Petal shot to her feet. “Aidan said he didn’t want her to deliver his food.”
Everyone froze upon hearing Petal’s overly familiar use of the master’s name.
“What was that?” Mrs Kempton demanded with a scowl.
“I said that the master doesn’t want Edwards touching his food. I need to arrange another tray for him so he can have something to eat. He won’t eat whatever she takes up.”
It was evident that she was completely oblivious to her faux pas, or the shocked stares of everyone seated around the table. When Mrs Kempton’s stare grew darker, Rollo left the table.
“I will make up another tray. You stay with it and make sure the master eats some, Petal. Leave Edwards to me.”
Petal nodded and waited impatiently for the tray to be prepared. She put the curious looks from the staff seated around the table down to their expectation over the forthcoming altercation between her and Edwards.
When she reached the door to Sir Aidan’s room, his anger could be heard even from the hallway.
“You need to get something to eat,” Edwards persisted.
“I am telling you to take that back to the kitchens. I am not touching it,” Aidan retorted flatly.
Aidan glared down at the breakfast Edwards had just delivered. Given how he felt, and what he suspected she had done with his previous breakfast, he wasn’t going to touch a morsel. It was incredibly suspicious that she had taken to bringing his meals up to his room when she had been told not to. This was, after all, supposed to be a woman who wanted to elevate her position within the household. Yet she was willing to carry trays of food like – well – Petal?
“Where is Petal?” he demanded.
Something was wrong, and he rather suspected he knew what it was. Edwards was going against his wishes and lacing his meals with medication. What he didn’t understand just yet was why she felt the need to give him Laudanum again. Surely she knew he would notice.
Just what was she up to? What purpose could it have to keep giving him medication that rendered him oblivious to the world? Not only that, but how was she getting her hands on his trays in the first case?
What does Petal think she is doing? He thought angrily. I thought she was trustworthy.
He studied the food and shuddered, especially when Edwards pushed the tray onto his lap and leaned over him suggestively to such a degree that her bosom was inches from his nose.
“Eat it all up,” Edwards chirruped as she perched on a chair beside the bed.
Petal chose that moment to make an appearance. She coughed discretely and hurried into the room.
Aidan glared accusingly at her.
“Mrs Kempton sends her apologies, but you have the wrong tray,” she reported.
When neither Edwards nor Aidan moved, she put the tray she carried on the floor at her feet. She lifted the tray Edwards had brought up off his lap, and dropped it on the floor. Then she delivered the fresh, untouched food.
“What are you doing?” Edwards protested, outraged at being usurped.
“My job,” Petal replied blandly. “Mrs Kempton says that you shouldn’t take trays out of the kitchen without her permission. The food on it was not for the master. Surely, you knew that?”
She didn’t give Edwards time to reply and began to tidy up the room.
“You can go now,” Edwards snapped.
“No, Petal can read to me while I eat,” Aidan answered. “You can leave, Edwards. When you go, take this tray back to Mrs Kempton. It has gone cold by now so the food is now fit for the fire. Petal?”
Petal nodded, and lifted the plates off his tray. Because Edwards couldn’t see what she was doing, she slid a small piece of each food item onto a side plate and slid it under the bed out of sight. Ignoring Edwards’ gasp, she threw the rest of the contents into the fire. It was best that the majority of the food didn’t go back to the kitchen just in case someone ate it, but at least they had some to check for evidence that Edwards had gone against his wishes. She suspected from the outrage on Edwards’ face that the food had been laced with something.
“Take the plates back to the kitchen, Edwards,” Aidan ordered.
“Me?” Edwards protested. “It is the maid’s job. I will read to you. She can take the plates back.”
“I am not asking you, Edwards. I am the one who gives the orders around here, and I am telling you to take the plates back to the kitchen. You were eager enough to bring them up here. Petal is going to read to me, just like she always does.”