“And that is why you must apply yourself to your studies rather well,” Claire laughed softly, gently tapping her sister’s nose. “So that when difficult times come, you will not lose your head and you will find a way around it.”
Trixie scowled. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Oh, but it is precisely just that, my dear.”
Both sisters bantered for a little while and Claire welcomed the distraction Trixie provided. Her lively personality was precisely what she needed to draw her attention from the dark thoughts she had all throughout the night.
Thoughts of the Marquess and his mysterious disappearance.
Thoughts of the dead Hanson and the coachman slumped just a short distance from their partly burnt carriage, in a pool of their own blood.
She shook her head slightly and tried to put on a smile for her sister as they descended the staircase to join Lady Suzanna and His Grace for breakfast.
At the sound of their lively voices, Oliver looked up and his green gaze met with Claire. She gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned.
This morning, he looked rather weary and haggard, as though he had aged several years in the course of one night. However, he was still immaculately groomed and quite handsome, which caused Claire to turn her gaze away and blush at her thoughts.
I fear I will never be able to get over just how good-looking His Grace is.
As she and Trixie sat down for breakfast, Oliver quietly asked her how she rested last night.
“Quite well, Your Grace, thank you very much,” she murmured in reply. “For I know that I am safe with you here. I have nothing to fear.”
He smiled at her words and said nothing more, directing his attention to the food on his plate instead. However, Claire could see that he was still visibly unsettled and she wished she could reach out and provide relief for his anxiety in the way he calmed her sadness after the death of her father.
How can I be of any use to him right now?Claire wondered, her gaze darting to him every once in a while as she ate. Once, Lady Suzanna caught her looking at the Duke and she blushed and looked down to where her food had become a mangled mess on her plate.
The Duke’s sister merely smiled knowingly and sipped her tea.
“I have instructed the servants to be on the alert for anything strange,” Oliver announced after breakfast. “After the events of last night, it is no longer safe for us to venture out so we might as well keep to ourselves. With the Marquess and the Duke of Lorchester missing, we have no inkling of who is friend or foe. It is better to be safe than sorry.”
Lady Suzanna nodded in agreement. “I have made arrangements with the staff and will not be doing errands today. Instead, I shall leave it in their capable hands.”
“That would be for the best,” the Duke agreed. He turned to Trixie with a mock glare. “And I sincerely hope that Lady Beatrice will comport herself accordingly and suffer the confines of our stuffy residence.”
Trixie merely shrugged and smiled. “Oh, I shall find some form of entertainment on my own, rest assured.”
The Duke and the older ladies burst into laughter at her childish petulance. Even in the most somber moments, they could count on her to bring light and laughter in their lives. It was just her very nature to be lighthearted, even in the direst circumstances and Claire was thankful for that.
In light of all that had happened, they desperately needed Trixie’s exuberance and passion for life or Claire feared they would all go mad waiting for the perpetrators to be apprehended.
After breakfast, Oliver tapped her elbow briefly, signaling her to stay behind. She acquiesced with a subtle tilt of her head, allowing Trixie to head off to her studies with the governess.
“Has there been word of the investigation?” she asked him quietly, once they were both alone.
Oliver shook his head with a worried expression. “Whoever is behind this seems to be rather well-versed in these kinds of dealings. There is hardly a trace and nothing has been found regarding the attacks and the disappearance of the Marquess and his father.”
Claire frowned. “I do not understand. They cannot simply vanish into thin air. They must have left a trace behind.”
“That is what the constable and his men are looking for right now. As it were, it would be better for us to stay within the confines of the residence as I fear risking a repeat of what happened yesterday.”
“I do wish they will find the one behind all of this,” she shook her head anxiously. “What they did was truly reprehensible.”
“I know,” he murmured quietly. “I have also made arrangements for the families of our staff that were murdered yesterday. They are grieving but I hope that the sum I gave them will at least make their lives easier.”
“It is all we can do for them right now.” Claire blinked her eyes to keep her tears from falling. Just yesterday, Hanson had promised her he would protect her should the Marquess extend a toe out of line. Who would have thought that he would be dead not even an hour later?
Life truly is fleeting, she thought miserably.First Father, and now this.
