Jo Beverley - [Rogue ] (33 page)

Judith sipped gratefully, though she gasped at the fire of the spirits. "I do hope she recovers fully. If we are to leave for the Temple shortly, Betty should have plenty of opportunity to rest and get well. I don't know what we should do if she proves to be unable to work, though."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We'll see what the doctor says."

* * *

The next day, as promised, they all went to service at St. Paul's. Winchester last week, thought Judith, St. Paul's this. How her life had changed.

After church the children were permitted to visit Betty, for the woman did seem remarkably recovered, though frightened by the whole thing. "Oh, my lady. I really must speak to you. I'm ever so sorry..."

Judith hastened to reassure her. "Betty, you must not fret yourself. We will see what Doctor Northrop has to say, but no matter what your condition, provision will be made for you."

The woman began to weep.

"There, there," said Judith. "I'm sure you still feel most unwell. I will return to speak to you when the doctor has seen you."

She sent the children off with George. They could not visit the Tower on a Sunday, unfortunately, but they were to take the carriage there and view it from London Bridge.

When they were gone, Judith settled to arranging the last of their packing, but as Emily folded her spare silk nightgown, she found herself distracted. Her courses were almost over, and she wondered if she should tell Leander this. That embarrassed her even more than the original need to tell him they had started, for it could appear to be an invitation to her bed.

She would leave it. He seemed to be familiar with these womanly secrets, and would doubtless realize in a week that it must be done with.

She went to the storage room to check the boxes which had never even been unpacked. She would definitely take her wine. She hesitated over her box of Christmas baking, however, for having become used to Leander's style of living she could not imagine such things being needed at Temple Knollis. But in the end she directed that they be sent in the spare carriage. They still had meaning.

Leander wished to take his valet on this trip, and a number of possessions from the London house, and so Rougemont, the valet, would travel with this extra baggage. Emily, after fretting over it, had sadly announced that she did not want to leave London, so Judith would hire a maid in Somerset.

With a spare carriage, there would be ample room. What else would be needed?

She had no idea whether the Temple boasted a good library, and so she decided to take some volumes from the library here. She set about the selection, often distracted by an interesting volume. Such a quantity and variety of books had not been part of her life before.

She was disturbed by a commotion, and Rosie's voice calling frantically for Mama. She ran out into the hall to see George shepherding along a very wet Bastian, wrapped in a horse blanket. Rosie ran to her. "Someone pushed Bastian into the river!"

"What?
George bring him in here...." Then the smell hit her. She hugged her son anyway. "Bastian, darling, are you all right?"

"Yes," he said boldly, but he looked rather white and shaken. "A boatman fished me out pretty fast, and I can swim."

"Thank heavens for it. We must get you warm and dry." The foul smell of the river was all over him. "In the kitchen." She sent Bastian off with other servants, keeping George and Rosie back. "Now," she said, "tell me what occurred."

"Someone pushed him off the bridge!" Rosie yelled.

Judith gathered her into a hug. "Let George tell me, dearest."

"Well, milady," said the young man, who looked badly shaken himself, "I don't know rightly what to say. After we'd looked at the Tower we set off home, but the young 'uns wanted to walk onto London Bridge and watch the boats. I didn't see no harm to it. Master Bastian ran ahead. I stayed with Miss Rosie, and I were watching some boats go under the bridge when she screamed. I looked around and there was no Master Bastian. When I looked down, sure enough, there he was in the water. But he were picked up in seconds. I'm right sorry, milady."

"I'm sure you cannot be blamed," said Judith, wondering why these strange accidents were being visited upon them.

"A man pushed him," said Rosie firmly. "I
saw
him."

Judith looked at her daughter, who was not in the habit of lying, or even exaggerating. "You saw someone push Bastian into the river?"

Rosie nodded vigorously. "He sort of threw him. Picked him up and threw him over."

Judith could hardly believe what she was hearing. "What did the man do then?"

"He ran away."

"Could you tell what he looked like?"

Rosie shook her head. Judith looked at the footman. "Did you notice this man, George?"

"No, milady. I were taken up by watching them fish Master Bastian out of the river, and giving thanks when I saw he were all right. By the time I understood what Miss Rosie were saying, any man was gone."

Judith felt chilled. "Were there many people on the bridge? Would anyone else have seen?"

"There were quite a few, and carriages, too, but it must have happened quick. One old biddy was going on about rascals who climbed on the parapets, but I'm sure he didn't do that."

Judith wondered if Rosie would lie about this strange attacker to cover up the fact that Bastian had been so foolish, but it seemed unlikely without coaching, and this hardly seemed a preplanned adventure. "You must have some idea what this man looked like, Rosie. Was he big or small?"

"Just ordinary, Mama." She wrinkled her brow in powerful thought. "He looked like Papa, perhaps."

Judith felt a chill of shock. "Like Papa Leander!" she echoed.

"Perhaps," said Rosie. "Dressed ever so nice."

Judith's heart steadied. A gentleman, then, but it could have been any gentleman. There was nothing else to be learned, so she took Rosie with her to see to Bastian. They found him scrubbing himself cheerfully in front of the kitchen fire, rather proud of his adventure now he was safe.

"Excuse me, my lady," said Addison faintly, "but what are we to do with Master Bastian's clothes?"

Judith considered the pungent, soggy pile in the corner. She hated to waste new clothes, but said, "Throw them away, Addison."

The ruler of the house passed on the order with a gesture, and the kitchen boy gathered up the garments and scurried off. Something about his manner made Judith think that it would all be washed and used, but she had no objection.

