by Amelia Grey
“Yes, I’m familiar with how hard you try to obey them, my lord.”
“Oh, botheration, Isabella,” Auntie Pith said, clearly annoyed and clearly not understanding the tête-à-tête going on between the two. “Certainly she can take a stroll with you, Lord Colebrooke.”
Daniel bowed to her aunt and said, “Thank you.”
“I’ll just sit here on the bench and read from Isabella’s poetry book.” She reached and took the book from Isabella’s hand and replaced it with Isabella’s bonnet. “Put this back on, dearie. You don’t want the sun on your face. Now, you two go ahead and enjoy looking at the flowers. Take your time. It’s not late and we have no reason to rush.”
As they turned away from Auntie Pith and started their stroll, Daniel asked, “Did you enjoy the parties you attended last night?”
“Immensely, my lord,” Isabella said as she placed her bonnet on her head but didn’t bother to tie the ribbons. “I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed myself more. I danced until my feet hurt.”
“I noticed.”
“Really?” she asked, throwing a doubtful glance his way.
“Yes.”
“How could you? When I saw you, you were on the dance floor with the beautiful Lady Katherine, looking dreamily into her eyes.”
He looked over at her with raised eyebrows. “Dreamily? What kind of word is that?”
“The kind that puts sparkles in your eyes and sweet words upon your lips. The kind that charms and enchants every young lady you meet.”
Daniel laughed. “You exaggerate, Miss Winslowe.”
“Do I?” she questioned.
“Yes. Careful, Miss Winslowe, I think I detect a note of jealousy in your tone.”
Isabella huffed. “You most certainly do not, sir. I am merely making pointless conversation until we get far enough away that Auntie Pith can’t hear what we say to each other.”
“Ah, I should have known you would have a good reason for making such bold statements.”
London had been blessed with several days of sunshine, and Isabella was quite comfortable in her long-sleeved dress of bone-white lawn and matching lightweight pelisse. The spring had been so cold there were few flowers in bloom, but the shrubs and yew were full of new growth.
“I assume your dancing with Lady Katherine twice last night put a stop to anyone thinking we were about to announce our engagement.”
“I haven’t heard the latest tittle-tattle, but I would assume so, yes.”
“Good,” Isabella said, realizing she didn’t like his answer.
She turned back to look at her aunt and had no doubt that her aunt was pretending to read the poetry book as surely as Isabella had been pretending to read it before Daniel arrived.
“Do you think we are far enough away that she can’t hear us?” Isabella asked.
Daniel glanced back to Auntie Pith, and then nodded. “I think we’re safe.”
“Do you plan to ask Lady Katherine to marry you?”
He looked confused for a moment but finally said, “That’s not what I came here to talk about.”
“Did you kiss her the way you kissed me?”
Daniel coughed and cleared his throat. “Isabella, you can’t ask me anything like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not the proper thing to ask for one reason, and the other is that it simply isn’t any of your business what goes on between other people.”
“But I only wanted to know if you shared with her the same passionate—”
“Isabella,” he interrupted her. “I will not tell you anything about Lady Katherine or any other lady I happen to be with, just as I wouldn’t tell anyone about anything you and I shared.”
Isabella looked away from him for a moment before looking directly into his eyes again. “Yes. I suppose you are right. Keeping quiet about such intimate things is the proper thing to do.”
“Most definitely.”
“In that case, I suppose it wouldn’t be proper for me to tell you anything about how Sir William Smith kisses.”
Nineteen
The skin around Daniel’s eyes crinkled as his brows drew together in a deep frown. She was sure it was the first time she’d seen him angry. “You didn’t let him kiss you, did you?”
Isabella folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin as she spoke. “According to you, sir, we are not supposed to discuss things like that so I will remain quiet on the subject.”
“Yes,” he said tightly. “I think it’s best that you don’t tell me anything about it.”
“All right,” she said lightly. “Shall we proceed to the subject of poor Mr. Throckmorten?”
“Yes, that’s a much safer topic. I need to know if you have discovered who the handkerchief belongs to.”
“Why have you waited three days to come and ask me about it?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Oh, yes, I know. You’ve been very busy riding in the park with Miss Joanne Langley and taking Miss Alice Eldridge to Ganther’s for ices.”
“I have spent my time far more wisely than that, Isabella.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I made some discreet inquiries to find out which Bow Street runner to solicit because I wanted the best. I’ve met with him twice to make sure he knows exactly what I want from him. I made another visit to Throckmorten’s house and returned his journal without your help and without getting caught.”
Her eyes lit with surprise. “I’m impressed.”
“Frankly, so was I.”
“How did you do it?”
“I watched the house and waited until I was sure the butler had gone out. I slipped in the back door and put it back where I’d found it.”
Isabella smiled. “You are a man of many talents, Lord Colebrooke.”
“That is one talent I don’t want to use again.”
He glanced over at her. “I’ve also talked with Chilton and Bradford and feel quite comfortable neither of them had anything to do with Throckmorten’s death.”
“If you believe they are innocent, I’ll accept your instincts about them. I must say that you have been busy. You did all that and still you had time to escort Lady Katherine to the opera.”
