Page 18 of The Villain's Fatal Plot
He wasn’t God and refused to judge, despite his teachings. His vicar might have a word or two to say about his rebellious beliefs, but no one paid attention to this penniless parish. His purpose had always been to give aid to the living.
“There aren’t many young women in the village, other than afew new maids at the manor, and they’re under my mother’s care. If those herbs are the motive for Miss Edgerton’s death, then I’d have to say her former students are the more likely suspects.” That would be a relief to him. He didn’t want to judge people he knew. “It takes money to pay for an exclusive boarding school. They would come from wealth.”
“And might be gently extorted later?” Meera suggested.
As his own stepfather had extorted his parishioners for their sins. Paul pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed this wasn’t the situation. The sordidness brushed too close to his own life. “Perhaps we should let this case alone.”
Meera snorted inelegantly. “Hunt is already chafing at the bit. He’ll want his new bailiff to learn the traces and gallop to the rescue. He’s well-pleased at finding someone to do the dirty work.”
They met the bailiff in question heading down the footpath. Rafe eyed the basket on Meera’s arm with displeasure. “That many?”
“Hidden,” Paul explained. “I’m to bring Miss Lavender down to talk new gowns while I go over Miss Edgerton’s ledger. We thought you might like to know if I identify any of the initials.”
“I had thought to go over the church register, but this will be more pleasant. New gowns? She is coming out of mourning?” The burly, red-haired man seemed pleased.
“I’m not at all certain she’s been in mourning,” Meera said dryly. “Her gown is nearly a dozen years old. Your widow may not be what she seems.”
Rafe beamed. “My conclusion, as well. But I’m reasonably certain she did not murder the governess any more than I did. Mrs. Porter brought her hostess apples and candies. I ate both and didn’t die.”
“I’d be careful what you eat,” Meera warned. “If the killer is still about and wants any of those papers in that desk, they might not care who else dies to get at them.”
Rafe’s smile vanished. “Perhaps we should remove her from that house.”
“Try,” Meera said with a hint of grimness. “I have a suspicion that under her gentle demeanor is a soul as old and stubborn as any mule’s.”
“Gentle? There is nothinggentleabout that lady. She appears to have been through hell and is hardened like iron on a forge. I said she didn’t kill the governess. I didn’t say she’s not capable of it.”
TWELVE: VERITY
With Mrs. Underhillcleaning upstairs and the curate planning on returning, Verity didn’t have the opportunity to pry up the loft floorboards. She wasn’t given to sitting idle though. It was the reason she’d persuaded her uncle to let her run errands. After her mother’s death, she’d picked up his mail, gone to the bank, cleaned his office... and appropriated whatever she needed.
By the time the manor party arrived with Rafe, she’d matched the few initials on the correspondence with initials in the ledger and was working through Miss Edgerton’s address book.
She had also compiled a list of half a dozen household matters to address, along with the need to inventory the bookshelves in hopes there were enough books to begin teaching children. But she had wished to impress the sergeant and set him on the trail of a killer before she turned to the mundane, so she made the suspect list first.
Wolfie announced their arrival. At his bark, Marmie poked her head out of her warm pillow. The aroma of bubbling stew permeated the cottage. She had been raised in a grand mansion, but Verity thought she might learn to enjoy these cozy quarters, should she ever learn to cook more than eggs...
And discovered why Miss Edgerton had died. It wouldn’t assuage her grief, she knew. That took time. But it might settle her terror.
Rafe led the visiting party in without knocking, making himself at home. The bold soldier had little respect for the common conventions, but Verity was so far out of her element that his lack of manners seemed trivial.
Before taking the curate back to the kitchen, Rafe introduced their adolescent companion with a casual wave. “Miss Lavender Marlowe, seamstress, Mrs. Verity Porter, my hostess.”
Verity hid a smile, recognizing that he treated the cottage as a public inn—of which he was in charge. Interesting that he did not linger to admire the exceedingly beautiful child.
“I do hope you want something more stylish and colorful,” Lavender exclaimed as Verity greeted her. “Purple is not a terrible color with your hair, but primrose would look so much better with your complexion! And a high-waisted style is better for your figure, as well as fashionable. You don’t need to look like a potato sack. How do you feel about lace?”
“That it is an expensive luxury,” Verity admitted reluctantly, even though her vain heart longed for it. A potato sack, indeed! “A kitten would shred it. I would like a nice dinner gown, but I need plain dress more, for every day and for church.”
The girl nodded enthusiastically. “I can do that too. I have even created a style that allows you to cover up a nice muslin dinner gown for church. You are in good hands. Shall we go upstairs to take your measurements?”
“Wait, first, I must speak with Mr. Upton and the sergeant.” Suppressing her excitement at thought of a new frock instead of second-hand, Verity stuck to the practical.
She carried the ledger, address book, and letters to the kitchen table, pushing aside Rafe’s sandwich makings. “You may eat after I explain what I have done. I hope it will start your list of potential suspects.”
After her explanations, the curate studied the list. “I havenever gone about in society. I’ll need to take these names of Miss Edgerton’s former students up to the ladies in the manor, see if they are familiar with any of them. But I can take a look at the ledger to see if I recognize any of the unidentified initials as local.”
“Just give me names when you have them.” The soldier returned to slapping meat on bread. “I don’t know a soul but I’ll find them.”
