The Countess Page 0,112

it left Christiana stil hanging head down, her behind in the air and her skirt raised. The men al exchanged a horrified glance and then Lord Madison quickly released his hold on her skirts, Haversham stepped back releasing his hold as wel , and Richard set Christiana down and stepped back to al ow her to straighten.

However, she stayed bent over and murmured, "Oh dear."

Richard glanced down, noting then that she was peering at Freddy, or real y at the large knife sticking out of his chest.

"He ran right into it, my lord," Haversham said calmly.

Richard nodded, but his thoughts were taken up with the fact that had Haversham been a little more to one side, the knife would now be sticking out of Christiana.

Christiana final y straightened and patted the butler on the arm. "Do not feel bad, Haversham. He wasn't a very good man."

"Yes, my lady," the butler murmured, and then cleared his throat and glanced to Richard. "Shal I send for the authorities, my lord?"

"Ah . . ." Richard scowled at Freddy, not pleased at the prospect of having to admit to the authorities that the man had been blackmailing them. They would have to explain what he was blackmailing them about and al their attempts to keep George's activities a secret would be for not.

"He was trying to take Lady Christiana and hold her to ransom," Haversham pointed out quietly. "The authorities should real y be informed of this and his death."

Richard relaxed and nodded. They would just stick to that and not mention the blackmail or anything else.

"Very good, my lord." The butler slid silently from the room and Richard turned to Christiana, only to find she had moved to speak to her father and sisters by the door. He started her way, eager to touch and hold her and reassure himself that she was wel . In truth, he wanted to strip her naked, examine every inch of her to be sure she bore no wounds and then make love to her, but knew he would just have to be content to wait for that.

"Hel o? Can someone get this chair out of the way? Hel o?"

Richard glanced down at Robert's cal to see that Freddy had fal en behind the chair, blocking it so that Langley couldn't push it out and unfold himself from the cubbyhole where he'd hidden.

"Problems, Langley?" Daniel asked with a laugh, coming around the desk to Richard's side.

"Move the damned chair, Woodrow," Robert barked. " 'Tis hot as hades down here and I think my leg is cramping."

Richard chuckled and together he and Daniel shifted Freddy's body around to the side of the desk. By the time they straightened, Robert was crawling out from under the desk.

"That was a damned stupid place to hide," Langley muttered with self-disgust as he straightened. "Freddy was leaning against the chair while searching the desk and there wasn't a damned thing I could have done to help anyone while stuck under there."

"It wasn't like there were many hiding spots to choose from," Richard pointed out wryly as the man brushed himself down.

"Hmm." Robert glanced to Freddy's body. "Wel , that is one problem taken care of anyway. The blackmail threat is over."

"Now we just need to figure out who poisoned George and is stil trying to kil Richard," Daniel agreed dryly. Robert frowned and shook his head. "Wel , I'm afraid Lisa and I didn't find out anything of use today. I think people were reluctant to gossip about you with Lisa there. She is your sister-in-law, after al . Perhaps Christiana and Suzette were more successful at discovering what servant may have administered the poison."

"We should ask them," Richard murmured and turned to find that Christiana and her father were gone. "Where - "

"Father wished to speak to Christiana. They have stepped out into the garden,"

Suzette explained before he could finish his question.

Richard glanced toward the French doors, spotting the two at the back of the garden, their heads together. Before he could decide whether to intrude or wait, the office door opened and Haversham led two men into the room; both wore the tel tale red vest of Bow Street runners. The authorities had arrived.

"What is it, Father?" Christiana asked when he stopped walking but stared at his feet rather than bring up whatever it was he'd brought her outside to discuss. "If 'tis about this gambling business, you should know you didn't do it. We think George as Dicky drugged