Page 57 of One Wicked Secret
Elsa smiled. “Sadly, no.”
While Daniel wondered if his wife wanted an evening of passion in a hotel bedchamber, the clerk glanced at their empty hands and asked, “Do you require a room for the night?”
Elsa turned to him. “What do you think, darling?”
What did he think? He thought he would like to carry her upstairs, toss up her skirts, and lose himself in the heat of her body.
“I’m not sure this is the right place for us,” he confessed.
Lust without intimacy was unfulfilling. A marriage based solely on carnal pleasures would wither like a rose deprived of water. He needed to woo his wife and arouse her mind and body. And he planned to enjoy every step of the journey.
“This is the hotel we visited last year.” She glanced over her shoulder to ensure no one was waiting behind her. “The Raven is known for its discretion.” She turned to the clerk. “Is that not right?”
The clerk leaned closer. “At The Raven, your business isyour own, sir. You may use a fictitious name for the booking, if you’d prefer.”
“We didn’t use our own names last time, though I’m trying to remember what month we came.”
Daniel played along. “Late October. Early November.”
“Yes. But what name did you use?”
“It would have been Carver, but I’m sure we stayed at The Retford.”
Elsa turned on the charm as she spoke to the clerk, sliding a half sovereign across the counter with a knowing smile. “Please assure myhusbandthat you recorded his alias in your register.”
Used to people paying for his silence, the clerk slipped the coin into his pocket and began flipping through the guestbook.
“Here it is, sir,” he said discreetly. “A two-night stay on the 12th of October. Mr and Mrs Carver.” Recognition sparked in his eyes as he tapped a mark beside the entry. “Yes, it appears you left something in the room. Kindly wait here, and I shall fetch it for you.”
The man disappeared through a door behind his desk.
Daniel knew that whatever they’d found in the room would help to identify Elsa. But who wanted to ruin her reputation?
Perhaps Lord Denby needed an excuse not to marry her. Perhaps Magnus persuaded Carver to devise this elaborate lie. A means to force Denby to break the contract. Whatever the reason, Elsa was a pawn in this game.
“It will be something of mine,” she said, forlorn.
“Yes. Something to convince a jury you and Carver were lovers. It gives both you and Magnus a motive for murder.”
She bowed her head. “I thought finding you would give me peace, not bring us both a wealth of trouble.”
He cupped her elbow, a tender touch, solace amid the chaos. “This is more complicated than either of us imagined.”
If the evidence came to light, he doubted he could save her. Even Rothley, with all his influence, couldn’t shield a suspected criminal.
The clerk returned with a small leather grooming case and placed it on the desk. “We were required to open it and list the items inside. Madam, I must advise, that the glass on your miniature was already cracked. I’ll need you to sign to confirm the case has been returned to you.”
“I’ll sign.” Daniel stepped up to the counter, took the offered quill pen and scribbled his own name, ensuring it was illegible. “We’ll return in a few minutes if we decide to rent a room.”
They left The Raven with the grooming case that didn’t belong to them. Inside the carriage, he sat with it on his lap, staring at it like it contained a deadly snake.
“Open it,” Elsa urged him, worrying her lip.
He hesitated before raising the clasp and lifting the lid.
Carver hadn’t used it to store his shaving implements, comb and bar soap. It was a treasure trove. A place to keep a lover’s mementoes.
Elsa inhaled sharply when he retrieved the miniature painted some years ago. “I did not give that to Mr Carver. He must have stolen it from Edenberry.”
