Page 16 of Long Live the Baron
Brendan shivered at this question.
“It will not come to that. We simply need to find the actual perpetrator. I am sure having a servant attest to my arrival earlier this morning should stave off any imminent accusation, so we might proceed with hunting for the perpetrator ourselves. Perhaps we can hire Briggs to look into it further, even if the coroner will not do his duty.”
Halmesbury ran a hand through his hair, his disquiet evident.
“What is it?”
Richard returned to his seat, dropping into it heavily before fiddling with his cravat. Brendan’s tension tightened, making his head throb with the force of it.
“What is it?”
Halmesbury cleared his throat, sitting forward to lean his wrists on his knees. “None of the servants have admitted to opening the door for you this morning.”
“What? I came in just past six o’clock, and I certainly was not carrying a key! Someone opened the door when I knocked on it.”
Both the earl and the duke were silent.
“You believe me, do you not?”
Halmesbury’s head snapped back. “Of course we believe you. The old man was horrible. I wanted to throttle him myself on many occasions for how he diminished Annabel, but you are a civilized man and we are practically brothers. There have been no thoughts in my head that you did this terrible thing.”
Brendan’s chest heaved in relief. “Thank you.”
Across from him, Richard chuckled. “Personally, I am not so magnanimous. I did briefly wonder if you may have done it.”
A glance of rebuke at the earl only caused him to chuckle harder.
“I appreciated your old man for allowing me to escape my circumstances at home during my troubled youth. Visiting with you over the holidays saved my sanity, but he did send you to Cambridge, after all.”
Brendan gave a half-laugh, amused despite his panic and the burdens he had been carrying since finding the baron in the study. “Cambridge is a fine university, you dolt.”
Richard shrugged. “Ah, the defensive lament of all those who did not attend Oxford.”
Brendan kneaded his temple with a thumb, chortling at the ridiculous distraction. His entire life might be in crisis, but at least he did not face it alone.
“Is it possible that the truth of my relationship with the baron might come out?”
Halmesbury flinched. “By Jove, I hope not! That would certainly provide further motive for Grimes to pursue the matter.”
“Is there anyone other than us who knows the truth?”
Richard fidgeted in his chair, drawing their attention. “The rumors are true, then? The baron is not Brendan’s father?”
Brendan slumped, groaning as he collapsed back into his chair and furiously rubbed at his temples.
“You know of the matter?” Halmesbury’s question was almost inaudible, denoting his worry.
Richard nodded. “I heard whispers of it while we were at Eton, and again at Lords, when the baron would come up in conversation. It was not my place to question Brendan about it.”
Halmesbury shook his head. “I am afraid we might be buggered.”
Tension was boring through Brendan’s head. He almost expected to find a hole in his temple, but there was no physical evidence of his torment as he kneaded the area.
“What is it that Grimes can do? As coroner?” Brendan addressed the question to the duke. He was helplessly out of his element, never having dealt with any criminal matters before.
“If he thought you were a legitimate suspect, he could arrest you, while we await a coroner’s jury to confirm that the baron was murdered and that you are the primary suspect. It is promising he did not do so today. It suggests that the jury will be called to review the facts of the case, which means there will be more parties involved to advise prudence.”
Brendan felt a flood of relief. Perhaps Grimes would continue to investigate until more suspects were found. The man’s disapproval of him had been palpable, and Brendan had been fighting off panic since their meeting.
