Chapter 25

25

F or once, dancing provided a welcome excuse. It allowed Adrian the chance to speak privately with his wife, to share what he'd learned in the last half hour.

"I've acquired additional information about Lady Eleanor." He guided Samantha through the first steps of the waltz with a practiced ease that led to a gradual increase in pace.

"As have I." Her voice was a whisper floating around them. "But there's something else I should tell you first."

She tightened her hold on his hand, putting him on immediate alert. "What is it?"

The fierceness within her gaze warned of unpleasant tidings. "I've got my orders. They're indisputable."

Even as apprehension rushed through him, he forced an air of calm.

"Is that all?" He gave her a wry smile in the hope it might alleviate any concerns. "We've discussed this already and shall continue to do so at greater length once we return home. You mustn't worry."

"And yet I can't help it. I was fine when this was a problem for the future, but now that it's here, I fear for you, Adrian."

As much as he wanted to ease her worries, it pleased him to know how much she cared. He swept her in a wide arc while following the edge of the dance floor, his gaze finding Edward who, he was glad to see, danced with Samantha's foster sister, Miss Roberts.

Although it was slightly odd to see his friend give his attention to someone besides Evie, it pleased him to know he was finding the strength to move on.

Returning his attention to Samantha, he said, "Let's speak of something else, shall we? I had a brief chat with Eldridge while you were catching up with Miss Roberts. He claims Lady Eleanor used to dance with Baron Midhurst's son, Mr. Elias Rawlings, at every ball before becoming engaged to Mr. Lawrence. Turns out the two men had an altercation at White's shortly after. Lawrence demanded satisfaction, but Eldridge managed to talk him out of it. Apparently the source of the conflict pertained to Rawlings insisting Lawrence had stolen Lady Eleanor from him."

"That's a very odd thing to suggest." A crease appeared on Samantha's brow.

Adrian wanted nothing more than to soothe it away with a tender caress. Later, he decided. "It almost seems as though Lady Eleanor and Rawlings might have been engaged first, but if that were the case, her family would have remarked upon it."

"Unless it was a secret engagement. Or…just an understanding?"

"That still makes no sense. As the son of a baron, Rawlings is aristocracy, so Orendel should have approved the match had his daughter asked him to."

"I suppose." They spun between a few other couples. "Is it possible Rawlings asked for her hand and she refused him? If that were the case, he might have felt slighted."

"That's not a bad theory, but where does that leave Mr. Hutchins?"

Samantha stared at Adrian as the music started to fade, drawing the dance to an end. "I've no idea." They left the dance floor and started toward the refreshment table. "Maybe Lady Eleanor was carrying on with multiple men at the same time. Melody told me she picked up some gossip – that Lady Eleanor was…" she dropped her voice even lower… " seen with the Earl of Chesterly after becoming engaged to Mr. Lawrence."

"Bloody hell," Adrian muttered. "Is there no escaping scandalous women?"

Samantha halted and turned to him, brow arched in censure. "It's funny how the women are the ones you choose to accuse when the men are equally bad if not worse."

He huffed a breath, unwilling to engage in this particular discussion since he didn't feel like explaining the differences between the sexes and why it was more important for women to retain their innocence. "Newton went after precisely that sort of target. Maybe the killer we're presently seeking was guided by the same motivation. If he found out he was sharing her, there's a chance he might not have liked it."

Samantha nodded and they continued their progress. "That would make a plausible motive. In which case we probably ought to consider both Rawlings and Chesterly."

Having reached the refreshment table, they each collected a plate and proceeded to fill them with a collection of triangle sandwiches, miniature tarts, and tiny frosted cakes.

"I spotted Chesterly earlier," Adrian told her while craning his neck and scanning the room. "Don't see him now though, and according to Eldridge, Rawlings is not in attendance. I already asked."

"Let's see if we can find Chesterly then," Samantha suggested. She bit into one of her sandwiches. Adrian handed her a napkin so she could wipe the leftover crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

The earl, they discovered some fifteen minutes later, was playing bridge in the gaming room. They approached the table and watched until the current round had been completed, at which point Adrian leaned over so he could whisper in Chesterly's ear, "There's a delicate subject I'd like to address with you right away."

The earl kept his attention on his partner, who shuffled the cards in preparation for the next round, before deigning Adrian with a sharp look. "As you can see, I'm busy, Mr. Croft."

