She smiled at him. “I am not afraid.”
He frowned. “But that is entirely Mr. Barrow’s point. You should be, Gory.”
“Indeed, Lady Gregoria,” Havers said, now also frowning at her. “I would rather we solve this crime before the killer has the opportunity to harm you.”
“I am well protected,” she insisted. “You are all watching over me. And I will keep my outings to a minimum. But let us be practical about this, Mr. Havers. You are unlikely to solve the mystery of who committed the crime unless the killer tips his hand by coming after me. How else is he to be caught?”
“By my superior investigation skills,” he replied.
Gory arched an eyebrow. “How has that worked out so far?”
CHAPTER 10
THE ALLENDALE FAMILY was quite prominent in Society and also fairly wealthy, if gossip proved true. Not that Gory ever listened to gossip, but she had done some investigating before agreeing to marry the viscount. Lady Dayne and Lady Withnall had also confirmed he came from an honorable family and he himself had a good reputation. Their displeasure came not from any lack in him, but from the fact they did not view theirs as a love match.
But to Gory, Allendale and his family had seemed perfect, and she liked that many of them were men of science.
However, any respect she held for Allendale himself was gone now.
She took a deep breath as she and Julius stood at the door of his Belgravia townhouse awaiting his butler to let them in. Julius, having come here just a few days ago to inform her betrothed of her uncle’s murder, was immediately recognized by the butler. “Lord Thorne. Oh, dear, I am afraid his lordship is not here.”
“Is he with the young lady?” Gory asked, no longer caring that Allendale’s actions had humiliated her. “Please, Hartley. This is of dire importance. Where is he?”
The man appeared dismayed, no doubt worried he would lose his position if he told them.
“No matter,” Julius said amiably, taking Gory by the elbow to lead her away. “Just let him know we stopped by and that he must come see me as soon as possible.”
The butler emitted a breath of relief and nodded. “Rest assured, my lord. I will.”
Gory frowned at Julius as he led her away. “Why did you not press him?”
“Because I know where he has housed the young lady and her child.”
Gory came to a halt as they were about to step into the carriage. “You do?”
“Yes, Mr. Barrow told me yesterday.”
“And this is another thing you did not think necessary to report to me?”
“I am telling you now. And no, talking about the other woman to you last night would have had you irate and leaping out of bed to pace in anger.”
“I am not angry with the woman. Or the child. How can I ever be?”
“I know you would not think cruelly of them. But you do get righteously indignant and I did not need you running off to see her or confront Allendale while you were prescribed bed rest by Dr. Farthingale. Do not pretend for a moment you would have obeyed the doctor’s orders.”
He was right.
Still, it rankled. “Anything else you haven’t bothered to tell me?”
“No, that’s everything.” He helped her into the carriage, his warm hands at her waist to lift her in. “We’re heading to Bayswater. The young lady is settled in a private house there.”
He took a moment to give their driver the direction, and then climbed in and settled opposite her. “All right, Gory. Ask your questions. I know you are bursting to do so.”
Gad, it irked her that he knew her so well. But it was also a bit of wonderful that he understood her as well as he did. She did not think the same could be said of her in regard to him because she spent so much time with her nose buried in her research at the Huntsford Academy that it occupied most of her brain.
Also, Julius often kept his thoughts to himself and his actions were often subtle, so one had to be looking closely to understand what he was doing or feeling. Indeed, she’d had no idea he was in love with her because he had kept so tight-lipped. “Do you know the young lady’s name?”
“No.”
