“I can’t even recall who she is,” Oliver said. “It’s extraordinary that people you don’t know can have such a piercing impact on your life.”
“We still don’t know why she’s done it. I think the countess was the target all along. Maybe it was even her intention when she sought employment. Then again, for all I know, Mr. Hubert might be the source of the contention and Miss Marnier was in love with him.”
“You sound very convinced.”
“I am. I know she’s responsible, and I think it all came from her. There wasn’t fear of discovery I saw in her last night as much as defiance. I think she’s proud of what she’s done. But I base all this on what I see.” Clemmie’s eyes drew together. “She has caused much suffering. We could have lost you because of her.”
“But we did not, so get dressed and let's see if we can scrounge some hot chocolate and some biscuits. And then we’ll start pestering that constable about being on our way from here.”
“Yes, please,” Clemmie said, and then felt a little sad for Mr. Weber, who really didn’t deserve people wishing to leave his establishment with such fervor.
“I will smoke down in the lobby. Will you be alright?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” And she truly felt it. Gone was the uncertainty she’d felt being in a strange land and Oliver not being immediately available to help her. She was capable of dealing with anything—she knew that now.
She smiled as Oliver left and then rang for the maid before sitting down by the dressing table. It truly was sunny this morning and she felt quite content sitting there as she waited.
The maid arrived and let herself in. A twinge of unease washed through her but she dismissed it, refusing to cower at the idea that people could get into her room. She refused to come away from this being fearful. Granted, she couldn’t guarantee it at this point, but it wasn’t an instinct she wanted to succumb to.
“Has anything happened this morning?” Clemmie asked the girl in German, who looked at her with uncertainty before clearing her throat.
“The constable has spoken to the countess, and now he speaks to the women who she employs,” she girl replied quietly.
“Any news about Mr. Carter?”
“The doctor came to see him this morning. Mr. Weber said the doctor was encouraged.”
“That is good news indeed.” Clemmie nodded and waited patiently as the girl finished doing her hair.
After she was dressed, the maid slipped away and Clemmie finished getting herself ready for the day.
A strange couple nodded to her as she passed in the hallway and she greeted them back. As expected Oliver sat by the fire with his small pipe.
“No luck on the departure just yet,” he said as she sat down next to him. “But they say Mr. Carter is improving.”
“Yes, the maid told me,” Clemmie said. Again, Clemmie felt uneasy about not telling Oliver of her dreams. In a sense, they felt very private, and she wasn’t sure it was material to anything. In her mind, the legend of the lost Roman soldiers haunting this area was absolutely true. She suspected the dream she’d had about Mr. Hubert might also have been more than simply a dream, but what point was there in telling Oliver? On the other hand, she didn’t wish to keep secrets. Perhaps she would tell him, but maybe not just yet.
Miss Juno appeared, looking utterly lost. Her arms were tightly to her and she didn’t seem to know where she was going. Clemmie rose to join her.
“How are you, Miss Juno?” she asked.
“I…” she started and looked at her. Her eyes were glassy as if she’d been crying. “I’ve been dismissed. I don’t quite know what to do.”
“And Miss Marnier?”
“Well, of course. She’s being interviewed by that constable right now. He interviewed me too. Awful man. Constant accusations, and they didn’t even make sense.”
Clemmie certainly knew that feeling.
“The countess refuses to even see me. It isn’t fair. I did nothing. I had no part in this. What am I supposed to do? I have no money. I have some savings, of course, but I didn’t bring it with me.”
“I’m sure something can be arranged. The countess should offer to convey you back to your home.”
“I think she wants nothing to do with us. I…” her voice drifted off. “Do you really believe Miss Marnier could be responsible for this?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. In cahoots with Mr. Hubert.”
“I never liked Mr. Hubert,” she confessed. “There was always something… mean about him. But Miss Marnier—I can’t believe it.”
“I think you need to prepare to leave,” Clemmie said and Miss Juno looked at her. “If not with the countess, then through some other means. A coach perhaps.”
Absently, Miss Juno nodded, but she didn’t move.
“You should pack your things,” Clemmie offered.
“Yes, maybe you’re right.”
Footsteps drew their attention and they saw the constable, along with two men Clemmie didn’t recognize, come walking down the corridor with Miss Marnier. That look of defiance was definitely there. The constable’s face was harsh and grim.
“That whore of a woman deserved everything she got,” Miss Marnier called, drawing the attention of everyone. People all stopped their conversations. “She ruins lives. She ruined my family, so it was about time she feared for her own guilt.” Miss Marnier’s spine was utterly straight, her head held high. “I did nothing. Merely wrote some messages on walls. That is all I can be accused of, because it is all I did. And believe me, the countess is guilty. In her selfishness and greed, she cares nothing about the people she steps on. Everything I did is utterly justified.”
The constable drew her away by the arm, toward the main entrance, where a carriage stood waiting for her. They all watched as she was taken out and urged into the carriage.
It seems she wasn’t going to take responsibility for anything Mr. Hubert did, and she could easily blame him for having
