Page 127 of Affair

Charlotte raised her head from Ariel’s shoulder. She fixed Baxter with a brilliant, blinding smile that he could see quite clearly even without his broken eyeglasses.

“His style is one of the many things that I have always admired in him,” she said.

Twenty

Two days later Hamilton lounged against one of the long workbenches in the laboratory. He watched with interest as Baxter busied himself arranging and rearranging the chemicals and apparatus that littered every surface.

“How did you cause the curtains to go up in flames and how did you create the explosion in the fireplace?” Hamilton asked.

“I told you I had a box of my new instantaneous lights with me.” Baxter carefully polished a small Wedgwood crucible. “Charlotte distracted Judd long enough for me to break a couple of them in the folds of the curtains. I threw another one into the fire.”

“Very clever. So Morgan Judd murdered his man-of-affairs and Drusilla Heskett and assumed that would be the end of it,” Hamilton said.

“He had not counted on the fact that Mrs. Heskett had told someone that she feared one of her rejected suitors was trying to murder her.” Baxter concentrated on arranging two rows of green glass bottles containing alkaline and metallic salts. “Nor had he made allowances for the possibility that Aunt Rosalind would insist upon investigating the death of her friend. Morgan had a great disdain for the female sex. He always did tend to underestimate them.”

“And in the end he was done in by the ladies.” Hamilton grinned. “Served him right.”

“Indeed.”

“Why do you suppose Mrs. Heskett made the little drawing of Judd’s emblem?”

Baxter shrugged. “We can only speculate. Charlotte believes that it was Judd’s man-of-affairs who actually drew the design in Mrs. Heskett’s sketchbook. He may have been trying to explain the principles behind Judd’s mesmerism techniques.”

Hamilton nodded. “So he drew a picture to help with the task?”

“Perhaps. We’ll never know for certain.”

“You know, Baxter, it’s the oddest thing, but I realize now that I often promised myself I would look inside the wardrobe in our meeting chamber at The Green Table. I knew the magician had to have a secret entrance but somehow I never got around to investigating.”

“I suspect he made certain that none of the club members were inclined to look too closely into his affairs.”

Hamilton’s mouth thinned. “You mean he used his mesmerism tricks on us to convince us not to explore the chamber?”

“It seems likely.” Baxter set down a glass bottle.

He was weary of answering questions. He had retreated to his laboratory in order to devote himself to the task of setting it to rights. Tidying up this chamber was something he did whenever he wished to ponder a subject. He found it soothing to clean retorts, polish instruments, and inventory his collection of flasks and jars while he did his thinking.

Unfortunately, his plans for extended contemplation had gone awry when Hamilton had bounded into the house twenty minutes earlier, eager to discuss the events of the past several days.

“Hard to believe that Drusilla Heskett was having an affair with a man-of-affairs,” Hamilton said. “Baxter, do you think that most of the ladies of the ton are engaged in illicit liaisons with everyone from the footman to their husband’s best friend?”

“I expect the number of women involved in such affairs is no greater than the number of gentlemen who are engaged in similar liaisons with the children’s governess or their best friend’s wife.”

Hamilton winced. “Not a pleasant thought.” His expression grew abruptly serious. “I don’t think that I would like to find myself wed to a lady who took paramours.”

“That is definitely something we have in common.” Baxter examined a cracked flask. “I wonder if my glass-maker can mend this.”

“Miss Ariel would never betray her wedding vows,” Hamilton said softly. “She is a virtuous, extremely noble-minded lady.”

Baxter raised one brow. “If you’re thinking of making an offer of marriage in that direction, I had better give you a warning.”

Hamilton held up one hand. “No lectures, please. I am well aware that I will not come into my inheritance for a few more years. But I would like to remind you that there is nothing in Father’s will that says I cannot marry in the meantime.”

“Father’s will is not the problem. I don’t give a damn whether or not you choose to wed. As it happens, I believe Miss Ariel would make you an excellent countess.”

Hamilton brightened. “Do you?”

“Indeed. But I had better tell you that if you expect to offer for her, you must be prepared to have your reputation and personal affairs thoroughly investigated by Charlotte. I can promise you that she won’t allow her sister to marry a man who has the inclinations of a rake.”

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