Page 26 of Code Name Duchess
He pushed the thoughts aside and turned his attention to Winnie.
“No, I would never. You cannot control your uncle’s actions any more than I could control…” His words trailed off as he came to realize her early words were true.
“Seth?” Her soft voice drifted to his ear, and he shook his head.
“Perhaps you were not wrong about what you said before. David made his own decisions, just like your uncle made his. Just like Leo and Rose made theirs. For something in their lives steered them to keep secrets from us. And it must be something so precious that they would risk going into St. Giles alone at night to keep it that way.”
Winnifred’s head nodded up and down, the loose strands of her hair gently swaying.
“You are right. We just have to find out what.”
There was something in the way she could not meet his eye that made him wonder if she had a suspicion already. Alas, he did not have the chance to ask her as the carriage stopped outside Lester House. He let go of Winnie s hand, exited the carriage, and assisted her out.
“Mary,” Winnifred said. “I have business to attend to here at Lester House. Would you care to wait here, or do you have to return home?”
The maid looked from Winnie to Seth and shrugged. “I shall walk home. It is but a short walk and I would like the air.”
As the maid departed and the coachman climbed down from the box seat, Seth and Winnie made their way up the stairs.
The door flew open when they were not even on the third step, and the butler stood there, an expression of concern written all across his old face. The wrinkles around his eyes burrowed deeper than they normally would, and his thin lips almost disappeared as he pressed them together.
“Your Grace, you have returned. What a blessing. For there is a grave matter to address.” He paused and stepped aside to allow them entry into the townhouse. The moment the door closed behind them, the butler swallowed, his eyes wide.
“Your Grace, I am afraid a member of the household has been keeping secrets from you….”
Seth’s and Winnifred’s eyes met across the floor as they both realized the journey toward recovering their siblings was about to take another surprising turn.
Chapter 13
Winnifred stared at Seth, whose eyes narrowed as he took in the butler before them.
“Whatever do you mean, Rogers? Who has been keeping secrets from me?”
The butler glanced at the coachman, who’d handed control of the carriage to a stable hand and hastened inside after them upon hearing the butler’s words.
“Bradford? What is the meaning of this?”
The two servants exchanged a concerned look before the coachman cleared his throat.
“After our conversation, Your Grace, I addressed the entirety of the servant hall and implored them that if anyone should know anything, we must inform you at once. The servants felt rather upset at their failure to alert you at once when Lady Rose went missing.” He shrugged and then gave a deep sigh.
“Never mind all that,” Seth said with some irritation in his voice. “Am I to understand that one of the servants had a change of heart thanks to your speech?”
“Mr. Bradford was quite inspirational,” the butler said. “Lady Rose’s lady’s maid, Mrs. McKee, has come forward with some information.”
He glanced in the drawing room where a middle-aged maid stood by the fireplace. She wore a black gown with a white apron tied over the front. Upon her head rested a small cap, and she looked every bit like any lady’s maid would. Refined, elegant, and entirely regal. The only unusual thing about her, and what stuck out to Winnifred immediately, was the expression on her face.
Her eyes were sunken deep into their sockets, and the black circles under them were even darker than those around Uncle Ezekiel’s. Her entire body shuddered as they approached, and when she looked up at Seth, there was fear in her eyes.
Winnifred didn’t understand why the maid was in such a state. What terrible secret had she been keeping that she would be so upset at being found out? Seth stepped up to her and tilted his head to one side, and when he spoke, it was in an affable tone.
“Mrs. McKee?” The kind, soothing tinge in his voice seemed to put the maid at ease as she looked up and gave a tiny nod. “There is something you wanted to tell me?”
“Yes, Your Grace. And I must beg your forgiveness for not coming forth sooner. You must understand, I’ve been with Lady Rose ever since you arrived here in London and….”
Seth raised a hand to stop her flow of words. “I know it. My sister is very fond of you. I know you to be a loyal servant. Under normal circumstances, I would commend you for keeping my sister’s confidence, as you should. However, in this case, any little bit of information could lead to her safe return.”
The woman pressed her lips together as if, even now, she was not sure if she should betray the lady for whom she cared.
