A Stroke of Malice (Lady Darby Mystery #8) - Anna Lee Huber Page 0,86

when he returns and form his own assessment, but what of you? What do you think of him?” I tilted my head, suddenly wondering which servant Anderley had taken exception to her dancing with. “Do you think he was being honest?”

Her brow furrowed and her lips twisted as she gave the questions some serious deliberation. “Well, he’s one o’ the junior footmen.”

I nodded. If he’d been on duty during the wee hours of the morning, when the ledger indicated Lord Helmswick had departed, then he would almost certainly have been lower ranked.

“So he’s no’ so high and mighty as some. Seems to be a hard worker.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Though he’s no’ learned the knack for keepin’ his gloves clean yet. I had to show him how to scrub away a spot in a pinch.”

Which was probably how she’d convinced him to talk to her.

Her good humor faded. “But he’s also young and verra eager to please.”

“To prove his loyalty?” I guessed.

Her mouth tightened. “Aye.”

“So if Tait, or even the duke or duchess, asked him to lie about such a thing, he might?”

“Maybe.”

I dabbed at my mouth with my napkin, wiping away a dribble of soup. Perhaps Gage would be able to form a more definite impression, or even inveigle the truth from him. Otherwise, we were brought to point nonplus. We couldn’t prove Helmswick himself had left, but we also couldn’t disprove it.

Truth be told, the entire affair was beginning to feel bereft of options, a muddying swirl of conjecture and probabilities, all impossible to prove and devoid of further recourse.

I ate in silence for a few more minutes and then indicated Bree should take the tray. My thoughts were too much a tangle, and my insides as well, for me to even be able to take another bite of the delicious toffee pudding.

She set it to the side without a disapproving look for not finishing the meal. I supposed she was taking pity on me.

While she checked the bandage wrapped around my shoulder to stabilize it, making certain it was not abrading my skin, I studied the tiny row of flowers adorning the puffed sleeve of her pale pink gown. The floral trim had been one of my presents to her for Handsel Monday. Per tradition, our other servants had received new uniforms along with their few small gifts, but as a lady’s maid, Bree was allowed to wear simple gowns—most of which were my castoffs made over, but some of which were purchased for her new. I’d noticed her eyeing the trim in a shop in London while we were selecting winter accessories to match the dresses I’d had made to accommodate my ever-expanding waistline. I was pleased to see she’d already put the trim to good use.

“There,” she declared as she finished adjusting the soft linen cloth and pulled the sleeve of my nightdress back over my shoulder. “Noo, that shouldna trouble you.”

I thanked her, refraining from pointing out that it hadn’t troubled me before. She helped me loop the sling back over my head and around my arm, and yet still I hadn’t found a way to voice the sentiments I wanted to. However, when she made to rise, I halted her with a gentle touch to her arm.

The pupils of her whisky brown eyes flared in surprise, but she waited patiently as I gathered my words.

“I want you to know that . . . your secrets are your own.”

Her expression grew guarded, clearly guessing what I was hinting at.

“I will not pry. Unless it cannot be helped,” I amended. “But . . . if someone should hurt you, or . . . pester you in any way.” I clamped my lips together, knowing I was making a hash of this. “Well, I want you to know that you can tell me. No matter who it is. And I will help you.”

Her eyes lowered and her brow puckered. “Thank you, m’lady. But . . . you should ken, no one’s been pesterin’ me.” She lifted her gaze to stare warily at me through the fringe of her lashes. “I dinna ken what ye were told, but ye dinna need to be concerned.”

I nodded slowly, searching her eyes. She appeared to be telling the truth, and I felt the tightness in my chest ease a fraction. “Well, regardless, the sentiment still stands.”

This time it was her turn to search my gaze, and I made sure she could read that I was perfectly in earnest.