“Tell me what happened,” Duncan said.
She held up a hand. “Give me a moment. I’m a little shaky.” Her voice held a note of surprise as though she couldn’t quite believe she was not in possession of her usual calm, cool demeanor. Duncan was surprised as well. He’d seen very little rattle Lucy Galloway. Even when she’d caused an explosion that had almost caught the entire classroom wing on fire, she hadn’t seemed anything more than slightly annoyed.
“Come here.” He opened his arms, and Lucy glanced back at the house and then went into them.
“What will people think?” she asked.
“They’ll think you’re upset your charge feels ill, and your brother is giving you a very brotherly hug,” he said into her hair. “And that’s all this is.”
She turned her face into his chest. “I blame myself.” Her voice was muffled, but he made out the words well enough.
“Don’t.”
“He is in my care, and right under my nose, he’s poisoned.”
“We don’t know he was poisoned yet.”
She looked up. “You have the bowl and mug?”
“I hid it, yes. I’m no expert on poisons, and I don’t know that enough was left to make any sort of determination at any rate.” He took her hand and pulled her to the bench under the poplar trees. He tried not to think about how this was the place they’d shared their first kiss. “Lucy, tell me what happened.”
***
LUCY CLOSED HER EYESand forced herself to remember the events of the morning.Toughen up, she chided herself.Pull yourself together, Galloway.
She took a breath and pictured the nursery—no, she would go back further. She had just returned to her chamber from the night’s surveillance, and she washed her face and tidied her hair. She had been looking longingly at her bed and wondering if it was better to stay awake or try and sleep for an hour. The decision had been made for her when Wilhemina tapped on the door with Johnny in hand.
“He’s awake,” Wilhemina had said and pushed Johnny toward Lucy.
The boy was indeed awake. He was already talking so quickly Lucy could hardly follow him. She led him to the nursery, thinking they could eat together. She didn’t have much appetite, but tea might help her wake up. Wilhemina was already there, annoyed because Johnny’s noise had caused the baby to wake. She was walking him across the floor and trying to lull him back to sleep. Lucy offered to take Johnny to the schoolroom, so the nursery was quiet. They had moved to the schoolroom—
Now she pulled back from where her face was buried in Duncan’s coat. He always smelled so good. She could have stayed buried against him indefinitely, but she was an agent. She had a mission and a child to protect.
“Duncan, when I brought Johnny to the nursery, the porridge and milk were already set out. A tray was on the little table where he usually sits and eats.”
“And that’s not usual?”
“No. I often have to go to the kitchen and ask Michaud to prepare it or send Ada to fetch a tray.”
“You didn’t question how the tray was already there?”
“I suppose I thought Wilhemina had requested it. Perhaps she did.”
“Ask her later today, when the crisis has passed.”
Lucy could only hope the crisis would have passed. At this point, she didn’t even care about the mission. She just didn’t want Johnny to die or suffer permanent injury from poison.
“I carried the tray to the schoolroom and Johnny was excited to eat there. I don’t usually allow food or drink in the schoolroom. We had an incident with a book and spilled water, and now I’m strict.”
“Of course, you are.”
She could hear the smile in his voice, but he kept his expression neutral. She envied him the ability to hide his thoughts and feelings so well. She had been told more than once that she had an “expressive face.”
“I admit, I was not really paying attention. I was plotting how I might ingest a great quantity of tea so I could stay awake the remainder of the day. I’m not sure how much he ate before he complained about the taste.”
“Wilhemina was in the schoolroom when I arrived.”
“That’s right. She poked her head in and saw Johnny wasn’t eating and scolded him. He said he didn’t like it and dumped some on the floor. That was very unlike him.”
