Love On the Line by Bryant Anabelle

Author:Bryant, Anabelle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Published: 2023-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

Theodore arrived in Ipswich the next morning with every intention of visiting Timmons straightaway. The second day of travel had gone smoothly and he’d broken his fast at the only lodging house in town where he’d secured a room for himself, as well as his valet and driver. The lodging house was a large two-story building with at least a dozen rooms and a cozy sitting area in addition to the modest dining room where meals were served. The keeper of the establishment, an older man with only a small patch of gray hair left on his head, boasted to Theodore upon his arrival that the lodging house was the oldest building in all of Ipswich. Additionally, he shared how he’d worked most of his sixty years in the lodging business, the inn having been passed down through his family for generations.

Honored to have an earl taking a room, the vociferous innkeeper was eager to assure Theodore the accommodations included the most modern conveniences and that any special requests would be met with the utmost expediency. Because of the innkeeper’s lengthy descriptions, Theodore didn’t extricate himself from the conversation and travel by horse to Timmons’ mother’s home until almost eleven o’clock.

The address was easy to locate and when he knocked on the door of the quaint countryside cottage, Theodore was pleased when Timmons answered the door. Having written to the valet beforehand, Timmons knew of the reason behind Theodore’s visit and they fell into conversation quite readily.

“It was a pleasure and an honor to serve Lord Fremont,” Timmons began once they were seated in ladder-backed chairs near the fireplace. “He embraced life in every way. It saddens me to learn he met such a tragic end and I deeply regret not being able to pay my respects to Lady Margaret more formally. My mother is getting on in years and while her health has taken a turn for the better, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone for very long.”

“I’m certain Lady Margaret understands,” Theodore said. “I’m also at a loss for what happened to Fremont and hope by talking to you today I can learn something that will help in finding out what happened.”

“Yes, I’m happy to assist any way that I can.”

“Did Fremont’s mood change during the last few weeks you served him? Do you know of any meetings or confrontations that may have occurred?” Theodore asked.

“Lord Fremont was always the jolly sort. Even when things went wrong, he’d find a way to brighten the mood.” Timmons paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I recall the week before his death, he was distracted and unusually tense. I know that because he snapped at me a few times during morning dressing and he didn’t often do that.”

“Did he mention anything out of the ordinary or tell you why he was upset?”

“No, but I assumed he was angry over another argument with Viscount Sidmouth. Lord Fremont didn’t see eye to eye with the viscount and with Margaret excited about the

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