Late for the Wedding (4 page)

They reached the top of the staircase and started down. Lavinia heard doors opening in the hall behind her. Bewildered and curious people began to emerge from their bedchambers to ask one another what had happened.

“I wonder how he came to fall from the roof,” Tobias said.

“It was no doubt an accident. He was quite drunk when I saw him.”

More doors opened on the floor below. People in various stages of dress and undress appeared. Some joined Tobias and Lavinia on the staircase. Most chose to remain in the hall, speculating on events with their neighbors.

When they reached the ground floor, Tobias led the way outside into the gardens. A small group had gathered around the body.

Lord Beaumont, short, round, and bald, rushed out of a side door. He was partially dressed, in trousers, slippers, and a silk dressing gown. He stopped abruptly when he saw Tobias. Then he altered course to intercept him.

“March. Thank you for coming down. Vale told me that you were an excellent man in a crisis.” Beaumont belatedly noticed Lavinia and bobbed his head. “Mrs. Lake. There is no need for you to put yourself through this ordeal. Please, you really must go back inside.”

She started to explain why she had come downstairs, but Tobias interrupted.

“Who is it?” he asked quietly.

Beaumont glanced uneasily at the crowd around the body. “The footman who came to fetch me said it was Lord Fullerton.”

“Have you sent for the doctor?”

“What? No. Everything has happened so quickly. I hadn’t even considered—” Beaumont broke off and made a visible attempt to gather his wits. “Yes, of course. The doctor. He will know what is to be done with the body. Certainly cannot leave it here in the garden. Yes, yes, I shall summon him immediately. Excellent notion, March.”

Obviously relieved to have a specific goal, Beaumont turned and beckoned frantically to a footman.

“I want to take a closer look,” Tobias said softly to Lavinia. “Are you certain you wish to do this?”

“Yes.”

They walked to where Fullerton lay on the damp grass. Lavinia was not in the least surprised when the cluster of people gathered around the body parted to make way for Tobias. He often had that effect on others.

A thin man was on his knees beside Fullerton. Hands clasped, he rocked back and forth, moaning.

“Disaster,” he muttered. “Disaster. What am I to do? This is a disaster.”

Tobias glanced at Lavinia. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

It was not the first time she had found herself in the proximity of violent death, but she knew that she would never grow accustomed to the sight. In this case there was no blood, but Fullerton’s neck was twisted at an unnatural angle that caused her stomach to churn. For a few terrible seconds she was afraid she might be ill.

She forced herself to concentrate on details and immediately recognized the bald head, the plum-colored coat, and the elaborately tied cravat. This was, indeed, the man she had seen going down the hall with the blond maid a short time ago.

“Well?” Tobias prompted softly.

“Yes, that is the man I noticed earlier,” Lavinia said.

The thin man continued to rock and moan. “Disaster. What will I do?”

“Odd.” Tobias studied the body. “He is fully dressed.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You said that he and the maid were evidently intent on a rooftop tryst, but he is still entirely clothed. His breeches and shirt are fastened and his neckcloth is knotted.”

“Oh, yes, I see what you mean.” She considered that for a few seconds. “Perhaps they, uh, did not have time to pursue their plans before he fell.”

Tobias shook his head once, coldly certain now. “He was up there for some time. Plenty of time to get his breeches open, at least.”

She looked up quickly. “Are you implying what I think you are implying?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Tobias raised his voice and spoke to the keening man. “Who are you?”

The thin man regarded him with a dazed expression. “Burns, sir. His lordship’s valet. That is to say, I
was
his valet. It was an excellent position. We had just finished placing an order for several new coats and a dressing gown. His lordship was to be wed, you see. He wanted to appear in the first stare of fashion for his new bride. I wonder what will become of all his fine clothes?”

“You will pack them up and return them to his family, of course,” Lavinia said.

“Oh, no, madam, I shall not do any such thing.” Burns scrambled to his feet and took a step back. “There is no one to pay me now. I must find a new position.”

“When did you last see his lordship alive?” Tobias asked.

