Chapter 28 #2
The older woman gave a watery smile and bobbed her head, the first sign of her former joyfulness stretching across her face.
“I’ll make a list straight away, Your Grace. I caution you, when you visit the village, you will see that the people are suffering dearly.”
Perry shook his head, horrified at the new developments.
Beau frowned. “Thank you for the information, Mrs. Boots. Now, where might I find Mr. Jeffries?” Beau pressed, eyes wide and eager for more information. “I would like to question him, as well as all the remaining servants.”
Mrs. Boots clutched her hands in front of her, agitated and breathing rapidly.
“Well, you see, we have been unable to locate Mr. Jeffries,” the housekeeper stuttered.
“He was extremely agitated when news of your coming arrived. He mumbled a lot of nonsense about preventing your visit somehow. When we looked for him, it appeared he had been absent for a few days. A good amount of the money and silver left in our coffers is gone as well.”
“I have contacted the magistrate, and he will be sending some agents to search for him. Is there anyone who might have assisted him? A friend, perhaps?”
Casting her gaze to the side, Mrs. Boots considered, a faint blush tinging her cheeks. “It is only a rumor; I am not sure how much truth there is in it.”
“Please, tell us anything that could help locate Mr. Jeffries.” Perry pressed further. “There is a strong possibility he has committed another grave crime. I was shot on the journey to Bodmin.”
Mrs. Boots pressed a hand to her chest at the news.
“Yes, we were informed by a messenger from Fermoy. The news grieved me greatly, my lord.” The housekeeper pressed her lips together, seeming indecisive.
“There have been whispers of inappropriate behavior. Talk of Jeffries having a liaison with a maid. I would recommend you speak to Nancy. She works in the kitchen, my lord.” Wrapping her arms around herself with a shuddering sigh, Mrs. Boots watched the men for a reaction.
“Please have Nancy come to visit us here in the office immediately,” Beau commanded. The housekeeper stood up, bobbed a curtsy and hurried from the room, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.
“This is horrible,” Beau lamented, resting his head in his hands.
“It was impossible for you to know things were this bad,” Perry consoled. “When Father died, you did all you could to keep the estate running. You’ve been mired in responsibility for quite some time.”
“I feel like I’ve let down our people. I dread seeing the village.” Beau looked up, his gaze drifting to the window.
“Now that you are properly informed, you will make things right. You are nothing like Father,” Perry said.
His brother nodded and scrubbed a hand through his hair.
The door clicked, and a small mouse of a kitchen maid entered the room on silent feet. Her cheeks were red and she kept her eyes low as she curtsied to the duke. The poor young scullery maid trembled with fear. Her brown hair was neatly secured at the nape of her neck and topped with a mob cap.
“Welcome to Bodmin, Your Grace,” she said in a quivering voice.
“Thank you for coming so quickly. Nancy, is it?” the duke asked.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I’ve been informed that you may have some information of importance concerning our steward, Jeffries.”
The maid took a heavy breath. “How might I help you, Your Grace?”
“Do you know anything of his friendships? Perhaps someone he may have been close to that might know his whereabouts?” Beau asked. “Were you close to the man, Nancy?”
Perry remained silent, his eyes trained on the maid. He hoped she was being truthful.
She shook her head vehemently. “No, Your Grace. I held no fondness for our steward. I merely did everything he requested, and if I’m honest…”
“Please tell me anything that might help. You are safe here. We will keep this between us.”
“He was a terrible man, Your Grace. Once, he caught me unawares and attempted to grope me in a closet.” The maid sniffed, the retelling of the tale causing her distress.
She dabbed at her eyes with her apron. “I was so afraid. Thankfully, Mrs. Boots came upon us and distracted him so that I could get away. I knew if I got stuck with him another time, I might not be so lucky.”
Beau slammed his fist on the surface of the desk. “A villain and a lecher. My apologies for letting this go on so long, Nancy. Please rest assured, I will be doing all in my power to have this man punished. Is there anything else you might know?”
“Well, I believe one of the maids developed an affection for him. Another scullery maid, Mary. She lorded it over all of us, thinking their relationship gave her special privileges. He gave me some of her jobs to lessen her workload.” Nancy shook her head, twisting her hands in her apron.
“I told her to be careful. There could be consequences to her actions. I worried their relationship had gotten…physical.” Nancy blushed.
“She told me not to worry; it was the best thing she could do to not remain a scullery maid forever.”
Perry nodded, crossing his arms. “Mr. Jeffries was using his power to abuse servants. We would like to speak to Mary. Where might we find her?”
Nancy cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing red. “I haven’t seen her today. She didn’t show up for her chores for the past few days. I had to cover them.”
“I see. Is there a possibility she has disappeared with Mr. Jeffries?” Beau inquired.
The maid shrugged and cowered slightly.
Perry’s suspicions aligned with his brother’s.
He curled his fist in his lap. There was no telling if the woman would be safe with Mr. Jeffries.
He didn’t sound like a man who cared for anyone, let alone a scullery maid.
Huffing a breath, Perry made eye contact with his brother, then turned to the maid.
“Might you show us her quarters? Perhaps we could find something or importance to point us in the right direction?”
The maid nodded and waited.
“Would you please wait for us in the hallway?” Perry asked, needing a moment to discuss with his brother.
Leaning forward, Perry spoke to Beau in a tight whisper. “Would you like me to go alone, then you can resume questioning the servants?”
Beau seemed to consider. “I’d like to see the quarters myself, but in the interest of expedience, I believe that would be for the best. Report back what you find, and please, if you see Woodsten, tell him I need a drink. Badly.”
He hoped for his brother’s sake that Mr. Jeffries had kept the liquor cabinet stocked.
A missing steward exhibiting criminal behavior.
A maid who had disappeared around the same time.
Mr. Jeffries was turning out to be an ideal suspect for the shooting.
The man had everything to lose if Perry discovered the estate in shambles.
Injuring or killing Perry gave him the time he needed to plan his escape.
He wondered what he was going to find in Mary’s quarters.
Could the scullery maid be Jeffries’s accomplice? His gut tightened in apprehension. He was afraid to discover that something sinister was afoot.