could feel her shoulders relax, not realizing they’d been tensed from worry, until then.
“I think the blue gown will be best for this evening. I don't want anything that is too constricting across my shoulders.”
“Very good, m’ lady. If I might also suggest the pale yellow shawl to keep the chill off of you.”
Dressed, her hair in a bun at her nape, Aleece entered the drawing room where her parents were enjoying a cordial before dinner.
“Ah, and here is the lady of the hour,” the duke announced, getting to his feet from the sofa where he’d been sitting beside his wife.
Aleece could feel her face flush with embarrassment as she curtsied to her parents. Rising she gave them a smile then. “Father, I didn’t do anything that a duchess wouldn’t do.”
Now it was the duchess’s face which turned to a soft red rose color Lady Aleece was pleased to see. Fortunately she was saved from any further discomfiture as Horsfall entered to announce dinner was served.
Once seated in the small dining room, Aleece waited until the soup course, a light barley and beef concoction , which was her favorite, was laid down before asking the question that had weighed on her mind.
“Father, were you or the Smyth’s able to determine the origin and mayhap who set the fire?”
“Yes,” he easily replied, settling his spoon on the white china plate that rested under the soup bowl. “We found a torch on the ground near the end of the house where the two oldest daughters have their room. It would appear someone wanted to kill one of them.”
They waited for the soup course to be cleared and fresh trout was presented, then venison with her favorite hothouse vegetables was set down. That was when Aleece noticed all the foods were her favorites. She decided to hold the thought to herself until dessert.
“Darling,” the duchess continued. “When I was doing my sick calls the other day, Sally, their eldest, I noticed was having a very heated argument with the oldest Travers boy, not the bad one but the lazy one. By the time I got to the house to see the baby, he had left and she was in tears. Turns out he had wanted to offer for her but Sally said she did not love him and turned him down.”
“I know the boy you are talking about, Mother. I don’t blame Sally for refusing him. If there ever was a lazier person in the world they wouldn’t be as idle as he,” Aleece interjected.
“But that is no reason for starting the fire. As magistrate I need more evidence than that of an overwrought chit,” the duke insisted, slicing into a thick slab of beef with Yorkshire pudding, the next course.
“Yes, I know, darling, but Sally said the last words he had with her before stomping off were if he could not have her than no one would,” Eleanor said, concluding her recollection of the events.
Aleece watched as her father set his knife and fork down on his plate and leaned back in his chair. When he started stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger, she knew he was going over what he’d just learned. Also, blending this new information from what had been obtained from not only the Smyth’s but the first to arrive at the fire.
As she continued to observe him, she felt her eyelids getting heavy.
Chapter Nineteen
December 21, 1812
The sound of a distance clock chiming the hour slowly seeped into Aleece’s sleepy mind. From habit she started counting the faint peals. When the number passed ten, she rolled to her back only to bolt upright when she felt a sting on her right shoulder. As she started to reach for the bed curtains, they were pulled back giving her a start.
“Debbi, what is the time? I heard the clock strike more than ten times,” Aleece ordered, then regretted her tone when she saw the woman smiling back at her.
“Yes, m’ lady. It’s half eleven. I was instructed by Her Grace to let you sleep as late as you pleased. His Grace even ordered that no staff were to go near your suite for fear their
“I think the blue gown will be best for this evening. I don't want anything that is too constricting across my shoulders.”
“Very good, m’ lady. If I might also suggest the pale yellow shawl to keep the chill off of you.”
Dressed, her hair in a bun at her nape, Aleece entered the drawing room where her parents were enjoying a cordial before dinner.
“Ah, and here is the lady of the hour,” the duke announced, getting to his feet from the sofa where he’d been sitting beside his wife.
Aleece could feel her face flush with embarrassment as she curtsied to her parents. Rising she gave them a smile then. “Father, I didn’t do anything that a duchess wouldn’t do.”
Now it was the duchess’s face which turned to a soft red rose color Lady Aleece was pleased to see. Fortunately she was saved from any further discomfiture as Horsfall entered to announce dinner was served.
Once seated in the small dining room, Aleece waited until the soup course, a light barley and beef concoction , which was her favorite, was laid down before asking the question that had weighed on her mind.
“Father, were you or the Smyth’s able to determine the origin and mayhap who set the fire?”
“Yes,” he easily replied, settling his spoon on the white china plate that rested under the soup bowl. “We found a torch on the ground near the end of the house where the two oldest daughters have their room. It would appear someone wanted to kill one of them.”
They waited for the soup course to be cleared and fresh trout was presented, then venison with her favorite hothouse vegetables was set down. That was when Aleece noticed all the foods were her favorites. She decided to hold the thought to herself until dessert.
“Darling,” the duchess continued. “When I was doing my sick calls the other day, Sally, their eldest, I noticed was having a very heated argument with the oldest Travers boy, not the bad one but the lazy one. By the time I got to the house to see the baby, he had left and she was in tears. Turns out he had wanted to offer for her but Sally said she did not love him and turned him down.”
“I know the boy you are talking about, Mother. I don’t blame Sally for refusing him. If there ever was a lazier person in the world they wouldn’t be as idle as he,” Aleece interjected.
“But that is no reason for starting the fire. As magistrate I need more evidence than that of an overwrought chit,” the duke insisted, slicing into a thick slab of beef with Yorkshire pudding, the next course.
“Yes, I know, darling, but Sally said the last words he had with her before stomping off were if he could not have her than no one would,” Eleanor said, concluding her recollection of the events.
Aleece watched as her father set his knife and fork down on his plate and leaned back in his chair. When he started stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger, she knew he was going over what he’d just learned. Also, blending this new information from what had been obtained from not only the Smyth’s but the first to arrive at the fire.
As she continued to observe him, she felt her eyelids getting heavy.
Chapter Nineteen
December 21, 1812
The sound of a distance clock chiming the hour slowly seeped into Aleece’s sleepy mind. From habit she started counting the faint peals. When the number passed ten, she rolled to her back only to bolt upright when she felt a sting on her right shoulder. As she started to reach for the bed curtains, they were pulled back giving her a start.
“Debbi, what is the time? I heard the clock strike more than ten times,” Aleece ordered, then regretted her tone when she saw the woman smiling back at her.
“Yes, m’ lady. It’s half eleven. I was instructed by Her Grace to let you sleep as late as you pleased. His Grace even ordered that no staff were to go near your suite for fear their
Similar Books
