by Joyce Alec
“Viscount Bentham,” Stephen repeated, mulling over the name but having very little knowledge of it. “I confess I do not know him.”
A sudden sharp intake of breath had him lifting his head to see Miss Hawkins staring, wide-eyed, at Lord Haddington. There were a few moments of quiet, where tension rose, and Stephen felt his heart begin to race all the quicker until Miss Hawkins began to speak.
“Viscount Bentham,” she said, repeating the name as he himself had done. “I believe I was introduced to that particular gentleman most recently.”
His heart quickened all the more. “When, Miss Hawkins?” he asked urgently, feeling his hands tighten into fists. “When did you meet him?”
Her eyes met his. “Last evening,” she said softly. “I was introduced to him last evening, Lord Stephen. At Lord Atherton’s ball.”
6
Julia was just about to leave the house when the sound of her brother’s footsteps on the stairs behind her made her turn around.
“Julia?” A frown marred his brow as he looked at her. “Where are you going?”
Despite a sudden flurry of nerves, Julia smiled at her brother. “I am to call upon Lord Stephen Paxton,” she told him, seeing how his brows lifted. “He invited me to take tea with him.” She did not mention that it would not be at Lord Stephen’s home but rather at the house of his brother, Lord Atherton.
Lord Steele cleared his throat. “Lord Stephen Paxton?” he repeated, looking away from Julia for a moment. “Is he not brother to the Marquess of Atherton?”
Julia nodded, not at all surprised that her brother knew who Lord Atherton was. “Indeed,” she said, quite sure that her brother knew precisely what had occurred at Lord Atherton’s townhouse only two days ago. “Mrs. Law is to accompany me, of course.” She gestured toward the carriage where Mrs. Law already sat waiting for her. “Is there something wrong?” Her stomach twisted as a sudden flurry of nerves caught her, making her wonder why her normally inconsiderate brother was now apparently so interested in where she was going.
Lord Steele held up both hands in a defensive gesture. “No, there is nothing wrong!” he exclaimed, a small smile tugging up one corner of his mouth. “You need not look so worried, my dear sister. I know that I am not the most considerate of brothers but when it comes to your future, I do want you to find some semblance of happiness—and if it is with Lord Stephen Paxton, then I want to assure you that there would be not even a hint of concern from me.” One eyebrow arched. “Particularly if said gentleman is to become marquess soon.”
It was as though he had punched Julia straight in the stomach. She stared at him in horror as a cold hand clutched at her heart.
“I have not even the slightest consideration in that regard,” she said, horror-stricken. “You cannot think that I am interested in his company because of such a possibility.”
He shrugged, clearly unaffected by her shock. “It would be understandable,” he said, making her step back with revulsion. “And I would be very pleased if you managed to capture his attention before anyone else.” He waved one hand toward the carriage. “Now go, you do not want to be late.”
Julia hesitated, wanting to say more to her brother but slowly realizing that there was no good reason for her to try and explain herself further. Her brother was already convinced in his own mind that she was seeking out an acquaintance with Lord Stephen in the hope that he would soon become the Marquess of Atherton, when she had not given that even a moment’s thought. To tell her brother that she was interested only in Lord Stephen’s wellbeing might then call for her to explain matters further, which she did not want to do, for Julia was afraid it might provoke her brother’s wrath in a way that she had never seen before. Yes, he was quite contented to allow Mrs. Law to accompany her to wherever she was to go, and yes, he was certainly less engaged than perhaps a brother ought to be when it came to her affairs, but she had never once seen him angry. Most likely, if he discovered that she was attempting to help Lord Stephen solve the mystery of his brother’s attack, then he might very well decide to pull her from society and marry her to whomever he decided.
Perhaps it would be best, she decided, to allow him to believe that she was truly interested in Lord Stephen.
“Thank you,” she said, fixing a smile to her face as he watched her with a half-grin tugging at his lips. “I will be back later this evening.”
“For the ball,” her brother reminded her. “We are both to attend, I think.”
She threw him a withering look over her shoulder. “You will, most likely, be spending most of the time in the card room,” she answered, walking to the door. “Whereas I will spend my evening conversing, dancing, and thoroughly enjoying myself.”
Not waiting to hear if her brother had some sort of retort, she hurried to the carriage and climbed in, only just managing to catch what appeared to be Mrs. Law hiding something beneath her skirts. She threw her companion a dark look, knowing full well that it was a bottle of some sort.
“Mrs. Law,” she said firmly as the lady lifted her chin in defiance, “that will not make any sort of reappearance during my visit to Lord Stephen’s home. Do I make myself clear?”