Like Hal Beaumont, she hated waste.

"Begging your pardon, milady," said Addison quietly, "but it is quite likely that Master Bastian swallowed some river water, and that could make him ill."

First Betty, now Bastian. "Bastian, do you think you swallowed any of the water?" Judith asked.

"No, Mama. George had just been saying how dirty the river is with all the city using it as a cesspool, so when I was falling I thought I'd better take a breath and keep my mouth shut. And I did." The pride drained out of his voice. "It was funny, Mama. It seemed to take forever to fall."

The thinness of it caught at her heart, and she hugged him. "I think you did marvelously, dear. Now, tell me. Did someone push you in?"

"Well of course they did," he said indignantly. "Did you think I'd jumped?"

"No, of course not," she said hurriedly, trying to hide her fear. "Do you know who?"

"No," said Bastian with a frown. "But do you know, Mama, all morning I kept seeing the glove man again."

"The glove man?"

"The one who lost his gloves yesterday. They fell out of his pocket in Westminster Abbey, and so I ran after him and gave them back. He was very grateful. May we have the sweets now?"

Judith wondered if he were wandering in his mind. "What sweets, dear?"

"The ones he gave us. Betty said we couldn't have them without your permission. They were marzipan fruits."

"Well, she was ill and must have forgotten to ask..." Judith trailed off under her horrified thoughts. She swallowed, and struggled to remain calm. "I'll ask her when I go up. Bastian, you and Rosie are to stay home for the rest of the day."

Judith hurried off, wishing Leander was home. Was it a terrible plot, or just two strange coincidences? But it was
Leander
whose life was supposed to be in danger. Oh, lord! What if he were even now under attack?

"Addison! Do we know where the earl is?"

"I'm afraid not, my lady, but I could send round to the clubs, and to Mister Cosgrove's office."

"Do that please. Send a message that I need him to come home as soon as possible."

Judith ran up the stairs to Betty's attic room. The woman was asleep, but Judith ruthlessly woke her.

"Milady...?"

"Betty, did you eat any of the sweets that were given to Bastian?"

The woman's face crumpled, and she began to cry. "Oh, milady. I'm right sorry. I only had the one. And I've been thinking... I know it's daft, but could it have been them 'as made me sick?"

"It could indeed," said Judith grimly. "What happened to the rest?"

"They're in my cloak pocket, milady."

Judith found them, a gold net bundle of gaily colored marzipan fruits, most attractive to a child. She was trembling with what might have been. Look at what had happened to Betty from eating only one, and she was a grown woman. Her darling children could have
died.

A knock on the door heralded the doctor. Judith quickly explained the course of events.

"Extremely strange," said the doctor, and took the sweets. "I will examine these, but if we are considering a noxious substance.... Excuse me while I check my patient, Lady Charrington."

The examination was thorough. At the end, he said to Betty, "I believe you will do very well. I detect no weakness of the heart."

"Was it those sweets, then, sir?" the maid asked.

"I fear it could be so, but in that case, your action—improper though it was—may well have saved the children's lives."

Judith led the doctor downstairs and gave him a glass of wine, taking one herself to steady her nerves. "Would one of those sweets have killed a child?" she asked bluntly.

"I fear it might have been so, Lady Charrington."

"Do you have any idea what is in them?"

The man sipped his wine thoughtfully. "There are a number of possibilities, but my guess would be extract of foxglove. It is used medicinally to induce vomiting, and to steady the heart. The symptoms would fit. Lady Charrington, do you have any idea why anyone would try to harm your children?"

"No," Judith lied, and decided not to tell the doctor about the attack on Bastian.

Leander came in hurriedly. "What is it?" He looked alertly at the doctor. "Is Betty worse?"

The doctor explained the situation, and Leander's face became a watchful mask. "I see. It is most peculiar. I will look into this incident, but I fear it must be a case of a madman. The authorities must be informed. As we are leaving London tomorrow, at least our children cannot be at further risk."

As soon as the doctor was gone, he relaxed and let his worry show. "Struth, I never would have believed it. But what gain in harming the children?"

Judith spoke coldly. "Someone pushed Bastian off London Bridge today."

His eyes widened with shock. "Is he...?"

"He's fine. He says they were followed today by the man who gave them the sweets." She was using the words like a bludgeon, but could not help herself.

Leander poured himself some wine and drank it down."It makes no sense."

"All I know," snapped Judith, "is that my children are at risk because of you and your demented family. Perhaps they think Bastian is your true son and heir."

"They couldn't be so foolish."

"They seem capable of any kind of foolishness. After all, if they realized someone was down asking about diphtheria, they could have realized that trick had failed. What better way to delay us than to kill a child? A mere nothing to a Knollis, I suppose."

"Judith, it makes no sense," he repeated. "You're upset. I understand that—"

"Upset!
That is to put it at its lowest, sir. I'm in a rage, and a good part of it is directed at you. You were not honest with me. If you'd told me my children could be endangered by your family squabbles, I wouldn't have married you for the Mint!"

"How could I know they'd run mad?" he demanded, running his hands through his hair.

"They're your family!" Judith fired, and stormed off to guard her children.

Leander came to see them. He kept the tone light as he went over it with them, encouraging Bastian to see it as an adventure. Then, without further words with Judith, he went out again.

Judith's anger, which had been three parts terror, subsided, but she didn't totally absolve Leander. He had clearly not been honest about the extent of his family's wickedness. When Addison came to say that Mr. Rossiter was below, she denied herself. She was in no mood for guests, especially not Sebastian's brother.