Part 18 (2/2)
”The more I learn, the more confusing it gets. But I am convinced that Frederick was somehow connected. Within hours of arriving at Ridgeway, John received a note that lured him to his death. So the motive must be rooted in his previous trip home- which he cut short, fleeing the moment Frederick died. He did not even stay for the funeral.”
”I know little of Frederick, but I can ask Amelia about him,” said Harry with a shrug. ”Or would that bother Mary?”
”She knows I am investigating his death. She has questions about him, too, but she cannot find answers-just as I have trouble learning the truth about John.”
”Then I will talk to Caro.”
”And I will speak with Amelia. Frederick was a degenerate, which explains why Mary is so unhappy about my betrothal.”
”She still is?” He had hoped he'd a.s.suaged some of her fears.
”Justin and Amelia had already accepted my suit, so Mary had no choice, but she distrusts my reputation.”
”I take it she has no qualms about you, though?” said James, glancing at Edwin.
”None that I noticed.”
James ignored the ensuing discussion of wedding plans. Had he convinced them to leave Mary alone? If she felt pressured, she would run. Or she would dig in her heels so hard that he would never convince her to give him a chance. She was not a woman who changed her mind easily.
d.a.m.n Harry's eyes. And Edwin's. It was bad enough that he had rushed his fences with Mary, but he had not realized that his friends could also deduce his intentions. His control must be slipping.
Frustration, of course-beyond the slow progress in finding the killer. And it could only get worse. He had promised not to touch her, eliminating those small contacts that built intimacy-the hand on her back, helping her in and out of carriages, sitting close enough to brush her leg, dancing...
Dancing? He swore. He should never have kissed her. Now they were both in trouble.
Sir Richard was hosting an evening of informal dancing. Should he go or stay home? Perhaps watching him dance with others would soften Mary's heart.
But that would not work. Mary was a baroness. Avoiding one of the highest-ranking ladies in the room would cast new aspersions on her head. Yet skipping the gathering would insult Sir Richard and add to the suspicions everyone had of him.
d.a.m.n! No matter what he did, someone would suffer.
Kissing her had been a mistake. He had not understood how deeply her fears ran. And revealing his intentions had driven the wedge in farther, creating a host of new complications.
Perhaps he should just explain the problem and let her decide. A simple country dance involved minimal contact, but would satisfy the social niceties. If even a country dance was too much for her, then he would stay home. At least that would not reflect on Mary.
The watcher clenched his fists as Ridgeway exchanged pleasantries with Miss Hardaway. James was sneakier than his brother had been, cloaking his evil in kindness and using generosity to deflect attention from his black heart. When he showed his true face, the pain would be even harsher for being unexpected.
But what could one expect of a French agent? They were trained in trickery, expert at manipulation, and regularly used false charm to wheedle information from unsuspecting innocents.
James surpa.s.sed his brother's evil, adding treason to the cruelty, brutality, and debauchery that the twins had practiced for so long.
Hatred gleamed in his dark eyes. The most credulous were already falling under the earl's spell. Some even swore that James had been absent that day.
He knew better. But even if the tales were true, it made no difference. James would have been there, given the opportunity. And who was to determine which twin had lied? No, both were evil. Both deserved death. The wicked must pay for their sins.
a.s.suming a casual demeanor, he headed for the l.u.s.ty Maiden.
”Yes, indeed,” Miss Hardaway agreed as James seated her in the confectioner's shop. ”Robby is a good boy, despite working for your brother, begging your pardon.”
”I am sure he is,” he said soothingly. ”But you can hardly fault me for checking on John's employees. His judgment was unsound, and I must have a loyal, hardworking staff.”
”You need have no fears about Robby. I employ his brother, and I have known the family since childhood. Excellent servants. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes both work at the inn. Each of the children, down to the youngest girl, who just hired on as a kitchen maid at Northfield, is a good worker, honest, and respectful of his betters.”
”So when Robby claims that a summons drew John to his death, I should believe him?”
”Absolutely.”
”Even though no note was ever found?”
”That boy never told a falsehood in his life. I remember when he was eight. Bobby Barnes and four others swore the ghost of Jeremiah Perkins rose from the churchyard and chased them clear to the inn. But Robby denied it. He had seen nothing and refused to claim otherwise just to cover his friends' fear.”
”So John received a note. Do you have any idea who it was from?”
Miss Hardaway waited until cakes and tea were served and they were again alone. ”None.”
”When was it delivered?”
”Robby doesn't know. Ridgeway found it at half past noon, but no one had been in the library-or no one admitted to it.”
”I understand you suspect that the note concerned something illegal.”
”Ridgeway would have demanded that anyone legitimate attend him.”
He nodded. ”Perhaps, but he might have gone out to inspect a problem.”
She snorted. ”Don't you know your brother better than that? If a problem had arisen, he would have sent Walden. He didn't bother with estate matters.”
”True.” Leaving the house implied a need for secrecy beyond what even a terrified staff provided. ”So the subject was illegitimate, but the gentleman was someone he trusted.”
”Perhaps. Robby claims John was unhappy about the summons-furious would describe it better. So it wasn't a meeting he had expected.”
”I wonder which of his crimes finally caught up with him,” James said lightly, hoping his implied condemnation would encourage her to talk about John's misdeeds.
”It could be anything,” she replied primly.
”Such as?”
”Some believe he debauched Sir Tristan's daughter last year.”
”That would have been during his previous visit?”
<script>