Page 91 of The Marquess Method (The Beautiful Barringtons 3)

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Theo’s fingers curled around the neck of the brandy bottle. She stopped, seeing a shadow on the terrace, one too rounded to be her husband.

“Me!” She heard the word, slightly muffled, through the doors leading to the terrace.

Erasmus.

Rolfe was no longer behind her. She’d asked him to send Coates for the constable. There were footmen around, though. Somewhere. But Theo didn’t want to tip off Erasmus by summoning them. He might startle and shoot Haven.

She hefted the brandy bottle. Shereallydisliked Haven’s uncle, regretting every bit of coin she’d ever given him. Preying on her sympathy. Trying to sell her miniatures. Attempting to kill her husband.

Theo opened the door to the terrace quietly. The two men before her never even looked in her direction as she slid onto the terrace. Theo, much like her sisters, was very good at playing bowls. And while tossing a brandy bottle wasn’texactlythe same, she thought she could manage. Though it was hard to see. If there was ever a time Theo truly wished she had her spectacles, it was now.

“Heavens, no.” Erasmus sounded offended. “I may have detested Edmund, but I’m no murderer. He choked in his sleep.” Haven’s uncle made a face. “A heavy dinner, far too much wine, and a whore. You, Ambrose, will be my very first murder.”

Not if Theo had anything to say about it. She crept closer and placed her feet in the correct stance. Tossing the brandy bottle at Erasmus was probably the best she could manage. It would be enough. Haven would do the rest. Even now, though she could barely see him, Theo suspected he was coiled up like Theseus, ready to strike a large rat.

“Lucky me.”

“No, I’m the lucky one. I will finally have the title I deserve. Marquess of Haven. You’ve already brought me a fortune and pissed off your wife. She’ll be told the same thing as everyone else. You shot yourself cleaning your gun.”

“No one will believe for an instant that I can’t clean a gun properly. Or that I was doing so while outside on the terrace.”

“Everyone knows your despondency over Theodosia. No one will think it an accident,” Erasmus said sadly.

Theo pressed a hand to her heart. Haven had beendespondent. Sheknewhe loved her.

Focus, Theo.

She crouched, swinging her arm as if she were about to toss a bowl.

“You’ve been mooning over her for weeks. I am sympathetic, having lost my own true love. I’m doing you a kindness, Nephew. Erasmus raised a trembling hand, attempting to aim. “Now, hold still if you please.”

Theo tossed the bottle, wishing she had something clever to say to Erasmus as she did so. The bottle swung over his head, the neck clipping his ear before it disappeared into the darkness of the garden with a loud thud.

Dammit.

The distraction was all Haven needed to leap at Erasmus. He easily took the pistol from his uncle, who screeched like an owl at his nephew’s assault. Haven punched him once, hard, in the nose, and Erasmus fell to the terrace, blood seeping through his fingers. He turned to look over at her.

“Theodosia, you’re here.” There was wonder in his voice.

“I am. I came to save you. From him.”

“I suppose I should count myself fortunate you could see well enough to discern who was who and I wasn’t hit with a brandy bottle.” He held out his hand, reaching for her, before turning back to his uncle.

Theo went to him without hesitation, peace filling her at the feel of Haven’s strong fingers curling around hers. They could discuss the particulars later.

* * *

“I suspected it was him,”Jacinda said.

Theo looked up from her seat in the drawing room as they waited for the constable to arrive. Hearing the commotion on the terrace, Rolfe had rushed out along with one of the recently hired footmen. They’d taken the sobbing Erasmus down the hall to the small parlor, ironically the same room Theo’s trunks had once been locked in. Jacinda, hearing the commotion, had come down the stairs, giving her brother a wide-eyed look before hugging Theo.

Now, Haven’s sister sat across from her in the drawing room, sipping on a cup of tea procured by Rolfe.

“What do you mean you suspected him? Why on earth wouldn’t you have said anything to me?” Haven was pacing about like a caged tiger, threatening to wear holes in the new rug Theo had purchased. “How, Jacinda? I didn’t.”

“You weren’there, Ambrose,” Jacinda stated. “And I didn’t suspect him at first. Why would I? I’m not even sure I knew I had an uncle until he showed up at Greenbriar while you were gone. Before Uncle Erasmus officially arrived, Mr. Henderson kept babbling about seeing Lord Haven down by the tree. You know, the one where our uncle eventually took up residence? One night, he came in to tell Mrs. Henderson that his lordship had sworn at him like those soldiers who followed old Boney. Napoleon is who he meant. Mr. Henderson fought with Wellington in his youth.”

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