Who Wants to Marry a Duke - Sabrina Jeffries Page 0,94
meantime, you may want to be careful about whom you allow into your inner circle. We think there are people around you and the family who aren’t to be trusted.”
She tilted up her chin. “Who in particular?”
“Lady Hornsby. Grey’s Aunt Cora. Other women you came out with.”
“You’re not making any sense.” She made a dismissive gesture. “And you’re being overly suspicious. Will you throw your new fiancée’s mother in with those ‘other women’?”
“I would.” Although he honestly didn’t think she was one of the ladies to be concerned about.
“You’d best not tell Olivia that.”
“I wasn’t planning on—”
“Forgive me, Your Graces,” said Mother’s butler from the doorway. “But Major Wolfe is here.”
With that, Wolfe came into the room, wearing an expression of dark intent as he approached Thorn. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Major!” Mother exclaimed. “Can you not even give your mother-in-law a kiss before you launch into a discussion with my son?”
“Good afternoon, Duchess,” he murmured as he bent to kiss her cheek. “I’m afraid I must tear Thorn away from you.”
He straightened and fixed his gaze on Thorn. “I must speak with you privately. It’s about our friend Elias.”
Thorn’s heart began to pound. That couldn’t be good news. Not with the look the major wore.
“Of course,” Thorn said. “Pardon me, Mother, but I’ll have to take my leave of you.” It was a convenient time to do so, anyway, since it got him out of maneuvering Mother’s pointed questions. “I’ll see you again soon, I promise.”
Thorn and Wolfe had barely cleared the door when Wolfe murmured, “Elias is dead.”
“What? How?”
“From a large dose of arsenic,” Wolfe said grimly.
“Good God.” Thorn lowered his voice as they neared the footmen. “How do you know it was arsenic?”
“The poison was in his food and his drink. He didn’t eat it all, but the rats finished it for him. They too were dead by the time he was found this morning. The coroner has him at present, but I spoke to the man, and he said he was fairly certain it was arsenic.”
“Does anyone know who administered it?”
“It was in his food, and it passed through a number of hands, so it could have been added anywhere.” After Thorn paused to get his hat and greatcoat, he and Wolfe went out the door. “Especially since Newgate is practically run by the criminals themselves. Lots of nasty sorts in there, trust me.”
Thorn shuddered. “I’ll take your word for it. But is it possible the poison was meant for someone else?”
“Not likely. Although he hadn’t had any visitors since I had him put in a cell after leaving Rosethorn yesterday, the food was definitely meant for him.”
“Bloody hell. Someone is going to great pains to make sure we never find out who was behind the poisoning of Grey’s father.”
Wolfe nodded.
“So what next?” Thorn asked.
“I suggest you hurry off to wherever Miss Norley has gone and warn her of the danger.”
Damn it all, Thorn hadn’t thought of that. If this villain could get to Elias in Newgate, he could obviously get to Olivia in Surrey. And given that Olivia could prove Grey’s father had been poisoned, she could very well be in danger.
If something happened to her, Thorn would never forgive himself. He should have ordered his armed footmen to stay with her, at least until he could get there.
Wolfe went on. “Gwyn said Miss Norley went home to Surrey, but she didn’t know where.”
“My footmen will have arrived from Surrey by now. I told them to come back here rather than go to Berkshire.” Thorn quickened his steps toward his abode a short distance away. “They can tell me where she is.”
He would go to Surrey, and he would tell her what had happened to Elias. Then he would do what he’d never done with any other woman: beg her to forgive him and take him back.
Gwyn was right about one thing: trying to fight his feelings was like trying to stop a compass needle from pointing north. He wanted Olivia, needed Olivia.
And yes, he loved Olivia. She was the ink in his well, the quill in his hand. Every word he’d written last night of the final scene of his latest play had been laced with Olivia, with her humor and eccentric observations, her logic and her warmth.
He had to make her see they belonged together, that he could be the kind of husband she said she wanted. That he would never again hide himself from her. Because if he couldn’t be himself