Page 72 of An Arranged Marriage with a Mad Marquess
Chapter Twenty-Four
Patrina climbed the stairs, heart pounding. Agatha led the way. The staircase was dark – it hadn’t been expected that the guests would want to go upstairs, so the candles were set out sparsely – and she could hear muffled, worried murmurs coming from upstairs.
Her mind was reeling.
I was right. Clayton and Thomasindowish Neil harm. They are trying to kill him.
They might have succeeded.
How many doses of Aconitum would it take for the poison to be lethal? How much has Neil had?
Now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“The thing that worries me,” Agatha said, without turning around, “is how quickly he relaxed after this fit.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
The older woman glanced over her shoulder, meeting Patrina’s eye. “I’m afraid not. From what I’ve heard, his fits were more violent. Relaxing too soon could be a sign that his body is giving up, losing its strength. Has he seemed weaker and more disoriented lately?”
Patrina swallowed hard. “Yes, I would say so.”
“Then let’s hope we found him in time.”
“What… what can be done?”
Agatha breathed out evenly. “The first step, of course, is to stop his doses of the herb. After that, he requires rest, fluids, and small but regular amounts of healthy foods. It will take a while to regain his strength after such an extended period of poison doses.”
“But… but he will recover, won’t he?”
Patrina held her breath, waiting for Agatha’s response.
Before Agatha could say a thing, running footsteps echoed across the landing, and Harry appeared, out of breath and flustered. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Patrina.
“There you are! Neil is asking for you. Will you come in to see him?”
“Of course,” Patrina answered at once, climbing the rest of the stairs to get to the top. Her heart was thudding, but she made an effort to calm herself. “Harry, Clayton and Thomasin must not be allowed to be near Neil again. Neither must Mr. Blackburn.”
Harry blinked, visibly shaken. “Of course, but… but why not?”
“They’re trying to poison him.”
There was really no easy way to say that. Harry sucked in a breath, eyes widening. Patrina was braced for a barrage of questions or denials, but Harry only shook his head, recovering himself.
“I see. You must know, though, that Mr. Blackburn has already been sent for.”
Patrina bit back a curse. “That’s not ideal. Harry, I need you to do me a favour. Go for a constable, right now.”
“I will,” Harry nodded, and hesitated. “But you shall keep watch over Neil in my absence, will you not?”
“Of course. Of course I will, Harry. Just make haste, won’t you?”
“I’ll take the fastest horse in the stables,” Harry answered grimly.
He set off at a run, and then there was nothing for Patrina to do but draw in a deep breath and step into the sickroom.
***
Neil opened his eyes at the sound of a familiar, whispering voice. Relief and warmth surged through his chest when he saw Patrina step into the room.
