A Momentary Marriage(116)

“What do you want?” Netherly snapped at last.

James smiled to himself at the show of frayed nerves. “The constable should be along in a moment. I left word for him in the village as we drove through. It will go easier for you, I imagine, if you confess.”

“Confess to what?” His quarry struggled to achieve an air of outrage. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You went after me without any reason. No wonder I ran.”

“James, what is going on?” Tessa asked. “What has Mr. Netherly done?”

James glanced at his mother. “He tried to murder me.” He turned back, his gray eyes now steely. “Worse, he tried to kill Laura, as well.”

Though that was the obvious reason for the struggle, his words still brought gasps from most of the women there.

“You accused Claude of that the other day!” Adelaide cried out. “Now you’re saying it was Mr. Netherly?”

“Your mother’s admirer?” Cousin Maurice added doubtfully.

“Yes,” James said shortly. He gave a nod to Adelaide. “You are quite right to be upset. I wronged Claude.”

“Not for the first time,” Claude put in, but his tone was more amused than resentful.

“Mm. Probably not the last, either,” James retorted.

“But why do you think it’s this chap?” Archie asked.

“How did he try to kill you?” Patricia’s question came right on the heels of her husband’s. “I don’t understand.”

“Why would he want you dead?” Walter’s question was the one that still puzzled James.

“I don’t know, but hopefully he will enlighten us.” When Netherly did nothing except sneer in response, James went on. “He tried to poison me with mercury, but fortunately Laura figured it out and stopped it.”

“You are so clever, darling.” Tessa squeezed Laura’s arm.

“I assumed Claude was behind it,” James continued. “But when we began to discuss the matter . . .”

“When you were willing to listen to me,” Claude corrected.

“When I listened to Claude, or more to the point, when I described the method to him, he informed me that Mr. Netherly’s family owns a factory that manufactures various gauges, including thermometers. Which contain mercury. Your poet, Mother, was the only person in the place with access to mercury, and he had ample opportunity to place the poison both in London and here.”

Tessa sucked in a sharp breath, tears glittering in her eyes. “How horrible!” She turned a look on Netherly that did not bode well for the man. “How could you!”

“I did nothing of the kind!” he denied hotly. “You’re mistaken, de Vere. Your brother has manipulated you into believing lies. I have no reason to harm you. And the fact that my grandfather owns a factory which uses mercury doesn’t prove I had any or that I planted it in the house. How could I have put it in your medicine? It was Walter who picked that up at the apothecary. You should look to your brothers, not me.”

James smiled a trifle evilly. “I said nothing about the mercury being in my medicine. Odd that you should know it was if you weren’t the one to put it there.”

Netherly began to splutter, but was unable to come up with a defense. He cast a desperate glance around. “I don’t know anything about mercury. I wasn’t brought up in the family business. I was raised to be a gentleman.”

“Pity they didn’t do a very good job of it.” James reached inside his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I visited with your uncle this afternoon, and he was pleased to tell me how smart you were, how you had absorbed knowledge about the family business even though you were too fine to work there. He was also gracious enough to allow me to see his records.”

James unfolded the paper slowly, confirming Laura’s suspicion that he had inherited a bit of his mother’s flair for drama. “I must commend your uncle’s bookkeeper; the man keeps meticulous records.” He read a date and an amount from his notes and he looked back to the captive. “You are listed as the purchaser of that quantity of mercury on that date, shortly before I fell ill with mercury poisoning. Rather a large amount; your uncle was puzzled why you would need so much. But I suppose it would require quite a bit to contaminate two houses, wouldn’t it?”

The room erupted into chatter. James turned away, making his way toward Laura. He needed to be with her, touch her, as if to assure himself that she was there and well. Tessa said something to Laura, and she pivoted to face James.

She held herself erect, her expression guarded, and it crashed in on James that whatever he felt, whatever had happened, things were still not well between them. He stopped short and shoved his hands into his pockets. Neither of them spoke.