Sovereign Sieged

by Sarah E. Burr

  “Fine,” Uma said, rolling her eyes in defeat. “I’ll keep an eye on Martán and Julian…and likely die of boredom in the process. If all their charges are holed up in their suites—” Her eyes widened. “Oh goodness, what about Sabine and Charles? They weren’t in the dining hall to hear the request about keeping to their rooms.”

  “I’ll go fetch them before I track down Ellamae,” Vita volunteered.

  Uma shivered. “Better you than me. I have no desire to be anywhere near a dead body.”

  “Be careful,” Jax warned her friends as they departed the study, leaving her and George alone to decide their next move.

  “Who should we start with first?” George cocked his head. “Thanasis?”

  Jax considered the former Duke’s connections to her enemies as she surveyed the pile of paperwork lining the study desk. The immaculate surface she’d used when crafting her initial messages after their arrival had been buried underneath reams of detailed scrolls. Picking up one, she scanned the writing, realizing it was her own hand.

  “What are you reading there?” George glanced over her shoulder.

  “It’s the reports I drafted about each new resident of the Galensmore estate.” Jax selected another scroll and skimmed her handwriting. “I provided the personal histories of the staff to Corporal Highriver the day I gave him the assignment to guard Lord Brunovaris.” She handed George the creamy parchment. “It seems Highriver may have been reviewing my notes before we walked in on him.”

  George’s eyes darted across the page. “These are your findings on Bernard Hoftstead.”

  “Notice anything?”

  Dark clouds brewed in George’s gaze. “His mentor during his last year at the Academy was Lord Reginald Craite, the ducal camerlengo of Tandora!”

  Jax’s jaw clenched. “When I decided to offer the role of Lord Chamberlain to Bernard, I didn’t bat an eye that he’d been mentored by the attendant of Tandora’s treasury. That was years ago, for Virtues sake. But what if Duchess Tandora remembered the young apprentice and his ties to Saphire?”

  “You’ve known Bernard a long time, Jax,” George reminded her. “Could he really be swayed by a decade-old connection?”

  “I knew Arnie even longer,” Jax snapped, immediately regretting her words. “I’m sorry. I just hate to think my own oversight could be the reason for this mess.” She quieted for a moment, her roaring thoughts an overwhelming hurricane of activity as her gaze settled on the lush garden outside the study window. “Wait. What time did the sun rise this morning?”

  George cocked his head. “Uh, I’m not sure. I was sound asleep until you woke me at half-past eight.”

  Jax gathered her skirts and hurried out of the study, George struggling to keep pace with her. “I need to know what time the sun came up.”

  She called out to Martán, who was dusting a marble bust in the hallway under the watchful eyes of Ares and Hale’s daytime counterparts. “Excuse me, Martán. We were told you and Ellamae rose at six to prepare breakfast for everyone. Is that true?”

  She’d clearly spooked him, for the spindly, middle-aged man nearly jumped out of his leathery skin. “Your Grace. Uh—yes, Ellamae and I wake up at six every morning to ready the ovens for baking.”

  “Was the sun already up?” Jax’s question tumbled out of her mouth, almost slurring together.

  Martán gave her a bemused look, his gaze flickering to George as he hobbled beside her in arrival. “Of course, Your Grace. The sun makes its appearance around five these days, with the change of season approaching.”

  Cursing under her breath, Jax sputtered her thanks before dragging George into a small, private nook off the main foyer.

  “What was that all about?” he huffed, wincing as he placed a hand on his wound.

  “Remember when we went downstairs this morning to check on Charles’s progress with the autopsy and we ran into Bernard?”

  George nodded. “Yes. He showed us the way to the cellar. He’d just come back inside from the garden.”

  Bernard’s soiled robes and shoes flooded her mind. “He told he’d been outside tending to the garden since dawn.”

  “Yes, he said he enjoys watching the sunrise.”

