A Perilous Perspective (Lady Darby Mystery #10)(41)

“Of course, but they all claimed to exchange no more than small talk and local gossip with her. And they assumed she was merely here to see Liam, as usual.”

I lifted my head, propping myself up on my elbows. “But surely that was an odd hour for her to be here? So late in the evening.”

He lifted his hand, scraping it through his hair and further rumpling his already tousled tresses. “I asked the same thing, but I gathered Miss MacCowan often visited with her father first and arrived here late in the afternoon into the evening. Especially during the summer when the sun sets so late, and the gloaming lasts long after that. Liam would escort her part of the way back to Poltalloch before returning.” His hand rasped through the bristles along his jaw before hooking the pillow behind his head.

“You look thoroughly tumbled,” I remarked in amusement. Rarely was he ever anything but immaculately groomed, and seeing him thus always melted something inside me.

“Speak for yourself,” he replied with a wolfish grin, reaching out to flick the end of my braid that trailed over my shoulder. It had come partially undone, and I could feel waves of my hair caressing the sides of my face and tickling my back. But given the fact that Gage was prone to removing the braid entirely, burying his hands in my chestnut brown tresses, I considered partially undone to be rather tidy.

I grasped his shoulders and pulled myself higher up his chest to press a kiss to his lips. “What are our next steps?” I queried, as much to myself as him. “I suppose the remaining servants will have to be interviewed, and Mairi’s father must be informed, as well as Lord Barbreck and the Campbells.”

“That will be a good start. And I suspect you also want to consult what books are available on the topic in Barbreck’s library to find out what poison the maid ingested.”

I doubted his collection on such a subject was very extensive, but I had to begin somewhere, and that was the obvious place.

He brushed several loose tendrils of hair back from my face. “But first, I think we should meet with Bree and Anderley. Anderley intimated your maid has become quite friendly with the staff here and might know some things the rest of us don’t. Perhaps that will save us some time and allow us to better divide and conquer.”

I tried not to read anything more into Anderley’s comments to Gage, but I couldn’t help it. Especially when I could tell my husband was couching his words in the best terms possible. I’d wondered what the valet thought of Bree’s renewed self-confidence and her friendship with the second footman, Callum. Bree fit in well here, she was comfortable, and the attentions of an attractive man had brought a welcome flush back to her cheeks. It appeared Anderley didn’t look upon all of this quite so favorably, but was that just jealousy talking, or was there really cause for concern?

“I’ll ring for her and order our breakfast brought up on trays.” It was doubtful any of the other guests would be up and about at this hour anyway, if they were awake at all. “We can talk after we’re dressed.”

I shifted to pull away, but he clasped the back of my head, pulling me back to him for one more devastating kiss.

“Any more of that, and we’ll never make it out of this bed,” I quipped.

He heaved an aggrieved sigh. “The things I sacrifice for the good of the rule of law.”

I smiled before turning away to search for my nightdress. I found it tossed carelessly toward the end of the bed. “Such nobility. Don’t worry. I shall reward you for it later,” I told him, pulling the garment over my head.

“Will you?” His eyes heated with promises. “Then, I shall hold you to it.”

I slid from bed and, with a provocative wiggle, tugged my garment the rest of the way down. “I’m counting on it,” I replied, tossing a saucy look over my shoulder to find his eyes fastened on my lower extremities.

He made a lunge for me, but I dashed away, laughing, and yanked the bell-pull.



* * *




*

Perhaps half an hour later we found ourselves seated near the rounded bay of windows in our bedchamber. Gage and I perched side by side on the couch, finishing our breakfasts, while at our urging Bree and Anderley settled into the chairs flanking either side. I brushed the crumbs from the royal blue skirts of my riding habit and picked up my cup of warm chocolate, savoring it slowly as I observed them both while Gage explained the situation.

Bree looked fresh and lovely this morning in a gown of dusty lavender, her strawberry blond curls becomingly restrained. She reacted with appropriate concern and empathy to the topic of Mairi MacCowan’s death, but it did not dim her natural cheer and good humor. Meanwhile, Anderley was quieter and more reserved than I’d grown accustomed to his being when we were all speaking in private. He appeared almost brooding, which I noted was no detriment to his dark good looks, but perhaps he was merely fatigued from lack of sleep.

Having finished reviewing what we had already discovered, Gage took a drink of his coffee before sitting back against the sofa cushions. “We will need to finish interviewing the rest of the staff today. A task I would like to leave in your hands,” he told them both. “But first, Miss McEvoy, I would like to hear your impressions of the staff and everything we’ve learned so far.”

“O’ course,” she replied, folding her hands in her lap. “What would ye like to ken?”