The frown Daniel had worn since she’d mentioned Sir William Smith faded from his forehead, and his dark eyes and his face relaxed.
He smiled at her. “Isabella, if you keep this up, I will be convinced you are jealous of Lady Katherine.”
And all the other young ladies you dance with, smile at, and speak to!
That was the problem, she realized. As much as she hated to admit it, she was jealous. But she would never admit that to Daniel.
Instead she said, “Jealous? Don’t be absurd.”
Daniel locked his hands together behind his back as they continued their slow stroll of the perimeter of the garden. “Am I, Isabella?” he questioned.
“Completely,” she stated firmly, knowing there wasn’t a shred of truth in what she said. “I’m no more jealous of Lady Katherine than you are of Sir William. I’m merely trying to point out that Gretchen is still in jeopardy, and we must continue our search to find the killer.”
“I know. That’s why I had a long talk with my best friend and my cousin. But as I said, I’m convinced they had nothing to do with Throckmorten’s death.”
“If you are confident of that, then I will be too. Did Mr. Cummerford by chance tell you why he went to Mr. Throckmorten’s house?”
“Yes, but unfortunately I’m not at liberty to tell you Chilton’s personal story.”
“Of course, I understand. Can you tell me if the reason has anything to do with the lady he watches?”
Daniel looked over at her. “This lady you see him watching, is there anything unusual about her?”
“No. She’s lovely, friendly, and… married.”
“You are very astute, Isabella.”
“Thank you, my lord. I believe you’ve told me that before.”
&n
bsp; “I’ll have to warn Chilton that he needs to be more careful.”
“And what makes you believe there is no reason to suspect Mr. Turnbury?”
“I spoke with Bradford this afternoon, and I don’t think he killed the man, either.”
“Does he have a secret in his life, too?” she asked.
“I’m sure he has many, but I’m not privy to any of them. It was more that he acted so calm when we talked about the man and how he spoke about him. I think he considered Throckmorten a true friend and is sorry the man is dead.”
“Oh, dear, it appears our list of suspects is growing shorter.”
“Yes, but right now there’s another more pressing matter that concerns me.”
“And that is?”
“Lord Gleningwold came to my house and delivered something he found in his garden.”
“What?”
“A glove that belonged to Gretchen.”
Isabella stopped. “Oh, merciful heavens, how did she lose a glove in his garden? I don’t understand, Daniel. We would have noticed if she hadn’t been wearing one of her gloves that night.”
“I questioned her about it. She wasn’t wearing that glove. It was from an extra pair she had in her reticule. She said she keeps extras in case one gets soiled while she’s eating. She thinks she must have dropped it when she was looking for her handkerchief. Thankfully, she didn’t drop that, too.”
“Daniel, do you think Lord Gleningwold suspects Gretchen?”
“I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t. The paper knife found in Throckmorten’s chest had Lord Gleningwold’s crest on it. Whoever stabbed him took the knife from Gleningwold’s house.”
“This is not good news.”
“No. It was much better when everyone suspected a footpad had accosted him on the streets and done the evil deed. I’m hoping Lord Gleningwold is not putting two and two together and coming up with Gretchen. I told him she was in the garden with us and that we talked to Lord Stonehurst and his lady wife. He has to know that several of his guests walked through his gardens that night.”
“But how many of them left something behind.”
They started walking again. “I’m not aware of anyone other than Gretchen and the owner of the handkerchief you found. Speaking of which, what did you find out about the handkerchief?”
“If we don’t count the married ladies and the widows who attended Lord Gleningwold’s party, we have one young lady with the exact initials as the ones on the handkerchief.”
“And she is?”
“Amanda Leanne Wright.”
Daniel frowned. “Are you sure?”
“I had her write her complete name for me.”
“She’s so shy she won’t even hold her head up when she speaks to you.”
“I know. She is in my Reading Society, and I’ve been trying to get her to hold her head up and talk more. There are other ladies with the first initial of A and last of W that I can check on and find out if their middle initial is L, but all of them are either married or widowed. Before I do that, there’s something else we need to consider.”
“I know,” Daniel said. “Amanda’s brother was also at Lord Gleningwold’s party.”
“And he could have helped her remove the body from the garden.”
Daniel nodded as he raked his hand down his chin. “But what possible motive could she have had to stab him?” he whispered angrily.
“Maybe Mr. Throckmorten was secretly courting her as he had been Gretchen. Perhaps he had promised to offer for her and decided not to. There are many reasons a woman can be upset with a man.”
“But enough to kill him?”
“Oh, yes,” Isabella said with a sweet smile. “Perhaps she was jealous.”
Daniel looked at her with such a grim expression on his face that she had to laugh.
“Do you find this funny, Isabella?”
She tried to wipe the smile off her face. “No, of course not,” she admitted, before realizing he was holding back a smile, too. It pleased her that he had seen the humor in her comment even if he wouldn’t admit it.
“There is also the possibility that her brother killed Mr. Throckmorten. Perhaps Mr. Throckmorten was accosting Amanda and her brother stabbed him to save her.”
