Page 62 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“We were watching the doors and we saw a familiar figure. Dr. Lewis. We have him waiting outside. He claims he is here to see a patient, but we also found his mother nearby.”
Matthew’s heart sank. He had been certain of Lewis’ innocence, intent that he would have nothing to do with the duke’s demise, for his own sake as well as Juliana’s. She had been so pleased to meet her half-brother that he dreaded the thought of having to tell her that he might not be as innocent as he had seemed.
“Very well. I’ll go speak with him to determine if it is as he says.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Matthew turned to find the duke standing there, his face hardened.
“Your Grace,” he said, “did you hear what Mr. Green discovered?”
“I heard enough. Lewis is behind this, then?”
“We do not know that. We only know that he is here tonight. He is waiting outside.”
“Let us go, then.”
“Owen, will you stay inside and watch Lady Juliana?”
Owen nodded as Matthew and the duke walked through the ballroom – apparently, he was allowed if a duke made it so – to the front of the building.
“Where is he?”
“Owen said by one of the doors. I would assume a back door. Your Grace, we do not know—”
“But we will soon.”
They rounded the corner and there was Lewis standing, bag in hand, by the back door. His mother stood beside him, arms crossed over her chest.
“Archibald. Your Grace.” Lewis greeted them, his tone as calm as ever, although there was a hint of unease within it.
“This is it, then?” The duke said, his anger already growing. “Your apparent need to know your siblings was only to get close to us? To try to come after us from the inside?”
“Pardon me?” Lewis said, his spine straightening as he rose to his full height, which was near to the same as the duke’s.
“That’s why you’re here, to come after one of us again? Was your mother acting lookout?”
“I am here as his assistant,” his mother said, her eyes bright.
“His assistant?” The duke scoffed. “Now I have heard it all.”
“As it happens, my mother does assist me in my work,” Lewis said, his tone even, but there was an edge to it now. “I was called here this evening.”
“Did a young lady hurt her feet from dancing too much?” the duke asked, obviously convinced now that Lewis was behind all of this.
“I will not share the condition of a patient with you, but I do request that you allow me to enter the conservatory to offer my help.”
“To go in after my family? No. You can enter once we leave.”
Matthew looked from one of them to the other, knowing that the duke was trying to do what he thought was right to protect those he loved, but Matthew’s instincts told him that the duke’s judgement was clouded in this regard.
“Your Grace,” he murmured. “Perhaps I could accompany Dr. Lewis inside. We would not want anyone requiring his help to suffer unnecessarily.”
The duke tapped his foot in uncertainty, finally piercing Matthew with his stare.
“Fine. But if anything happens, it is on you. I am going to take my family home.”
