He paused, then added, his gaze locked with Nicholas’s, “And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that two nights ago someone tried to attack Penny.”
Nicholas stared at Charles for a long moment, then his gaze switched to her. Another moment passed, then he glanced back at Charles, a faint, puzzled frown in his eyes. “Very well. I’ll remain.”
Charles nodded and turned for the door. “We’ll search until it’s full dark.”
Pausing beside her, he searched her eyes. Instead of taking her hand, he bent and swiftly kissed her. “We’ll be back within an hour of that.”
She nodded and watched him go. He left the door ajar; his boot steps died away down the hall, then she heard him call to the men as he joined them. An instant later, the thud of many hooves and the scrunch of many feet declared the searchers were away.
Looking at Nicholas, she watched as he, frowning more definitely, came toward her.
“Are the Essington ladies staying?”
“Yes. They’re in the drawing room. I’ll order dinner to be served in an hour.”
“Dinner?” He looked revolted.
She grimaced. “We still have to eat.”
He paused, then said, “I don’t understand Lostwithiel.” The words came out in a frustrated undertone. Nicholas briefly met her eyes, then looked away. “He doesn’t like me—he distrusts me, suspects me, and yet…”
He brought his gaze back to her face. “Someone tried to attack you the other night, and yes, I realize that for all you or he know, it could have been me. Despite that, he blithely leaves me here with you.”
Penny met his gaze. “Yes, exactly. And figuring out why might be the best thing you could do.”
With that tart comment, she led the way back to the drawing room.
The news, when it came, wasn’t good. Darkness had fallen when they heard the searchers returning. Penny knew what was coming when she heard the horses not riding in crisply, but walking very slowly.
She briefly closed her eyes, then, opening them, met Millie’s and Julia’s equally apprehensive gazes.
“Oh, dear,” Millie whispered, one hand rising to her throat.
Penny exhanged a glance with Julia, then rose. “I think you both should stay here—there’s no need for you to see…”
Turning, she headed for the door. Nicholas had risen when she did; he joined her. When they reached the door, he closed his hand on the knob, and looked at her. “You don
’t have to see, either.”
She met his gaze levelly. “I’ve been de facto mistress here for the last umpteen years. I hired Mary. Of course I need to see.”
Neither Charles nor David were happy with her decision, but when she joined them in the cool store where they’d laid the limp body, neither attempted to gainsay her.
Someone had lit a lamp, but left it by the door; only faint light reached the table where Mary’s body lay. Even so, it wasn’t hard to see the purple marks circling her white neck, nor the protruding eyes and tongue. Penny stood just inside the door and looked, then Figgs pressed her arm and moved past, going to the table and straightening the rumpled skirts. She cleared her throat, addressed her question to the air, “Was she…do you know…?”
“No.” It was Charles who answered. “She was strangled, nothing else.”
Figgs nodded. “Thank you, my lord. Now, if you’ll leave us, Em and I will take care of her.”
“Thank you, Figgs,” Penny murmured. Figgs and Em, who helped Cook, were the oldest women in the household; to them rightly fell such tasks.
Charles moved to her side; she felt his hand close about her arm, sensed his strength close, and was grateful. He steered her out into the kitchen yard; David and Nicholas followed.
They stopped in the middle of the yard; all drew in deep breaths.
“Where did you find her?” Penny asked.
“In the woods this side of Connell’s farm.” David shook his head. “Not far at all—we’d met up and were on our way back, searching as we came.” He shivered. “The blackguard had stuffed her body under a fallen tree. If Charles hadn’t thought to poke there…”