Free Scandal at the Dower House by Marina Oliver

five minutes,’ Nicholas said.
    ‘I suspect some problem has arisen at the Dower House which he cannot deal with,’ Jeremy said.
    ‘There may be a message from Lady Brooke,’ Nicholas said, but knew it was unlikely Staines would be coming to them so early in the day just to relay a message that the ladies were coming home. He wondered at his preoccupation with Catarina. Why did she occupy his thoughts so much? He admitted frankly that he desired her, wanted to make love to her, but he had desired many women, and then banished all thoughts of them either until the desire faded, which it often did, or an appropriate moment came to satisfy it. Perhaps, perversely, it was because he knew Catarina was not like his other conquests, bored married women who could love and leave their lovers as readily as he did himself.
    Staines was standing by the window of the estate office when the brothers entered. He swung round and took a few steps towards them, holding out his hands in supplication.
    He had dressed hurriedly and not shaved. His hair looked as though he had spent the time of waiting thrusting his hands through it.
    ‘What is it, man?’ Nicholas demanded. ‘Here, sit down, you’re as pale as a ghost.’
    ‘My lord, I don’t know what to do,’ Staines muttered, almost collapsing into the chair Nicholas thrust towards him. ‘It’s Cook. Ellen. She’s dead.’
    ‘Your cook at the Dower House? But she isn’t an old woman. Has she been ailing?’
    Staines shook his head and wrung his hands together. ‘Wicked, it is!’ He took a deep breath. ‘It was her custom to go out into the garden last thing at night; she said a breath of fresh air helped her to sleep.’
    Nicholas nodded. He knew many people who said the same.
    ‘Who normally locked up after her? Did you see her? Was she looking ill then?’
    Staines shook his head and groaned. ‘She did herself. I saw to all the other doors and windows, but she’d lock the back door and go up to her room. I’d usually hear her, but not always. I was tired yesterday. I’d been helping Mr Lewis repair the roof of his barn, and must have gone to sleep the moment I put my head on the pillow. Oh, why didn’t I wait for her!’
    ‘Are you saying she didn’t come back into the house?’
    He nodded. ‘This morning she wasn’t in the kitchen when I went for my breakfast, so I thought she’d overslept. I sent up young Liza, and she said the bed hadn’t been slept in. Then—’
    He stopped and dragged his sleeve across his eyes.
    ‘Well?’
    ‘The kitchen door wasn’t locked. We went out, thinking she might have had a fall. But’ – he gulped – ‘she was down by the raspberry canes at the end of the garden and – and she was stone cold.’
    ‘Dead? Had she fallen, could you tell?’
    ‘She was covered in blood. Bludgeoned to death, poor lass.’
    ‘Have you called a doctor? Or the constable?’
    Staines shook his head. ‘Dr Holt could do no good. I didn’t know what to do, with my lady not here, so I came to tell you.’
    Nicholas turned to Jeremy who had been standing by the door, listening. He looked horrified.
    ‘Send a groom for Dr Holt and the constable. And saddle my horse. I’ll go straight down. You bring Staines in the gig. Did you move her?’ he asked, turning back to Staines as Jeremy, looking pale himself, nodded and left the room.
    ‘I thought it best not to. There was nothing we could do for her, poor wench.’
    ‘Good man.’
    ‘I have to tell my lady, but I don’t have her direction! She said she didn’t know where they’d be after they’d visited her aunt. What shall I do?’

Chapter Five
    J OANNA, HAVING SUDDENLY grown large and ungainly, so that even wearing a loose cloak did not hide her condition, refused to go out of the house apart from taking some gentle exercise in the small garden attached to it. Catarina, thankful to be away from her constant complaints, spent as long as she could over the daily marketing. She explored