Page 14 of Snowbound with the Scoundrel
“I do.”Laurie sipped his coffee, considering.“But we must proceed carefully.His father made enough money selling guns to the army over the past two decades to set the family up for life.We’ll need solid proof he was the one who fed those lies to the papers.What we have right now is circumstantial.”
“Right.”Rupert set down his cup, sloshing tea onto the saucer.Suddenly, he felt like he was twelve years old all over again, getting shoved into the wall by one of the older boys looking to curry favor with his brother.
“Don’t look so glum,” Laurie said.“I’m not saying we won’t go after him.We just have to take it one step at a time.As part of my letter, I’ll demand to know how the papers came into possession of the letter they printed.They’ll be eager to give him up, to shift the blame away from themselves.”
“If they even know who sent the letter,” Rupert mused.“They’ll have to maintain that they thought I’d really written it.It’s their only excuse, isn’t it?”
“True.But they may be able to provide us with some details that will help.Was it delivered by a footman?In what livery?If it was posted, where was it posted from?Do they still have the original letter?Is it in his hand?That sort of thing.”
Rupert nodded.It was a damn sight better than sitting around doing nothing.“Good thoughts, all of them.”
“And if we can get Norwood on our side, we can go toe-to-toe with them financially.Then we’ll see what shakes out.”
“Good.Good.”Rupert gave an involuntary yawn.“I appreciate your help.”
“You said you came in on the mail coach?”
Rupert nodded.“Straight through from London.”
Laurie gave a low whistle.“You must be exhausted.James!”he called to the footman standing at attention in the hallway.“Find Mr.Dupree a bedroom, will you?”
James appeared in the doorway.“His usual room has already been made up, sir.”
“Perfect.”Laurie shooed him out the door.“I’ll get to work on those letters.You go get some rest.”
“Thanks, mate.”
Laurie squeezed his shoulder.“It’s good to have you back.”
Rupert smiled sleepily over his shoulder as he followed James down the hall.“It’s good to be back.”
And it was.He might have been sent here on business rather than pleasure.
But spending Christmas at Helmsley Castle, surrounded by people who were truly his friends, would be a pleasure, nonetheless.
Chapter6
Clarissa settled gingerly on a cerulean-striped Chippendale chair in Lady Helmsley’s morning room.“I apologize for arriving at your home uninvited,” she said as she opened the buckles on her valise.“I assure you, I have only come due to the greatest necessity.This letter will explain more.”She passed Sir Henry’s missive to the countess.
Lady Helmsley pulled a pair of spectacles out of her pocket and began to read.Her eyes went wide almost immediately.
“Gracious me,” she said when she was finished, peeling off her glasses and rubbing her eyes.“Surely the assassin cannot think to murder him at Christmastime!”
Clarissa thought that someone so deranged as to want to murder someone at all would probably pay little heed to the festive season, but she nodded sympathetically.“It is my hope that the threat has remained in London, and there will be no incidents to mar your house party.But we must take every precaution.”
“You’re right, of course.”A footman appeared with the tea tray the countess had requested.“Bring that over here, Richard,” she instructed.
Once the tea tray was arrayed on a side table, Lady Helmsley gestured for Clarissa to help herself.“Go on, child.You must be famished.”
Clarissa was, and she helped herself to a pastry dripping with peach preserves.It was so good, and she was so hungry, she had to force herself to nibble it daintily instead of devouring the whole thing in three bites.
Once Lady Helmsley had prepared them each a cup of tea, she leaned back in her seat.“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the notion of such a delicate young lady working for the Home Office!”
Clarissa chuckled.“I fear I am not so young and not at all delicate.”
The countess waved this off.“You seem young to me.Wait until you’re my age.You’ll understand.”
“As to my employment with the Home Office, I must ask you to keep that confidential.I would not ask you to keep a secret from your husband.But if you could not tell anyone else, and if you could impress upon his lordship the importance of keeping this information to himself, I would appreciate it most sincerely.”
