To The Traitor in My Bed - Chapter 11 - An Unwelcome Guest

Chapter 6. An Unwelcome Guest

Deirdre’s encounter with the suspicious guest who came to the townhouse was purely accidental.

It happened the week after Fars nearly threw her off. That day, her husband had returned after being away for three days with an injured arm.

<Frederick! How did that happen to your arm?>

The surprised wife was met with a sheepish smile from him.

She snapped at him, frustrated with his casual attitude despite his injury.

However, later that night when she lay down to sleep, she realized she had been too harsh and decided to apologize to him.

Frederick was not in his room. He wasn’t in the game room, where he often spent his time, or in Sir Mark Hartley’s study. Wondering where he might be, Deirdre made her way to the library. A dim light was spilling out from under the door.

Frederick had a habit of keeping his rooms brightly lit, which made her curious about the dimness. Just as she was about to open the door, she overheard a strange voice coming from inside.

It was a man’s voice, mixed with a foreign accent she couldn’t place—Froiden or Luska.

‘An urgent guest must have arrived.’

It was hard to think that was the case, though, because it sounded as if two men inside were arguing. The words were too quiet to make out, but the tone was aggressive, fast, and hostile.

She had never heard her husband speak like that. He hated arguments and never voiced a contrary opinion. When someone tried to provoke him, he would smile and avoid it.

Deirdre could have knocked on the door, but she didn’t.

‘The White Rose Brigade.’

Strangely, as soon as she heard that foreign accent, the name popped into her mind.

Her body froze, and she couldn’t move.

She didn’t have the courage to eavesdrop on their conversation through the door. Luckily, the argument soon ceased. At least, it didn’t seem like an intense fight was about to break out. If it had, Frederick wouldn’t have been able to defend himself.

Realizing her husband was not in danger, Deirdre instinctively felt relief, but it was short-lived.

As she hurried down the hallway, she couldn’t shake the thoughts of that guest and their connection with her husband. She began to feel uneasy, as though her husband might be a completely different person than she had known. She found herself wanting to distance herself from him for a while.

‘That’s why I came to Rochepolie…’

Deirdre stared blankly at the item in her hand, lost in her thoughts.

The miniature portrait was undoubtedly of Lady Rosina Campbell, the daughter of Marquis Landyke. It would be strange to think it resembled someone else.

The problem was why something that clearly belonged to Rosina’s lover or family was lying in the drain at Count Rochepolie’s residence. Moreover, there was still a faint trace of moisture in the drain. After weeks of construction, if the water had been cut off, it should have dried up by now.

‘Who had been here?’

Deirdre was faced with an uncomfortable conclusion. Though she didn’t know the reasons or methods, there seemed to be no other explanation.

‘They must have dropped it when they bent over the sink.’

She fiddled with the broken chain, lost in thought.

If it wasn’t deliberately dropped, the owner of the locket would certainly come to retrieve it, and likely very soon. By now, the Countess’s arrival had probably been widely noticed.

She called for Bertha.

“Tell Rex to wait by the back door. He should stay out of sight.”

“Yes, Madam.”

When Deirdre dressed and stepped outside, Rex was already waiting for her.

Like Bertha, Rex was a man of few words. He turned his back to her as she gave her orders to him.

“Follow me quietly at a distance from now on. About ten yards will do. Until I tell you, don’t come any closer, no matter what.”

Rex nodded.

The night in Rochepolie was long and deep. In the dim light, her eyes gleamed white as they reflected the glow of the lantern. Occasionally, a snow deer peeked from the side of the road, staring at the Countess with dark, black eyes.

Deirdre regretted not bringing her cane as she pushed through the snow, her feet sinking deeper with each step. Rex quietly followed her, just as she had instructed.

The annex was submerged in the deep blue darkness.

Deirdre extinguished the lantern. She hid in the shadow of a fir tree in the front yard, eyes wide as she observed the annex.

How long had she been waiting?

Despite being bundled up, it was so cold she felt she might freeze to the tree. She wondered if even Rex, as loyal as he was, might suggest they turn back. Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard the faint sound of a door opening.

It was coming from the back of the annex, not the front, from the terrace.

Deirdre’s feet moved immediately. The snow muffled her steps as she quickly moved around the building. Her eyes, adjusted to the dark, recognized the large silhouette of a man. The man was nearly as large as Rex.

It seemed he hadn’t noticed her presence. He muttered something under his breath that sounded like a curse.