like they do with coke, but the point is if you happened to walk by the manor every other Wednesday while his Lordship was at his office in London, you’d find Lady Evelyn on her knees earning her fix.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t surprised at all when I found her dead with that needle in her arm, all covered in vomit.”

I set my fork down, my heart pounding. The disquiet I feel has turned into alarm. I swallow and notice how thick and furry my tongue feels. “You… you said that you… couldn’t find her. When you searched the house. You said she had just disappeared.”

She smiles at me. Her teeth are white and even. They gleam like marble under the brittle diamonds of her eyes. “Did I say that? It's so hard to keep all these stories straight."

I get to my feet, consumed with fright. I lift a trembling hand to her and stumble backwards. “You… you…”

“Are you all right there, Mary?” she says with a lilt in her voice. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The world spins around me, and the last thing I see before darkness takes me is the gleam of Theresa’s stony smile.