  Under any other circumstances, Jax would have found George’s slow-working mind amusing and something she’d tease him for, but in this case, her worry over the seriousness of his health took precedent. “George, Ares and Hale reported that Martán was the first person to come downstairs this morning, at six. If Bernard was really in the garden at dawn, he would have had to come downstairs well before five.”

  Realization of what Jax was getting at crept over George’s stunned features. “Bernard lied about where he was this morning.”

  A grim smile of dark satisfaction curled on her lips. “Which begs the question, if Bernard wasn’t dirtying his robes in the garden, what was he doing?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  George rested his head against the wood-paneled wall. “Should we go ask Ares and Hale if they saw Bernard come downstairs after Olavo’s body was discovered?”

  Jax debated only a moment. “Let them rest. I’d rather ask Bernard and see what story he comes up with.” Noticing the beads of sweat lining George’s forehead, she said, “Are you all right? Do you need more medicine?”

  “I’m fine.” His grin was weak. “I just have to take it a little slower than the situation warrants.” He flicked his wrist toward the hall. “Come, let’s go see what Bernard has to say about his movements this morning.”

  Jax moved in the opposite direction, back toward the study. “Before we do that, I have to send off a quick note to the palace. I want the Ducal Guard to investigate Raulph’s family inn a bit more. We need to see if there’s a stronger connection to Delphinia other than the inn residing in Tandora.” She bit her lower lip, knowing George wouldn’t like what she was about to suggest. “Why don’t you rest a bit, and I’ll come collect you once I’ve sent the messenger bird off?”

  To her surprise, George nodded. “Fine. I’ll be in the parlor waiting for you.”

  Twenty minutes later, Jax slid open the parlor doors, finding George stretched out on one of the plush sofas, his eyes closed.

  Tiptoeing closer, she warred against the idea of not waking him and continuing the investigation without him.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he growled, his eyes still closed.

  A musical chuckle floated over her lips. “You know me too well,” Jax said, helping him to his feet while he wiped sleep from his eyes. “Perhaps we should stop by Charles’s chamber first and get you more medicine.”

  George shook his head. “No. We can’t afford for my mind to be addled by drugs any more than it already is.”

  Jax’s searing stare made him quickly reword his intent. “I’ll take some after we’ve questioned everyone about their whereabouts,” he conceded.

  Together, they made their way up to the second floor, having both agreed it would be best to start with Bernard.

  His story is the only one that blatantly doesn’t add up to our findings thus far. Jax prayed they were following the right clues as she knocked on the polished door.

  “Who is it?” Bernard’s muffled voice called from the other side.

  George sneered. “At least he’s following our orders,” he murmured under his breath to Jax before saying in his normal voice, “Lord Chamberlain, it’s Captain Solomon with the Ducal Guard.”

  The door inched open, Bernard’s golden eyes glittering through the gaping crack. “And Jax! To what do I owe this visit? Has Corporal Highriver caught the killer?”

  “May we come in, Bernard?” Jax did not want to question him openly in the hallway.

  Bernard pushed the door back until its hinges squeaked. “Of course.” He shepherded them into the spacious sitting room.

  As she claimed a chair, Jax took note of the paintings and maps hanging off the walls. Sketched family portraits littered the scattered end tables around the room. “I se
e you’ve made yourself at home here, Bernard.”

  He tilted his head, as if bemused. “Well, this is my home, after all, isn’t it?”

  Jax issued a demure smile and bowed her head. “It is. I appreciate that you were willing to uproot your life and take up residence here.”

  Bernard’s gaze settled on a charcoal drawing of two smiling parents surrounded by five children. “It’s certainly a much quieter life than I’d grown accustomed to.”

  Jax motioned to the sketch. “Do you see your family often?”

  Bernard shook his head. “Not since I moved here. I’ve asked my parents to visit, of course, but the tannery keeps them busy.”

  Jax recalled that Bernard’s noble-blooded family hailed from northern Saphire, where they owned and operated one of the largest tanneries in the realm. Many reams of fine cloth used for her own gowns came from the estate.

