Page 47 of A Little Bit Dangerous
“Good. Lord Oldman is home and has agreed to speak to us.” Daventry gestured to the elegant townhouse. “We’re here to find flaws in his story, to hunt for clues, not accuse the man of killing his mistress.”
“So, you want him to think we’re seeking his help to find the villain?” Isabella seemed keen to confirm.
“Yes. We cannot accuse a peer of a crime without solid evidence.”
“We’ll play enthusiasts of Egyptian history,” she said.
“We must be clever about uncovering information.”
Lord Oldman was in his library on the first floor, flicking through the pages of a leather-bound book with his meaty paws. With broad shoulders and a thick neck, he was built for a life in the rookeries, though his pompous tone marked him as a man of Mayfair.
“Ah, Daventry. I’d offer you a seat, but as you can see, I’m busy cataloguing my library.” He motioned to the books stacked on the desk and chairs. “If I move them, it will just confuse matters.”
“It’s just a brief visit,” Daventry said in his usual calm manner. “We won’t keep you from your work for too long. The Home Secretary has asked us to investigate a serious matter. Consequently, we need your opinion on Woodrow and Clarke from the Society of Antiquaries. We’re aware you’ve had some dealings with them recently.”
“What sort of matter?” Lord Oldman placed a piece of paper inside the book he was holding and put it with the others on the desk.
“Deception and murder.”
The peer almost sent the pile of books crashing to the floor. “Murder? Good grief. And you think Woodrow and Clarke are involved?”
“That’s what we’re attempting to establish. Hence our visit today.”
Taking a moment to recover from his visible shock, Lord Oldman said, “I funded their last Egyptian expedition, though I’ll not be quick to do so again.”
Isabella cleared her throat. “Mr Woodrow claims he was misinformed and there were no real treasures to be found in Amarna.”
Lord Oldman’s narrowed gaze slid over Isabella’s figure. “Another of your waifs and strays, Daventry? Have you not learnt your lesson? Why invest time training female agents? All of them seem to marry within a month.”
“Miss Lawton is Sir Geoffrey’s daughter. She has extensive knowledge of Egyptian artefacts and is working as my advisor, not my agent.”
The fool blinked in surprise, though the slight hitch in his breath said he feared Sir Geoffrey. “Ah, yes. I see the likeness. Thankfully, your mother’s exotic beauty shines through, my dear. So, you inherited your father’s love of Egypt.”
“My father has no real interest in Egypt, my lord. Power and wealth drive him to venture to distant shores.”
A muscle in the lord’s cheek twitched. He quickly turned his attention to Christian. “I thought your knowledge lay in pugilism and robbing men of their hard-earned coin.”
Although Christian would love nothing more than to put this man on his arse, he merely smiled. “As you say, I’m an expert in pugilism and stripping fools of their inherited wealth. I also study the history of ancient civilisations while waiting for my opponents to bleed to death.”
Lord Oldman laughed. “A man must find avenues to alleviate the anger he bears his family. It must grate that they forced your father to change his name, that your kin refuse to associate with you.”
He was referring to Christian’s uncle, the foppish Earl of Berridge—or the Earl ofArsedomas his brothers called him when cursing the man to Hades. “On the contrary, weak men turn my stomach.”
Oldman chuckled again. “Quite right. Quite right. Now, you want to know of my dealings with those men from the Society of Antiquaries. I can tell you they live for the study and preservation of historical treasures.”
“And yet they purchased items from the Grand Vizier when their quota fell short,” Isabella said, her tone quite critical. “Treasures that, one might argue, should remain in the country of origin.”
Oldman hardened his gaze. “Treasures that would be destroyed or lost during times of war,” he corrected. “Your father can attest to the volatile nature of matters abroad.”
“We’ve been at war with France periodically for over a hundred years. And yet we continued to keep our treasures here.”
Oldman ground his teeth. “Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, madam?”
Christian expected Daventry to intervene, but he didn’t.
“Not at all, my lord. I merely use the example to highlight our desperation to own precious things. It is the reason Mr Woodrow was forced to approach the Vizier. The reason someone was able to swap real artefacts for forgeries and people were too blind to question it.”
“Forgeries?” The lord struggled to contain his outrage. “What the devil are you talking about, girl?”
