Page 36 of A Marriage of Necessity

Anne smiled. “Of course, you are absolutely correct. Please tell me the message, then I will have Mr. Bingham take you to the kitchen where Mrs. Hampshire will fix you tea and something to eat. You may wait until his lordship arrives, then repeat to him the message, as well.”

His eyes brightened. “I am hungry, ma’am.”

“Then you shall have a fine dinner. Will that do?”

He gave a concise nod. “Yes, ma’am. The young lady asked me to tell his lordship that she is being held prisoner in Chesterfield Hall.”

Anne blinked. “Being held prisoner? Surely, there must be some mistake?”

He shook his head. “I said the same thing. How can anyone be a prisoner in their own home? I didn’t want to call a lady a liar, but I did accuse her of making fun of me. Then she showed me bruises on her cheek and arm. She is telling the truth. I’m sure if it.”

“She is being beat?” Anne asked. It was simply too fantastical.

“Aye, so you can see how I would have to believe her.”

Anne nodded. “That is serious proof.” But could she believe him?

“Lady Rose was very specific,” he went on. “She said his lordship was to come to her by way of the west entrance, and she begged him to hurry.”

“If she’s being held captive, how is it you came to speak with her?”

“My father has the best milk and butter in all of Edinburgh. The earl buys our butter and milk. I was making the delivery when I passed by the window and she called to me. I must tell you the truth, though. Lady Rose told me that I must be honest. She promised that I would not get into trouble.”

“If Lady Rose promised you would not get into trouble, then you shall not get into trouble.” Anne studied him. “Did she promise you money for delivering the message?”

His chin lifted. “She did, but a gentleman never takes money for helping a lady in distress.”

“You are right again,” Anne murmured. “What is this truth you must tell me?”

“Normally, I go around the side to the servants’ entrances on the east. But that’s a longer walk, and I was in a hurry. So I climbed the wall and cut through on that side of the estate.”

“I have seen that wall,” Anne said. “It’s very high.”

He gave her a disparaging look. “I can easily climb it. It would be difficult if I was delivering milk because milk spills. But this time I was only delivering butter, and butter doesn’t spill. It was very fortunate I took that route, according to Lady Rose, for she said no one ever came across the estate on that side.”

“Did Lady Rose say why she was being held captive?”

He shook his head. “Eight days maybe. She wasn’t certain.”

Since last Saturday or Sunday, Anne thought. One or two days before she received the summons from the earl. That was odd.

“She said the lady who watches her is evil,” Matthew said.

“Evil?” Anne repeated. “Is it she who beats Lady Rose?”

“I don’t know. She did say the woman gave her laudanum to keep her quiet, but Lady Rose promised not to scream, so she didn’t give her as much.”

The story was too preposterous. Oh, how she wished Kennedy were here, or even her mother. “When his lordship returns home, you can repeat the story for him,” Anne said.

Matthew nodded. “I hope he returns soon. Lady Rose overheard the evil woman speaking with the man who brings them their food. He said that the earl was very ill and they thought he might die soon.”

That Anne knew to be true. The earl didn’t look at all well.

“He has fallen into a coma,” the boy said.

“A coma?” she blurted. She had heard no such thing. Surely, Kennedy would tell her if that were true. Might that be why he’d been gone all afternoon?

“I did not know anything else,” he said. “Except Lady Rose is very afraid they will send her away now that the earl is dying.”

“Send her away where?”

“She didn’t say, she only said that she must be away for nine months or more. They said something about his lordship having a child.”

Anne stared. The boy would have absolutely no reason to make up something like that.