Mrs. Law sniffed and turned her head away but did not say anything in response. Julia shook her head to herself, then reached up and rapped on the roof, her mind turning back to Lord Stephen as the carriage rolled away. She hoped that her brother would not get the wrong impression and decide to spread such news to his friends, as he was inclined to do when he drank a little too much. That might make things a trifle more difficult than they already were for Lord Stephen and that was not at all what was required. But neither did she want Mrs. Law to go to her brother and tell him that Julia had not visited Lord Stephen at home but rather had gone to an entirely different townhouse. Sighing to herself, Julia sat back in her seat and rested her head back gently. Yes, she had wanted a mystery to solve other than the less worrisome matters of who had written a poisonous letter or which gentleman had sent a lady a beautiful bouquet of flowers, but she certainly had never desired such a dark puzzle as this. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the prone figure of Lord Atherton lying on the ground, the knife standing upright with half the blade buried into his flesh. She shuddered involuntarily, hating the way her mind had caught every single detail. Squeezing her eyes more tightly closed, Julia tried to shake those images from her thoughts, only for something to suddenly burst into focus.
A man.
A man had been watching the scene unfold, but rather than stand in shock or look for what he might do to help as the footmen had lifted Lord Atherton from the floor, he had merely turned on his heel and hurried away. Not run away, not sought to find help, but rather had simply walked away. Out into the gardens, through the French doors from where perhaps Lord Atherton had come.
Her eyes flared wide as she sat up. There was no significant detail there, no real help for Lord Stephen, but at least it was something.
The only difficulty was, she could not quite recall the gentleman’s face. She remembered that he was tall, that he had broad shoulders and dark hair, but aside from that, there was nothing more than a blur. She had not been looking at him, she supposed, realizing that everything else she remembered was very clear indeed, but there was significance in the fact that he had left so abruptly.
There was no longer any time to think, for the carriage drew up to Lord Stephen’s townhouse and within moments, Julia found herself waiting outside the front door with Mrs. Law behind her. Lady Haddington and Lord Haddington were to join them later, if she remembered rightly, but they had a previous engagement that might keep them for a short time. Her heart was beating a little faster than before, but there was nothing for her to be anxious about, she reminded herself. Lord Stephen had asked her here in order to help look through Lord Atherton’s things, so that they might begin to come up with any suggestion as to who might have had some sort of grievance against him. Although, she considered, as the door opened, ther
e could be a good many names, given what Lord Stephen had said of his brother.
“Miss Hawkins.”
The butler looked down at her, tall and thin in appearance but with a small smile of greeting on his face. Despite herself, Julia shivered inwardly but lifted her chin and stepped inside.
“Lord Stephen is waiting for you in Lord Atherton’s study,” the butler said, gesturing for her to follow him. “If you would.”
Julia nodded and followed him, looking around the house and feeling another shiver run down her spine. This was the house over which the dark rumor hung, where someone had made sure that Lord Atherton had suffered a good deal of pain in an attempt to make the rumor come true. This was the place where an evil act had taken place, where a horrific attack had been thrust upon Lord Atherton and where Lord Stephen now remained, in an attempt to find out the truth.
“Have you been in Lord Atherton’s employ for long?” she asked tentatively as the butler turned toward the staircase. “I am sure you will be very concerned for him.”
The butler stopped suddenly, turned abruptly, and looked down at Julia with a somewhat incongruous expression. “The staff and I came with the house,” he said by way of explanation. “Our previous master decided that we should be part of the sale.” A small, tight smile pulled at his lips, but his eyes flickered with evident anger. “But of course, we are very concerned for Lord Atherton’s health.”
Julia frowned. “Then you knew Lord Bentham,” she said quietly. “Before he passed away, I presume.”
The butler did not move but seemed to stiffen as he held her gaze. “Yes,” he said, a little quieter. “Lord Bentham died most suddenly and his son then took ownership of the house. It remained empty for a good many years before it was sold to Lord Atherton.”
A little surprised that Lord Bentham had held onto the house for so long, Julia decided it would be best to keep the rest of her questions at bay for the time being. “I thank you,” she said as the butler leaned to push the door open. “I am sure your consideration for Lord Atherton is of great comfort to Lord Stephen Paxton.”
The butler did not answer but waited quietly until she had walked through the door. Mrs. Law, who had been a good few steps away, hurried in after her and sank down into a chair in the corner, her back toward Julia as she curtsied in Lord Stephen’s direction.
The gentleman appeared quite haggard, his expression not changing even a fraction as she rose from her curtsy. Part of her had hoped that he would smile, that he would, at the very least, appear to be glad to see her, but there was nothing but despair etched into the planes of his face.
“I have found nothing, Miss Hawkins,” he said with a tone of finality. “Nothing.” Sighing, he looked toward the butler, who was waiting expectantly. “And yes, you may bring up some refreshments now.”
Julia waited until the butler had left the room before she began to speak, looking at Lord Stephen with as much sympathy as she could muster.
“You have been looking for a long time?” she asked, looking around the study but seeing nothing out of place. “And you have found nothing?” She looked back at Lord Stephen, a little confused. “Not even a note or a letter of some sort?”
