“Of course,” he said with a nod. “Interesting how she hasn’t denied it yet.”
Tessa also rose from her seat with a deep scowl. “Lord Langport has never been anything to me save an acquaintance. I am not nor have I ever been his lover or mistress. Is that clear enough for you, Mr. Downing?”
“Very. Good day. I would recommend that you stay in town until this investigation is finished.”
“Of course,” they both replied.
As Downing departed, Tessa slid back to the settee, her face more pallid than a fresh winter’s snow. “Sabita’s dead, Jack. And someone is investigating me.” She closed her eyes. “You must leave here and never come back.”
“I cannot leave you now,” he whispered.
“You must,” she implored him. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I am well and truly cursed. Now people I barely know are dying around me. You might be next.”
Jack closed his eyes unable to watch the pain in her eyes. “I am not about to be next. Lady Langport’s death has nothing to do with you.”
At least he hoped it didn’t. Right now, he had only one thought on who might be responsible and if his intuition was correct, her reputation might suffer even more.
CHAPTER 18
A few hours later, Tessa knocked on her mother’s front door with trepidation. Now instead of just discussing her relationship with Jack, Tessa would have to impart all the information on Lady Langport’s death, assuming the gos
sipmongers hadn’t already gotten to them yet.
“Good morning, my lady,” Davis said as he opened the door. “Your mother is expecting you.”
“Is she in the salon?”
“No, she is in her bedchamber waiting to speak to you in private.”
“Thank you, Davis.” She walked up the steps to her mother’s bedchamber observing the overall quiet in the house. No commotion from her usual rambunctious sisters. No sound at all, save the ticking of the clock from the entry. Deadly quiet. She rapped on her mother’s door and was bid entrance.
“Oh, Tessa, have you heard the news?” her mother cried as Tessa entered slowly.
“About Lady Langport?”
Her mother nodded. “She seemed quite well last night.”
“Not exactly,” she said as she took a seat across from her mother.
“Whatever do you mean?”
“She and Langport stopped by my house last night after they left the duke’s home. They only stayed a few minutes but she was complaining of her stomach and head hurting. Langport rushed her home to call the physician.”
Her mother’s face turned down. “You know I am not one to speak ill of the dead.”
“Of course not,” Tessa lied but managed not to roll her eyes.
“That woman probably brought back some heathen disease and now poor Langport will get it and then the duke next.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my, we might catch it too. We dined with her last evening!”
“Mamma, she has been here for a fortnight and after a very long voyage. I doubt she brought something with her from India.” Tessa sighed. “It is far more likely she caught something here that she had never had before.”
Like a poison.
Her mother nodded slowly but with a frown on her face. “I suppose you are right.”
She did not want to tell her mother everything but felt she had to before it was on every gossipmongers’ tongue. “There is more, Mamma.”
“What do you mean? Have you heard something else regarding her death?”