There was a story here, probably one that explained both the sour looks Mr Hornel was giving him and the man’s dilapidated living circumstances. Rather than putting Edward off, it only served to make him more determined. ‘Sir, I can assure you that we have only the best intentions.’
The detective’s gaze flicked over him and then to Freddie, who had not appeared to notice that Edward and Mr Hornel were conversing. Whatever he saw did not enamour him. ‘I am sure that you do, but intentions and deeds are two very different things.’
‘Have you heard of my brother, the Duke of Glanmore?’
If Mr Hornel was impressed by the title, he didn’t show it. ‘I have.’
‘Then you will know that he is a stickler for propriety.’
‘I have also heard that his younger brothers fly dashed close to impropriety.’
Damn it. The vaguely scandalous whispers about him and his brothers, all except the duke, of course, had never bothered Edward before. They were wildly inaccurate, or at least they were for him; he could not speak for the others. He’d never paid them much heed. He rather thought the stories had the effect of scaring away some of the fortune-hunters, who would otherwise be interested in getting close to the dukedom, and so he would always answer any questions with a wink and a wry chuckle. He may not enjoy being lonely, but he would rather someone likedhim for himself than for whom he was related to. So yes, those rumours were normally something he encouraged. Until now.
‘I do not know what you have heard, but you must be aware that my brothers and I have never done anything illegal, have never hurt anyone or ruined an innocent’s reputation. Mr Hornel, I will be frank with you; I need someone to take on my case. I have followed your career and I have been impressed with your work. It will not be an easy task. The death I am asking you to take a look at happened nearly two years ago and my family and I do not want to draw attention to our inquiries into it. We will pay handsomely for it to be completed discreetly. I said that I would double the amount I offered you, but really, you can name your price.’ He let his gaze travel slowly over the front of the building, showing the detective that he could see the strained circumstances the man was living in.
The man flushed, but his shoulders remained straight, his pride undimmed, and Edward’s respect climbed higher.
‘Come in and tell me then, but I doubt there is anything you can say to change my mind.’
Edward followed Simon into the narrow hallway; Freddie scraped his shoes clean before following. The air was musty, but although worn, the floorboards were clean and no spiderwebs hung from the roof of the narrow entranceway. A fire crackled in a tiny sitting room, a threadbare rug placed neatly on the floor in front of it. Whatever Mr Hornel’s circumstances were, he had not let his standards drop. There were two chairs either side of the hearth and the detective gestured for him to take one.
‘If you head on back to the kitchen,’ Mr Hornel said to Freddie, nodding to the rear of the house, ‘Kate will have your pocket watch returned to you in no time. Any funny business and I will shoot you both. I do not care if you are members of the aristocracy or not.’
Edward caught Freddie’s wide-eyed look. He could tell his brother was trying to signal that they should cut their losses and go before the morning turned any stranger, but Edward wasn’t leaving. Freddie and Edward were gentlemen in every sense of the word. Even if Freddie hadn’t been enamoured with his wife, this Kate would still have had nothing to fear from either of them.
Edward lowered himself into the chair, moving slowly so as not to break it with his weight. It was not made for someone of his size and it creaked ominously as he settled his back against it.
‘My brother, Sebastian Dashworth, was second in line to the dukedom. Roughly twelve years ago he went to America and two years ago died,’ he said, sensing that Simon did not want him to waste time on pleasantries. ‘I was barely more than a child when he left and I remember little of him. We are not a close family, or at least we were not back then. We still are not really…’ Edward shook his head dismissively; this part of the story was not relevant. ‘We did not hear from him after he left. He wrote to no one and did not return to visit. We discovered, after his death, that he had become exceedingly wealthy while he was over there and that he had married and had a daughter.’ Edward shifted in the chair and immediately regretted the action as the wood creaked ominously. Smoothing out a non-existent crease in his pantaloons, he continued. ‘We have been told that he died in a carriage accident, but we find that hard to believe. We may not have known him well in his later years, but he was a notable whip. That is all the information we have about his death.’
Edward paused. It still shocked him how little they knew, how distant a figure his older brother had become to him in the years prior to his death. ‘His daughter is now in my care, and that of my three remaining brothers. We know nothing about her whereabouts from the time Sebastian and his wife died until shearrived on our doorstep, or anything about the other side of her family. We believe her to be around three years of age, but we have no record of her birth.’
