“You are imagining things, mother.The former Duke of St.Albans died in a fire,” she said gently.“Did you ever even meet him?”
She knew her mother had not.How and where would she have met a duke?
“No, it was the Duke of Clarence’s steward,” her mother said, her voice going higher with stress and fear as she spoke.“Remember that winter when I suddenly had money?It was because I sold my sleeping potions to the Duke of Clarence’s steward.He sought me out, and I did not care why.I did not ask.We needed the money.But a few weeks later, the dukes were dead.They were all dead.”
“In a fire,” Johanna said soothingly, repressing a little shudder.It did seem a terrible way to die, but that had nothing to do with her mother or sleeping potions.“It was a horrible, tragic accident, not murder.”
“I thought the potions must be for the duchess or perhaps for the steward himself, as he looked unwell, but he never came back for more.”Mother gripped Johanna’s hand tighter, pulling her forward.“He must have given the dukes the sleeping potions to ensure they slept through the fire.To ensure they died.”
First, she claimed she’d killed the dukes, now a murderous steward?
“It was an accident,” Johanna said firmly.She’d heard enough comments today about the former dukes to know that not one soul suspected any kind of foul play.The loss of so many dukes at once had been a shocking accident.If there was more to it and no culprit caught, the gossip would have been rampant.“You are imagining guilt where there is none, mother.Perhaps the potions did not work, and that is why he did not return for more.”
Of course her mother immediately looked affronted.
“My potions always work.”
They did, as far as Johanna knew, when her mother had been able to make them.That did not change the facts, though.And the fact was that her mother was making up an utterly fantastical story in her head and feeling guilt for no reason.Though the emotion behind it was real, it was also misplaced.
“I will let you rest,” she said gently.There was no point in arguing with her mother when she was like this.“We will speak more tomorrow.”
“You cannot marry him, Johanna.”
Holding back her arguments—because shehadto marry the Duke of St.Albans, no matter what her mother said—Johanna got to her feet and pressed a kiss to her mother’s forehead.Thankfully, it seemed as though her mother was running out of energy now that she had spoken to Johanna.Her eyelids drooped, even though she frowned.
“We will talk more tomorrow,” Johanna said.
Hopefully, a good night’s rest and a full belly would help her mother’s mental state.Otherwise, Johanna was going to have to find some way to hide that her mother was losing her mind from the duke and his grandmother, and neither of them seemed feeble-minded.
At least her mother had had the sense not to blurt out such things in front of the others.She’d waited for Johanna.
Going to the door, Johanna picked up the blanket and draped it over the arm of a chair that was nearby.She glanced at her mother, who was watching her through half-lidded eyes.The expression on her face said she was unsatisfied, but she did not speak up to stop Johanna from leaving.Her slumped shoulders spoke of her exhaustion.
Opening the door, Johanna jolted when she realized there were people on the other side of it.Rose and a young man with brown hair and brown eyes that were framed by spectacles.He was neatly dressed, obviously not aristocracy by the quality, but well-to-do.There was a large black bag in his hand.
As his gaze met Johanna’s, he smiled.
“My lady,” he said, with a short bow.“I am Dr.Syme.”
Johanna tried not to let her conflicting feelings show on her face—her worry that he and Rose had overheard some of her conversation with her mother, her dubiousness over the doctor’s youth, or her surprise that someone was in the hall at all.
“Lady Johanna,” she said faintly.“Um…”
“The others went to the library,” Rose told her.“I wanted to accompany Dr.Syme.”The warmth in her voice with which she said his name was all Johanna needed to know about how Rose felt toward the doctor.She approved of him, which assuaged most of Johanna’s worries.
Rose clearly intended to supervise Dr.Syme’s visit, but if she was already so warm toward him, Johanna could rest easily that it would not be a fight about how her mother was to be treated.
“Yes, and when we are done, I would like to keep speaking to you about the poultice.”Dr.Syme beamed at Rose with interest in his gaze—not the kind of interest a man might have for a beautiful woman, but the interest of knowledge.He might be young, but he was clearly energetic and excited about his craft.
The fact he was willing to speak to Rose about such things, and learn from her, spoke well of him.That Rose seemed pleased with him meant he was competent and clever.
“I am happy to.”Rose smiled back at him.“Come, I will introduce you to the countess.”
She gave Johanna a nod as they walked past.Rose would take care of Johanna’s mother, leaving her free to go find her siblings.Johanna let out a long breath as she held still for a moment in the hallway, trying to soothe her fraught emotions.
It did not sound like her mother was immediately blurting out a confession to murdering a duke to the doctor and Rose, so there was that at least.
The library.