Page 66 of Marigold and the Marquess
“I don’t need you to just listen. I need you toobey.”
“Now you are being ridiculous. Don’t you trust me?”
“About this? Not in the least.”
“Leo!”
The little sprite loved him and meant to protect him. This was completely unacceptable to him. “Do I have your promise to obey me, Marigold?”
She sighed. “Yes, Leo. I will obey.”
“Give me yoursacredpromise.”
Her expression turned pained.
“Marigold, I need to keep you safe. Do you have any idea what I will become if I lose you? Do not be difficult about this.”
She nodded. “You have my sacred promise that I will obey you.”
“That you will obey me in all things and for always?” he said with a wry grin, knowing there was little humor in the situation, but he needed to do something to break the tension.
She gave a soft laugh. “Don’t push it, Leo.”
CHAPTER 11
THE FIRST THINGto strike Marigold as Leo led her outside was how damp the air was now. Indeed, it surrounded them like a cold blanket, thick with the threat of rain, as they made their way down the street to where the carriages were being held. Homer Barrow was easily spotted standing under a street lamp while resting his shoulder against the lamp post. “My lord,” he said, straightening immediately as he spotted them. “Thank goodness. I was concerned my note would not reach you.”
“It was promptly delivered to me, but I wasted time attempting to convince my wife not to join us,” he said with the wry arch of an eyebrow. “As you can see, I ought to have saved my breath.”
Mr. Barrow smiled kindly at her. “Well, m’lord. She cares for you and wishes you safe.”
Marigold responded with a genuine smile in response. “Thank you, Mr. Barrow. I’m glad you understand, even if my stubborn husband does not.”
Leo frowned as he raked a hand through his mane of hair. “I’ve asked the Duke of Edgeware to meet us here, as well. He should be told of this development. Who else has been alerted?”
Homer cleared his throat. “Lord Denby has a very small staff, just a housekeeper and cook in residence, and they have little love for their master. He also had a butler, but we were able to buy him off and replace him for the month with one of my men. Gibson, my man, is the one who discovered the body. I am the only one he has alerted. The cook and housekeeper are asleep in their beds.”
“But the activity will now rouse them, surely,” Marigold said.
“No, m’lady. They are tipplers and fall nightly into a drunken sleep. Nothing will awaken them until morning. Your husband and His Grace, the Duke of Edgeware, are not likely to be disturbed by them while they investigate. In any event, Gibson is still on duty and will confine them to their quarters should they wake, at least until we have had the chance to properly search the entire scene of the crime, after which we shall interrogate them.”
“Yes, best to keep them in their quarters and separated until we have a better understanding of what happened. If they are in any way involved, I do not want them collaborating on a story,” Leo said.
“Aye, m’lord. Gibson and I conducted a cursory search, just to make certain the killer was not still lurking in the house. He wasn’t. Nor did he leave behind any obvious clues, unfortunately. But we will go over everything with a more thorough eye once you and His Grace return with me. We have left everything as we found it.”
“I see you have things well in hand, Mr. Barrow.”
“I try my best, m’lord.”
Marigold listened attentively and nodded as the Bow Street runner continued his report to Leo. “My man Gibson estimates the murder happened no more than an hour ago, probably less. The body was quite fresh when he stumbled upon it.”
“Cause of death?” Leo asked.
“He was stabbed through the heart. The perpetrator likely came in through an open window in the study.”
“No more than an hour ago?” Marigold stared at Leo, her thoughts now fixed on the time of death. Leo had been out of her sight no more than five minutes the entire evening…ten minutes at most.
What had he really been doing in that time?