"Too busy to speak about your indiscretions with Lady Eleanor? Doesn't exactly paint you in a positive light, all things considered."

Adrian leaned back and waited, acutely aware that his words had caught Chesterly by surprise. His body had stiffened, the edge of his jaw tightly clenched with what appeared to be quiet rage.

He gave the other players a thin smile. "My apologies, but it would seem there's an urgent matter I need to attend to." He pushed back his chair and stood, despite his partner's protests. "I'm sure someone else will take my place. Walker looks rather eager."

Chesterly straightened his jacket and strode from the room. Adrian and Samantha followed him into an empty hallway where the earl rounded on them with a snarl. "What the hell do you want?"

"To understand what happened to Lady Eleanor," Adrian drawled. He wasn't the least bit bothered by the earl's anger. When it came to exerting power or issuing threats, there would be no contest. "You were seen with her shortly before she was killed."

"Many people were," Chesterly said with a furious glare.

"Don't pretend ignorance. You know I'm referring to a particular indiscreet moment between the two of you." Adrian shoved his hands in his pockets and took a step forward. "Was it a one-time occurrence?"

Chesterly's chest rose and fell with vigorous movements. He glanced at Samantha, his nostrils flaring. "This isn't the sort of thing one ought to discuss with a lady present."

"You're absolutely correct." Adrian caught Samantha's gaze, saw the demand there, but still chose to say, "I'll find you later. This shouldn't take long."

She didn't smile or nod, but kept her expression completely impassive while staring back at him with pure defiance. No doubt about it, she wanted to stay and hear what Chesterly had to say, but Adrian also knew the earl was far more likely to be frank about it if she weren't there.

It took a moment before she did as he asked, disappearing back into the ballroom without glancing back. Adrian tamped down the unease of knowing he might have wounded her pride and arched an eyebrow at the earl. "Well?"

Chesterly's shoulders slumped, removing all traces of his previous aggression. He raked his fingers through his hair, the gesture appearing almost desperate. "Lady Eleanor was sweet, funny, and kind. She needs to be remembered that way."

"Might have been easier if you'd kept your distance from her."

"As if I could have predicted this would happen?" Chesterly dropped his hands, arms spread out wide in a helpless gesture.

"Had she lived, your actions would still have led to disaster. You weren't careful enough, Chesterly. Someone saw you together." It was hard to comprehend how stupid the earl had been. "I'm thinking the only reason it's been kept quiet is because the witness has no wish to ruin Lady Eleanor's reputation in death."

Chesterly's spine straightened, his gaze hardening with razor sharpness. "And yet, they still let it slip or you would not have found out. I want to know who the individual is."

"So you can do what, exactly?" Adrian scoffed. "The mistake has been made. Just be glad it's been kept from the gossip columns. Now tell me, was your indiscretion with Lady Eleanor a brief lapse in judgement, or did you have a more permanent arrangement?"

"She and I got along exceedingly well. I enjoyed her company tremendously and as a result, I began seeking her out whenever the chance to do so arose – at musicales, garden parties, balls. You get the idea. We never danced though, mostly because I knew doing so might encourage her parents to think I'd an interest."

"Which you obviously did," Adrian reminded him dryly.

"Yes, but not with regards to marriage. I have my own financial troubles. An heiress is what I'll require, but there was no denying the fierce attraction I felt toward Lady Eleanor. It increased with each conversation, with every inconspicuous touch and knowing glance. It was as though we'd been caught in a roaring fire, and as a result, I fear I may have forgotten myself completely."

Adrian considered this briefly, then asked, "Would it be accurate to say you seduced her? "

Chesterly shook his head. "What happened between us was mutual."

"How far did you take it?"

Splotches of red appeared on Chesterly's face. There was no denying the outrage he felt in response to the question. "I didn't take her innocence if that's what you're asking."

"But you wanted her. Craved her. Yes?" Adrian knew what that felt like. "It can't have been easy for you, knowing she'd marry another."

Chesterly dropped his gaze, his hands fisting at his sides. "It was awful, but there was nothing I could do about it. Not when I wasn't in a position to ask for her hand myself. The worst part was knowing she would be marrying him of all people."

"And why is that?"

The earl's mouth twisted with displeasure. What he said next cast a shadow over the fondness Mr. Benjamin Lawrence supposedly harbored for his fiancée.

It left Adrian with one pressing question: Who the hell was telling the truth?