“This evening, when he went downstairs to the costume ball. He looked his best tonight, I saw to that. He was very pleased with the knot in his cravat. I invented it and named it for him, you know.”

“You did not see him after that?” Tobias pressed.

“No. He instructed me not to wait up for him.”

“Was that unusual?”

“No, sir. His lordship was fond of a bit of sport with a willing wench before he went to sleep. He did not like me to be in the way.”

“Come.” Tobias tightened his grasp on Lavinia’s arm and steered her away from the scene.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“I want to take a look at Fullerton’s bedchamber.”

“Why? What do you expect to find?”

“I have no notion.”

Tobias stopped the partially dressed butler and asked him which room had been assigned to Lord Fullerton. The man gave him directions. Lord Beaumont, still quite agitated, trotted forward.

“What is it, March?” he asked. “Has something else happened?”

“No, sir,” Tobias said. “I merely wish to have a look around Fullerton’s bedchamber. Perhaps it would be best if you accompanied us.”

It was a thinly veiled command, but Beaumont did not appear to be aware that he was being ordered about by a man who was his social inferior.

“Yes, of course,” Beaumont said. He turned quickly and led the way back toward the house.

When Tobias spoke in that deep, resonant, utterly sure voice, people tended to obey without question, Lavinia thought. He had an uncanny ability to assume command at times when others were dashing about mindlessly. She suspected that the subtle skill was more complex than he knew or would ever acknowledge.

In the course of their last major investigation, an incident had occurred that had convinced her that Tobias possessed the raw, untrained talent of a powerful mesmerist. She was certain that the source of his abilities lay deep in that pool of midnight inside him. She was equally certain that he would never acknowledge those abilities, not even to himself. For reasons she did not fully comprehend, he had chosen to bury that side of his nature beneath several layers of stubborn logic and an iron will. Until he met her, he had labeled all mesmerists charlatans and frauds who preyed on the weak and the gullible.

When he had discovered that she was trained in the art, his first reaction had been to dismiss her skills. Lately she had sensed his grudging acceptance of her abilities, but she was very well aware that he still preferred to ignore them as much as possible.

Inside the castle, she and Tobias followed their host up the main staircase. Beaumont was breathing heavily by the time they reached the landing. He paused to catch his breath.

A large number of guests milled about on this floor. One of them was a woman with lustrous brown hair bound up in a loose knot.

Lavinia did not recognize her until she turned around. Aspasia had removed the black wig and cobra diadem, and she had changed into a heavily embroidered green silk dressing gown.

She spotted Tobias and walked swiftly toward him.

“What is going on?” she demanded in a low voice. “Everyone is saying that Fullerton fell from the roof and broke his neck.”

“That seems to be the case,” Tobias said.

Beaumont whipped out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. He surveyed the flock of guests. “Terrible accident. Quite dreadful, actually. But I assure you that matters are in hand. The doctor is on his way. You may all return to your bedchambers.”

Aspasia’s fine brows puckered in a small frown. Her lips parted on a question. Lavinia saw Tobias shake his head once in a small, silencing motion.

Aspasia obediently closed her mouth.

“You must excuse us,” Tobias said. “We are in a hurry. Lord Beaumont is taking us to Fullerton’s bedchamber.”

Aspasia appeared startled, and then Lavinia saw a flicker of comprehension in her dark eyes.

“Tobias?” Aspasia whispered in husky tones. “Do you think—”

“I will speak with you later,” he said gently.

“Yes, of course.” Aspasia moved gracefully out of the way. Her gaze rested thoughtfully on Lavinia.

The moment of communication that had passed between Aspasia and Tobias was brief, Lavinia reflected as she accompanied the two men down the hall, but there was no mistaking the intimacy of it. Aspasia clearly felt that she had a claim of some sort on Tobias, and he, in turn, accepted some obligation toward her.

If there was one thing that she had learned about Tobias during the past few months, Lavinia thought, it was that he took his perceived responsibilities very seriously.

She glanced back just in time to see Aspasia disappear through a bedchamber door. It was a very
familiar
bedchamber door.

