Page 70 of A Treacherous Treasure

“I must go and see—”

“Take me with you.” This was her household, after all.

“Shall I carry you?”

“I can walk, if you let me lean on you.”

They each put an arm around the other and she limp-walked as fast as she could down the stairs.

Once again, a crowd of servants had gathered, this time outside the doorway of the little sick room off the kitchen.

“What is the matter?” Rebecca called out, and the servants parted to let them through.

“He’s dead.” A servant girl named Hattie was standing beside the constable, her hands clasped in front of her. “He was dead when I got here.”

“Where are the men who brought him down here?” Thomas asked.

“We’re here,” the two footmen said.

“What happened?”

“We half carried him down here and helped him onto the bed,” one of the footmen said.

“He was alive when we left him,” the other one said.

“He couldn’t have been alone more than five minutes,” Mrs. Atwater said.

“Did he bleed to death?” Rebecca asked, looking at Thomas.

They both moved toward the bed. Mr. Fogg was lying on his back, his eyes and mouth open, his hands palm out, as if trying to defend himself. Rebecca felt sick at the sight of his face, frozen in an expression of terror.

“The bleeding had stopped,” Mrs. Atwater said.

“I don’t think he bled to death.” Thomas’s tone was grim. He looked at one of the footmen. “Fetch Mr. Adler.”

The man hurried away. When he returned, he said, “Mr. Adler is not in his room.”

“Go check the stable and see if there are any horses missing,” Thomas said.

Hattie, the servant who had found him, was visibly shaking, her face pale. Rebecca gently squeezed Hattie’s arm. “I am sorry you had to see that, to be the first to find him, but all will be well. Try to sleep.”

“Thank you, mum. You’re very kind.” Her lips trembled as she spoke, and a tear slid down her cheek. She turned and fled the room.

Rebecca wished she could do the same, but she had to stay strong and figure out what to do.Thank you, God, for sending Thomas Westbrook to me tonight.

Chapter Twenty

Thomas yet again noted Rebecca Heywood’s admirable behavior. Instead of dissolving in hysterics or fainting dead away, as some women seemed prone to do, she behaved as he imagined his sister Caroline would.

“If anyone saw anything suspicious,” she said to the servants, “please let me or Mr. Westbrook know. But unless you have information, please, go back to bed. There is nothing any of you can do now. We will send for the authorities.”

The servants slowly started to disperse.

“Go get some sleep and try not to worry.”

She was so kind to everyone. He’d never heard her speak a sharp word to any of her servants.

When all the servants were leaving, the footman came hurrying back. “One of the horses is missing, Mr. Arthur’s favorite gelding.”