The Ducal Detective (Ducal Detective Mysteries Book 1)

by Sarah E. Burr

  “Of course, Courtier Rence. What can the duchy of Saphire do for Pettraud?” Jax placed her napkin down on the table, knowing that she would not be eating anything else further.

  “While the circumstances of your ascension to the ducal throne are, of course, heartbreaking, the duchy of Pettraud is delighted to welcome such an intelligent and fair-minded ruler, much like your father was,” Rence began his speech reverently. Jax couldn’t help but infer that Duke Pettraud was relieved she wasn’t a flighty wisp of a woman. As much as she hated to berate her own gender, many a duchy had succumbed to ruin at the hands of an erratic and unreliable young girl.

  “I appreciate Pettraud’s faith in my ducal line,” Jax lamented. Although, I didn’t ask for it, she thought to herself.

  “But of course,” Rence continued, “the Saphire bloodline has always been one of high regard and esteem throughout all the duchies. In this time of transition, whilst the duchess is finding her footing, Duke Pettraud has begun to wonder if the duchy might consider a son of Pettraud to help usher in this new era.”

  Jax kept her face from reflecting the stone-cold feeling running through her. She knew exactly what the duchy of Pettraud wanted, but she needed to hear it said out loud, plainly. “Forgive me, Courtier Rence. I think I have found my footing quite well thus far. How would a son of Pettraud be of help?”

  At her direct question, Rence looked extremely uncomfortable. Jaquobie, too, narrowed his eyes dangerously at the duchess, not wanting her to spark a feud with her simple words. “Well, Your Grace, the duchy of Pettraud would like to extend the offer of marriage to the Duchess.”

  Before Jax could respond with a carefully planned retort, silverware clattered to her left. “Rence?! What is the meaning of this? The lady only just lost her parents and now you’re requesting she marry one of my brothers?” Perry stood abruptly, causing all eyes to focus on him. “Did my father plan this all along?”

  Rence, quite shocked by the lack of decorum being displayed, urged Perry to sit down at once, but Perry refused until he received an answer. Reluctantly and red-faced, Rence hissed across the table, “Why do you think your father let you go to the Mensina tourney when you’ve never been allowed to before?”

  “Me?” Perry gasped, mortified. “He wanted you to offer me, as what? As a coronation gift to the duchess? By virtues’ sake.” The young man pushed himself away from the table. “Forgive me for my outburst, Your Grace, but as you can see, the true purpose of this visit was unknown to me. I shall retire to my rooms for the evening. I bid you goodnight.” With a flustered bow, Perry retreated from the hall like a frightened puppy.

  Jax strained to hide her bemusement at how the situation had played out. Of course, she’d felt the same outrage Perry expressed, but she was wise enough to hide it. She couldn’t imagine the verbal lashings she’d get from Jaquobie if she ever even dreamed of behaving in such a way. She sat there in silence, letting her guests fidget.

  “Your Grace,” Rence finally wheezed, “I cannot begin to apologize for the insubordination you have just witnessed. I am ashamed of our young lord’s behavior, and kindly ask that you remember he is still a young lord.”

  “Just as the duchess is a young lady?” Jaquobie’s tone was spiteful. She was surprised that he was defending her, reminding Rence that she, too, was young in years, but knew better than to behave like that in front of guests.

  “I didn’t mean to insinuate that, High Courtier.” Rence stumbled across his words. “I have no excuse for his behavior. I will be transparent and say this. Ever since the young man lost his mother, he’s been very difficult to deal with.”

  Jax’s lips tightened, her mouth barely visible. “So, Duke Pettraud thought that instead of helping his son come to terms with her death, he’d ship him off to be wed to an intelligent and fair-minded woman who’d just learned the deaths of her own parents?” Her words were harsh. “Is that all I am to the duke? Someone to babysit his son?”

  “Goodness, no! Oh virtues, no, Your Grace.” Rence was frantic, near tears, even. “I won’t lie and say that it didn’t cross his mind that you two may be kindred spirits in a way. That perhaps, you both could help each other deal with your great losses. But your father and Duke Pettraud often discussed the prospect of you wedding a son of our duchy.”

