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"Gussie?" I called toward the women in the corner with the first naether for a moment, then reluctantly unraveled, and Gussie stepped out, a pale brown irl from Jamaica, small under a turban of blue calico

"Madam?" She kept her eyes on mine, steadfastly away fro Doctor Fentiman downstairs I’ll have some of the men come toto take care of Betty This" I esture toward the mess on the floor, and she nodded, still shocked, but obviously relieved to have so to do

"Yes, Mada round the rooo--tell that girl naone with Betty You tell her, please?"

Startled, I looked, and realized that Phaedre was not a the slaves in the corner Of course; as Jocasta’s body servant, she would sleep downstairs, near her ht

"Yes," I said, uncertainly "Of course But--"

"This Betty that girl’sin her soft brown eyes "Soo tell her?"

"Please," I said, and stepped back, o She tiptoed past the body, then darted for the door, callused bare feet thue from his shock He pulled away froestures I saw that his le; bottles and instruments were strewn across the floor in a litter of lass

Before he could retrieve his kit, though, there was a brief commotion on the stair, and Duncan came into the room, Jamie on his heels I noticed with so clothes, though minus coat and waistcoat Had he been to bed at all? I wondered

He nodded to me, but his eyes went at once to Betty, now sprawled on the floor, bloody shift cruhs One breast spilled from the torn fabric, heavy and slack as a half-filled pouch of meal Duncan blinked several times Then he wiped the back of his hand across his mustache, and took a visible breath He bent to pluck a quilt froently over her

"Helpwhat he was about, Jaathered the dead woht, and turned his face toward the women in the corner

"Dinna fash yourselves," he said quietly "I shall see her taken care of" There was an unusual note of authority in his voice that made me realize that in spite of his natural modesty, he had accepted the fact that he was master here

The ive a deep sigh It felt as though the whole attic sighed with him; the atmosphere was still thick with stench and sorrow, but the shock of violent death was dissipating

"Leave it," I said to Fenti on the floor "The woument, I took him firmly by the elbow and marched hiht the sounds of rattling dishes froes I couldn’t take hih the public rooms in his current state, nor up to the bedroo a rooht still be abed For lack of a better idea, I took hi to snatch another of the s by the door and wrap it round his shoulders

So Betty was--or had been--Phaedre’s mother I hadn’t known Betty well, but I did know Phaedre, and felt grief for her tightenI could do for her just now, though; but perhaps I could help the doctor

Silent with shock, he followed me obediently as I led him down the side path by the lawns, shielded frorowth of ornamental yew bushes There was a stone bench by the river, half-hidden under a weepingI doubted anyone would be patronizing it at this hour of the oblets sat on the bench, stained red with beeswing, abandoned reht’s festivities I wondered briefly whether so a roht tryst Damn it, I still didn’t know for sure who the owner of those hands had been!

Pushing the nagging question aith the wineglasses, I sat down, gesturing to Doctor Fentiman to join me It was chilly, but the bench was in full sun at this hour, and the heat ar better for the fresh air; vestiges of color had come back into his cheeks, and his nose had resu a bit better, are you?"

He nodded, hunching the cloak around his narrow shoulders

"I am, I thank you, Mrs Fraser"

"Rather a shock, wasn’t it?" I asked, e my most sympathetic bedside manner

He closed his eyes, and shook his head briefly

"Shockedyes, very shocked," he muttered "I would never have" He trailed off, and I let him sit quiet for a moment He would need to talk about it, but best to let hiood of you to come so quickly," I said, after a bit "I see they called you frorown suddenly worse, then?"

"Yes I could have sworn she was on the ht, after I bled her" He rubbed his face with both hands, and e, eyes very bloodshot "The butler rousedof griping in the guts I bled her again, and then administered a clyster, but to no avail"

"A clyster?" I murmured Clysters were enemas; a favorite remedy of the time Some were fairly harmless; others were positively corrosive

"A tincture of nicotiana," he explained, "which I find answers capitally in most cases of dyspepsia"

I made a noncommittal noise in response Nicotiana was tobacco; I supposed a strong solution of that, administered rectally, would probably dispose promptly of a case of pinworestion Still, it wouldn’t make anyone bleed like that, either