The Serpent Prince (Princes #3)(7)
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

He closed his eyes. He didn’t want this.

“I’m sorry,” he heard her say. “I won’t interrupt again.”

“No, that’s all right. I’m afraid my head hurts. No doubt from having it bashed in the other day.” Simon stopped babbling as something occurred to him. “When, exactly, was I found?”

“Two days ago.” She rose and gathered her book and pens. “I’ll leave you to rest. I can write the letter to your valet in the meantime and post it. Unless you would like to read it first?”

“No, I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Simon sank into the pillows, his ringless hand lax on the coverlet. He kept his voice casual. “Where are my clothes?”

She paused, halfway out, and shot him an enigmatic look over her shoulder. “You didn’t have any when I found you.” She closed the door quietly.

Simon blinked. Usually he didn’t lose his clothes until at least the second meeting with a lady.

“THE VICAR’S HERE TO SEE YOU, MISS.” Mrs. Brodie poked her head into the sitting room the next morning.

Lucy sat on the blue damask settee, darning one of Papa’s socks. She sighed and glanced at the ceiling, wondering if the viscount had heard her visitor below his window. She didn’t even know if he was awake yet; she hadn’t seen him this morning. Something about his amused gray eyes, so alert and alive, had flustered her yesterday. She was unaccustomed to being flustered, and the experience wasn’t pleasant. Hence her cowardly avoidance of the wounded man since leaving him to write his letter.

She laid aside her mending now. “Thank you, Mrs. Brodie.”

The housekeeper gave her a wink before hurrying back to the kitchen, and Lucy rose to greet Eustace. “Good morning.”

Eustace Penweeble, the vicar of Maiden Hill’s little church, nodded his head at her as he had every Tuesday, barring holidays and bad weather, for the past three years. He smiled shyly, running his big, square hands around the brim of the tricorne he was holding. “It’s a beautiful day. Would you care to come with me as I make my rounds?”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Good. Good,” he replied.

A lock of brown hair escaped from his queue and fell over his forehead, making him look like an immense little boy. He must have forgotten the powdered, bobbed wig of his station again. Just as well. Lucy privately thought he looked better without it. She smiled at him fondly, gathered her waiting wrap, and preceded Eustace out the door.

The day was indeed beautiful. The sun was so bright it nearly blinded her as she stood on the granite front step. The ancient orange brick of Craddock-Hayes House looked mellow, the light reflecting off the mullioned windows in front. Old oak trees lined the gravel drive. They’d already lost their leaves, but their crooked branches made interesting shapes against the crisp, blue sky. Eustace’s trap waited near the door, Hedge at the horse’s head.

“May I assist you in?” Eustace asked politely as if she might actually turn him down.

Lucy placed her hand in his.

Hedge rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Every blamed Tuesday. Why not a Thursday or Friday, for Jaysus’ sake?”

Eustace frowned.

“Thank you.” Lucy’s voice overrode the manservant’s, drawing Eustace’s eyes away from him. She made a production out of settling herself.

The vicar got in next to her and took the reins. Hedge retreated to the house, shaking his head.

“I thought we’d drive around to the church, if that meets with your approval.” Eustace chirruped to the horse. “The sexton has alerted me that there may be a leak in the roof over the vestry. You can give me your opinion.”

Lucy just refrained from murmuring an automatic how delightful. She smiled instead. They bowled out of the Craddock-Hayes drive and into the lane where she’d found the viscount. The road looked innocent enough in the light of day, the empty trees no longer menacing. They topped a rise. Dry stone walls rolled over the chalk hills in the distance.

Eustace cleared his throat. “You visited Mistress Hardy recently, I understand?”

“Yes.” Lucy turned to him politely. “I brought her some calf’s foot jelly.”

“And how did you find her? Has her ankle healed from the tumble she took?”

“She still had it up, but she was feisty enough to complain that the jelly was not as tasty as hers.”

“Ah, good. She must be getting better if she can complain.”

“That’s what I thought myself.”

Eustace smiled at her, coffee-brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “You’re a wonderful help to me, keeping track of the villagers.”

Lucy nodded and tilted her face into the wind. Eustace frequently made similar comments. In the past they’d been comforting, if dull. Today, though, she found his complacency slightly irritating.

But Eustace was still talking. “I wish some of the other ladies of the village would be so charitable.”

“Who do you mean?”

A wash of red stained his cheekbones. “Your friend Miss McCullough, for one. She spends most of her time gossiping, I think.”

Lucy raised her eyebrows. “Patricia does like a good gossip, but she’s really quite kind underneath.”

He looked skeptical. “I will accept your word on the matter.”

A herd of cows crowded the road, milling stupidly. Eustace slowed the trap and waited while the cowherd followed his charges off the thoroughfare and into a field.

He shook the reins to start the horse again and waved to the man as they passed. “I’ve heard you had an adventure the other day.”

Lucy was unsurprised. Probably the whole town had news of her find within minutes of Hedge summoning Doctor Fremont. “Indeed. We discovered the man right over there.” She pointed and felt a shudder run up her spine as she saw the spot where she’d found the viscount so close to death.

Eustace dutifully looked at the ditch. “You should be more careful in the future. The fellow might’ve been up to no good.”

“He was unconscious,” Lucy said mildly.

“Still. It’s best not to wander about by yourself.” He smiled at her. “Wouldn’t do to lose you.”

Did Eustace think her a complete wigeon? She tried not to let annoyance show. “I was with Mr. Hedge.”

“Of course. Of course. But Hedge is a small man and getting on in years.”

Lucy looked at him.

“Right. Just to keep in mind for the future.” He cleared his throat again. “Do you have any idea who the fellow you found is?”