“With a knife he just happened to pick up in the house before he went out into the garden?”
“That does seem a bit too convenient, doesn’t it?” she admitted.
“He owed Throckmorten money, but compared to most men’s debts, it was a small sum.”
“Men have been killed over small sums before.”
“I don’t like even thinking about the possibility that Miss Wright or Tom might be mixed up in this in any way at all.”
“Because you wanted him to offer for Gretchen’s hand?”
“Because I consider him a good man. I merely hinted to him if he’d like to call on Gretchen I wouldn’t object. And he has called on her. I can’t say she’s smitten, but that might happen.”
“Yes, but I’ve also seen her watching Sir Harry Pepperfield.”
“Watching him? Really? I know they’ve danced, and he called on her yesterday.”
“What about Mr. Cummerford? She simply glows whenever he is around.”
“Mmm. She’s always adored Chilton. But she looks at him as another brother.”
“You think so?”
“I’m sure of it.”
The back door opened and Isabella watched Mrs. Dawson hand a letter to Auntie Pith, but Isabella didn’t let that distract her from what she and Daniel were discussing.
“I tried talking to Amanda yesterday when she was here for our Reading Society. I mentioned Mr. Throckmorten’s name, but she didn’t say anything. She just excused herself.”
“That’s very different from the way Bradford and Chilton acted. They were quite comfortable talking about the man.”
“What about the other men who are listed in Mr. Throckmorten’s journal who were at Lord Gleningwold’s party?”
“I’m letting the runner I hired check into the backgrounds of those men.”
“Mmm.”
“That sounds dangerous, Isabella.”
“What?” she asked.
“Mmm. Usually means that you are up to something I don’t want to be involved in.”
“No. No.” She shook her head. “No, but I was just thinking.”
“I knew it. If you were thinking, that means you want to do something you shouldn’t be doing.”
“Nonsense.”
“Isabella?”
She stopped as they neared her aunt. “Well, look how much we’ve already discovered by doing things we shouldn’t be doing.”
“And look at the risks we’ve taken to accomplish them.”
“And not once have we gotten caught.”
“Our luck is bound to run out.”
She looked into his eyes. She truly loved being with him, talking to him, arguing her point with him. Did that mean she loved him? And what could she do about it if she did?
Softly she said, “I’m not unhappy about anything we’ve done, are you?”
His eyes seemed to float across her face as if he were memorizing it. “No, I can’t say I am.”
“So, do you want to hear my idea?”
He took a deep breath. “I might as well,” he finally said.
“I think you should invite Mr. Wright, Amanda, and me over to your house for tea.”
“Isabella, I can’t invite you for tea. A bachelor asking a young lady for tea would be scandalous.”
“You must keep your voice down.” Isabella looked over at her aunt, who looked as if she might actually be reading the letter that she’d received.
“It’s dangerous, too. Do you realize I can hardly keep my hands off you as it is? If you were in my home, there’s no telling what I might do.”
Isabella knew Daniel was trying to frighten her, but his words had just the opposite effect. Her breathing increased rapidly, and she felt this want
ing anticipation low in her stomach.
“Do you want to kiss me, Daniel?”
“Hell, yes, Isabella.” Daniel looked away from her for a moment and then back again at her face. “You don’t have to ask. You know I do. I’m glad your aunt is sitting out here with us so for once I can behave like a proper gentleman.”
“But I love it when you are a rogue.” Isabella smiled as warmth spread down her chest to her stomach and curled low and hot in her abdomen. “I’m glad you want to kiss me.”
“I’m not. It’s difficult enough as it is to restrain myself without you continuing to remind me how much I want to take you in my arms and—”
He didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to. Isabella knew what he meant.
“We should go back to what we were discussing.”
“Yes. I was saying it will be perfectly fine for me to be at your house with Amanda and Mr. Wright there. I assume you have a housekeeper, and your manservant will be there as well. And of course, I’ll bring my maid. We’ll make it work, Daniel.”
“Maybe it would if I invite Gretchen and Aunt Mattie or if we had it at the house in Mayfair.”
“Well, you could invite your aunt and sister, but I feel if there are too many people there, Mr. Wright and Amanda won’t feel free to open up and talk to us about Mr. Throckmorten. I think it is best that we leave it as just the four of us.”
“Even if I agreed to this, what could we say to them? We can’t come right out and ask them if they had anything to do with killing the poor man.”
“Of course not.”
“But if we managed to gain their trust, one of them might open up to us. What we really want to do is eliminate them as suspects, as you have Mr. Cummerford and Mr. Turnbury.”
“Why do I find it so hard to say no to you?”
Isabella smiled at him.
“All right, I’ll be in touch later in the week.”
Isabella and her aunt walked into the house with Daniel, where he was handed his hat, cloak, and gloves before taking his leave.
As soon as the door closed behind Daniel, Auntie Pith turned to Isabella and said, “Come sit in the parlor with me, Isabella. Mrs. Dawson will be bringing us in a cup of tea.”
“All right, Auntie. A cup of tea sounds marvelous right now.” She was so happy she would be seeing Daniel again.