Page 27 of The Uncouth Duke of Longford
“Mayhap.” Andrew shook his head. “All the same, it does not give me any answer as to who it was that did this. I cannot imagine why someone would want to poison my whiskey or why someone would want to injure me at all! I do not understand in the least.”
“But it is clear that the note you received was speaking the truth,” Lord Wrexham said, walking across the room and then turning back to face Andrew, his expression dark and one hand at his chin. “Someoneisseeking to injure you. You might not know their motivations for that, at least, it was not given but there is clearly something about you which troubles them a great deal.”
“To the point of wanting to remove me from this earth?”
Lord Wrexham shrugged. “That might not be what they are doing.”
“But thatistheir intention. They want to harm me.”
“But they might not want to kill you.”
Andrew blew out a long, slow breath. “If this person – or persons – are the same who injured my father then I have every expectation that they are attempting to do the very same to me.”
“That might well be so. However, what is it that you can do about it? How are you going to keep yourself safe and protected when you do not know who it is that is attempting to attack you?”
“I… ” Andrew opened his mouth and then closed it again before frowning. “I do not know.” His eyebrows lifted. “That is why I came to you. I had to tell someone in the hope of gaining some advice and since I am certain it cannot beyouwho is trying to injure me, I thought you would be the very best person to speak with.”
A flicker of a smile crossed Lord Wrexham’s face. “I am relieved that you do not think it is I who is trying to harm you,” he said with a chuckle. “I can assure you, I am certainly doing nothing of the sort for I have no reason to do any such thing as that!”
Andrew managed a smile. “Thank you.”
“So what is it that you are going to do?”
“I do not know. I – I should tell you that I spoke to Miss Grifford about all of this and she did offer to be of aid to me.”
Lord Wrexham blinked, his expression a little fixed. “You spoke to Miss Grifford?”
“Yes.”
“And she offered to be of assistance to you?”
Andrew nodded. “That is what I said, yes.”
“I do not understand. What can she do for you?”
A hint of sadness tugged at Andrew’s heart and he let out a slow breath. “I confess that I do not know but she suggested that, since she is easily able to move amongst society without being observed thanks to her mother’s lack of interest in her – something that I find displeasing, of course – she might then be able to continue with her observations. I have told her all about the letter as I did not see a reason to keep it from her.”
“Goodness.” Lord Wrexham’s eyes widened in obvious surprise. “I did not think… that is to say, I had not expected that you would be so willing to speak with her about such a thing as that. You do not know the lady very well.”
Considering this, Andrew nodded slowly and then let out a small sigh as he thought about the lady for a few moments. “I believe I know her well enough to trust her. After all, it is not as thoughsheis going to be doing anything to harm me, is she?” He laughed at this but saw his friend’s expression remain exactly the same, clearly a little astonished that Andrew had chosen to be so open with the lady. “Besides,” Andrew continued, in an attempt to do his best to explain himself as to why he had done such a thing as regards the lady, “she was the one who did her best to stop me from becoming injured. I felt it right to explain everything to her thereafter.”
“I see.”
“She is very generous to offer to aid me,” Andrew finished, finding himself smiling briefly at the way Lady Carmichael had come in search of her daughter – though it had been much too late for the conversation had already taken place. “It would be unwise not to accept her kindness, I think.”
“Then we should all meet together,” Lord Wrexham stated, making Andrew’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “We should all talk about what has taken place, what we think it all might be about and what we are to do next. Do you not think so?”
“I…” Andrew trailed off, finding the thought of pulling Miss Grifford into such a serious conversation to be a little unsettling. But, he considered, if he truly was to protect himself, then this might be the very best way to do it. “Very well. I will call on her and see if such a thing can be arranged.”
“Capital.” Lord Wrexham tilted his head. “The sooner, the better I should imagine. Though you will have to make a pretense to her mother as to why you are calling upon her, will you not?”
Andrew frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Simply that you cannot call on the young lady with the intention of talking to her about this matter without first disguising it as something else. You will have to suggest walking with her in the park or some such thing, for you will not be able to speak to her privately otherwise.” Lord Wrexham chuckled as Andrew frowned. “Do you truly not understand what it is that I am saying?”
Slowly, understanding came to him and Andrew’s frown deepened. “You mean to suggest that I will have to pretend to be intrigued in the lady. That I will have to make a pretense of calling upon her rather than simply seeking her company to talk about this matter at hand.”
“Yes, that is precisely what I mean. Otherwise, how else will you be able to speak with her? It is not as though her mother is going to be able to listen in to a conversation about the note you have received and the strange vial placed into your whiskey, is she?”