One day Charlotte would have questions about her father’s passing and he wanted to be able to answer them. Hell, he wanted to know the truth himself. It was one of the many things that haunted him in the dark, empty hours of the night, the ones that should have been occupied by sleep but rarely were. Sebastian had been nine years older than him. He’d gone to America when Edward had been approaching his tenth birthday. He could not recall a single conversation he’d had with his older brother, but he was sure that they must have had some contact, even if their aunt had preferred the five brothers to be as divided as possible. Regardless, Edward adored his niece and would move mountains for her if she so desired. He did not want her to grow up and realise that he had done nothing to find out about her father’s death.
‘The case would involve travelling to America, establishing, within reason, what happened to Sebastian and his wife, as well as what happened to Charlotte from the time our brother died until she turned up in our lives. We appreciate that it will take time and we will compensate you accordingly.’
The detective gave nothing away, staring at the flames flickering in the fire as Edward spoke. The only reaction he gave was a small twitch in his shoulder when Edward mentioned travel. It was why the detective’s first question did not surprise him. ‘Why do you not travel to America to find out what happened for yourself?’
Edward crossed his ankles. ‘The terms of my brother’s will state that the four of us must raise Charlotte. We are not to leave her for long periods or we break the terms of the will. Guardianship would revert to our aunt, a Miss Dunn. Miss Dunnraised the five of us, until the duke gained his majority. I would not allow the very devil himself to be placed in her care.’ Perhaps he had gone too far, but Edward did not overly care. He had a special well of hatred for the woman who had raised him and his brothers, althoughraisedwas not the correct term for what that woman had done. Edward did not add that it was impossible for him to travel for long periods. The lack of order and the unpredictability of each day would likely send him out of his mind or kill him. He would not admit that weakness to anyone, but travel was not conducive to someone like him. If Miss Dunn hadn’t been in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have been the way he was but then, if there had been no Miss Dunn, life would have been very different indeed. Nobody knew the state of his mind and he intended it to stay that way forever.
If Edward’s description of his aunt shocked Mr Hornel, he did not show it. He tapped long fingers on his armrest, staring fixedly at the fire. ‘As much as your case interests me, I have already explained that it is impossible for me to take it.’
‘Why?’ asked Edward, frustration turning his tongue sharp.
‘I have a younger sister I must protect. I cannot do that if I am away for a year or more.’
Edward’s muscles relaxed; this was a problem he could solve. ‘We can provide whatever protection you need. How old is she? If she is in need of a governess or schooling…’
‘She is an adult but ten years my junior.’
Edward considered this new information. Dealing with an older, unwed sister would cause a slight change in plans, but it was not an insurmountable problem. ‘My brother has many estates. There will undoubtedly be a cottage to her taste amongst one of them.’ Edward couldn’t guess how old this sister, presumably Kate, might be, but she had to be past marriageable age if she were only ten years younger than Simon. A spinsterwould probably be quite happy to live a quiet life in the countryside. ‘She could have her choice of companion. I know being away from a loved one will be hard.’ Or so he assumed. He would not want to be away for a long time from Charlotte, who was the only person he could honestly say that he had ever loved. ‘I promise that we will make it financially worth your while. Both you and your sister could move out of this place and stay for life in one of the duke’s cottages.’
‘I have a better idea,’ said Freddie, appearing in the sitting room doorway, his watch now back in place. ‘Your sister could come and live with us while you are away.’
The look on Simon’s face surely had to be mirrored on Edward’s own. His brother’s wits had clearly run away from him. He could not invite a perfect stranger to come and live with them for at least a year.
‘That,’ Mr Hornel bit out, his lips ominously thin, ‘is a terrible idea.’
‘Oh,’ said Freddie, raising his hand, as though warding off a blow from the detective. ‘I do apologise if I was unclear. I offer you no insult and I am not suggesting anything untoward. I thought your sister could be a companion for my wife, Countess Blackmore. Happily for us, my wife is with child, but she has been unwell within the early stages. A live-in companion would be invaluable to her as she is not able to go about much. You would be assured that your sister would receive every comfort while living with us.’ Freddie smiled and Edward watched the detective’s shoulders slowly release their tension.
