Chapter 9

As they were shown into the parlor to meet with Viscount Clermont, he came to his feet and his eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw Olivia and then Dr. Sinclair. It had been so slight that it was likely Mr. Strotham did not notice. No doubt Viscount Clermont feared that they had told the investigator the truth about the twins.

“Lord Clermont, I have summoned the esteemed Dr. Sinclair. He is known for treating those who suffer from cases of amnesia. He has requested the assistance of Lady Olivia Westbrook who aided him in his sister”s case recently,” Mr. Strotham explained.

“I hope that we are not intruding at this difficult time,” Olivia offered. “It cannot be easy, especially so soon after your wife gave birth to twins.”

The fear that she had noted in Clermont’s eyes remained, even though she had tried to put him at ease. Of course, he could also be concerned as to why his wife woke up along the River Thames.

Or he feared her recovering her memory and then telling Strotham that her husband had tried to kill her.

Dr. Sinclair may believe him to be innocent, but Olivia was not as convinced.

“With your permission, Dr. Sinclair will speak with your wife and hopefully recover the answers that we all hope to gain,” Mr. Strotham offered.

“Yes, of course,” Clermont agreed.

“Then I shall take my leave and continue my investigation to see what else I can learn.”

“Have you spoken with my servants?” the viscount asked.

“I have spoken with some, but not all. Further questioning will be determined by what Dr. Sinclair learns.”

“Yes, of course.” The viscount pushed his fingers through disheveled hair.

Mr. Strotham took his leave and Olivia waited to see if Clermont had anything further to say now that the three of them were alone. She fully expected him to beg them for discretion, but he said nothing.

“Do you have any idea how your wife ended up along the River Thames?” Dr. Sinclair asked.

“No! I wish I knew.”

Dr. Sinclair nodded. “Is your wife available for questions?”

“She is resting, but anxious to know what happened. I will send for a maid to bring her down.” He crossed the room and stepped into the entry and quietly spoke with the housekeeper before he returned to the parlor and closed the door. “You did not tell Mr. Strotham the truth of the twins?”

“It is not my truth to tell, Viscount Clermont,” Olivia assured him. Though she would if it became pertinent to the matter at hand.

“Nor mine, unless it impacts your wife’s memory,” Dr. Sinclair offered.

“I understand.” The viscount once again thrust his fingers through his hair and paced. “The servants are sworn to secrecy, but we all know how gossip can leak out of houses in Society. I just hope this is one secret that remains private, as it is my son’s future.”

“I understand. He is your heir. I am certain this situation has likely occurred before.”

Dr. Sinclair was far more understanding than Olivia had expected him to be.

“Not to my knowledge,” the viscount offered.

“Yet it is likely, especially when an heir apparent is not desirable or there is no other to assume the title.”

Olivia had no idea who the heir apparent was, though she could easily find out, not that it mattered.

“There was a slight tap at the door before it opened to reveal a maid. “Lady Clermont is in the back sitting room and waiting for Dr. Sinclair.”

“Please show the good doctor the way,” the viscount instructed.

The maid bobbed a quick curtsey and then left.

“I will speak with her first and then consult with you,” Xavier said to Olivia. “Depending on what I learn will determine how we proceed.”

At first Olivia was annoyed that he was going to speak with Lady Clermont without her. After all, Dr. Sinclair had asked her to accompany him and it made her wonder if he was only indulging Olivia because of their past arguments when his sister suffered from amnesia. However, he had been studying illnesses of the mind for years and was respected in the medical community for that knowledge. She, was not.

“I am anxious to hear what you learn,” she finally said.

Once Dr. Sinclair was gone, Olivia turned to their host. “As it is just the two of us, is there anything else you would like to share with me?”

“Nothing. I left my wife at her chamber door last evening and went on to my own only to be awakened in the morning when she could not be found.”

“What did you then do?”

“We sent a footman out searching for her. She may have gone out to wander in the garden and fallen. She has not been sleeping well or so I have been told. We are not currently sharing a bedchamber.”

Olivia assumed this was not unusual. Many husbands and wives in Society did not share a chamber, but with his use of currently she wondered if they normally did, and why no longer, unless it was simply because she’d just given birth.

“When she wasn’t located in the gardens, what did you do next?”

“That is when the footmen were sent out in the streets surrounding our home, but she was nowhere. I was on the verge of contacting the Bow Street Runners when Mr. Strotham and another arrived with my wife and explained where she’d been found.”

“None of your servants searched as far as the Tower?” Olivia questioned.

“Of course not,” he nearly yelled. “Why would we even think to go so far?”

It was a question that had to be asked and she was not surprised by the answer. Now to wait and find out what Dr. Sinclair learned from the wife, as it was likely she was going to learn nothing else from the husband.

“What is the last thing you remember before you woke?” Xavier asked.

“The evening before. My husband and I enjoyed a late supper, we then were with the children. I was fussing over the babies. I have never been comfortable leaving full care to a maid.”

Xavier frowned. “How many nursery maids do you employ?”

“Two.”

“What of other servants who care for the children?”

“A governess for the older children.”

