Part 13 (1/2)
”Recently I have found myself impatient, on edge, restless. It led me to ...” This was awkward to admit, even to an old friend. He drew a deep breath. ”To suspect my wife of being embroiled in an affair.”
”I see.”
”I wasn't entirely wrong. She was involved with something she wished to keep from me.” He cast his friend a hard look. ”This.”
”She wasn't at all pleased.” Max studied him closely. ”She still doesn't know, does she?”
”Good G.o.d, no.” He shook his head.
”Then I a.s.sume Miss DeRochette-”
”Doesn't know either, at least as far as I know. I don't know how she could. And if she did, she would certainly tell my wife.” Adrian shuddered and returned to his chair. ”And then there would be h.e.l.l to pay.”
”From them both, I suspect,” Max said mildly.
”I much prefer not even to think about it, thank you.” No, the very idea that Evie might learn the man who had given her a.s.signments and directed her activities with his often seductive words was the same man who had told her in a most romantic manner that their lives didn't begin until the moment they had met struck fear into his heart in a way no criminal or spy or villain ever had. ”And it is my intention to avoid that until the day I breathe my last. Or beyond. Now ...” His tone hardened. ”Where are we?”
”We?” Max chuckled. ”Welcome back.”
”Only for the moment,” Adrian warned.
”Agreed.” Max nodded. ”As I said, a file that includes your true ident.i.ty as well as the names of the previous two heads of this department was stolen.”
”From you.” Adrian bit back a grin.
”Yes, from me.” Max huffed and continued. ”It may or may not be significant, but a few months ago, one of your predecessors, whose name is in the file, died. As he was elderly, I thought little of it although he was said to have been in excellent health.”
Adrian nodded. ”You're speaking of Sir George.”
”I am.” He paused. ”I a.s.sume Evelyn does not know of her guardian's connection with the department.”
”That's my a.s.sumption, although I can't very well ask her.”
”You and your wife keep a lot of secrets from each other.”
”Not at all,” Adrian said. ”Not since our marriage anyway. We agreed from the start that our lives before we met didn't matter.”
”How very romantic of you. And extremely clever as well.”
”I thought so.”
”You know, one of the reasons I have not married is because I thought marriage called for complete and total honesty.”
”We have complete and total honesty.”
Max raised a skeptical brow.
”About the present,” Adrian said firmly. ”The past is another matter.”
”I didn't know you could categorize honesty that way. How very interesting,” Max said under his breath. ”As I was saying, Sir George's death might well be nothing but coincidence given his advanced years, although I find his death, followed by the theft of the file, at the very least curious despite the length of time between the two incidents.” He paused. ”I did have my secretary make some inquires but he found nothing untoward in Sir George's demise. Your immediate predecessor, Lord Lansbury, thinks it is nothing more than chance and of no significance.” Max's gaze met his. ”I am always suspicious of coincidence.”
Adrian nodded.
”Even though Sir George's death and the theft of the file are separated by some three months, I still feel it is something to keep in mind.” He studied Adrian for a moment as if choosing his words. ”My investigation before I involved your wife led me to believe Lord Dunwell had arranged the theft. As he is a most unimaginative man, it was reasonable to a.s.sume, if the file was in his possession, it would be in his library.”
”Which is why Evelyn insisted we go to the reception,” Adrian said slowly. ”And why I found her in the library.”
”You caught her?”
”Not exactly.” He blew a resigned breath. ”But her presence and the arrival of Lord Radington helped convince me as to my wife's infidelities.”
”Radington?” Max choked back a laugh. ”She has far better taste.”
”This is not amusing.”
”Not to you, perhaps.” Max sobered. ”You're not going to like this part.”
”Because I'm so fond of the rest?” Adrian narrowed his eyes. ”Go on.”
”My information about Dunwell was wrong.” He shrugged. ”But I learned that too late to stop Evelyn.”
”I see.” He wasn't at all happy to learn that Evie had risked discovery for nothing. Still, it was the nature of the game. ”Then you are back where you started.”
”Not entirely.” Max opened a drawer, pulled out a file, and tossed it onto the desk. ”This is the file in question.”
Adrian shook his head. ”I don't understand.”
”Neither do I.” He shrugged. ”This was delivered via Fenwick's this morning.”
Adrian shook his head. ”This makes no sense.”
”No, it doesn't.” Max stared at the file. ”Although if all someone wanted was the information, they have it now.”
”And might well think, with the file recovered, our investigation will be at an end.”
Max grinned. ”I like the way you say our.”
”Force of habit,” Adrian said absently, his mind racing. Once again, he got to his feet. ”You thought initially that the purpose of the theft might be to destroy the effectiveness of the department, and the newly formed government itself, by bringing it to public scrutiny.”
Max nodded.
He paced in his usual manner, noting in the back of his mind that his old office needed paint. That, too, hadn't changed. ”But without the doc.u.ments in the file, that is, without solid proof, the information is very nearly worthless.”
”Unless,” Max said slowly, ”the department itself is not the target.”
”Then what is?” Adrian paused. ”Or who?”
Max drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the desk. ”That's the question, isn't it?” He shook his head. ”Whatever the answer, it's bound to be complicated. And probably clever.”
”Undoubtedly.”