Page 41 of A Bride for the Beastly Duke
There is a lot to be done still, so quit your pining,she told herself sternly as she entered the dining room.
Edward was surprised about how much he missed Ava, even having seen her just that morning. He had arrived in London in the late afternoon and had gone straight to his meeting with Mr. Michaelson.
“Of course, we have not been expecting these men to be skulking around in a suspicious manner,” he had said, “but two of them do frequent the same clubs. I mean to dig further into their backgrounds, but I need you to sneak into the Home Office and obtain certain records for me. There is a gap in the public knowledge on what these two men were up to in the six-month space of time leading to your brother's death. This is not a definitive clue, but it is a question that we should try to answer.”
Edward nodded. “I suppose I can find a pretext for being there. They have not yet asked me back for a new assignment. I am thinking that if I press the home secretary for answers about my brother, I may well find another assignment dropped in my lap that will give me access to the records we require.”
Mr. Michaelson’s eyes gleamed with admiration, and he nodded slowly. “That is a very good plan.”
The only regret that Edward had was that, should his plan work, he would probably be drawn away from his home even more than he wanted to be.
Tis the price you pay for the truth.
Retiring to his room at White’s, he prepared for his meeting at Whitehall by writing letters of inquiry, seeking updates on the progress of Jonathan’s case. Once he was done writing, he brought the letters downstairs and placed them in the basket to ensure that they would be delivered first thing in the morning. Then he went into the dining hall to sup but also to see who else was in residence.
Looking around the room, he settled in a corner with the evening paper. Not much seemed to be going on, and with nothing pressing on his mind, it turned immediately to Ava. Leaving her asleep this morning had been the hardest thing he had ever needed to do in a long time. Curled as she was against him, innocent in sleep yet her body called to him like a drug, and all he had wanted to do was ravish her again. He was counting the minutes until he could be back in her presence, praying only that she didn’t change her mind due to his scurrilous departure.
I should have woken her before I left.
Regret settled on his shoulders like a shroud, and he found himself hunching over. Just as he was spiraling downward, a waiter appeared to take his order for dinner. “Just a beef steak will do, thank you,” he said bleakly, “and a bottle of Brandy please.”
“Will you have some potatoes with your beef steak?” the waiter asked.
“If you insist,” Edward said irritably.
The waiter nodded and scurried away, clearly cognizant of Edward’s bad mood. A figure appeared in his peripheral vision, and he looked up just as Sir Richard took his seat. He cocked an eyebrow. “Fancy meetingyouhere.”
“I heard you were in Town. I thought I might find you here.” Sir Richard settled comfortably into his seat, studying Edward closely. “You look well. Better than the last time I saw you at least.”
Edward snorted, “The last time you saw me, I had fresh burns.”
“Indeed,” Sir Richard nodded slowly, looking thoughtful, “not your best look, if I do say so.”
Edward laughed, “Yes, I would have to agree. I much prefer my face unburnt.”
“As do we all. Now, tell me what is this nasty business involving Lord Norbert of York? I was quite looking forward to retiring in the protectorate of East Africa when I heard he is taking my place!”
Edward shrugged. “My condolences. But what has that to do with me?”
“Well, the word on the Grapevine is that it had something to do with your brother’s rather gruesome death.”
Edward straightened up, “And who told you such a thing?”
Sir Richard shrugged, “As I said, it’s on dits.”
“Well, it’s not true, but do tell me exactly what you heard?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a peculiar connection to make, and I would like to know what the connection is.”
Sir Richard huffed. “Well, I came on shore for my leave, and I ran into Lord Henry Bratton, who is aware of my ambitions pertaining to the protectorate. He was quite happy to crow at me as to how I have lost it…” Sir Richard lowered his voice and leaned toward Edward, “…to a man like him.” He raised his voice to normal volume. “Because of the Marlow case which would apparently unleash evenmoreskeletons.”
The thing that Edward both liked and loathed about his friend, Sir Richard, was that he was a horrible gossip. If anyone was in the know about anything, it was him although his information was notalwaysreliable. In this case, he seemed to have quite a few accurate details.
Edward leaned in toward him. “Richard, I need you to tell me everything about how these two cases are connected,” he said urgently.
Sir Richard’s face lit up. He liked nothing better than a captive audience. “Well, it’s simple really: the French Connexion. Both your brother being killed and Lord Nobert acquiring this position are due to their dealings with the French. I am not aware of the details, but I could make inquiries on your behalf if you wish.”
