Page 34 of Beauty and the Rake (Endless Love #1)
People raised their heads and tried not to stare at the mistress of the house as she quickly walked past them and in the direction of the housekeeper’s office.
Unaware of why the countess would come to the kitchen could be anyone’s guess.
The housekeeper led Roxanne into her office and closed the door quietly.
“What may I help you with, milady?”
“I know you might find this silly, but have you seen my maid?”
“Have you looked to see if she’s packing?”
“Yes, that’s where I just came from. It doesn’t look like she’s even been in there.”
“That’s not like her. Let me do some digging. Perhaps she’s helping one of the other girls. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Thank you.”
“Not to worry, milady. Are you settling in properly? Let me know if I can do anything for you.”
Roxanne nodded. “I will, thank you. I best leave you to your day.”
“I’ll come see you once I’ve located that girl.”
“Very well. When I return from Kent, you and I will meet and go over the household accounts.”
“I’ll have them ready.”
She left the housekeeper’s office with an odd feeling and couldn’t determine what it was.
She would discreetly make inquiries once she arrived in the country and would see how long the maid had served Graham’s family.
Some of the domestic help had been with their families for generations. Perhaps that was the case here.
As she went through the kitchens, the cook approached her. “What would you like for lunch, milady?”
“Oh dear, is it that time already?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How about something simple like cheese, bread, and some sort of meat. Oh, and a pot of tea.”
“One pot of tea. And where would you like to eat?”
“The breakfast room unless the weather will permit eating on the terrace.”
Eating outside was always a preference, especially in the summer. It made up for all the time lost by the elements.
*
She hadn’t heard Graham come in. After not being able to locate her lady’s maid, Roxanne began laying out what she wanted to take to pack.
No one had seen the girl when she snuck off the premises with all her earthly belongings.
Consensus was that the maid had a secret lover and had run off with him. Foolish girl.
“Roxanne, what in bloody hell are you doing? You have a lady’s maid to do that.”
Turning to face him, she waggled her eyebrows. “You mean had a lady’s maid. Past tense. Seems mine must have a lover or something because she took all her belongings and left. Unannounced, not a word. It’s a good thing we aren’t leaving until Thursday.”
“I’m sure one of the other maids could help you.”
“I can take care of this on my own.”
He neared and placed his hand on her arm. “Come, take a break.”
“Very well. I’m curious as to how your day went. Did you find Mr. Crenshaw?”
“Come, let’s sit down and I’ll tell you all about my day.”
She followed him into the sitting room where he poured her a glass of wine.
He served himself a whiskey before settling into a well-worn leather chair.
Roxanne made a mental note to herself that the chair needed to go to one of the estates or even his study.
Like most men, her husband was oblivious to the furnishings around him and whether they were aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
“We found Crenshaw. The office we thought had been vacated is a small office he keeps to hold business transactions in when needed on the docks. His main offices are in Mayfair.”
“And the ships?”
“Interesting turn of events. He sold them out from under me and Arthur.”
She took a sip of wine and shook her head. “I see. Obviously, he’s not a good businessman. Untrustworthy comes to mind as well.”
“It’s going to make our work a little harder.”
“Perhaps you could ask him if he could recommend a superb ship builder. If he names one, ask him to accompany you for a meeting.”
He set his glass down and scrubbed his face with his hand. “That’s an excellent suggestion. Your brother and I are supposed to meet with someone who can keep tabs on Mr. Crenshaw.”
“That is money well spent. Did you find out to whom he sold the ships?”
“Another mystery we have to solve.”
“And you will. So far, the pair of you have easily found out things I would have thought were unattainable.”
“True. Sometimes I feel like we’re being conned.”
Standing, Roxanne sat back down next to her husband. “How’s that?”
“It’s like we’re always two steps behind Crenshaw.”
“It almost sounds like he has someone on the inside.”
He arched a brow. “You mean like a member of the staff might be his eyes and ears here?”
“Yes. Possibly someone in Arthur’s staff as well.”
“Bloody hell. I hadn’t even thought about that connection,” he exclaimed. “It’s perfect. Too perfect.”
“How can you flush them out?”
Graham picked up her hand and kissed the back. “Speak with the butler and housekeeper first. They may know or suspect someone, especially if they’re asking on a more personal note. Also, ask if anyone new has been hired. They would be more likely.”
