Death of a Duchess

by Nellie H. Steele

  Robert’s eyebrows raised, and he opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. I waited a moment, and he finally spoke. “SHE is upset?” he questioned.

  “Yes,” I responded. “She is upset… with you.”

  “With me?” Robert’s voice raised a level, filling with indignation.

  “She wishes you to realize she intended no harm to come to me during the last… incident. I suspected as much…”

  Robert’s disgusted sigh interrupted me. His hand fell to the table, rattling the dishes. “Lenora,” he said, “we have been over this. The… incident, as you prefer to call it, nearly resulted in your death. I shall not have you carrying on with this.”

  “I am investigating, as is my task…”

  “As WAS your task, Lenora. When I solicited your help on the matter, I did not realize the extent to which Annie would behave in such a contrary manner to the way in which she lived. It still baffles me that she engages in such destructive behavior!”

  “She does not mean to be destructive! She is communicating. And while the incident frightened me, I must continue. She is desperate, hurting. I must help her!”

  Robert closed his eyes for a moment, his jaw set. His displeasure was apparent. So be it. If we were to have a row, then we should have it, I thought. I would not abandon my mission to help this poor soul. Even if I chose to, Annie may not allow it. He opened his stormy gray eyes, stormier now because of his umbrage. “Lenora,” he responded, his tone measured, “I have already explained that you owe me nothing. I no longer wish you to pursue this dangerous gambit! I recognized our arrangement hinged upon you providing information about Annie’s death. However, I did not realize how dangerous of a task I requested. We are married. You are my wife. It is my duty to protect you, and I shall. From living or dead. I no longer expect information regarding the matter. Consider the arrangement concluded!”

  “You no longer expect it, or you no longer desire it?” I queried. “It is an important distinction. And what of the other part of our arrangement? Am I to consider that concluded as well?”

  Robert set his mouth in a thin line. “Let us not argue about the matter,” he answered, collecting his spoon and returning to his soup.

  “I do not wish to argue,” I continued. “Merely to know the score.”

  “Damn it, Lenora!” he boomed, his spoon clattering to the table. “You know full well the score!” He paused, then continued, his voice lowered and containing no anger. “That was unfair. I apologize. Yet, you must realize I have come to care for you.”

  Robert’s assessment was correct. I had suspected him to be keen on me, though I had no experience with such sentiments. My reaction was delayed, tainted by my life’s experiences and confusion regarding our agreement. The delay caused Robert to continue speaking. “Though, I suppose I must again apologize. My offer included a lifestyle, not an emotional entanglement.”

  My pulse quickened as I realized my silence had been misconstrued as disapproval. “I do not object,” I burst out. Over our brief marriage, I, too, had grown to care for my husband. I experienced an acceptance I had never known before, and his presence offered me comfort.

  Robert glanced to me, before returning his eyes to his soup bowl. A slight smile crept across his lips as he retrieved his spoon. “I am pleased you do not. Then let us consider the matter settled. We shall remain married and you shall no longer be expected to pursue this inquiry. Are we agreed?”

  “No, we are not,” I responded. Robert lowered his spoon again, his eyebrows raised as he gazed at me. I met his glance. “I agree that we shall remain married, however, I do not agree to abandon my pursuit of information with Annie.”

  “This is unwise!” Robert argued.

  “No,” I disagreed. “Annie did not mean to harm me. When she visited me earlier, she made that much clear. It also remains clear that she needs help. Something disturbs her. I want to help her.” I paused, then added, “And I realize, while you may not understand her behavior, find it dangerous and that you wish no harm come to me, you still desire to know what caused her to end her life. Besides, at this stage, I may become an unwilling participant in helping her. I prefer to control at least some of the situation.”

  Robert heaved a sigh. “Of course I wish to know the circumstances surrounding her decision,” he admitted. He set his gaze on me. “But not at the cost of your life.”

  “I shall be careful,” I promised.

