Page 85 of The Duke of Ruin
Diana had to strain to hear the last word. “The accident involving the previous duchess?” At Rose’s nod, Diana tried to think of why Mrs. Marley’s behavior would have frightened the girl. “Is it because she spoke out?”
Rose stopped organizing and turned to Diana, twisting her fingers in the front of her apron and shook her head. “No, because she lied. I saw everything what happened.”
Diana’s heart stopped for a second. Here was a witness. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
Panic flashed in Rose’s eyes as they grew as big as dinner plates. “I’d only worked here for a week, but I already knew that Mrs. Dodd didn’t tolerate gossip from us unless we shared it with her and her alone. But seeing His Grace…” A tear slipped from Rose’s eye, cracking Diana’s heart.
“What did you see?” Diana was desperate to know.
“It was Mrs. Marley who argued with Her Grace on the stairs. Her Grace slipped and reached for Mrs. Marley, but Mrs. Marley drew back, and Her Grace fell.” Rose squeezed her eyes shut. “It was horrible. Sometimes I wake up and see the terror on her face and hear the sound of her hitting the floor.” Rose wrapped her arms around herself. “And then I see His Grace rushing from his study into the hall. I hear his cry of distress. Then I see him holding Her Grace, begging her not to die.” Her eyes had taken on a glassy sheen. She blinked and refocused on Diana. “That was when I ran. I ran all the way up to my room in the attic, and I’ve never told a soul about it.”
Tears fell unheeded from Diana’s eyes. The image of Simon cradling his dead wife’s body would’ve haunted her too. And maybe it would now that she knew the truth. He hadn’t even been on the stairs. Marley had lied about it all to cover up her own misdeed. To think Simon’s suffering could have been abated… None of this would bring Miriam back, but at least he wouldn’t have blamed himself.
“Why didn’t you tell Mrs. Dodd at least?” Diana tried not to sound accusatory. The girl had been thirteen and brand-new to the house. If she’d been in the same circumstance, Diana wasn’t sure she could have found the courage to speak out either. “Never mind, I already know the answer. You were deathly afraid for many reasons, all of them valid.” She wiped at her wet cheeks and summoned a smile of encouragement for the brave girl. “I’m so glad you told me the truth. This will help the Duke immeasurably.”
Rose’s eyes brightened. “Will it really?”
The door behind Diana slammed closed, followed by the sound of a bolt. Diana whipped around and tried to push the door open, but, as expected, it was locked.
She turned back to Rose, but they were now in total darkness. “D-did you see who cl-closed the door?” Diana asked as anxiety tripped through her. Why would someone lock them in the storeroom?
“Not clearly. But I saw a flash of skirt.” The maid blanched. “I think it was Mrs. Marley.”
The fear in Rose’s tone echoed in Diana’s chest. The darkness of the storeroom took her back to the countless times her father had shut her in a pitch-black closet where she’d been forced to spend the night and contemplate her deficiencies. Panic rose in her throat, and she simply couldn’t make any words come out.
“What should we do?” Rose asked, her voice small and scared in the dark.
They should call for help, but Diana was frozen. Then a smell filtered beneath the door. Smoke.
“Someone will find us, won’t they?” Rose asked fearfully.
Diana hoped so. They weren’t very far—Mrs. Dodd and the others were just on the other side of the kitchen. But would they hear them if they yelled? It was a pointless question since Diana couldn’t even speak. Hysteria bubbled in her chest as smoke began to filter beneath the door.
Rose pushed past her and pounded on the door, but quickly drew back. “It’s hot.”
Diana heard the faint crackle of flame. Dear God, the door was on fire. Very shortly the storeroom would become an oven. And she and Rose were going to be cooked inside.
Her mind went to Simon and the pain he would suffer if he lost her too. She prayed he wouldn’t have to endure that again. Surely life wouldn’t be so cruel.
Yet as the smoke increased, the heat grew, and Rose began to cough, Diana’s hope faded. She was no stranger to cruelty, and it seemed that would be her end.
As Simon rodeinto the yard with Nevis, he saw the stable lads racing toward the kitchens. “What the devil is going on?”
Nevis squinted toward the kitchens. “Smoke. More than normal, it looks like. Could be a fire?” He slid from his horse.
Alarmed, Simon dismounted. Since it seemed he couldn’t call for a stableboy to take the horses, he handed the reins to Nevis. “I’ll send a lad back.”
The steward nodded as Simon ran toward the kitchen. Smoke billowed from the scullery, and the door to the outside was thrown open as the staff worked to assemble a bucket line.
“What happened?” Simon asked Tinley, who was organizing the line.
“A fire in the storeroom.” His face was grim. “There may be someone inside.”
Terror gripped Simon’s chest. He couldn’t suffer another tragedy. He looked about for Diana. She would be here helping. He was sure of it.
He saw his mother hurrying toward him, Humphrey in her arms. “Where’s Diana?” she asked sharply. “She went to the kitchens.” Her eyes darted about frantically.
The fear in Simon’s gut intensified, searing him until he nearly dropped to his knees. No, he couldn’t survive losing her too…
