Free The Devious Duchess by Joan Smith

They can’t prove you did it.”
    “No, but they could drag me into court to try to prove it. There—that sounds like him leaving now. Run out and speak to him.”
    Deirdre felt a strong impulse to do just that. She opened the door and saw that it was only the valet carrying down Belami’s case. “Where is Lord Belami?” she asked.
    “He is gone, miss. He left a note for you shoved under your door.”
    “Thank you.”
    He must have scribbled off the note and left in a great hurry. Eager to get away, and no wonder! Was any fiancé ever treated in such a shabby fashion? But really his behavior to Auntie was unforgivable. She went to her room and retrieved the note. Written at the pitch of his anger, it could hardly have been less conciliating.
     
    Dear Miss Gower:
    Thank you for a delightful visit. I would appreciate it if you would also convey my thanks to her grace. Your faithful servant, Belami.
     
    Not even a mention of where he was going. Would it be back to London? To Beaulac, perhaps? Or would the scent of an intriguing mystery not keep him in the neighborhood? Very likely he would be required to give testimony. And he was expecting that analysis from James Marsh. No, he wouldn’t leave. He would go to the inn in Banting. And if she knew anything about Dick, he would be making investigations within the hour to discover what Nevil had been doing in town.
    She wouldn’t sit on her thumbs either. She had learned a little something about criminal investigations from him. She’d go over to the Grange right this minute and see what she could learn from Nevil and the servants. First she had to go to tell Auntie that Belami had left. Her aunt accepted the news with resignation. She lay quietly on the bed with her eyes closed, looking exactly like a corpse. She didn’t even ask what Deirdre meant to do.
    Though it wasn’t much after five o’clock, darkness had already fallen. It was faster to run across the meadow than to have the carriage harnessed up and the horses put to. There were no fearsome shadows in the meadow, no menacing trees with clawing branches to frighten her. The moon cast a cold, white light on the ground, giving plenty of illumination for her journey. She went to the kitchen door, as there were lights burning there and none in the front of the house. She opened the door and let herself in.
    “Oh, miss, you scared the daylights out of me!” Polly gasped, jumping a foot from the floor.
    “I’m sorry, Polly. I should have knocked.”
    “Oh, that’s all right, miss. If I’d thought a minute, I would have known it was someone from Fernvale. It couldn’t be Bagot, you see. Lord Dudley let Bagot take Mrs. Haskell to visit her aunt.”
    “There’s been no word from her yet?”
    “We don’t expect to see her before tomorrow.”
    “Is Mr. Straus here?”
    “He’s been quizzing the life out of me and Anna all day, but he’s gone now, thank the Lord. Would you care for a cup of tea, miss?”
    “Perhaps I’ll join Nevil upstairs. You can bring it up to us."
    “Sir Nevil, he’s not here, miss. He took one bite of Anna’s roast joint and said he’d be putting up at the inn in Banting, but he’ll be back tomorrow morning. He better do it, too, or I won’t be here!”
    Deirdre looked a startled glance at her. “Why, what do you mean, Polly?” For a brief, wild instant the girl sounded like a possessive lover. It darted into Deirdre’s head that Polly was very attractive in a common way that would by no means disqualify her for Nevil’s affection. He was a trifler with parlor maids and milking maids, though, of course, when he went into society, it was with a lady.
    “Didn’t they tell you? They’re bringing the old gentleman back tomorrow for waking, right here in his own saloon. I’m not staying in the house with a corpse and only Anna Wilkey to keep the spirits away.”
    “But the duchess gave no such order. You must be mistaken,” Deirdre said.
    “Oh, no, miss. Sir Nevil gave