  “Lenora…”

  “She needs help, Robert. MY help. And I have a healthy wariness of the tower room, which I am only just overcoming. But it aids me in acting prudently.”

  “You have not returned there since the… incident, have you?”

  I broke eye contact, turning my gaze to my soup. “I followed Annie there today, though I did not enter. At first. My nerves remained too frayed. However, once alone, I entered the room for a moment only.”

  “Lenora, I wish you would not take such chances!” Robert chided me.

  “The door has been removed, and the window boarded. And I was alone. The risk seemed minimal.”

  “I’d prefer the risk to be none.”

  “No risk is not an option,” I countered. “Therefore, I shall work to minimize the risk to the best of my ability.”

  “And I shall work with you to ensure your safety.”

  I smiled at him. “Good, then I shall continue to seek answers with the utmost care!”

  Robert nodded with a small sigh. “All right.”

  “NOW we are agreed,” I said with a grin.

  Chapter 14

  Mists shrouded the grounds below the castle the following morning. I gazed out over the foggy landscape from my bedroom window. “Do you prefer the blue traveling suit or the peach?” Ella inquired. “Your Grace?” she questioned when I did not respond. I pulled my gaze from the scenery. “Your Grace, is everything all right?”

  I offered her a brief smile. “Yes. The misty landscape captured my attention. Ah, the blue, please.”

  “The misty landscape?” Ella inquired, setting the blue traveling suit out for our trip the next day.

  “Yes,” I answered, motioning to her to join me at the window. She peered out before returning to her duties. “Romantic, isn’t it? Beguiling and comforting yet also mysterious.”

  A chuckle emanated from Ella. “Romantic is not a word I would use to describe that fog, Your Grace.”

  I spun to face her. “No? How would you describe it, Sinclair?”

  “Eerie, Your Grace,” she responded.

  I chortled at her comments. “Eerie?” I repeated. “Oh, Sinclair, you let your imagination run too wild. Nothing sinister exists under those mists!”

  She offered me a glance before holding up two necklaces for me to select from. “Sinister or not, that dampness chills you to the bones. It’s unhealthy, this weather!”

  “I thought you enjoyed the Highlands. The choker on the left, please.”

  “I enjoy the Highlands when there isn’t a damp fog.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “I enjoy the Highlands always.”

  “Will you be sad to leave even for the short period then?” Ella questioned as she placed a dress into my luggage.

  “Very,” I admitted. “Homesickness will set in on the first night.”

  “Why go?” Ella asked, then stopped short in the packing. “Oh, forgive me if that is too forward a question, Your Grace.”

  “It is not,” I assured her. “I enjoy the traveling, though I also enjoy my home. And I plan to visit an old friend while in Glasgow.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. Tilly, a friend of mine from St. Mary’s.”

  “Was St. Mary’s a private school?”

  “No,” I answered with a chuckle. “An orphanage.”

  “Oh!” Ella answered as she bustled about continuing preparations for my travel. “Did you volunteer there before your marriage, Your Grace?”

  “No,” I responded. “I was a student there before my marriage.”
Ella slowed in her motions for a moment before returning to her scurrying. It did not escape me. Her slight response spoke volumes to betray her surprise.

  “I did not realize,” Ella mumbled.

  “No, you couldn’t have. In any case, I hope to visit with Tilly while in Glasgow.”

  “I hope it is a successful visit, Your Grace!”

  “As do I,” I answered. “Have you any business to attend to while in Glasgow?”

  “Business, Your Grace?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “Is there anything you would care to do while there?”

  “I had not considered it,” Ella answered, a frown crossing her face.

  “Oh, please do consider it,” I said. “I am certain you shall have free time to attend to anything that may interest you.”

  Ella remained silent a moment before saying, “If it is not too much, could I take some time to visit my mother?”

  “Of course, Sinclair!” I responded. “I plan to visit with Tilly the day after we arrive. Would that time suit for your visit?”

  “I am certain it would, Your Grace.”

  “Excellent. Please take the day then.”

