Dalton’s eyebrows shot up at the intrusion.
“Greystone. Come on in. Make yourself comfortable.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, he stalked into Dalton’s office and dropped into one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“Did you know Alice has gone off with Lord Ardmore to God knows where?”
Dalton finished signing a document before replying, testing his patience to the limit.
“Yes. She sent me a note yesterday to let me know she will be visiting Lord Ardmore’s estate because his father was dying.”
“And you didn’t think twice about letting her go off gallivanting with one of the suspects?”
The duke took a deep breath, closed the ledger in front of him and leaned back in his chair.
“I never truly believed John was implicated in this, and the more I think about it, the less likely it seems. For one, he has been out of the country for almost a year. True, it wouldn’t be impossible to run a conspiracy from abroad, but it would be extremely difficult. And two, the man has no motives for selling information. He doesn’t need money and has always been loyal and steadfast. Alice and I had been going through the possibilities, and there are other far more likely candidates.”
“Oh, so she convinced you of his innocence, and you just let her go with him?”
“I didn’t ‘let’ her do anything. Alice is an independent woman and will do as she sees fit. She only informed me after the fact, but even if she had informed me beforehand, under the circumstances, I don’t think it would be my place to even object.”
“The circumstances being?”
“Lord Langford is dying.”
So Ardmore’s father was dying, and Alice had gone with her lover to visit him. Out of pity? True caring? Or was she trying to ingratiate herself with the old marquess in the hopes of marrying Ardmore after Nathaniel divorced her? No, that didn’t make any sense. All the problems in their marriage had started precisely because she didn’t want to be part of the aristocracy.
“How touching. A truly romantic deathbed scene. But I didn’t think it was the done thing to introduce your paramour to your dying father.”
“Paramour? What on earth are you talking about?”
“Are you going to pretend you didn’t know of their affair, oh omniscient spymaster? I overheard you talking to Alice about it.”
Dalton raised his eyebrows and leaned back
God, it hurt to say it. “Ardmore and Alice are lovers.”
The look of surprise on the duke’s face was priceless. Nathaniel had never seen his all-knowing, unflappable superior more flummoxed. If the subject were not so painful to him, he might find humor in the duke’s look of stupefaction.
“You are mistaken,” the duke finally said.
“I assure you I am not. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Good God, is that why you filed for divorce? Have you talked to Alice about your suspicions?”
“Not in so many words. I didn’t tell her I saw her with Lord Ardmore. But I have given her the chance to confess her infidelity and be forgiven.”
“And what did Alice say to that?”
“She denied it, of course. But I know what I saw.”
The duke shook his head, then leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the desk, saying emphatically. “You need to talk to your wife. You need to ask her specifically to explain her relationship with Lord Ardmore.”
For the first time since that horrible night when he had discovered Alice’s betrayal, he felt a prickle of doubt. Dalton was serious, and he was not a man given to gossip or fanciful notions. Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the other man.
“Do you know something I don’t?” Nathaniel asked.
Dalton nodded. “So it seems. I’m surprised Alice hasn’t shared the information with you.”
