A Murder in Time(73)

“Is that when Gabriel started drinking?”

Rebecca’s mouth tightened. “You do ask personal questions.”

“They may get even more personal.”

Rebecca stared at her for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t know what to make of you, Miss Donovan.” She sighed. “Gabriel’s behavior is not that unusual for a young buck sowing his wild oats, you know.”

“Maybe, but he seems to be sowing more than wild oats. He seems to have some major issues.”

Rebecca’s brow puckered. “Lady Emily was not an easy woman to be around. Alec . . . I remember she made his life miserable, as well, but he was away at Eton, then Cambridge. Gabriel was not so fortunate. I can’t say I blame him for letting loose now.”

“What about Dalton?”

Rebecca frowned. “Mr. Dalton? I don’t know very much about him other than he comes from good stock in Manchester. His father was a doctor. Mr. Dalton was an army surgeon until he inherited Halstead Hall, one of the neighboring estates.”

“He’s not married?”

“Well . . .” She hesitated, giving Kendra an uncertain look.

“What?”

“’Tis nothing. Old gossip.”

“It could be important.”

“Mr. Dalton was married once. The on dit is his wife died after she fled the country with another man.” Rebecca saw the expression in Kendra’s eyes and hurried on. “I know what you’re thinking, Miss Donovan, but, as I said, that gossip is ancient history. Surely you cannot believe Mr. Dalton’s tragedy has any bearing on this poor unfortunate girl’s demise?”

“Ancient history is usually where a psychosis begins. The unsub has a problem with women.”

Rebecca looked uneasy. “Mr. Dalton isn’t the only man who has had a runaway wife. The whole of England knows how shabbily Lady Caroline has treated her husband by publicizing her passion for Lord Byron.”

It still shook Kendra to have historical names thrown out so casually, a reminder that this wasn’t a dream, that those long-dead figures were alive at this very moment. Christ, I can’t think about it.

“Dalton fits the profile. We need to find out more about his past. What about Morland?”

“Mr. Morland? His family has lived on the neighboring estate for generations—Tinley Park.”

“I need more information than that. Does he have family? Brothers? Sisters? Is he married? Ever been married?”

“Those are a lot of questions,” Rebecca murmured, moving to the sideboard. She poured a glass of claret, then cocked her head at Kendra. “Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you. Do you have answers to the questions?”

Rebecca eyed her over the rim of her wineglass. “For a maid, you are an imperious sort, aren’t you?” Before Kendra could reply to that, she hurried on. “His grandfather passed a few years back. He was the Earl of Whilmont. His mother is still alive, but has become a recluse. He has no brothers or sisters, and to the best of my knowledge he has never been caught in the parson’s mousetrap.”

“No scandal or skeletons in the closet?”

“I didn’t say that.” Rebecca sipped her wine. “I don’t know how this can be relevant since it happened so many years ago, but Lady Anne—Morland’s mother—eloped with his father, who was an infantry man. The old earl was furious.”

“Why? Because she eloped?”

“The elopement was disgraceful enough, but she married an infantry man, Miss Donovan. No title. Undoubtedly penniless. Most earls would have been displeased by the match. Do you really not understand that?”

“Okay. I get it.”

“The earl had a tyrannical reputation. He quite terrified me when I was a child and chanced upon him while visiting the Duke.” She gave a mock shudder. “They say he fetched Lady Anne home and dispatched her husband to India. As a member of Parliament, he had connections with the War Department. The poor man died over there without ever setting eyes on his son. It really is quite tragic when you think on it.”

“I wonder how Morland felt about never knowing his father because his grandfather sent him away?”

“I’ve no idea, but the earl quite doted on his grandson. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Morland took after his grandfather in looks, which undoubtedly appealed to the old earl’s vanity,” Rebecca remarked cynically. “Nothing like seeing the family line continue on with your male heirs, while your daughters and granddaughters can wither on the vine. If, that is, you cannot use them to expand one’s empire!

“’Tis a man’s world, Miss Donovan,” she added, scowling. She was silent for a moment, then huffed out a sigh. “But that’s neither here nor there. There was no estrangement between Morland and his grandfather when the earl was alive. Sadly, the earldom couldn’t be passed to Mr. Morland, but rather went to a distant male cousin. However, Morland was fortunate in the fact that Tinley Park was not entailed.”

“Why didn’t Lady Anne follow her husband to India?”

“I don’t know the details. I suspect she discovered that she was increasing, which would have made traveling to India out of the question. I daresay by the time it was a possibility, it was too late. Her husband had already expired. Sad how life works out sometimes, isn’t it?”