Page 75 of Lady Louisa and the Carriage Clock
Louisa didn’t open her eyes again until she was seated next to Leopold in her father’s carriage. She knew Eliza had been murdered, and the Ketterings were both likely deceased. As her brother carried her outside the house, she’d no desire to see the result of the events at Richmond House that evening.
“It’s all right, Louisa. We’re on our way to Carstairs.” Leopold had his arm around her.
“Lord and Lady Kettering?” she asked in a small voice.
“Are you sure you’re up to this right now?”
“Leopold,” she opened her eyes and stared at him in the gloom of the carriage.
Her brother sighed. “They’re both dead. He from a gunshot wound, his wife from what appears to be a broken neck.”
“Do Father and Mother know where I am?” she asked with a shudder.
He shook his head. “Lucy told me you were missing and I asked her not to say a word to anyone else.”
Lord Wycliffe was unharmed. She was sure he had already departed for Mayfair to look for the ledger Lord Kettering mentioned. When the viscount learned the men who killed his brother were probably dead, the fury on his face had broken Louisa’s heart. Lady Kettering had treated the murder and the men who were responsible as unremarkable, hardly worth notice.
The rocking of the coach was making her sleepy. A thought struck her. “I heard you give orders to those other men.”
“I’ve been working for the Home Office the last two years investigating the Rogue’s Alliance.”
“And you never said a word. Does Lord Wycliffe know?”
“I told Lord Harbury this evening, so I’m sure the viscount has been informed by now.”
“What are we going to tell Mother and Father?” she asked, yawning.
“Nothing. We will get you into the house unseen.”
She sat up straighter. “Our groom! The men with Louisa tied him up.”
“He will be fine. He also works for the Home Office.”
After a moment of silence she asked, “What happens now?”
Leopold took one of her hands and squeezed it. “Once you are home and settled, I will meet with Lord Wycliffe to discuss the ledger. The chaos at Richmond House will be sorted by the Home Office. Your part in all of this is over, Louisa."
Her brother’s tone brooked no disagreement, and she didn’t have the strength to argue. “You must ensure Edith knows we’re all safe.”
Her brother nodded. “I would think Lord Harbury is notifying his wife right now, but I will make sure.”
“Thank you, Leopold.” She resumed her place against his shoulder. “Do you really dislike Lord Wycliffe or was that merely theater?”
She felt him shrug. “It was partly an act. The viscount has always been a proud man.”
“Are you not the same?” she asked with a chuckle.
“You may be right. Rest now.”
She nodded off and awakened when the coach came to a halt in the mews.
“Can you walk?” Leopold asked as he helped her from the carriage.
“I think so.” She held on to her brother’s arm as he escorted her across the back garden, through the French doors, and into the drawing room.
Lucy was perched on the edge of a chair and rose to her feet upon seeing her mistress. “My lady! Are you quite all right?”
“Just tired, Lucy.”
