Read Online An Heir of Uncertainty by Alyssa Everett - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyssa Everett
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prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!
—Alexander Pope
“Dear God.” Lina went cold all over. She had to sit down in the cane-backed chair Sarah kept by the hearth. “You mean it causes miscarriage? Do you think I’ve already—”
Dr. Strickland glanced at the clock above the hearth. “What time did you drink it?”
“A little after noon.”
“And you haven’t had any bleeding or spotting since then?”
She might have been embarrassed, but Dr. Strickland always employed a brisk, no-nonsense manner that made it clear such questions were more professional necessity than gross indelicacy. “No.”
“No back pain or spasms?”
She shook her head.
“Then I shouldn’t worry too greatly, Lady Radbourne. After sixteen hours, I expect you’d have had some sign by now if you’d ingested enough to pose a danger. But whatever you do, don’t drink any more of this. You say Sarah bought it in Malton?”
“Yes—or no. I don’t know. I assumed so, but I never asked her about it.” Lina recalled the front door and the broken lock. Could there be some connection? “Perhaps I’ve done Sarah an injustice. We had an intruder in the house yesterday.” She told Dr. Strickland how she’d met Colonel Vaughan and they’d discovered the door ajar, only to find her valuables untouched.
Dr. Strickland listened with a faint frown. “How curious. You say you and Miss Douglass waited outside while Colonel Vaughan went through the house?”
“Yes.”
He squatted down beside her chair, his gaze fixed on her face. “Has anything else out of the ordinary happened in the last few days?”
“Do you mean medically, or in general?”
“In general.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Well, Colonel Vaughan arrived at the abbey.”
“Yes.” The doctor’s frown deepened. “I mean besides that.”
Why the grave look? Surely the doctor didn’t think there was anything sinister about Colonel Vaughan. The colonel had been with her when she’d discovered the door standing open—in fact, she knew the lock had been forced only because he’d pointed it out.
Then again, the wait outside while he’d checked the house had seemed surprisingly long...
She shook her head. “No. Nothing else out of the ordinary.”
“I’m relieved to hear it. Just the same, I do hope you’ll be careful.” The doctor reached out and pressed her hand—a gesture so at odds with his usual professional demeanor, it left Lina momentarily speechless. “A good deal depends on that baby you’re carrying, Lady Radbourne—not just for you, but also for Miss Douglass, to say nothing of the tenants and servants here.”
And for Colonel Vaughan. “I’ll be careful.”
The doctor gave her a heartening smile before rising to retrieve his medical bag. Lina saw him out, trying not to read too much into the episode.
Even so, for hours afterward she couldn’t help wondering about the pennyroyal tea, and whether Colonel Vaughan really might mean her harm.
* * *
Win looked over the breakfast table at Freddie. “After what happened to the dower house door yesterday, I thought I’d leave Julia in Mrs. Phelps’s care and walk over to check on Lady Radbourne and her sister. Care to come along?”
“Not really.”
Sometimes Win wished Freddie were a bit less honest. Or a bit more sociable. Or both. “I think you should come just the same. It’s the neighborly thing to do.”
“Then why didn’t you say so?”
“It was implied in my troubling to ask.”
Freddie’s brow wrinkled. “How? Doesn’t asking me mean you wish to hear my answer, rather than supply your own?”
He had a point. “I thought you might like to meet Miss Douglass. She’s about your age.” When Freddie failed to show any sign of interest, Win added, “Her Christian name is Cassandra. Don’t you have a pigeon with that name?”
Freddie perked up. “Yes, mated with Agamemnon. Two of my broad tail shakers. Beautiful birds.”
“Miss Douglass is a beauty too. A
—Alexander Pope
“Dear God.” Lina went cold all over. She had to sit down in the cane-backed chair Sarah kept by the hearth. “You mean it causes miscarriage? Do you think I’ve already—”
Dr. Strickland glanced at the clock above the hearth. “What time did you drink it?”
“A little after noon.”
“And you haven’t had any bleeding or spotting since then?”
She might have been embarrassed, but Dr. Strickland always employed a brisk, no-nonsense manner that made it clear such questions were more professional necessity than gross indelicacy. “No.”
“No back pain or spasms?”
She shook her head.
“Then I shouldn’t worry too greatly, Lady Radbourne. After sixteen hours, I expect you’d have had some sign by now if you’d ingested enough to pose a danger. But whatever you do, don’t drink any more of this. You say Sarah bought it in Malton?”
“Yes—or no. I don’t know. I assumed so, but I never asked her about it.” Lina recalled the front door and the broken lock. Could there be some connection? “Perhaps I’ve done Sarah an injustice. We had an intruder in the house yesterday.” She told Dr. Strickland how she’d met Colonel Vaughan and they’d discovered the door ajar, only to find her valuables untouched.
Dr. Strickland listened with a faint frown. “How curious. You say you and Miss Douglass waited outside while Colonel Vaughan went through the house?”
“Yes.”
He squatted down beside her chair, his gaze fixed on her face. “Has anything else out of the ordinary happened in the last few days?”
“Do you mean medically, or in general?”
“In general.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Well, Colonel Vaughan arrived at the abbey.”
“Yes.” The doctor’s frown deepened. “I mean besides that.”
Why the grave look? Surely the doctor didn’t think there was anything sinister about Colonel Vaughan. The colonel had been with her when she’d discovered the door standing open—in fact, she knew the lock had been forced only because he’d pointed it out.
Then again, the wait outside while he’d checked the house had seemed surprisingly long...
She shook her head. “No. Nothing else out of the ordinary.”
“I’m relieved to hear it. Just the same, I do hope you’ll be careful.” The doctor reached out and pressed her hand—a gesture so at odds with his usual professional demeanor, it left Lina momentarily speechless. “A good deal depends on that baby you’re carrying, Lady Radbourne—not just for you, but also for Miss Douglass, to say nothing of the tenants and servants here.”
And for Colonel Vaughan. “I’ll be careful.”
The doctor gave her a heartening smile before rising to retrieve his medical bag. Lina saw him out, trying not to read too much into the episode.
Even so, for hours afterward she couldn’t help wondering about the pennyroyal tea, and whether Colonel Vaughan really might mean her harm.
* * *
Win looked over the breakfast table at Freddie. “After what happened to the dower house door yesterday, I thought I’d leave Julia in Mrs. Phelps’s care and walk over to check on Lady Radbourne and her sister. Care to come along?”
“Not really.”
Sometimes Win wished Freddie were a bit less honest. Or a bit more sociable. Or both. “I think you should come just the same. It’s the neighborly thing to do.”
“Then why didn’t you say so?”
“It was implied in my troubling to ask.”
Freddie’s brow wrinkled. “How? Doesn’t asking me mean you wish to hear my answer, rather than supply your own?”
He had a point. “I thought you might like to meet Miss Douglass. She’s about your age.” When Freddie failed to show any sign of interest, Win added, “Her Christian name is Cassandra. Don’t you have a pigeon with that name?”
Freddie perked up. “Yes, mated with Agamemnon. Two of my broad tail shakers. Beautiful birds.”
“Miss Douglass is a beauty too. A
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