Lady Avely's Guide to Truth and Magic (Matronly Misadventures Book 1) by Rosalie Oaks

Author:Rosalie Oaks [Oaks, Rosalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Parkerville Press
Published: 2024-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

They all retired early. Lady Agatha stood abruptly and excused herself, claiming a headache. Lady Mary followed soon behind, and Judith was glad to depart as well, leaving the gentlemen behind. She needed time to think over what had happened. Lewis, her favourite suspect, had been the only one not present tonight, and besides, he had scornfully - and truthfully - denied casting any Illusions. Or could he be in cahoots with someone else, who was using the skull to distract everyone?

Perhaps the whole performance was a distraction from the real reason for Gilbert’s death. Lewis, at least, had some motivation to attack Gilbert, with his well-known enmity, and Lewis’s ignominious defeat. But it appeared there were other hostilities at play at Sargenet.

Judith walked slowly up the stairs, lost in thought, until she heard the duke at her heels.

“Wait, marchioness!”

She paused, her hand on the bannister.

When he gained her side, he spoke under his breath. “Who was it? Could you tell?”

“I couldn’t detect a lie. But something strange is going on.”

“Really?” He smiled down at her and took her arm. “I am astonished to hear it.”

She allowed him to escort her up the next flight. “I mean between Lord John and Mr Nottley. Is there some other animosity between them?”

Dacian shrugged. “Perhaps some scholarly disagreement? I don’t see what bearing it would have on the Illusions or Gilbert’s death.”

“No,” she agreed thoughtfully. “Unless the two are disconnected. Could Mr Nottley wish to unsettle or distract Lord John with the Illusions? For John does have a point, in that Mr Nottley’s presence has coincided with the ghost.”

“Mr Nottley is a Memor,” said the duke thoughtfully. “Illusion and Memory are adjacent Gifts. I have heard that there are rare occasions where an adjacent Gift can show itself in a small measure alongside the dominant one.”

“Yes,” agreed Judith. “And even without that possibility, he could empower a token of Illusion.”

“Then Lord John and Lady Mary could equally well have done it,” he said. “They are both Memors as well, if we are to talk of adjacent Gifts.”

“And all of them were there tonight, including Broughton.” She did not mention that Robert, too, had been present and able to cast Illusions. “But Mr Nottley had left Sargenet when Gilbert was attacked, so that rules him out.”

“Unless he returned that night, unbeknownst to anyone.”

They were now at her door and she turned to face him, withdrawing her arm. “But why? Why would anyone kill Gilbert?”

“The servants might know something. We can question them tomorrow.”

“We must talk to Lewis again, too.”

Dacian nodded reluctantly, and she bobbed her head. “Goodnight, your grace.”

“Dacian, please.”

“Goodnight, Dacian,” she managed. Their eyes met and a wave of energy passed between them.

“Shall I send up some of the cayenne chocolate?” he asked.

“Oh no,” she demurred. “That won’t be necessary. I am replete.”

However, as he took his leave, she was aware of a tingle of dissatisfaction, and an urge, even, to invite the duke into her bedchamber - to continue their discussion over a cup of spiced chocolate.

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