  Jax sat back in her chair, exhaustion creeping over her. Her first formal day as crowned duchess, and she was already ready to toss her hands up in defeat. She couldn’t very well back out on an agreement that her father had made with the duke. “Courtier Rence, while I don’t doubt that the duke had anything but noble and selfless intentions, I am simply not accepting any proposals at this point in time. My ducal reign officially began yesterday, and I’d like some time to adjust to this new life myself.” She saw Jaquobie’s eyes flash with disbelief. Nevertheless, she continued, giving him a silencing look. “I do consider the duchy of Pettraud to be one of our greatest allies, and I would like to invite Lord Pettraud to stay here as a guest of Saphire for however long the Duke allows. Perhaps during that time, we can get to know each other and discuss this marriage proposal at a later date. Does that sound agreeable to the duchy?”

  She was certain Rence would have complied with anything she requested in that moment, but her consent to keep marriage on the table nearly had him leaping for joy. “I will send word of this evening’s events to the Duke to get his approval, Your Grace, but I can say with confidence that this arrangement sounds splendid.”

  “Wonderful, I will leave it to you to inform Lord Pettraud. My lady-in-waiting will arrange for him a more permanent apartment while he is here. We want him to feel at home, after all.” Jax stood gracefully from the table, summoning all her remaining energy to depart the room with confidence she did not feel. She had successfully given herself a stay of execution regarding the marriage offer, but she knew that she would have to accept it at some point. Pettraud was indeed one of the strongest allies Saphire had, and she could not risk their trade agreements falling through because of her unwillingness to wed. Jaquobie knew this, and no doubt would have backpedaled the conversation if she had refused. Alas, she put her duchy ahead of her own needs, and couldn’t help but be pleased by the pride evident in Jaquobie’s gaze as she left the room.

  She glided back to her quarters alone, hoping Arnie would come find her once she’d secured new rooms in the east wing for Perry. She had so much to tell her, she wasn’t sure where to begin. Just mere hours ago, she’d found out that her parents had been murdered, the stench of a despicable plot reeking from their corpses. How was she going to get to the bottom of this mess all while playing hostess to her future husband?

  The thought of Perry becoming her husband momentarily blindsided her, as if she had not fully comprehended until now what she and Rence negotiated. That disaster of a politician would be tied to her, tied to her duchy. It would be up to her to teach him the proper ways to present himself as the ducal consort, lessons she was already dreading. She couldn’t help but be offended that Duke Pettraud had offered his youngest and most inexperienced son as her betrothed. Although, the duke may actually have been paying her a great compliment. Here, take my most worthless son as your husband, for you certainly do not need any help ruling in your father’s stead, she surmised, immediately wincing that she was so quick to judge Perry’s value. If anything, in their short conversation together, she thought he was extremely kindhearted and good. Sons of dukes who had little chance of ascending to the throne, tended to be arrogant and cunning. Perry didn’t have a deceitful bone in his body, or so his outburst revealed. She already considered him a friend; she should be so lucky to marry someone she got along with.

  Uma helped her undress and put on her night clothes, neither saying anything substantial. Jax was certain the dining hall staff would have gossiped about the dinner, and it was likely Uma knew all about the indecent proposal. Thankfully, her maid knew her place and kept any prying questions to herself. “See that I’m up before dawn, Uma. I h
ave some work to do before breakfast with our guests.”

  Uma knew better than to ask her what she planned to work on, simply nodding her understanding and leaving for the night. Jax planned on seeking out Vyanti to see what his autopsies had told him. A fervent knock on the door interrupted her plans, for Vyanti himself stuck his head into her chambers. Rather than reprimand him for barging in on her, she ushered him once more to the sitting room, perching keenly on her chair. “Tell me what you’ve found out.”

  The master wasted no time in explaining his findings. “It was bloodsleaf, Your Grace. Somehow, they drank or ate something laced with bloodsleaf. The poison takes about two or three hours to kill its victim, meaning they could have consumed either before or after they departed for the Mensina tourney.”

  Jax shivered at the mention of the poison, sounding so dastardly in name. “Could they have possibly stopped somewhere along the way and received the poison then?”

  Master Vyanti shook his head. “Your parents never would have accepted food or drink that was not prepared for the ducal table. Something your guards should have briefed you on when explaining your traveling security now that you are Duchess.”

  She frowned, searching for the memory. Captain Solomon’s stern face came into view, and she recalled him detailing how the ducal carriage traveled. “Ah, yes, I do remember. So many rules. So, we can conclusively determine that the poison must have come from the palace?”

