Page 80 of Rescued from Betrayal
Her gaze settled on him, her mouth slightly open. She searched his face and her skin visibly paled. “And what makes you think I would be a threat?”
“I did not say you were a threat, only that Lord Caraway could have employed Mr. Fairchild to dissuade you from your interest.”
“But he was paid to… to…”
Al held up his hand. “It may not have been monetarily. In his drunken boast he only said he was compensated.”
“So we came to Town for nothing.”
“No,” Al said. “He was still put up to the task; we are only uncertain of what type of compensation he received.”
Melior wrung her hands together. Nathaniel placed an arm on the back of the settee hoping to curl it around her and give a little comfort, but she jumped.
“So you think I was a threat,” she said accusingly. “And you think Mr. Fairchild’s admission was only the boasting of an inebriated man.”
Al’s head jerked back, confusion coloring his face. Eddie opened his mouth to refute the claim, but Nathanial beat him to it.
“That is not what we are saying at all,” he insisted, pulling his arm away.
“Yes, but you both think Lord Caraway wanted to get rid of me. That I was somehow a burden.” She shot to her feet. “Excuse megentlemen, but I shall take my distasteful self off to retire for the afternoon.”
They all blinked at her as she rushed from the room.
“What was that all about?” Javenia asked.
Al shrugged and Nathaniel shook his head. “I do not rightly know. She is always so collected.”
The clock in the room struck noon and they waited as it chimed, each seemingly lost in their thoughts. Nathaniel ran a hand along the blue and white brocade material of the settee, analyzing Melior’s reaction.
When the last chime died away, Eddie rose. "I had not realized the hour. I would love to stay, but I promised to meet with my uncle today. Do Excuse me."
After he left, Al asked, “Are not Lady Edith and Lady Agatha Melior’s dearest friends?”
“They were,” Nathaniel said. “But since our marriage I do not believe either have reached out to her once, not even to offer congratulations.”
“Is it possible one of them may have had designs on Lord Caraway?”
“Perhaps, but Melior is more inclined to think Lady Jane caused all this mischief and I believe she is right.”
Javenia leaned forward. “I do not think Algenon is eliminating Lady Jane from the suspects, only that having three ladies competing for Lord Caraway’s attention means we cannot discount any of them, including Lord Caraway.”
“So what do we do next?”
“Next, you go comfort your wife and find out what is bothering her.” She tipped her head toward the door.
Nathaniel frowned. “But we need to make plans.”
“Whichwewill do,” Al said. “But I am with Javenia on this. Melior is hurting, and if I know women like I think I do, she may be transferring Lord Caraway’s lack of devotion to you.”
“Why me?”
Javenia glanced at Al and he nodded. “Because the important people in her life have cast her out. Her parents, Lord Caraway, her friends. You now occupy the space all three left in her life. She needs you to be steady and understanding, to provide the stability she’s lost.”
“You know, if I did not know any better, I would think you two actually know quite a bit about successful relationships.”
Javenia snickered. “Me, yes. Algenon has now shared the extent of his knowledge and will go back to being a barbarian who flirts with every lady that crosses his path.”
Al huffed. “I would like to see you understand men half as well as I understand women. You act as if a few insults should endear a gentleman to you forever.”
