Page 37 of A Baron's Disguised Lady
“I know you won’t, and that’s why I want to help you find the truth,” she said, smiling at him with what she hoped was a reassuring look.
They stood for a few moments in silence—a respectful silence. Lavinia’s thoughts were turned to Gwendolene, as she could only imagine Archie’s were, too. But there was something more, too—an unexpected deepening of their own intimacy.
Lavinia felt comfortable in the baron’s presence, and she hoped he, too, felt the same. She wanted to reassure him, for him to know she would not give up, however difficult the task ahead of them might be. When Lavinia made a promise, it was one she kept, and now she made a promise to herself, too—that she would do all she could to help him.
“That’s very good of you. Hardly necessary, but very good, all the same,” he replied.
Lavinia shook her head. She could not stand by and do nothing, nor could she simply dismiss her own curiosities as idle. Something had happened to Gwendolene. Something terrible, and now she was dead as a result of it. Lavinia was tired of arrogant men, like Lord Bath, believing they could behave as they wished towards women and get away with it.
There were so many women who had no choice but to accept such behavior, and Lavinia was determined not to become one herself. Gwendolene no longer had a voice, but Lavinia felt certain she and Archie could discover the truth—however terrible it might be.
“It’s not good at all—it’s the right thing to do. Your poor sister didn’t deserve to die, and we need to find out what happened,” Lavinia replied, and taking him by the hand, she led him from the room, knowing there was no time to waste, and eager to get on with the task.
Chapter 13
At first, Archie had not been able to bear the thought of something terrible having happened to Gwendolene. He had dismissed his fears as the idle desperation of a man already blaming himself for his sister’s death, or clinging to the ill-founded hope he might awake as though from a dream.
But it was no dream, and the discovery of the notebook, and Lavinia’s words about poison, had now convinced him of his own fears. He had entered Gwendolene’s bedroom with trepidation, but what they had found had only served to confirm his fears. He was now convinced Gwendolen had been murdered, but as for motive and suspect, he was none the wiser.
“I’ll go and speak to Doctor Airdale. Perhaps he can confirm our suspicions—or perhaps he might even have reason to suspect someone,” Archie said, as they made their way downstairs.
The house was quiet, and the silence made Archie shiver, as he glanced up at the rows of portraits on the walls, at the imposing statues of the saints on their plinths and sconces, and at the ornate furniture around him. The house itself felt different, as though it was harboring the very secret Archie desired to know.
“Do you want me to come with you? Lavinia asked, but Archie shook his head.
He had already asked so much of her, and she, too, had given so much.
“It’s all right. I’ll go alone. The doctor might not want to talk so readily with two of us there,” he said, and Lavinia nodded.
“I’ll stay here. I could… speak to the servants. Daisy, perhaps… she was terribly upset by Gwendolene’s death, but… well, we can’t rule anyone out,” Lavinia said.
Archie looked at her in surprise. She was right, of course, but the thought of one of the servants being involved was too terrible to comprehend. The loyalty of the staff was absolute, or so Archie had always thought.
“Yes… perhaps such questions would be better coming from you,” he said, and Lavinia nodded.
“I think so, yes. It’ll give me something to do. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” she said, as though anticipating his next sentence.
He smiled at her and nodded.
“I really don’t know how to thank you,” he said, and she smiled at him.
“You don’t have to. I don’t want any thanks. I just want to know the truth about your sister, and for you to know it, too,” she replied.
They parted ways in the hallway, and Archie was left with the grateful feeling of not being alone. He had not felt the same way since Gwendolene had been alive, and when she had died, he had feared he would always be alone. But Lavinia had changed that, and Archie could not help but feel grateful to her for that, as now he set off in the direction of the village, walking swiftly, contemplating all they had discovered that day.
***
To Archie’s surprise, a young man, clean shaven and fresh-faced answered the door of Doctor Airdale’s cottage. He looked questioningly at Archie, who peered over his shoulder into the cottage.
“I’m… looking for Doctor Airdale,” Archie said, and the young man nodded.
“I’m his new assistant, Connor Doyle,” he said, in a strong Irish accent.
Archie was taken aback—Doctor Airdale had been Sarum’s physician for as many years as he could remember, and hehad always refused all offers of help from outside, doggedly continuing his rounds, even as his own health began to fail.
“I see… well, will you tell him the baron wishes to speak to him,” Archie said, deciding it was better to pull rank than find himself refused entry.
The young man nodded, returning a moment later and admitting Archie into the parlor. The transformation was quite remarkable. It was clean and tidy, and all the doctor’s notebooks were arranged neatly in piles on his desk. Gone were the piles and books and papers, all of them now arranged on shelves, labeled, and catalogued.
