me, ma’am,” Tolley gasped. “I tried to make it to outside.”
“Do not think of it,” she said. “You must have more than a toothache. Shall I summon Mr. Price?”
Tolley strained to reach into a pocket of his coat. He handed her the vial. “I think it was the laudanum, ma’am.” He clasped his hand over his cheek. “My tooth pains me still.”
Arjun extended his hand. “May I see it?”
She gave him the vial. He opened it and sniffed.
Tolley coughed and winced in pain. Emma gave him another sip of water. “I took the laudanum and was about to lie down to rest, but I felt I would be sick. My pardon, ma’am. I grabbed the pot and ran, but I did not make it in time.” He took hold of the banister and pulled himself to his feet. “I shall tend to this.” Swaying on his feet, he gestured toward the pot.
“No, you shall not,” Emma insisted. “You must return to your bed.”
He hesitated, but she gave him a firm glare. “I insist, Tolley.”
Nodding, he lumbered up the stairs.
Emma held her breath against the stench and reached for the chamber pot.
Arjun stopped her. “I will tend to it, my lady.”
Somehow she felt she would be better suited to the task of carting away vomit than this pristine gentleman’s gentleman, but she took a step back. “Thank you, Arjun.”
He nodded, but regarded her with a furrowed brow.
“Yes, Arjun?”
He handed her Tolley’s empty vial. “The vial did not contain laudanum, my lady.”
Her eyes widened.
“The vial held a syrup made from the ipecacuanha root,” he said.
This meant nothing to her.
“Ipecacuanha is known to induce vomiting,” he went on. “The young man appears quite robust. He will suffer no ill effects, do not fear. With your permission and his, I will provide him something to relieve the toothache.”
She blinked. “But it was supposed to be laudanum.”
He shrugged, then turned to pick up the chamber pot.
As he started down the stairs, she stopped him. “What if he had not been robust?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What if the person taking the vial had not been robust? What if he had been quite ill?”
Arjun paused. “Someone very sick might be endangered.”
Emma remained still as the valet proceeded down the stairs, but as soon as he was out of sight, she proceeded to the library, asking a passing maid to inform the vicar she wished to speak with him before he left.
A few minutes later Reuben entered the library. “What did you wish of me, Emma? You know I would do anything you asked of me.”
The tone of his voice set off warnings. She so wished he would not imply this unwanted devotion toward her.
She held out the medicine vial. “This was not laudanum, Reuben. You gave Spence an emetic.”
His jaw dropped and he staggered. “Grant me mercy. Tell me I did not do such a thing!”
She shoved the bottle at him. “Smell it!”
He leaned over so the vial reached his nose. “Dear God.” He collapsed in a chair and wiped his brow. “My cousin looked too well to have been harmed by it. Say it is so.”
She did not sit. “He did not take any of it. But if he had—in his weakened state—”
He held up his hand. “Do not go on, my dear. Do you not think I know what the result might have been? I would never forgive myself if Spence came to harm at my hand.”
“I want to know how this happened, Reuben.” Emma glared at him.
“I . . . I . . .” He took a breath. “I do not know!” He covered his mouth with his hand, then blurted out, “I must have mixed up the vials! I asked Mr. Price for something for dysentery. I had a touch of it, you see. He gave me the laudanum for Spence at the same time!”
She put her hands on her hips. “Did you not discover that your medicine tasted like laudanum?”
His round cheeks trembled. “I never took any of it. My . . . problem resolved itself.” He rose to his feet. “Here, I will bring the laudanum when I return for dinner.”
“Never mind. Spence will not
“Do not think of it,” she said. “You must have more than a toothache. Shall I summon Mr. Price?”
Tolley strained to reach into a pocket of his coat. He handed her the vial. “I think it was the laudanum, ma’am.” He clasped his hand over his cheek. “My tooth pains me still.”
Arjun extended his hand. “May I see it?”
She gave him the vial. He opened it and sniffed.
Tolley coughed and winced in pain. Emma gave him another sip of water. “I took the laudanum and was about to lie down to rest, but I felt I would be sick. My pardon, ma’am. I grabbed the pot and ran, but I did not make it in time.” He took hold of the banister and pulled himself to his feet. “I shall tend to this.” Swaying on his feet, he gestured toward the pot.
“No, you shall not,” Emma insisted. “You must return to your bed.”
He hesitated, but she gave him a firm glare. “I insist, Tolley.”
Nodding, he lumbered up the stairs.
Emma held her breath against the stench and reached for the chamber pot.
Arjun stopped her. “I will tend to it, my lady.”
Somehow she felt she would be better suited to the task of carting away vomit than this pristine gentleman’s gentleman, but she took a step back. “Thank you, Arjun.”
He nodded, but regarded her with a furrowed brow.
“Yes, Arjun?”
He handed her Tolley’s empty vial. “The vial did not contain laudanum, my lady.”
Her eyes widened.
“The vial held a syrup made from the ipecacuanha root,” he said.
This meant nothing to her.
“Ipecacuanha is known to induce vomiting,” he went on. “The young man appears quite robust. He will suffer no ill effects, do not fear. With your permission and his, I will provide him something to relieve the toothache.”
She blinked. “But it was supposed to be laudanum.”
He shrugged, then turned to pick up the chamber pot.
As he started down the stairs, she stopped him. “What if he had not been robust?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What if the person taking the vial had not been robust? What if he had been quite ill?”
Arjun paused. “Someone very sick might be endangered.”
Emma remained still as the valet proceeded down the stairs, but as soon as he was out of sight, she proceeded to the library, asking a passing maid to inform the vicar she wished to speak with him before he left.
A few minutes later Reuben entered the library. “What did you wish of me, Emma? You know I would do anything you asked of me.”
The tone of his voice set off warnings. She so wished he would not imply this unwanted devotion toward her.
She held out the medicine vial. “This was not laudanum, Reuben. You gave Spence an emetic.”
His jaw dropped and he staggered. “Grant me mercy. Tell me I did not do such a thing!”
She shoved the bottle at him. “Smell it!”
He leaned over so the vial reached his nose. “Dear God.” He collapsed in a chair and wiped his brow. “My cousin looked too well to have been harmed by it. Say it is so.”
She did not sit. “He did not take any of it. But if he had—in his weakened state—”
He held up his hand. “Do not go on, my dear. Do you not think I know what the result might have been? I would never forgive myself if Spence came to harm at my hand.”
“I want to know how this happened, Reuben.” Emma glared at him.
“I . . . I . . .” He took a breath. “I do not know!” He covered his mouth with his hand, then blurted out, “I must have mixed up the vials! I asked Mr. Price for something for dysentery. I had a touch of it, you see. He gave me the laudanum for Spence at the same time!”
She put her hands on her hips. “Did you not discover that your medicine tasted like laudanum?”
His round cheeks trembled. “I never took any of it. My . . . problem resolved itself.” He rose to his feet. “Here, I will bring the laudanum when I return for dinner.”
“Never mind. Spence will not
Similar Books