“Maybe this will work.”
“All we can do is hope,” he replied, shifting his weight so he was even closer than before. With his hand, he ran the back along her cheek before leaning over and kissing her.
Before he could take things further, Roxanne pulled back. “Now’s a perfect time to speak with them.”
He looked at her blankly before he realized what she was talking about. “You’re right. Why don’t you find them and ask them to meet us in my study?”
“Me? Why me?”
“You are the lady of the house. This is a perfect way to assert yourself in your new position.”
“Very well.” She sighed. “I’m not sure how much they need to know.”
“I’ll figure that out as we go along.”
“This is the best chance we have had,” she said.
Deciding to meet in Graham’s study in fifteen minutes, Roxanne left her husband and headed to the kitchens. It should be busy at this time of day, and hopefully no one would pay much attention to both the butler and housekeeper slipping away.
The pair were in the butler’s office. This made things easier. She could just make the request once.
“The earl needs to see you both in his study. It should only take a few minutes,” she said. The request seemed to startle them at first. Probably because she was new in her position as countess.
“Do you know what it’s in reference to?” the butler asked.
She nodded. “I do, but you should really let the earl explain it. If I tell you, it’ll take too long.”
“Very well,” he said, glancing at the housekeeper. “Shall we?”
Graham was standing in front of the fire when Roxanne entered with their two guests. He motioned for them to sit while Roxanne went for a dark-blue upholstered chair.
He explained what he thought might be going on.
That he was fairly certain information from within the house was being passed on to someone outside the household.
It shocked both, so Graham pressed on and inquired if there was anyone new on staff, or someone who’d been on longer and might be dissatisfied with their position and might not think twice about selling information.
The housekeeper was quick to reply. “The countess’s lady’s maid has disappeared. Gone without a trace.”
“Anything suspicious about her?”
“No, not really. Very quiet, did a good job, but wasn’t one to volunteer to help out when needed.”
“Anything else?” Graham asked.
“No, milord, but if I remember anything else, I’ll get word to you.”
After they left, Roxanne turned to her husband. “They know nothing.”
“No, they don’t, but I can assure you they’ll be more observant. If anyone will get to the bottom of this, that pair will.”
“That’s good to know.”
Graham moved to a sideboard and poured two brandies. He turned back around and handed her a snifter. They remained silent as each took a sip of the French brandy.
“Are you ready for the quiet of the country?” he asked.
Swirling the liquid, Roxanne gazed fondly at her husband. “Yes, I am. I’m looking forward to the peace and tranquility. I’m looking forward to being able to work in a garden. And you?”
“I’m looking forward to riding the estate, maybe get some hunting done.”
“Hopefully it’ll help being out of the city to help you think more clearly about this Crenshaw matter.”
“Yes, I hope so. Being out of town will also give us some time alone. If you know what I mean.”
“I know perfectly good and well what you mean. Are you saying we can’t be alone here?”
“Not really. We can ride or take a gig and find all my old haunts where I used to go to be alone.”
“Sounds like you’ve got everything planned.”
“I’d like to think so. Oh, and did I tell you I purchased a new croquet set?”
“What’s wrong with the one you have?”
“It’s quite old and there are parts that have been lost throughout the years.”
“That’ll be a great way to entertain.”
He chuckled. “I was thinking more about you and I playing. Alone.”
“In that case, I really look forward to it.”
“Watch what you wish for, love.”
His warning did not deter her. Friendly competition was always beneficial, and Roxanne had one more game to add. Trap shooting. Something she excelled at.
“I would love to do some trap shooting if you still have your equipment,” she drawled.
“Of course I do. You are familiar with the sport?”
“Oh my, yes. I’m quite good at it. Or so I’ve been told.”
“I look forward to it.”
She arched a brow. “As do I. Competition is always good for one’s health.”
He finished off his brandy as he studied the clock. “I imagine dinner is ready or about so. Why don’t we continue this later?”
“Fine, I’m taking my photography equipment. I’d like to take some pictures of the estate and, of course, you and Mary.”
“Excellent.”
She graced him with a smile. “It’s something we can learn together.”
“I had not thought of that, but you’re right. I find the entire medium quite fascinating.”
Setting her glass down on a table, she stood and walked over to Graham. She kissed him on the cheek, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Shall we go to dinner?