Page 68 of One Wicked Secret
“Did anyone come looking for him?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
Daniel felt the tension leave his body. Surely it meant Carver sold secrets and spied for one person—the devil who killed him.
Mrs Melville stood suddenly. “I do have something for you. Something your father gave me. I’ll nip upstairs and fetch it.”
As soon as the housekeeper left the room, Elsa inhaled sharply and said, “Tell me you don’t think Magnus deliberately kept the letter from me. He made no mention of it when he gave me the Bible.”
“I won’t lie to you. I believe Magnus read the missive.”
“Of course he did. It’s foolish to think otherwise.” She muttered something in frustration. “If only we knew why.”
“We’re missing something. Something important. Something that ties all these clues together. Remember what Daventry said when we showed him the journal. That question must be our focus.”
“What is my father trying to tell me?” she said before adding a question of her own. “And why did he not trust Magnus?”
Mrs Melville returned and handed Elsa a small magnifying glass on a gold chain. “When you asked about your mother’s novels, I was to give it to you. You’re to use it to look deeper. To solve a puzzle, one must begin at the beginning. That’s what your father told me to say to you, Mrs Dalton.”
Elsa studied the tiny instrument. There was a similar object on her mother’s new ex-libris. “Did he give a reason for all the secrecy?”
“No. But if you married Lord Denby, I was to keep the magnifying glass.”
“Why?”
“Because by then, it would be too late.”
“Too late for what?”
Mrs Melville was reluctant to say. “It was a little over a year ago. I may have misheard. He was angry and blamed himself for you being tied to the contract.”
“You need to tell us what he said,” Daniel urged her. “It may be important.”
The woman gave a resigned sigh. “Too late to save you.”
They arrived home to be told the Earl and Countess of Berridge were having tea with Clara in the drawing room. Signora Conti rushed to explain why she had broken the cardinal rule of forbidding visitors in his absence.
“Miss Clara insisted they were good friends. And the marquess, he said they would be welcome in your home.”
“Rothley is here?” Daniel silently cursed. He had hoped for an hour alone with Elsa. Ever since their interlude in the garden last night, he’d been eager to finish what they’dstarted. After six months of marriage, would he ever get the chance to make love to his wife?
“Sì. His lordship arrived an hour ago, has eaten three almond cakes and opened a bottle of Châteaux Latour.”
Elsa reassured Signora Conti. “The countess has been extremely kind to Clara. It’s only right she receives our hospitality.”
Signora Conti smiled and nodded. “I would have happily refused them, but Miss Clara has been sad all morning, and her mood seemed much improved when they called.”
The chains of guilt tightened around Daniel’s chest. He was to blame. Had Clara not come to save him that night, she wouldn’t be blind in one eye. But perhaps it was time to stop treating his sister like a child.
“Clara is right. They’re our friends and are most welcome.”
Signora Conti’s smile spoke of relief. “I’ll have Abigail bring fresh tea and more cake. And Mansons has sent the book of material samples.”
“Leave it in my study.” He would have his wife in his bed before she began focusing on decorating her own room.
Aaron Chance—Earl of Berridge—sat sipping Daniel’s claret in the drawing room while Rothley tried to identify the wine’s subtle notes. “Yes, I taste blackcurrant layered with plum and a touch of warm spice.”
Clara sat with the countess on the sofa, showing her a new design she had drawn for a ruby eye patch. “I’ll have paste gems made to deter jewel thieves.”