Lord Stephen hesitated, then shook his head. “I have been rather distracted this morning, I confess,” he said, sounding defeated. “My brother has not improved. The doctor says it is simply a matter of waiting to see whether or not he will recover or if he will fade away.” Closing his eyes, he dropped his head into his hands for a moment. “I have not been a particularly good brother, Miss Hawkins. I have been critical, harsh, and—”
“And justified, from what I understand,” she said, seeing how his grief had now turned into an overwhelming sense of baseless shame. “I can understand that this must be very difficult for you, but I am here to be of assistance.” She smiled at him reassuringly, seeing how his green eyes seemed to calm as they looked back into hers and feeling such a forceful connection between them that she had to catch her breath. How could something so powerful join them both so quickly? It was almost overwhelming.
Lord Stephen let out a long breath, loud enough for her to hear and heavy enough for her to practically see his guilt billowing out from him. He had not had anything to do with Lord Atherton’s stabbing, she was confident, for not only had he been standing with her when the attack must have taken place, he had been so certain that Lord Atherton had been playacting that there was no possibility in her mind that it had been a pretense on his part. She had been required to step into his place, so to speak, and order the staff and all of his guests about.
“I have been looking,” he said, a little breathlessly as though he feared she would not believe him, “but I will admit that I have not been as thorough as perhaps I ought to have been.” Finally, the corner of his mouth lifted into what was a rueful smile. “My mind has been elsewhere. My thoughts had swum over each other in an attempt to reach the forefront of my mind. I will need a calm and practical hand to lead the way, Miss Hawkins, if you are willing.”
She nodded, looking around the room with a sure gaze. “I am more than willing,” she answered firmly, not allowing herself to become distracted by the flickering interest her heart held for the gentleman standing before her. “Now, do you have his correspondence, Lord Stephen?”
Lord Stephen shook his head. “I have found some of it, but certainly not all,” he said with a wave of his hand. “My brother is not the most tidy or the most organized of gentlemen. His letters and notes are everywhere.”
Hiding a smile, Julia tipped her head. “Then let us find as much as we can and place it all together,” she suggested, to which Lord Stephen nodded fervently in evident agreement. “I will leave you to look through it all, of course, but I—”
“You have my permission to read as much of it as you wish, Miss Hawkins,” Lord Stephen interrupted with a firmness to his gaze that Julia had not seen before. “After all, I am already indebted to you for what you have done thus far in aiding me, therefore I will not hold anything back from you.” He smiled a little more and his eyes lightened. “You are quite remarkable, Miss Hawkins, I must say, and I am glad to have your assistance.”
“I thank you,” Julia murmured, feeling heat race up her spine as she looked up into his face, wondering whether or not what he had said of her was meant to be complimentary. “Now, shall we set to our task?”
“With relish,” he answered, before pulling open a drawer of his brother’s study desk and beginning to look through it.
One hour later, Julia was tired, hungry, and yet filled with hope. The notes and letters they had found had brought a good deal of fresh understanding to the gentleman Lord Atherton was. There were many letters complaining about his behavior, his lack of repaying of funds, or his foolishness in certain business matters—but none that seemed to threaten his life.
“I am ashamed to read of my brother’s exploits,” Lord Stephen murmured as he got up to ring the bell sharply. “But they are each of importance, I know.”
“Grave importance,” she reminded him, and Lord Stephen nodded his head. “But I have not found anything that might suggest someone is so very angry with him that they might wish to take his life.”
“Nor I,” Lord Stephen muttered, rubbing at his forehead. “Mayhap we should take a short rest, Miss Hawkins. Besides which…” He trailed off, looking a little embarrassed. “It is an hour since you have arrived. Might your father not worry where you have gone?”
Her head lifted sharply as Julia realized just how little she had shared of herself with Lord Stephen. “My father passed away some years ago,” she told him calmly. “My brother, however, Lord Steele, will not mind whether I am gone for the rest of the day or not, just so long as I return in time for the ball this evening.”
“The ball?”
She nodded, wondering quietly whether or not he had received an invitation and, given the circumstances, if he would attend. “We are to go to Lady Horsley’s ball this eveni
ng,” she told him. “My brother will, most likely, spend most of his evening in the card room rather than make any attempt to ingratiate himself with the young debutantes, whereas I shall spend the evening in the company of Lord and Lady Haddington and attempt to enjoy myself.”
“Lady Horsley,” Lord Stephen murmured, just as a sound at the door behind him caught his attention. Calling for his servant to come in, he gave Julia a quick look. “I think I am to attend this evening also,” he said as a footman inclined his head respectfully, waiting for his orders. “Or, I was to attend.” He shook his head ruefully. “I do not particularly feel inclined to do so.”
“But you may very well meet Lord Bentham there,” she said quickly, and his eyes flared with awareness. “You have not met him as yet, I think.”
“No,” Lord Stephen murmured, his eyes turning away from her for a moment. “I have not. You are correct there, Miss Hawkins. I may well meet this gentleman and whilst he may not have any specific answers and, indeed, might have nothing to do with what happened to my brother, he may be able to tell me a little more about this rumor.” With a quick glance toward his footman, he gestured toward her. “Bring tea and refreshments for Miss Hawkins.”
The footman cleared his throat. “I believe Lord and Lady Haddington and another young lady have only just arrived, my lord,” he said, inclining his head. “The butler has put them in the drawing room.”