  “I shall leave after you’ve dressed for the morning and return before dinner, Your Grace.”

  “Now it is my turn to wish you a successful visit,” I answered with a smile. My gaze fell upon the singing box Robert gifted me the day before. A smile formed on my lips. “Have you seen this trinket box from Duke Blackmoore?”

  “No, Your Grace. Is it new?”

  “Yes!” I exclaimed. “A belated birthday gift. Come and see.” Ella joined me and I pressed the knob, triggering the singing bird. He popped from his hiding spot, his little wings flapping and beak snapping open and closed. His tiny song filled the room.

  The mechanism startled Ella, who recoiled before bringing her face closer to the object. Her jaw dropped open as she studied the box. “I have never witnessed anything like it, Your Grace!” she exclaimed.

  “Neither have I until yesterday. Isn’t it a fascinating piece?” I smiled at it as the bird finished his song.

  “It is,” Ella agreed. “You seem to be quite taken with it.”

  “I am,” I confessed, setting it on my night table and admiring it. “I never believed something material could be so intriguing, yet I cannot take my eyes from this stunner.”

  “It is certainly a marvel,” Ella concurred.

  I smiled at the object a moment more. My brow crinkled for a moment and I glanced around the room. “Have you seen my book? The one I was reading last evening.”

  Ella ceased packing for a moment before she responded. “Yes. Downstairs in the sitting room.”

  “Ah, yes. You are correct,” I answered, recalling it now. “After dinner, I read in the sitting room with Robert. I left it there. How careless of me. Thank you, Sinclair.”

  “Would you like me to retrieve it for you, Your Grace?”

  “No, thank you, Sinclair. I shall retrieve it. Is there anything further on the packing?”

  “No, Your Grace. I am finishing up the last pieces now and you shall be all ready!”

  “Wonderful. Thank you, Sinclair. If everything is taken care of, I shall be reading in my tower room.”

  I left Sinclair finalizing the luggage and traversed the halls to the main foyer. As I descended the stairs, I caught sight of Annie at the sitting room doors. One door stood ajar, and she peered into the room. I reached the foyer floor and began to cross toward her. Before I reached her, she swung around, a pained expression on her face. I opened my mouth to inquire about it when she fled across the foyer, disappearing down the hall.

  My gaze followed her, and I wondered about the incident. Should I follow her, I pondered? She moved too quickly for me to catch up, I concluded. I would retrieve my book as planned and hope she sought me out later. I pushed through the open door, searching the seats near the fireplace. There, on one of the side tables, sat my book.

  I started across the room toward it when a figure stood from the chair Robert generally filled in the evenings. “Oh!” I exclaimed, startled by his presence. “I am sorry. I did not realize anyone was here.”

  He swallowed a mouthful of scotch. “Hello, Duchess,” Edwin answered, acid in his voice.

  “Mr. Fletcher,” I responded, my posture stiffening. “I was retrieving my book. I shall only be a moment.” I continued toward the book.

  “Oh, please, do not let me stop you!” he exclaimed, his voice thick with sarcasm. “It is, after all, YOUR castle, Duchess.”

  I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. I snapped them open and focused on Edwin. After a deep breath, I began, “Mr. Fletcher…”

  “Oh, please, Duchess!” he said, waving his hand in the air to stop me. “Call me Edwin. We are, after all, family.”

  I grew weary of his derision, but I continued. “Edwin,” I began again, “I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Perhaps we should try to begin anew and work toward a better result.”

  “Work toward a better result?” he questioned, as though rhetorically. He placed a pondering finger against his chin in a satiric display of reflection. “What a clever idea!” he said at long last. “Clearly it is your brains that prompted my brother to wed you.” He stalked to the drink cart, pouring himself another scotch.

  “There is no reason for us to quarrel,” I responded. “I do not wish you any ill tidings.”

  “Oh, how magnanimous of you! No, you only mean to steal my inheritance.”

  “I have nothing to do with that affair,” I informed him.