“What of a wet nurse? I do not wish to be indelicate, but usually they are employed as well.”

A light blush spread across Lady Clermont’s face. “That is something that I have always done for my children. I know that it is frowned upon. However, they came from me, as should their nutrition.”

Except, one child had not, but it was not something Xavier would mention at this juncture of their interview. Further, he did not want to let on that he knew the truth. The couple were willing to deceive an entire Society, so they would have no difficulty lying to him about other matters.

“With unexpected twins were you going to reconsider?”

“Only if it became difficult.”

If there was resentment that the son had been borne of another woman, Lady Clermont would not have been willing to nurse the child. Nor did he detect anything in her tone that there may have been resentment for doing so.

“Is that what you were doing before you retired? Is that the last thing you remember?” Xavier asked.

“Yes. I saw that our children were settled and then my husband escorted me to my chamber. I assume he then went onto his own.”

“Did you see anyone else for that evening?”

“My maid, Ellie, was waiting to help me prepare for bed.”

“And then, did she leave you to rest?”

“She brought me tea,” Lady Clermont answered.

This was the first response that Xavier hoped would provide an answer to the loss of her memory. “What kind of tea?”

“A blend of blessed thistle, nettle and fennel,” she answered.

“To help you rest?” He had not heard of them being used for such previously.

Again, a blush spread across her cheeks. “The herbs are known to help increase a mother’s milk,” she answered quietly.

This was further proof that Lady Clermont was accepting the son as her own or she’d not be so concerned.

“Have you drunk this tea since the birth of the twins?”

“No. Last night was the first and only because I did not want to send for a wet nurse.”

He understood her concern.

“It was very bitter, but if it helps, I will continue to drink it.”

Xavier frowned. He would prepare the blend for himself to determine just how bitter, or if something bitter had been added to the tea that helped her sleep.

“I assume your maid did not prepare the tea, but someone in the kitchens?”

“It is likely. I did not ask, nor did I think it a concern.” She frowned. “Could it be the cause for my loss of memory?”

“I do not yet know, but none of the herbs mentioned would have caused those symptoms,” he answered. “What do you next remember?”

“I crawled into my bed, extinguished the lamp, and the next thing I knew I was waking up along the River Thames.”

“Were you disoriented?” Xavier asked.

“At first, I was, and confused because I had no idea how I had gotten there. I also had a pounding headache the likes that I have never experienced before, and my mouth felt as if it had been filled with cotton.”

“Besides being bitter, was there anything else in the tea, something that tasted familiar?”

“No. I had never tasted that tea before. None of it was familiar.”

“What of pain? I understand that a woman could have discomfort after a child is born. Did you take anything to ease discomfort?”

“I have never taken a medication for such.” Lady Clermont glanced away. “My younger brother became addicted to opium so I would rather endure discomfort than take anything stronger than Dover’s Powder. I am lucky that I have never had the need for such pain medication.”

If she had only drunk the tea, she should not have experienced a headache and dry mouth, but he was beginning to have some suspicions. “Were you also nauseated?”

“Yes, some.”

Xavier closed his small notebook. “Thank you, Lady Clermont. I will consult with Lady Olivia and see if we cannot determine what happened and why you have no recollection.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sinclair. I am anxious for answers as much as you are.”

He turned to leave and paused and looked back. “You said you did not hire a wet nurse, yet you were gone through the night. As your children are infants, not even a sennight old, they would have needed to be fed long before your disappearance was discovered.”

“I was told that when I could not be found, a wet nurse was sent for at first light.”

“How often do you need to feed them?”

“Every few hours. It is necessary when they are so young.”

Xavier nodded. It was what he had assumed.

“You did not feed your children again after you retired?” He needed clarification.

“Not that I recall.”

“What time was that?”

She frowned for a moment. “It had been nearing ten, I believe.”

Something was not right. In fact, it was terribly wrong.

“Thank you for your time.”

Xavier stepped out and into the corridor then closed the door behind him before he went in search of Lady Olivia whom he found in the parlor with the Viscount Clermont.

“Was she able to remember?” the viscount asked anxiously.

“No,” Xavier answered. “She can only recall retiring and then waking. Nothing else. I will discuss the matter with Lady Olivia and review case studies to see if I might not have an answer,” he told Clermont. “I will return to you as soon as I can solve this mystery.” He then turned to Lady Olivia. “We should return to Westbrook House. I am anxious for your opinion.”

“You were able to learn nothing?” Lady Olivia asked after they were seated in the carriage and it turned down the drive.

“Lady Clermont was drugged and that is the reason she has no memory.”

“Drugged?”

“Yes. The symptoms match laudanum, and she was given tea before she retired.”

“Did she tell you that is what she drank?” Lady Olivia asked.

“No. She described the tea as bitter. Further, she had never tasted laudanum before, so would not have recognized the taste, and that would explain why the tea was bitter.”

“Then why drink a bitter tea?” Lady Olivia asked.

Xavier could feel his face warm, but he was a physician, and it was a topic that should not be difficult to discuss, so he explained.

“If she had rejected the son, then Lady Clermont would not have asked for the tea to begin with.”

