“You are a remarkable woman, Miss Morville.”
“On the contrary, I am sadly commonplace,” she replied. “I shall say no more to you tonight on what has occurred. I can see it has teased you very much, and I wish you will try to put it out of your mind until you are stronger.” She straightened the quilt as she spoke, and after a moment’s hesitation said, in a colourless tone: “Your medicine I keep in my own charge, and you may like to know, my lord, that all the nourishment you partake of passes from the head-cook’s hands to Turvey’s only.”
“Yes, I had not considered the chances of poison,” he said thoughtfully. “Thank you! This is your doing, I collect.”
“By no means. I fancy it was concerted between Turvey, Abney, and the head-cook himself. Whatever may be the sentiments of certain members of your family, sir, you have trustworthy guards in your servants.”
“It seems so indeed! I cannot conceive why they should concern themselves with my welfare!”
She said gravely: “There is no understanding it, to be sure, but so it is! And here, I think, comes Chard. I shall leave you now, my lord. Pray do not vex yourself more than you need! You have been frowning ever since you heard Martin’s story, you know!”
“Have I? I beg your pardon! He has given me food for a good deal of thought.”
“You will be able to think more clearly in a day or two,” she said, and went to the door, and opened it. “You may come in, Chard: his lordship wishes to speak with you. You will not keep him wakeful overlong, I know. Goodnight, my lord!”
She went out, and Chard approached the bed cautiously. He was welcomed with a smile. “Not dead yet, Chard. What a work you must have had, driving those grays, and preventing me from falling out of the curricle!”
“Well, I did, me lord,” Chard owned, grinning at him. “And very much contra pelo it went with me not to be able to stop to catch the villain red-handed! But by the time I had them grays under control you was gone off into a swound, and bleeding so that I durstn’t do anything but drive home hell-for-leather.”