Lord Valorous(3)

"But I know your name already, Miss March. What I don't know is what the P stands for."

"It matters not. What matters is Lady Revel, and my belief her nephew is keeping her prisoner in her home."

Strangely it did matter to Jacob, but as he was very good at what he did, he would do a bit of investigating to get the answer by some other means. He nodded, which she saw as a sign to continue.

"The late Lord Revel ensured his wife would be comfortable. He left her property and a considerable amount of money, that was to be hers until her death, then it would go to his heir. His fear, according to Lady Revel, was that within a year the new Lord Revel would have spent every penny, and mortgaged all the property. If this were to happen, at least Lady Revel would be safe."

Very possibly true, Jacob thought, knowing what he did about some of the idiots in nobility, of which the current Lord Revel was one.

"When Lady Revel started feeling unwell, she and I were both concerned, as she is rarely sick."

"Everyone gets sick, Miss March."

"Yes, but her symptoms were those of someone being drugged, and due to the circumstances of the will I guessed the worst."

"You cannot be sure of-"

"Oh, but I am," she interrupted him. "I have read books on the matter, you see."

"What books?"

She flicked her hand at him. "It matters not. I asked Lord Revel to call a doctor. He refused, stating his aunt was merely old, and likely reaching the end of her life. Horrified, I of course told him exactly what I thought about his beliefs-"

"Now that I do not doubt."

She gave him a curt nod. "I was dismissed, right there and then. H-he would not even let me say goodbye to L-lady Revel."

And that distressed her greatly, Jacob could see.

"These are strong allegations that you have leveled at a peer, Miss March. Be very sure before we continue."

Her hands clenched where they lay in her lap, and she looked anxious now. Jacob had never known a person to change her expression as easily as her gloves.

"When I called to see the staff the day after I was dismissed, it was Bidwell, who is Lady Revel's butler, that spoke with me. He said he had seen a small vial of liquid in Lord Revel's rooms, and that when he sniffed it, it made him light-headed."

"A small vial could contain anything, Miss March."

"Yes, but the housemaid, Anna, said she sniffed it too, and that it was arsenic, because her brother had once brought some home."

Jacob knew the font of information that servants had at their fingertips. They were often ignored by the people they worked for, and as such, were privy to information that most were not. He and the other Lords of Night Street often used them as a source of information.

"Why would Lady Revel allow this? She is not usually one to take a back step, and indeed is quite vocal. I cannot imagine she would be unaware of her nephew's intentions, if indeed those intentions are to poison her." In fact, she was an old tartar who never failed to cast an opinion even if it was not welcomed. He knew her through his grandmother. The woman was outspoken to the point of rudeness. She was also intelligent and did not suffer fools.

"She had a fall one month ago and damaged her leg, and so has been bedridden. Therefore, her nephew has been able to contain her, and I suspect, has been administering the poison in the tonic the doctor prescribed for her recovery."

Silence settled around them while Jacob thought about her words.



       
         
       
        

"You don't believe me, do you?"

She was sitting on the edge of the seat now, her body tense, almost as if she was ready to flee.

"I neither believe or disbelieve, Miss March, and will not do so until I have more facts."

"How dare you call me a liar!" Indignation now radiated from her.

"I don't believe I did, nor do I know you, so I will dare to question you."

"Then there is nothing further to say. I shall find someone else to help me. Someone who will not question my word."

She went to brush by him, and he grabbed her and placed her back on the seat, with perhaps a little more force than was necessary.

"Good God, woman, will you just sit and let me process the information you have given me! I have known you for a mere handful of minutes, and you expect me to believe your word without further questioning? I am an investigator, and the key word in that sentence is investigate!"

"B-but you said you didn't believe me, and I have no time to waste."

"I did not, and for pity's sake, do not cry."