Well, that was certainly one mystery solved tonight, she thought. She now knew why she had been summarily shifted upstairs to that unpleasant little room at the end of the hall. The housekeeper and butler had conspired to give her comfortable chamber on this floor to Aspasia Gray.

Beaumont came to a halt in front of a door.

“This was Fullerton’s bedchamber,” he announced.

Tobias entered first. He lit a candle and surveyed the space. Then he crossed to the window and drew aside the curtains.

Moonlight flooded into the chamber, adding to the weak illumination of the candle.

Lavinia stepped in and looked around. The bedchamber was as large as the one Tobias had been given. The wide, heavily draped bed had been turned down in preparation for sleep. It was obvious that no one had used it. The sheets and pillows were still neatly arranged. The handle of a warming pan projected from beneath the edge of the quilt.

“He asked her why they could not use his bed,” she murmured to Tobias. “He told her that it had been nicely warmed.”

Tobias was busy opening and closing the drawers of the dressing table in a brisk, methodical fashion. He did not look up from his task. “What else did he say?”

“He asked the maid why it was necessary to go all the way up to the roof.”

Beaumont scowled from the doorway. “What’s this about a maid?”

“When I saw Lord Fullerton earlier this evening,” Lavinia said, “he was in the company of a tall, blond maid. I gained the clear impression that they were on the way to the roof for some dalliance.”

“Nonsense.” Beaumont’s whiskers bristled in genuine indignation. “Everyone in this household is aware that inappropriate intimacies between staff and guests are strictly forbidden. Lady Beaumont does not countenance that sort of thing.”

Lavinia stopped in front of the night table and studied the assortment of small items arrayed on the polished wooden surface. “This maid seemed to be quite eager to oblige Fullerton. She was the one who suggested that they go upstairs to the roof rather than use his bedchamber.”

“Rest assured, I shall have my butler look into the matter.” Beaumont broke off with a quizzical expression. “A tall, blond woman, you say? I don’t recall anyone on my staff who fits that description. Probably one of the local village girls taken on for the week. With so many guests in the house, extra maids are required.”

“I see.” There was nothing unusual about the collection of items on the night table, Lavinia thought. She saw a candlestick, a pair of spectacles, and a ring.

She went to the wardrobe and opened it. Tobias came to stand behind her with the candle. Together they surveyed the array of expensively cut garments.

“I want to speak with the blond maid.” Tobias opened the drawers of the wardrobe, glancing briefly at carefully folded handkerchiefs and small clothes. “Will you ask your butler to locate her, sir?”

“If you feel it is necessary.” Beaumont took a step back and then hesitated uncertainly. “What is it that concerns you about this situation, March?”

“I would like to find out if Fullerton was still in the company of the maid when he fell to his death.” Tobias turned away from the wardrobe and went to the night table. He stood looking down at the objects on the surface. “Perhaps she can describe precisely what occurred.”

“Very well, I shall go and have a word with Drum.” Beaumont swung around and disappeared down the hall, seemingly relieved to have another clear goal.

Lavinia opened a trunk and looked inside. It was empty. All of the items that had been packed in it were no doubt hanging in the wardrobe. She closed the lid and looked at Tobias, who was in the process of going down on one knee to peer beneath the bed.

She saw his jaw tighten when he shifted his weight to his left leg, but she resisted the urge to ask him if he was in pain. He did not welcome constant inquiries on the subject of the injury he had sustained in Italy a few months earlier. The wound had long since healed, but she knew it still bothered him on occasion.

“What on earth do you expect to find under there?” she asked instead.

“How the devil should I know?” He finished his perusal of the floorboards, grasped a bedpost, and hauled himself back to his feet. “I believe we are finished here.” He massaged his left thigh impatiently. “Now for the roof.”

“Tobias, what is this all about? You do not think that Lord Fullerton’s death was an accident, do you?”

For a few seconds he looked as if he intended to evade the question. Then he shrugged. “I think he was murdered.”

“I was afraid that you had concluded as much. But what leads you to believe that?”

“It is a long story.” He headed for the door, taking the candle with him on a small stand. “One that I do not have time to go into just now.”