“That is my assessment as well.” He glanced at the window, bothered by the revelations. “Somebody wanted her gone. Somebody in the household wanted her gone.”

“Why did you let the viscount believe you did not know the cause?”

Xavier returned his attention to Lady Olivia. “Though I do not like the possibility, and I did wager my reputation, only a man could have removed her from the house,” he answered. “It is likely she will never recall what happened, so we will need to determine who might have done this.”

“Why us? Should you not inform Mr. Strotham?”

“We will tell him what I have learned. But we also possess knowledge of a son that Bow Street does not, which puts Strotham’s investigator at a disadvantage. As we do not know if the two are related, it is not our place to reveal the secret. However, we can tell them what little we do know.”

Once they returned to Westbrook House, Lady Olivia sent a message to Mr. Strotham. While they waited, Xavier pondered all options. A puzzle to be solved and admittedly, he’d not been this invigorated in pursuit of an answer for a very long time. In fact, he loathed to turn anything over to Strotham because he wished to solve the mystery himself.

“Are you certain she was drugged?” Lady Olivia asked.

“The herbs in her tea were blessed thistle, nettle, and fennel, none of which would render her unconscious, but I don’t know if the tea would be bitter as she claimed.” It was also a question that needed to be answered before he could confidently assume that it had been laudanum. “Might you have the same herbs at Westbrook House? If so, would it be possible to get a cup of tea so that we can determine just how bitter it would be?”

Lady Olivia smiled. “That is an excellent idea. Let me check in the kitchen.”

She was not gone long before she returned. “We do not have blessed thistle,” she answered. “However, I did request tea for us. I have grown rather parched.”

“I will procure the herbs myself and make a tea when I return home.”

“There is one matter that bothers me,” Lady Olivia said after a tea service had been delivered. “The infants could not have gone so long without nourishment. They would have been crying long before it was discovered that Lady Clermont was missing.”

“I considered the same. I believe that approximately nine hours passed from when she was last seen in her chamber and when she was found.”

Lady Olivia frowned. “The infants likely would have spent hours crying, which would have awakened the nursery staff, who would have gone in search of Lady Clermont.”

“Which meant, they knew she was missing much earlier than they claim. Why did they wait to inform the viscount, or is everyone in the household lying to us except Lady Clermont?”

“I also find it difficult to believe that she would not have awakened if she was being carried about, put in a carriage and left on the shore,” Lady Olivia said.

“Given that she had not been sleeping well and awakening a few times a night to see to the infants, and was still recovering from childbirth, once asleep she likely remained so due to simple exhaustion, especially if she had been given laudanum.”

“It would have been quite a feat just to remove her from the house. Likely more than one person was involved,” Lady Olivia observed.

“That is my summation. There must have been at least one man if not two. But I do not assume a female was not involved.”

“Who gained by having something happen to Lady Clermont?” Lady Olivia asked. “It had to be someone within the household. Someone who could get close to Lady Clermont without suspicion.”

“We already know that her maid delivered the tea. The question is who prepared it?” Xavier offered.

“Then our concentration is the kitchen staff. What would they have to gain by drugging and getting rid of Lady Clermont?” Lady Olivia asked.

“Yes, that is the question.”

“The investigator has called,” Fern announced from the doorway.

“Please show him in directly.”

“Has Lady Clermont recovered her memory?” Mr. Strotham questioned the moment he stepped into the room.

“No. Nor is she likely to,” Dr. Sinclair answered.

“Then how do we learn what happened?” Mr. Strotham asked.

“Please have a seat Mr. Strotham,” Lady Olivia offered.

“While Lady Clermont will never recover memories, there are those in the household who know exactly what happened.”

Mr. Strotham leaned forward. “What did you learn?”

Xavier then explained everything that he had deduced but made no mention as to the truth of the son.

“She was drugged?”

Xavier nodded. “It explains why she has no memory and the symptoms upon awakening.”

“Someone in the household wants her gone,” Mr. Strotham concluded.

“That is what we believe. We just do not know who,” Olivia answered.

“I will return to my questioning of the servants,” Mr. Strotham announced as he stood.

“Have you not already questioned them?” Xavier asked.

“My concentration was on the housekeeper, butler, upstairs maids. Anyone who may have seen something, and assumed the kitchen servants had not. I will now return and interview each servant more thoroughly.” He paused and narrowed his eyes as if in thought. “I will wait on the kitchen servants until I am done with the others.”

“Why?” Lady Olivia asked.

The investigator smiled. “I do not want them to know that we are aware that Lady Clermont had been given something in her tea. Further, I may learn more from the other servants now that we know what happened and I can word my questions to obtain more direct and hopeful answers,” Mr. Strotham explained. “It is a large household, and it is likely that others know what may have been happening in the kitchen. Or know the kitchen servants well enough to know who may have wished for Lady Clermont to be gone.” Mr. Strotham paused at the threshold of the parlor and turned. “Dr. Sinclair, you are educated and skilled with observation as you have studied the mind.”

“That is correct.”

“Would you care to assist me in this investigation?”

“I believe I would. This is an interesting case and the type that I have not been privy to in the past.”