“Maybe. I hope you’re right. But I’m not willing to take that chance. Now get yourself together and think.”
Appertan gave a dramatic sigh. “Really—who would have anything against Cecilia?”
“She’s taken on a man’s role, and there are some who don’t appreciate it.”
Appertan stiffened. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know—I’m talking out loud, trying to come up with a reason someone would resent her. Any disturbance with servants? Any let go recently?”
He closed his eyes. “Not that I know of. But as long as the staff functions well, I don’t pay attention.”
“Because Cecilia does,” Michael said dryly. But there was an edge to Appertan’s voice that seemed ... wrong, but he couldn’t place why. Perhaps there was something to the idea of a problem with servants.
“The household is always a woman’s domain,” Appertan shot back.
“You’re right. I’ll have to speak with someone more knowledgeable about that.”
“What about Cecilia? Have you talked with her?”
“No. She hasn’t confided in me, and I don’t want to make our tentative relationship worse.”
Appertan narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps I should ask about your relationship.”
“I understand your suspicions. You and I are both closest to her, and anyone seriously investigating would think we both have motive. But I’ve asked nothing of her, so what motive could I have?”
“And I’ve asked for her help—why would I want to make my life harder?”
Michael crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Appertan. Was he telling the truth? He didn’t know the man all that well, and what he knew he didn’t particularly respect. But attempting to murder one’s own sister? It seemed ... far-fetched.
“If it wasn’t you or me,” Michael continued, “and perhaps not a servant, although I’ll look into that, who else?”
“We can’t even come up with names! Of course no one’s trying to kill Cecilia.”
Michael leaned over the bed and pointed his finger at Appertan’s face. “She’s almost died twice! I will damn well keep looking into this until I’m satisfied that they were both accidents.” And how suspicious was it that Appertan was trying to talk him out of the investigation. “Nowthink,man!”
The earl swung his legs off the bed and sat up, briefly holding his head in his hands. “Oh, very well, give me a minute to do all this thinking. Too bloody early,” he added in a mumble.
“Any suitors?”
“Dozens of those. Could have beaten them off with a stick and hit several at once.”
Michael eyed him. “Violent image.”
“Oh please,” Appertan said with a grimace. “You know what I mean. Stupid men fawning all over her, begging for a dance, begging to be noticed. I would never do that to a woman.”
“You don’t have to. You’re an earl. The women must have come begging to you.”
“True.”
“Is that why you became engaged at such a young age? To avoid debutantes and their annoying mothers?”
Appertan shrugged again and dropped his head back in his hands as if he didn’t want to meet Michael’s gaze. “Not really. Knew Penelope would do and saw no reason to wait.”
“What an ardent declaration of love,” Michael said dryly.
“None of your business, Blackthorne.”
His voice had the sharp ring of command, sounding much like his father, and Michael was reluctantly impressed. If only the pup would mature into a man who could use such strength of command wisely.