  Master Vyanti nodded. “Yes, I am afraid so. However, we cannot know for certain when they digested the toxin. Perhaps the moment they entered the carriage and left the palace grounds, it took hold of them, meaning that they could have been poisoned three hours before they even left the castle.”

  Jax scrunched her nose in disappointment. It was quite a large window of time to narrow down when this transpired. “I’ll ask for a detailed account of my parents’ movements that morning. I don’t believe anyone was ever questioned back at the palace because of the seemingly accidental crash.”

  Vyanti leaned forward. “Agreed, Your Grace, but you must be careful. You cannot raise suspicions as to why you’re asking these questions.”

  Jax pondered a moment. “I could have Arnie ask in my place.”

  The physician’s reaction surprised her. “No, Your Grace. I know you trust Arnie with your life, but this secret must be kept between the two of us. I know Arnie would never willingly betray your confidence, but it is no secret that she admires the Earl of Crepsta, whose brothers were visiting Saphire at the time…” he trailed off, not wanting to voice his concerns any further.

  “You think this is a plot by one of the other duchies?” Jax gave a sharp intake of breath.

  “We do not know anything, for certain. But we could put Arnie in harm’s way if Crepsta was behind this, especially if they caught wind that you knew and confided in her.” Master Vyanti’s words were urgent.

  Jax sat back, processing it all. Vyanti’s pleas made perfect sense, and she’d never want to put Arnie in danger. But the thought that Crepsta could be behind this, and more so, the thought of keeping this monumental secret to herself made Jax feel hopelessly alone. “You have my word that I will keep this between the two of us, Master.”

  Satisfied with her declaration, the elderly man pushed himself out of the chair and headed for the door. “I’ll see if I can figure out how our assassin came to acquire bloodsleaf. It is not a common specimen, nor is it grown in our region. It would have been purchased from an herbalist in the market.”

  “Meet me tomorrow night with your findings, Master Vyanti. Come after Uma has readied me for bed.” Jax instructed, blowing out the few candles lighting her room. With a click of the door, the physician departed and she was at long last, alone.

  Falling into the embrace of her pillows, Jax sighed, worried that sleep would elude her tonight. But with dark images of bloodsleaf buzzing through her head, she fell into a tortured, but deep slumber.

  Chapter Five

  “Your Grace, you requested I wake you early today,” Uma’s prim voice strummed softly at her consciousness, slowly pulling her out of the black storm clouds shadowing her nightmares. While she still felt incredibly tired, morning had not come soon enough for her liking.

  “Thank you, Uma,” Jax yawned as she swung her feet onto the cool floor. Her fireplace had gone out in the night, leaving her room to fall victim to the chilly spring weather. Uma was already placing logs in the hearth. “No need to stoke the fire just yet, Uma. I shan’t be in my chambers much today.”

  Uma scuttled away from the stone structure, bringing Jax a light green gown for the day. It was elegant enough to wear at breakfast with the Pettraud delegation, but also comfortable for whatever work her day had in store. Uma knew her tastes and desires so well, it almost spooked her.

  Quickly securing the lace backing and braiding her long, honey hair, Uma placed the duchess’s informal crown in her soft tresses. Informal in that the crown only boasted one sapphire gem prominently.

  Looking much more refreshed than she felt, Jax smiled at her maid and bid her farewell for the morning. Heading to the ducal courtyard, she guessed she would be able to watch the dawn break over Sephretta. While the sunrise was not her reason for walking the gardens, it gave her a good excuse. Just like she expected, Captain Solomon, head of the ducal guard, was stationed in one of the trellis archways, his eyes focused on the courtyard’s main entrance. Captain Solomon, a seasoned warrior at age thirty-five, was her father’s most trusted guardsman, having served the duchy since he was sixteen. Jax remembered her teenage daydreams about running away with the dark, steadfast soldier, blushing at her ridiculousness. Her mother would have died of embarrassment if her daughter married a commoner, regardless of his ducal station. At least her childhood fantasies had not been completely crushed. Captain Solomon became one of her closest friends and confidantes as she matured into her twenties, often escorting her from duchy to duchy during her travels.

  His deep brown eyes were so focused on his post that he jumped when she approached him. “Goodness, Jax, what are you doing up this early?”

