Page 11 of A Spinster for the Rakish Duke
“Good day to you, My Lord, My Lady,” the shop man said with a smile, “My name is Mr. Nott. What can I get for you this fine day?”
Donovan cursed inwardly. It was going to be harder to obfuscate his title then he previously thought. Before he could say anything, Emma stepped in to correct. “Thank you for your offer of help, sir, but you are mistaken. We are not of titled land. I am Miss Bradford, and this is an investigator in my employ, Mr. Connor.”
Mr. Nott gave Donovan a curious look. “Strange, as a point of business I make sure to know my faces. Thought I recognized you,” he said.
“My brother and I both share a resemblance; perhaps that is what you saw,” Donovan said dismissively.
The curious look on Mr. Nott’s face returned to one of polite cheerfulness. “Well then, all the same, here you are treated as a Lord and Lady would be,” he said with a laugh.
“That is appreciated very much,” Emma assured the shopkeeper, “but we are here in regard to other matters.” She glanced over to Donovan, encouraging him to take the reins of the conversation.
“Yes, you said your name was Mr. Nott?” Donovan asked, flipping through the notes he and Emma had put together. “Am I mistaken to assume that you are Mr. Andrew Nott, owner of Nott’s Fine Wear?”
“That’s me, proudly the one and only,” Mr. Nott confirmed.
“And you had contracted the services of a solicitor, a Mr. Benjamin Bradford?” Donovan followed up.
“Yes, I did. And I am sorry to say that I’ll tell you what I told Mr. Bradford’s apprentice. I didn’t see him two days ago,” Mr. Nott said confidently.
“Thank you for reiterating that. Could I ask you a few more questions?” Donovan continued without looking up from his notes.
“I don’t see why not,” Mr. Nott shrugged.
“What was the nature of your business?” Donovan inquired.
“Relatively small matter. I have to deal with a lot of fur traders. Normally, I don't draw up contracts; I like to keep my business simple. But with the traders spending half of their time in the colonies, I thought it wiser to get their promises to me legally established. So, I hired Mr. Bradford to draw up that contract, which he did, and I have kept him on my retainer for consultation on matters of similarly legal nature.” Mr. Nott’s explanation was simple and straightforward.
“And do you believe that anyone would want to harm Mr. Bradford as a result of his dealings with you? One of your competitors or the like?”
Mr. Nott seemed to think it over for a moment before shaking his head. “The fur traders were happy with the deal they received, and even my most contemptuous competitors would gain nothing from attacking my solicitor.”
Donovan seemed to think for a moment before nodding and tucking his small bit of charcoal and notebook into the breast pocket of his jacket. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Nott. That will be all for now. If I have any other questions, I will come back.” He turned to Emma. “Shall we move on with our list?”
Emma nodded and followed him closely back onto the busy street.
“It wasn’t him, was it?” Emma asked.
“I don’t believe so. Everything he said added up,” Donovan remarked.
“What if he was lying?” Emma asked, this framed as a question but not an accusation.
“Did it seem like he was?” Donovan’s words were framed much the same way. They were feeling one another out, getting to know what the other saw.
“No…” she said, her voice fairly confident. “Suppose he doesn’t have much to gain all things considered.”
“No, not really.” He shook his head again. “Though, an investigation isn’t just finding clues and making accusations. It's about eliminating possibilities until only one solution remains.”
Emma nodded, taking the information in.
“So,” Donovan continued, “we make our way to the next stop on our list.”
“Okay, wait, I am bit muddled. What are you here for again?” The elderly man who sat across from them asked with a confused look on his face.
“You have enlisted the services of a Mr. Bradford.” Donovan said with a frustrated sigh, “and his family, in particular his sister Miss Bradford here,” Donovan added while gesturing to Emma who sat next to him, “have been unable to locate him. I waswondering if you perhaps have any insight into where he could have gone.”
“I understand that. I just don’t know why anyone would kidnap a blueberry salesman. I know they aren’t exactly easy to come by, but it’s just a fruit.” The old man shook his head sadly. “What has the world come to?”
Donovan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Emma’s face seemed to struggle on deciding between a giggle and frown, so it settled in an awkward expression in between.
