Page 64 of The Artisan and the Duke
Lady St Claire sighed, “I miss Jules as well, Gregory, and I want there to be some justice for what has happened. I just want you boys not to take any unnecessary risks.”
“I have no intention of giving anyone an easy opportunity to get the better of us, but I fear there will have to be some risks involved,” Gregory said with a frown.
Footfalls heralded the arrival of Olly. “Your Grace, I was wondering if I could have a word,” Olly ventured. He stopped near the table with his hat in his hands and gave a bow of his head to Lady St Claire who eyed the young man curiously.
Gregory nodded and waved his hand towards the hallway. “I will meet you in the study,” he said. Olly ducked his head and quickly headed back out of the kitchen. Gregory smiled at his mother and Fredrick, “I better go see what he needs. Please, enjoy your breakfast.”
Lady St Claire gave her son a curious look but said nothing as Gregory exited the kitchen swiftly. When Gregory was gone, she looked over at Fred, “What is that all about?”
“I am quite sure that I do not know,” Fredrick said with a shake of his head.
Lady St Claire pressed her lips together and said, “So long as you keep your promise of being careful, then I shall stay out of the way.”
“We always intend on being careful, Mother,” Fredrick said before he dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “If you will excuse me, I think I would rather like a ride today. I shall go see about getting one of the horses ready.”
Lady St Claire watched her youngest son leave as well and sighed at the empty room wondering what the day would bring.
***
“So, what is it that you found out?” Gregory asked curiously as he rested back in his father’s leather desk chair.
Olly sighed and admitted, “Not much. Whatever else your cousin is, Your Grace, he runs a very tight household. The boys were antsy the minute we started talking to them. I imagine that means that their master told them not to associate with us for fear of them giving something away.”
“Ah,” Gregory said in dissatisfaction. He had been expecting as much. Boris might seem like a lovable jester to the outside world, but Gregory had known the man his whole life and knew Boris to have a shrewd mind.
Olly smiled and said, “But one of the younger boys did let it slip that your uncle had been there just a day before.”
“That means my cousin lied about that, but I figured as much,” Gregory said thoughtfully. “As much as I want to focus on figuring out Boris’ angle and why he is involved in this at all, I cannot let myself get distracted from finding the Duchess.”
Olly agreed, “As it should be. I just wish we could have turned up something more for you, Your Grace.”
Gregory waved his hand to dismiss Olly’s remorse. “You did what I asked, which is more than some would have done. You and your brother have done me a great service, Olly. Go get some much-needed rest,” Gregory said with a smile.
“If there is anything we can do to help you, then we are at your service, Your Grace,” Olly said earnestly before he dipped his head and turned to take his leave. “I have to go see about getting the horses put up properly.”
Gregory nodded and assured the young man, “If I need you, then I know where to find you. Thank you, Olly.”
***
Fredrick had left to make some more rounds of the workhouses, though he expected to find nothing much. Whoever had put the Duchess into the workhouses had certainly moved her somewhere safer when they had gotten wind of Fredrick and Gregory’s search. Still, it never hurt to check.
By midday, Fredrick was just as discouraged as he expected to be. There were no signs of the Duchess and even the people he had spoken to about her were gone. Fredrick stopped by Barrister Dulock’s office and found the man’s desk buried in a pile of papers.
“I see that I chose a poor time to visit,” Fredrick said in jest as he waved to the barrister’s stack of papers.
Barrister Dulock sighed and assured Fredrick, “It has been like this ever since I saw Gregory last. It seems every case I have ever done needs to have the paperwork revisited by order of the House of Lords.”
“That certainly cannot be a simple coincidence,” Fredrick said thoughtfully. “I could have Gregory speak to them …”
Barrister Dulock waved off the idea, “It would only serve to anger them and would likely just make my life that much more unbearable.” The man eyed Fredrick and asked curiously, “I suppose that your being here means that the young lady is still unaccounted for?”
“Yes, unfortunately, she has disappeared once again. We get a lead, and then it vanishes,” Fredrick said in dissatisfaction. “I fail to see why anyone would want to kidnap her, to begin with. It seems a foolhardy plot and one that has no consequence on anything.”
Barrister Dulock’s shoulders rose in a helpless shrug as he agreed, “It does appear to be a futile if rather worrisome act.”
“Unless the benefit of the act is merely my brother’s constant distraction from whatever the perpetrators wish him to ignore,” Fredrick mused as he leaned against the leather chair in front of the barrister’s desk. Sitting down and getting back up was a bit troublesome, and Fredrick just assumed to stand since he was out alone.
The barrister frowned, “Well, I would say that his uncle is a good bet. Sir Lawrence stands to benefit a good deal if Gregory loses any more support within the Lords.”
