Who Wants to Marry a Duke - Sabrina Jeffries Page 0,31
poisoned the previous Duke of Greycourt? Out of spite that he hadn’t picked her to marry? By that criteria, it could have been any one of the whole group of women debuting that year. That’s bound to have included twenty ladies at least.”
“Excellent point,” Grey said. “Although they’d also have to have been guests at Carymont for my christening, because that’s when my father took ill. And that’s why the most likely candidate would be my aunt Cora. I daresay she married my uncle in hopes that he would one day inherit the dukedom. Getting rid of my father would have taken her one step closer.”
That seemed to reassure Olivia, for her face looked less pinched now.
“Actually, Grey,” Thorn said, “didn’t you tell me there were a number of people at Carymont for the christening? That your father invited several of his and Mother’s friends to witness the blessed event?”
“Yes, but I doubt the group included Lady Norley.”
“There’s no telling.” Thorn avoided Olivia’s gaze, though he fancied he could feel the force of it anyway. “As Beatrice said, they were all in the same crowd of ladies having their debuts.”
“With twenty or more other women,” Beatrice reminded him.
“None of whom were particular friends of Mother’s or relations of Grey’s father the way these three were,” Thorn said.
Olivia thrust out her chin. “You don’t know that. There could have been others.”
“And I still say my aunt is the most likely candidate.” Grey frowned at him. “Or even Lady Hornsby, who, as a close friend of Mother’s, would almost certainly have been at the house party for the christening.”
“We could probably get Mother to tell us who was invited,” Thorn said, “although we’d have to give her some reason for our wanting to know.”
Grey nodded. “The point is moot until we’re certain whether he was poisoned. So speculation will get us nowhere just now. Let’s worry about getting the tests done, and if the results show poisoning, we can think about what to do next.”
Beatrice was staring out the window. “We’re nearly there, anyway. Thank the good Lord. I swear, this trip seems to take longer every time we make it.”
Grey smiled at her indulgently. “My wife would stay her entire life at Carymont, Miss Norley, if she had the choice. She’s not one for town.”
“It was fun at first,” Beatrice admitted. “I did like seeing the menagerie at the Tower of London and listening to the music at Vauxhall. Highbury Barn was wonderful entertainment, too, with its bowling green. But in general, I find that London is too dirty, too noisy, and has too few dogs of any breeding.”
“Also, she finds the Season, with all its parties and people, very wearing,” Grey said.
“As do I.” Olivia cast Thorn a pointed glance. “There are so many people who can’t be trusted. Or who always see the worst in others.” She forced a smile for Grey and Beatrice. “Although I do enjoy the theater and the lectures on science. Oh, and I like that I can find any sort of chemical I need. That isn’t the same in the country, trust me.”
“Then it’s probably a good thing you had us order the chemicals ahead to be brought here,” Grey said. “I can promise that our nearest town, Sudbury, wouldn’t have had many of them.”
“Speaking of that, Your Grace,” Olivia said, “as soon as we arrive, I should very much like to start putting my laboratory together, if that’s all right.”
“You know,” Greycourt said, “there’s no need to stand on ceremony with me and keep calling me ‘Your Grace.’ My friends call me Grey, so you must, too.”
“Then you must call me Olivia. I have few friends in society, since I’m almost never around it, but as your wife already knows, I would be honored to consider you and her my friends.”
“And me?” Thorn drawled.
She flashed him a frosty look. “I think of you as more of an adversary, Your Grace.”
That irritated him. She was clearly angry at him for lumping her stepmother in with the others, but what did she expect? Surely she knew of Lady Norley’s Machiavellian side.
“Getting back to setting up your laboratory, Olivia,” Grey said, “if you wish to do so at once, that’s fine by me. Once the exhumation is finished, we’ll need to move quickly anyway.”
Beatrice laid her hand on Olivia’s knee. “But don’t you want to rest a bit first or have some refreshments? I’m already parched and quite ready for a cup of tea and a