Page 13 of The Moonstone Pirate
“Yes, there is just us now that his parents and brothers have passed. I don’t think Draco ever expected to inherit the earldom, since he was third in line and youngest of the brothers. That all happened within the last two years, his father and brothersdying in short succession. They dropped like flies, one after the other.”
Imogen tried not to appear alarmed.
How could this fact be overlooked? Two brothers and a father dying close in time, and now Driscoll dead? Imogen was more convinced than ever that Driscoll’s death had been a mistake and the earl was the intended victim. She would insist on talking to him again when he returned, for she had to impress this warning on him. Or had he been so curt with her because he was already thinking the same thing?
“Deandra, how did his father and brothers die?” Imogen asked out of genuine concern as they made their way down the buffet line and piled their plates high.
“His father, who had already been a widower for many years, succumbed to a wasting sickness about two years ago. My eldest cousin, Nolan, then inherited the title. But he was a notorious wastrel, gambling and drinking and all that. He had not been earl even a year before he broke his neck falling off a horse at a country party.”
“Oh, that is quite tragic. Whose party?” Not that Imogen thought it was relevant, but why overlook any details?
“Lord Driscoll’s house party.” Deandra shrugged and glanced around, unaware the man had just been murdered. “I suppose that’s why Draco invited him tonight, out of respect for his friendship with Nolan. But Driscoll is a rogue. I do not like him very much. Not that I had many dealings with him.”
“I suppose Nolan brought him around a time or two,” Imogen suggested, her heart pounding at this revelation. She hoped to coax more information out of Deandra before she learned of Driscoll’s death and immediately stopped confiding in her.
“Oh, yes. He and Nolan were thick as thieves. My father and I went to visit Nolan once, and Lord Driscoll was there, his feet onthe table and lording it over all of us. Quite rude, I thought. But Nolan never said anything.” Deandra glanced around the room before continuing. “I saw Driscoll here earlier with some of his unpleasant friends. Hopefully, they found our party boring and left to go drinking and gambling elsewhere. Although I do not know if they will find anything suitable in Moonstone Landing. It is a very quiet village, isn’t it?”
Imogen nodded. “Yes, for the most part. We like it that way. What happened to the second son?”
“Rafael died on his way home to claim the title. He had been in India, and his ship went down in a storm near Portugal. It was truly a tragedy. They were close to land when their ship struck rocks and sank. Most of the passengers survived, but he did not.”
Imogen frowned as they found seats at a quiet corner table and sat down together. “Did they rule his death a drowning? Was an investigation ever conducted?”
“I don’t know. I never bothered to ask. He was dead, and suddenly Draco was earl. The first thing Draco did upon returning to England and claiming the title was to ask after us, which neither of his brothers had bothered to do, although Rafael did not have the chance to do much of anything, since he never made it back to England alive.” Deandra leaned closer and whispered, “My father is a lovely man, but utterly incompetent when it comes to business matters. He spent his life as a professor and barely earned enough to provide for us, or so my mother often complained.”
Imogen put a hand over hers. “I’m sure your father did his best.”
Deandra nodded. “He did. He’s a wonderful man. Mother thought so, too. It was just our lack of money that frustrated her. But it helps immensely that Draco is now in charge. He has been for almost a year now. I hope he lasts as earl, because my father is next in line, and that would truly be a disaster. Hedoesn’t know the first thing about farming or running a business or political duties. But he can teach any useless, esoteric subject brilliantly.”
Imogen felt quite proud of herself by the time the party ended and the guests started to leave. She had made a friend of Deandra, who was cheerful and delightful, and also gotten some valuable information out of her concerning Driscoll.
She hoped Deandra would not be angry with her and feel used once she learned of Driscoll’s death—which she was about to do, since Imogen, along with the women in her family, and Brenna, Duchess of Claymore, lingered once the party ended. It was obvious the men were missing. Neither Draco nor Constable Angel had returned yet. Until one of them did, neither Imogen’s uncle nor the dukes were going to abandon the body.
However, if the corpse was found on the rocks beside the pirate cave entrance, it would have to be moved somewhere safe to keep it from being swept out to sea with the rising tide.
Where had they placed it?
Imogen guessed they had carried it up into the meadow while awaiting further instructions. Her uncle would also have scoured the area around the rocks and cliff walk for signs of a scuffle or other clues. Footsteps along the sand beach? How much could they find in the dark of night, even with their torches held high and Parrot’s sensitive nose to help them out?
When it became obvious to Deandra and her father that something was amiss, Imogen finally spoke up. “There was a serious accident earlier. Someone has died.”
“Who?” Deandra asked, wringing her hands. “It wasn’t Draco, was it? Where is he? Why isn’t he here?”
Imogen hurried to reassure her before she burst into tears. “He is completely unharmed. It was Lord Driscoll who was found dead. It must have happened sometime shortly after the supper dance.”
Deandra let out a ragged breath. “I saw Draco dancing with you.”
Imogen nodded. “Yes, he was with me all through the waltz and the unmasking immediately following. Then we were chatting with you and your father. Your cousin left us only when Parrot started barking and ran off.”
“A dog’s hearing is much keener than ours,” Brenna commented. “He must have heard the crime taking place.”
Imogen nodded. “Draco…er, Lord Woodley went off with the constable and Viscount Brennan to track down Lord Driscoll’s friends. You see, they ran away, and he thinks they might have been involved or seen something and got scared.”
Albert Woodley spoke up. “What has become of the body?”
Phoebe stepped forward to answer. “My husband, along with the Duke of Malvern and Duke of Claymore, have gone down to the pirate caves to guard it and search the area for clues, as much as can be found before the tide washes everything away.”
“Why don’t we all retire to your parlor and have some tea while we wait for the men to return?” Brenna suggested. “We could be here a few more hours.”
