Page 75 of A Fearless Heart
“Let’s get to the matter of the poison first,” Trevor said. “That can’t have been a casual inquiry.”
Between them, Cady and Gabe explained a little of what happened. Gabe steered the conversation to focus on the death of Lord Calder. Cady wasn’t sure why he was avoiding the mention of the other deaths, unless it was just because he didn’t trust Trevor to not pass the information on (a wise precaution, knowing Trevor).
Trevor was suitably horrified at the rumors and the rudeness of their neighbors in Kent, and he showed a flash of family pride that came out as wounded offense. “I can’t believe they’d think the Osbournes could be so grubby as to get involved with murder. Papa would have died before he allowed himself to get killed and thus get mentioned in the papers and the town gossip.”
“Hediddie,” Cady pointed out.
“And left you to deal with the mess. How typical of Father. Is that the other reason why you’re here? To escape his memory?”
“No. But I do recognize that I can’t be a recluse at Calderwood my whole life. And while in London, I can take some steps to see about the progress of the letters patent. It annoys me to have it unresolved.”
“Oh, that’s boring,” Trevor said. “What you ought to do is get yourself invited to some parties and such. Or for luncheon or tea or whatever ladies do all day.”
“I don’t go to parties, Trevor. And even if I did, I don’t know anyone who might invite me.”
“You know me,” Trevor said. “My set have parties all the time, and our parties are actually fun. And Mr Courtenay here must be able to exert some of his considerable muscle in the usual social circles.”
“I avoid the usual social circles,” said Gabe. “But I can certainly reach out to a few friends who’d be delighted to have Lady Arcadia grace their homes. Also, Cady, you probably ought to think about Almack’s. Undergoing the ordeal to get the patronesses to approve you. That may be helpful in smoothing your way into Society here.”
“That’s not why I’m here, though,” Cady objected. “I’m only trying to help find the person who’s using the clephobine so we can stop the supply and make sure no one else dies.”
“But we’d rather not let everyone know that’s why you’re in town, if only to avoid tipping off the killer,” Gabe said. “So I think you ought to make a few genuflections in the direction of social traditions. Appeasing the patronesses at Almack’s will take only a few hours, it will make you appear as though you’re simply preparing yourself for the marriage mart, and you won’t attract attention from the wrong sort of people.”
“All the people at Almack’sarethe wrong sort.” Trevor sighed. “Have you ever been? The food’s atrocious and the conversation worse. I’d be able to put on a better display in the dining room here.”
“We could do that as well,” Gabe suggested.
“What!” Cady sat up. “You’re not seriously suggesting to invite strangers intothishouse.”
“Not strangers. A few people in town who at least one of us knows. A small dinner party, just to allay suspicions by the killer, if he’s watching.”
Trevor raised his eyebrows. “You think he’s watching Cady?”
“Maybe not personally. But he’s using a poison that only she knows how to make, so we should assume he’s aware of a lot things about her life and her movements, beyond her work in botany and chemistry that she’s published in journals. Maybe he knows she’s come to London, but if we can make him think it’s just a whim or her desire to get married, then he won’t bother too much about it.”
“Idon’twant to get married,” Cady grumbled.
“Pretend you do,” said Gabe. “Just for a little while.”
“It would help,” Trevor added. “The ladies of London are obsessed with marriage. Theirs, and everybody else’s. My God, there are still some chasing me, and you’d think they’d know better.”
“As long as you might be the heir, they’ll chase you.”
“I wish Father had tried to disinherit me years ago. It would have made everything so much simpler.”
“Did he know years ago?” Gabe asked curiously.
“Oh, he knew.”
“But he denied it,” Cady explained. “Even to himself. They fought tooth and nail, always at each other’s throats. Trevor just wouldn’t back down. Ever. I admired him for it, but in the moment I confess I simply wanted the yelling to stop.”
“Oh, Cady, I’m sorry.” Trevor leaned over and squeezed her hand. “That’s why I had to leave, you know.”
“Even after Trevor left the house, Father couldn’t leave it alone,” Cady told Gabe. “That was why he started the process of amending the letters patent so that the title would come to me instead of Trevor. But with his death, it’s unclear whether that process concluded, or if it did, what changes were made. So Trevor might very well remain the heir after all.”
“Possibly. I don’t want to be.”
“Yes, you said that,” Gabe said. “And I should point out that while your father’s reasons for the change were vindictive, they’re also practical. You have no intention of marrying and continuing the family line.”