  George cleared his throat, clearly ready to move on to the topic at hand. “Lord Chamberlain, in order to conduct a thorough investigation into Sir Olavo’s death, the Duchess and I are asking everyone to give us an account of their movements last night.”

  Bernard’s brow furrowed. “I’m happy to provide whatever help I can, but I hardly think I have anything to offer.” He shrugged. “I simply went to bed.”

  “And what time did you wake up?” Jax asked.

  The Lord Chamberlain glanced down at his twiddling thumbs before replying. “Well, let’s see…it must have been sometime around seven or so.”

  “And from there, you went to work in the garden?” George kept his tone level.

  Bernard’s expression drew a blank.

  “When George and I ran into you this morning, you said you’d been out in the garden when I asked where you’d been.” Jax smelled a lie in the perspiration multiplying on Bernard’s forehead.

  “Garden—yes, that’s right.” The Lord Chamberlain’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably. “I went outside to work in the garden. You know, to enjoy the sunrise and all.”

  “Interesting,” George said with mock acceptance. “That’s a bit odd, though, considering the sunrise took place at five today.”

  Bernard’s eyes bulged a moment before he recovered. “W-well, yes, I mean, I wasn’t out in the garden at the crack of dawn, but still—”

  “We don’t believe you were out in the garden at all.” Jax cut the man off, unable to watch his continuing struggle. “You see, the first-floor sentries reported Martán was the first to arrive downstairs, followed by a few of my personal guardsmen. In fact, there was never any mention of you coming downstairs at all before Olavo’s body was discovered.”

  Splotchy red welts of humiliation spread across Bernard’s cheeks.

  “So, the question becomes,” Jax felt the thrill of the chase dash through her blood as she spoke, “when did you actually leave your room, and why did you lie about being outside in the garden?”

  His shoulders wilting with defeat, Bernard shook his head as his face fell into his palms. “What an awful mistake.”

  Jax and George exchanged glances, waiting for him to continue.

  “I woke up this morning to the sounds of raised voices in the hall. Corporal Highriver sounded incredibly upset and requested Master Charles’s help. I figured something bad had happened in the night, possibly to you, Jax.” Bernard paused, his genuine concern for her that he’d felt in the moment dancing in his watery eyes.

  “Hold up.” Jax replayed his words. “How could you have heard Corporal Highriver? Master Charles’s room is on the third floor.” She motioned to the room. “We’re on the second.”

  Bernard’s crimson blush deepened. “I told you I went to bed after the parlor games ended last night. I didn’t say I went to my bed.”

  Jax’s mouth popped open. “I see.”

  Clearing his throat, Bernard continued. “I didn’t know if you were aware of this or not, but Lady Carriena and I grew quite close during our time together at the Academy.” He fidgeted with his pristine robes. “I suppose the wine from dinner plus the brandy we had during charades got to our heads and stirred old feelings. When I woke up and heard Corporal Highriver outside Lady Carriena’s bedroom door, I panicked…and tried to climb out the window.”

  Jax snorted in disbelief. “What?”

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but given the fact I’d just spent the night with my charge’s daughter…I thought it might put my position here at Galensmore in jeopardy.” Bernard rose and began pacing across the ornate carpet. “At first, I planned to wait until the commotion died down, but then the activity in the hall began to drag on. I couldn’t risk hiding out any longer, so I took an unconventional exit. I was about as graceful as an ox and fell into the brambles outside Carriena’s window. Thank the Virtues it wasn’t a rose bush, or I would have been in worse shape.”

  Jax didn’t know whether to laugh or cry out in frustration. She’d practically convinced herself of Bernard’s guilt, only to have wasted precious time finding the real killer. At least I don’t have to deal with the burden of suspecting Carriena anymore…not that I ever really did.

  George seemed to be enjoying the man’s discomfort. “So, when Jax and I ran into you in the hallway…”

  “I was coming in from outside, having finally recovered from plummeting out of a third-story window.” Bernard hung his head. “I’m sorry I lied, but I thought I was only protecting my job. I had no idea I was walking into the scene of a crime.”

  “I take it Lady Carriena will verify your alibi?” George’s dark eyebrows rose in question.

