Page 41 of Lady Gambit
“I don’t know what to think. After all these years, checking the facts will be almost impossible.” Daventry’s tone turned grave. “Sadly, we must presume your parents are dead.”
Miss Chance hung her head and nodded.
“Mrs Haggert wouldn’t have kept her if there was a chance she’d be accused of kidnapping or abduction,” Dorian said, knowing there was more to the story than the crone had admitted. “And she would not have risked Aaron Chance’s wrath by lying to him.”
Daventry pursed his lips. “Agreed.” He thought for a moment. “Visit Bethlem Hospital tomorrow. Question Nora Adkins again. My coachman Gibbs is trained in all manner of combat. He’ll be your driver for the duration of the case.”
A shiver of trepidation ran over Dorian’s shoulders. “If it’s a matter of gathering evidence, wouldn’t it be better if I went alone?”
Was it wise for Miss Chance to enter Bethlem? Her problems began shortly after his last visit, and he would rather there were no witnesses when he questioned the Superintendent.
Daventry grinned. “You’re not going to Bethlem to collect evidence. You’re going to lure a snake out of its basket. Miss Chance will be the bait.”
Chapter Nine
“You’ve been holding that teacup for five minutes and haven’t taken a sip.” Mrs Maloney’s smile carried the warmth of a winter blanket. Her presence helped soothe everyone’s woes. “I’ve never seen you so out of sorts, dear. There’s no need to worry about Theo. The doctor said he’s making excellent progress. He always was a strong boy. Never a day ill in his life.”
Delphine returned the cup to the saucer, grateful for Mrs Maloney’s support and that they were the only two people left at the breakfast table. She’d defy any lady to concentrate when sitting opposite the enigmatic Mr Flynn.
Staring at his mouth had become her new hobby. Her heart raced whenever she recalled their passionate kiss in Mr Daventry’s office. Every muscle in her body grew tense, anticipating the moment they would indulge themselves again.
“Guilt is a hard emotion to master,” she admitted.
With every illicit kiss, her list of sins grew by the day.
“You’re not to blame for what happened to Theo.” Mrs Maloney snatched the silver tongs and dropped another lump of sugar into her tea. She was sweet by nature and infinitely wise.“I told Aaron years ago, nothing good grows in the dark. But that boy is as stubborn as the emperor Caligula. Now he’s learning that you can’t control fate.”
Her brothers were strapping men, not boys, but Mrs Maloney liked to dwell on the days when she took a damp cloth to their dirty faces and tucked them into clean beds. She’d done her best to guide Aaron, but his pain ran deep.
“Aaron is convinced one of his patrons is to blame. He spent yesterday trying to locate Mr Tindell, but the gentleman has vanished into thin air.”
All three brothers had arrived with Mr Daventry last night to have supper with Theo and discuss which peers might be suspects. It was the first time they had closed the doors to Fortune’s Den.
Nothing mattered more than family.
Aaron had scoured the corridors of Mile End looking for her, desperate to question her about her visit to Mrs Haggert’s house. He’d waited until Aramis and Christian had stopped hugging her before ushering the men out of the library and closing the door.
I don’t trust that woman.
Everything she does is self-serving.
She mentioned the rumour that Lord Meldrum wanted to marry her to force Aaron to tear up his vowels.
I’d no sooner let you marry that fool than I’d let you marry Flynn. You need a husband who won’t gamble with your future. A husband who won’t end up dead in a ditch over some damnable missing person’s case.
Her obedient nod was at odds with her body’s demands. The more time she spent with Mr Flynn, the more she longed for his company. But he spent long periods away from home. Work was his focus. He had said so himself. Why would she abandon her family to spend endless nights alone?
“Perhaps Mr Flynn can find him?” Mrs Maloney said.
“Find who?”
“Mr Tindell. Our host has a skill for finding missing people, does he not?”
“He does.” He had excelled at helping her find the passionate woman hidden within. “Though Mr Flynn refuses to believe a peer would be foolish enough to have my brother shot.”
To avoid an argument, he had made himself scarce last night, though both Aramis and Christian had spent time alone with him in his study.
“I hope someone told Mr Flynn about the other possible suspect,” Mrs Maloney said before sipping her tea. “Perhaps the attempted kidnapping was a ruse to shoot Theo. The earl would sooner see my boys rotting in a shallow grave than disgracing his family.”