  She smiled coyly. “I wanted to talk with you, and I know that you prefer to stand duty at dawn.”

  He chuckled, completely disregarding all protocol of how a guardsman should act around a duchess. “I hope you have come to tell me firsthand how last night actually played out. The stories around the palace are wild.”

  Huffing in mock indignation, she chided him. “I cannot believe the staff are gossiping,” she fluttered around him, all light and airy, “especially when the truth is stranger than fiction.” She quickly brought him up to speed about Rence’s proposal and Perry’s outburst, and how it had all resulted in Perry being a permanent guest of Saphire.

  “Your first day as duchess, and you’ve already secured yourself a match. Quite the feat, Your Excellence.”

  If it had been anyone but Captain Solomon, she would have reprimanded them for their candor. But she simply laughed with her friend. “It’s absurd, that’s what it is.”

  He rearranged his features and tenderly reached out. “Your father would be proud of how you handle it all, Jax. You know that, right?”

  Startled by his change in tone, she nodded her head solemnly. “He always told me how much he wished I could marry for love. Perhaps Perry will surprise us all.” She looked off into the distance, watching the morning shadows creep over the sleeping land. “I actually have something else I’d like to ask you, George.” She used the captain’s first name, signaling that this was a discussion to be kept in confidence.

  “Anything, Jax. What is it?” He pushed his dark, thick hair from his eyes, giving her his full attention.

  “It’s just,” she trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to best proceed, “I was hoping you could tell me a bit about the morning before my parents left the castle. Were they happy? Did they laugh at breakfast at all? I want to remember them, knowing they enjoyed their final hours, before everything went wrong
.”

  Captain Solomon looked incredibly embarrassed, knowing that his men had failed in protecting the Duke and Duchess. “Of course, Your Grace. They were obviously excited to have a short respite from affairs of state. Your mother was especially looking forward to seeing her sisters. Your father opted out of joining her for breakfast because he and I had some reports to look over and approve before they left. We were in his study for most of the morning before Courtier Jaquobie came to collect your father. Your parents departed not ten minutes after.”

  Jax tried to keep a frown off her face. “My father didn’t take breakfast? That’s his favorite meal of the day,” she lied lamely, trying to skillfully uncover what her father had ingested that morning.

  If he sensed anything odd, Captain Solomon didn’t show it. “He said he would eat in the carriage. Traveling always made him hungry. He didn’t touch any of the food or juice the staff brought to his study.”

  “How long did you get to spend with him? In his study, I mean?” Jax’s tone was longingly wistful, something she didn’t really have to fake.

  The captain shrugged. “I’d say we were in the library for at least two hours or more.” He lowered his voice. “It pains me that I got to spend so much time with him that day, and his beloved daughter didn’t.” The captain’s brown eyes were damp.

  Jax hardly heard him, but took her cue from his demeanor. “He valued you greatly, as well, George. Never forget that.” She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for sharing my father’s remaining hours with me. Do you happen to know if my mother took breakfast with anyone? I’d love to know how she spent her time.” She hoped she didn’t sound too eager.

  “I’m afraid I don’t know, Jax. Uma might be able to tell you who was serving in the banquet hall that morning.” Captain Solomon pointed out.

  “Excellent idea, George. Thank you ever so much,” she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out of the gardens to her next target. Based on what she had learned, her mother and father were separated for at least two hours that morning before they entered the carriage. It was possible that the bloodsleaf had been slipped into their bedside water goblets and they’d drank it when they woke, but the poison’s timeframe didn’t work in favor of that theory. Master Vyanti said it would take two to three hours for the toxin to claim its victims. If she could figure out what her mother’s movements were, she could determine whether or not the poison had been ingested after they entered the carriage. It appeared, based on George’s memory, that her father had not had anything to eat or drink in the hours before his departure. She wondered if it was possible for Vyanti to tell whether or not they died around the same time. Perhaps her mother drank the poison long before her father did, causing her to pass away first. She also wanted to know what kind of side effects bloodsleaf caused. Captain Solomon didn’t mention her father acting oddly at all. Either the poison surprises its victim with death, or the side effects did not begin to show until an hour or two after consuming it. She cursed under her breath that she’d have to wait until tonight to confer with the physician. He’d no doubt be already on his way out of the castle to see if he could find the bloodsleaf’s origin.