  Bernard looked as if he was considering jumping out his own window and making a run for it. “I’m sure. She’ll probably want her father present so she can stick it to him that she’s been cavorting with the help.”

  Jax frowned. “You’re the Lord Chamberlain of Galensmore, Bernard. I hardly think Carriena sees you as ‘the help.’”

  “No doubt her father would. He considers anyone without ducal blood in their veins to be beneath him. He may be on his best behavior for you, Duchess,” Bernard said, his voice low with warning, “but there’s something about him I don’t quite trust.”

  George gave Bernard a hardened glare. “Do you have any evidence to support that claim?”

  “It’s simply my opinion after having babysat the man for months.”

  Jax decided they were veering dangerously off topic and wasting time. Bernard’s grudge over Thanasis’s superiority complex had nothing to do with a killer being loose among them, although it did worry her that Thanasis may not really support the ideals of justice and equality her social campaign sought to implement. “Well, thank you for clearing that up, Lord Chamberlain.” She stood and moved toward the door. “We’ll come collect you for lunch, but for now, please remain in your chambers for your own safety.”

  Bernard nodded, the helpless expression plastered to his face the last thing she saw as she and George closed the door of the suite behind them.

  “Well,” George declared, balling his fists, “our only lead led us right into a dead end.”

  “Bernard may not be our culprit, but his alibi shortens our list of suspects by two people,” Jax pointed out, trying to see the silver lining in the matter. “Let’s go speak with Carriena just to confirm.”

  A red flush sprung up from under George’s collar. “Why don’t I let you handle that particular conversation? I’m not sure she would be too thrilled to rehash her evening in front of me.”

  Giggling, Jax agreed. “You’re probably right.”

  As they reached the third-floor landing, Uma appeared before them from the shadows. “Goodness, you gave me a fright! I’m helping Julian with the wash and thought I’d grab our traveling clothes.” She motioned to the large bundle of linen bulging in her arms.

  Jax chuckled at Uma’s willingness to shadow Julian and Martán so convincingly. “I take it Julian isn’t washing away evidence in front of you?”

  Uma shifted nervously on her feet. “Not on my watch.�
� She started to head down the steps when she whirled around. “Oh, by the way, I saw Sabine and Charles come up from the cellar. They were heading to their rooms, like you requested, if you need to speak with them.”

  George kept his tone low, matching Uma’s. “Anything strike you as odd about their behavior?”

  Uma shook her head. “I mean, I did find it a bit strange how enthusiastically Charles and Sabine spoke about the autopsy procedure, but other than that everything seemed normal.” She caught herself. “Or as normal as it could be.”

  George’s brow furrowed for a moment before he turned to Jax. “I’m going to examine Olavo’s room for myself. Come find me when you’re done with Carriena.”

  Jax bit her tongue. As much as she wanted George to slow down and rest, she knew it would be no use. They had a killer to catch and an unsettling list of suspects to eliminate.

  Irritation fluttered in Uma’s dark gaze. “Is it really necessary to question Carriena? Do you really think she’d have anything to do with this mess?”

  Jax chuckled. “We had a very enlightening chat with the Lord Chamberlain, dear one.”

  Uma arched an eyebrow. “Oh?” She placed the pile of clothes at the top of the stairs and followed Jax, clearly eager for more details.

  The heels of Jax’s shoes clicked against the polished wood floor as she strolled down the hall toward the apartment designated for Carriena. “It seems you weren’t the only one being romanced last night.”

  Uma’s pale cheeks burned molten red. “W-what?” Flustered, she nearly tripped on her gown trying to catch up.

  A devilish grin curled on Jax’s lips. “I take it you and Yanis had an enjoyable time together after dinner.”

  “Keep your voice down!” Uma hissed, although no one was around to hear them. “Virtues, there’s no need to make such a fuss. It was only a kiss goodnight, after all.”

  “Only a kiss, huh?” Jax wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m glad that Yanis isn’t wasting any time making you feel like the true treasure you are.”