Gory regarded Mr. Barrow, too stunned to speak for the obvious pain it was causing her.
“Was he was with her the night Lady Gregoria’s uncle was killed?” Julius asked, for Gory was in no condition to ask the question herself.
“I do not have an answer for you yet. I have a man looking into the matter as we speak.”
Julius nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Barrow. Please let us know as soon as you have the information.”
Allendale’s downfall ought to have pleased him.
Surprisingly, it did not.
This is not how he ever wanted to win Gory’s hand in marriage.
She looked heartbroken and humiliated.
“I knew he did not love me,” she said in a raw whisper. “It all felt so wrong from the very start.”
“You do not appear to have loved him either,” Havers stated matter-of-factly, showing utter disregard for Gory’s feelings.
Julius immediately leaped to her defense. “Shut up, Havers. You are out of line.”
Gory shook her head. “No, he isn’t. I suppose it has become rather obvious ours was not a love match. But I thought Allendale and I had enough mutual interests to sustain a good partnership. I did not really think it through, did I? He must have known of this young lady being with child when he proposed to me.”
“Gory…” Julius did not know what to say to make this revelation less painful to her. Nor could he understand what Allendale was thinking to propose marriage to Gory while involved with another woman.
Well, men had children out of wedlock often enough. It was not all that uncommon. But to not even wait a heartbeat before proposing to another woman? That seemed extremely callous to Julius.
Did this not add to his suspicions about Allendale?
Was he plotting to marry Gory, secure her inheritance, and then dispose of her so he could be with this other woman?
Havers must have noticed his mounting fury, for he cast Julius a warning glance. “Lord Thorne, there is no point in speculating. But I do apologize to you, Lady Gregoria, if I have inadvertently caused you more hurt. We will have our answers shortly. There could be an innocent explanation for his actions.”
“Such as what?” Julius shot back.
“I do not know, my lord. But leaping to conclusions does not help this investigation. No matter how low the opinion you have of Lord Allendale, his actions could be wholly unrelated to the crime.”
“But is it not most suspicious?” Julius asked.
“Yes, it is. As is Lady Easton’s refusal to be searched. But when we did finally search her, she had no scratches. Need I remind you that we have yet to interrogate Lord Easton’s business associates. I have not ruled any of them out, either. It is quite possible a disgruntled investor or business partner could have perpetrated this crime.”
“And what do you make of Lady Gregoria being found in her wedding dress?” Julius asked.
“It has not slipped my mind for a moment,” Havers replied. “This is why I have taken it upon myself to investigate the personal connections first and foremost. However, I have not ignored any other potential connections. My best men have been assigned to interview Lord Easton’s business acquaintances. We shall know more once I receive their reports, but that gown being put on Lady Gregoria points to the solution being closer to home.”
“Home,” Gory muttered with a grunt. “I thought my returning there would stir my brain, but I felt nothing as I stood in the study and stared at the very spot where my uncle had been murdered. Complete and utter blank.”
“Sleep on it tonight and let’s see what the morning brings.” Havers rose and motioned discreetly for Mr. Barrow to do the same. “Lady Gregoria, we will bid you farewell for now. Lord Thorne knows to summon me if you remember anything important. But you serve us best by resting and allowing your memory to heal.”
Julius walked the two men out. “Stop by if you discover something else of interest. I do not care the hour. It is vital that I be kept fully apprised. Lady Gregoria will not stop fretting until the killer is caught. Nor will I, truth be told.”
“Nor I,” Havers assured him. “If she was not involved in her uncle’s murder, then she knows who was. She saw the killer and he saw her. This is why Mr. Barrow has placed his men to watch your townhouse. Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to put my constables on round the clock watch, but you are in good hands with Mr. Barrow’s runners. I’ll see what I can do about assigning a man or two from my constabulary onto the task as a supplement.”
Julius nodded.
“I’ll be stopping next to question the lady with whom Lord Easton was having an affair. Thank you for sending word to me about her. The Easton head butler knew of her and gave us the information we needed. This is yet another path for me to explore, although I doubt she has any involvement. The lady is a widow and was left well settled by her late husband. She and Lord Easton were childhood acquaintances who…er, resumed their acquaintance upon her husband’s passing. The arrangement seemed to work for all involved, and nothing had changed to upset that smoothly sailing boat.”
“So, you have ruled out the widow?” Julius asked.
