“How—”
“Do not be silly. I hear everything. Now keep up. Edmund Vexley dined with you?”
“Yes.”
“He is charming, I grant you. He is also the heir presumptive, which makes me wonder your purpose for having him for dinner. Henry never associated with him before—at most a few words and a brief eye contact, which is what your husband calls a pleasantry.”
“They seemed quite amicable at dinner.”
“Hm.” Cranbrook studied her with narrowed gaze. “I believe Henry sees something promising in your marriage. Did anything happen of import?”
“No.” Violet swallowed, impressed and mortified by the lady’s conjecture and… resourcefulness.
“You are not telling me everything,” she said, pointing one finger at her. “But no matter. I will learn all of it in due course. I only pray that it will not affect our seating chart.”
Cranbrook picked up her fan and walked out of the morning room then past the butler and the front door without another word.
Chapter thirty
Wednesday
Violet
The morning was spent meeting with Mrs Greer regarding the ball. Consulting the guest list and menu dictated by the Duchess of Cranbrook, they reviewed suppliers and costs for Violet to present to the duke when he was less angry with her. After lunch, Kit knocked on the door of her small study as soon as the housekeeper took her leave.
“The seeds,” he began, “crushed to powder at four this morning. They were whole at midnight.”
Violet set her papers aside. “Did you see who went in?”
“No.”
“I will need to go there and check what she has done.”
“I would rather you didn’t. You already know she’s using poison.”
She was on her feet. “Come with me.”
“It is not worth risking being found or trapped.”
“I will not be alone. You will be there.”
“I will have to guard the door,” said Kit, falling in behind her. He continued, “From now on, nothing reaches your lips that I haven’t tasted first. Meals, beverages, all of it. That includes the ball.”
“I understand. Could we be giving the killer too much warning?”
“Perhaps but keeping you safe is my prerogative. It will force the killer to find another way, likely a more obvious method, which will be easier to detect. I will speak to the duke about hiring more protection for you.”
“I suppose you are right. I do not take exercise or even forage anymore. So guns, knives, carriage accidents are the only choice of weapons.”
“And smothering,” he added.
She slowed and regarded his calm face. “A woman? Would she be strong enough?”
“Yes, if she drugged you first or had an accomplice.”
Panic threatened to settle in, but she pushed it aside and hastened her pace. “That does not seem like the killer we know. Our murderess takes her time, stays hidden, does not use force.”
“True.” They entered the service stairs. “That was when she had time, when she was unidentified. Now she knows that she’s exposed and running out of time. She must’ve noticed the dead window boxes. A desperate killer may use desperate means.”