Page 43 of Death at Fournier Downs
Now, as soon as Greer had gone, Philip sat on the edge of Audrey’s bed and held her gaze. He raised one brow in his chastising manner.
“You will be relieved to know I was not alone once today,” she preempted.
“I’m not surerelievedis the word I would choose, but I am thankful you at least took that warning seriously.” He toed the heels of his slippers and removed them before settling back onto the bed pillows, then crossing his ankles upon the coverlet.
Audrey joined him, tucking her legs underneath her, and leaning against the bolster pillows while waiting for him to continue.
“Dr. Wilkes and Officer Marsden had the interview well in hand with Lord Edgerton. You did not need to insert yourself.”
“But—”
“And do not try telling me you were only there to visit with your mother. It would be the weakest, most inane lie you could ever attempt. The woman is a viper.”
“And she’s only gotten worse,” she said, then told him the insensitive things she had said to the serving maid who’d nearly dropped the tea tray when hearing Ida Smith had been killed.
“We got into a little spat after, and my uncle accused me—once again—of being too high in the instep now.” She scrunched her nose and grimaced.
“I find an endless amount of enjoyment in thinking about how inferior he must feel.”
Audrey nudged his shoulder. “You’re terrible.”
He crossed his arms and grinned. “Thank you. Shall we rattle the bedstead a little? I’ve been quite cross with you lately, and that often leads to violent lovemaking.”
She glowered at him playfully, careful not to betray the surprising twist in her belly when her mind leaped to Hugh Marsden. Spending more time in his presence was complicating things.
Audrey sighed and stretched out her legs next to his. “I’m not in the mood, darling.”
Philip chuckled. “Very well, sedate and routine it is. Even if I am cross with you.”
“For going to Haverfield?”
“For going to Kilton House.” He speared her with another look. She cringed. Of course he would have found out. This staff was his after all. Excluding Greer, they were loyal to him above her.
“You’ll be interested to know what we learned from Lord and Lady Finborough.”
“I do not care what you learned, Audrey. We are supposed to be having a respite; instead, we are embroiled in another murder investigation.”
She pushed herself up and stared at him, incredulous. “It cannot be helped! My friend has been murdered. I cannot stand idly by if there is something I can do to aid the investigation.”
“Did you use your ability today? Did it assist you in whatever it was you learned at Kilton House?”
He knew what her answer would be. Philip only wanted to make a point, and when she sealed her lips, he practically gloated.
“No, but I was able to help the interview along,” she said, and it was true. Hugh had even commended her for it. Her ability had nothing to do with it, just her title. Her position.
Suddenly, the praise he’d paid her earlier, thanking her for her help with the marquess and marchioness, rang hollow, when before it had not.
“Let Marsden and the coroner do their jobs.” Philip no longer sounded perturbed. In fact, his tone had softened to something almost placating. As if he could sense the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. “And darling…the less time you spend in Marsden’s company, the easier you will feel.”
Hadn’t she just been thinking the same thing? Still, when Philip left her room after a few more minutes of awkward silence, she wondered if distance would be enough of a remedy.
* * *
“This is utter tripe,”Cassie moaned.
She sat at the writing desk in the morning room, angrily scratching out what she had just written on the paper at her elbow. She was slumped most unladylike in the chair, her arm resting atop the desk, her head in her palm as she cast aside the quill pen and crumpled the paper.
Audrey, reclining only slightly more decorously on a chaise, lowered the novel she’d been attempting to read for the last hour. She couldn’t even recall what had happened in the previous chapter. The inquest for Ida Smith was currently underway in the icehouse and she was near to bursting with curiosity about what was being said. Three footmen had been put on guard outside the doors to the stone-fronted earthen cave, to hinder anyone from entering, so she had decided to keep her distance.