  “Don’t you, Duchess? As it stood, upon Robert’s death, this property would transfer to me. With your recent nuptials, that is now questionable. So, I would estimate it has a great deal to do with you!”

  “The property is a matter to be settled between you and Robert. It does not concern me. And I do not concern myself with it. Do not accuse me of causing a problem that is of your own making.”

  “Do not deceive me, Duchess. You cannot expect me to believe you do not whisper your plans into my brother’s ear... and you do not use your…” He paused, gazing down at my body before continuing, “virtues to secure the result you desire.”

  My jaw dropped open at such a statement. I gathered my thoughts to respond, but a new voice joined the conversation, silencing me. “If you plan to speak to my wife in this manner, Edwin, I will bar you from this property.”

  Edwin offered me a wry glance, as though he’d caught me in something. “It seems your plan is working, Duchess. Soon, I shall not even be permitted to visit my family home.”

  “That will be of your own doing, Edwin, not hers,” Robert responded. He glanced at me as he approached. “Were you using the room, dear?”

  “No,” I answered. “I only came to retrieve my book.” I picked it up off the table.

  Robert smiled at me. “Then would you mind leaving us to discuss some business?”

  “Not at all,” I replied. Robert kissed my forehead, and I strode away. Before pulling the doors closed, I said, “Good day, Mr. Fletcher.”

  His eyes narrowed at me as I pulled the doors shut. I did not linger at the door to overhear the conversation. Instead, I made my way to my tower room. As I settled into the window seat, my mind replayed the conversation with Edwin. I should likely never win him over, I concluded.

  I focused on my book when another thought sprung into my brain. What was Annie doing at the door when I descended the stairs? Was she curious? Did she miss Edwin? Perhaps he had been a bigger fan of Robert’s first wife than me.

  I set the book down, pondering the questions again. Perhaps if I could find Annie, I could ask her. I rose from my seat and traversed the halls to the other tower room. Remaining outside, I leaned in and called to her. I received no response. I waited a few moments, but she did not appear. I checked a few other areas, including my bedroom suite, however I could not find her. The mystery should have to wait until I returned from Glasgow, I determined as I headed back to m
y tower room.

  Fog still clung to the moors the next morning as we climbed into the carriage for our journey to Glasgow. Romantic or not, Ella’s assessment of the bone-chilling properties of the mist were accurate. I bundled tighter against it before suggesting Ella ride inside the carriage, fearing she may catch cold in the dampness outside. Robert agreed and situated her next to me inside the carriage for the ride.

  I offered one of the books I had brought for the trip to Ella, which she gratefully accepted to pass the hours. We arrived in the late afternoon. After settling in and a brief rest, dinner was already upon us.

  “Will you visit with your acquaintance?” Robert asked me as we dined.

  “Yes. I hope to!”

  “Hope to? Have you written her about our trip?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “Though I have not received a reply.”

  “Perhaps she has moved,” Robert suggested.

  “Perhaps,” I answered, hoping she had. “Though she is undoubtedly busy and perhaps it slipped her mind. At any rate, I shall attempt to call upon her tomorrow where she last resided.”

  “Will Sinclair accompany you?”

  “No. Sinclair has plans to visit her mother.”

  Robert frowned. “Oh. I had hoped she would accompany you to visit, eh, Tilly, was it? Perhaps she can postpone the visit.”

  “Yes, Tilly,” I confirmed. “I have no need of a chaperone. I have already given Sinclair permission to visit during the day. I will not renege on it.”

  Robert continued to frown. “Well…”

  “I shall be fine,” I assured him, patting his hand.

  “You had better be,” he answered with a smile. “My business should conclude shortly after lunch. I thought we may take a stroll in the park ‘round the corner together. Are you keen on it?”

  “Yes, it sounds very pleasant,” I agreed.

  “Excellent. Shall we meet at the entrance at, say, quarter to two? Will that give enough time for your visit?”

  “Yes. Quarter to two will give me plenty of time.”