“None of that, Lady Blessingame. I’m Anonymous when I write,” he declared, a cheeky grin lighting the large man’s face.
“His pseudonym,” Aidan explained drily. He straightened. “Mr. Martin is talking to Gwinnie right now.”
A large, long-haired black cat with sleepy gold eyes sauntered to the door and looked up at them, his tail swishing.
“Hello, Oscar,” Aidan said. He reached down to give the cat a quick pet, then looked back at Lord Lakehurst. “Mr. Martin will want to talk to you next.”
Lord Lakehurst made a face. “Dashed bloody bother—please excuse my language, Lady Blessingame,” he said, his face turning red.
Bella compressed her lips against a laugh at his expression. “It is all right, Lord Lakehurst. Being in diplomatic service, that is mild to what I have heard.”
“I appreciate your forbearance.” He looked up and Aidan. “I suppose I should get cleaned up and civilized.”
“I don’t think Mr. Martin will pay the least bit of attention to your attire.”
“No. He shan’t, most likely. However, I will.”
Bella and Aidan stepped back as Lake came out of his writing room. He looked back at the cat. “In or out?” he asked.
The cat sauntered out, then crossed the governess room and went out the open door. Lord Lakehurst shut the door behind him. “I’ll go to my rooms to clean up. Where is he interrogating us?”
“Don’t think of it as an interrogation,” protested Bella.
“But it is! We are all suspects. He has to approach it that way,” Lord Lakehurst said boisterously. “So, where do I go to meet him? I might get some excellent material for a book out of this.”
“What about the Duke’s old study on this floor?” Bella suggested.
“Excellent, then as soon as I’m done, I can get back to my writing,” he said.
“Can I ask you, was that your cat?” Bella asked.
“Oscar? Yes. He is my writing muse, when he is in the mood, independent creature that he is. Since I write Gothics, I thought a black cat a suitable companion. Ha! A dog is a companion. A cat? A cat is whatever they wish to be, whenever they wish to be it.”
“And with Oscar, it varies,” put in Aidan with a laugh.
“Always,” Lord Lakehurst said ruefully. He strode away from them, whistling.
Bella watched him bounce down the stairs and shook her head. “When I met him at dinner, the first night I arrived, he was quite formal and also at the ball last night.”
Aidan nodded. “He is reserved around strangers. This is the real Lord Lakehurst. He must feel comfortable around you,” Aidan said. “Now to tell the Duke and my mother.”
“What about the servants—won’t Mr. Martin want to interview them as well?”
“Yes, but we’ll see to the family first. Mr. Harold can arrange the interviews with the rest of the staff, as he’s already interviewed Jimmy.”
“Where will the Duke be at this time? In his current study on the first floor?” Bella asked.
“Yes. Typically, he’s gone after breakfast for his studies. I asked him to remain here today.”
“Wouldn’t he want to be here for the investigation?” Bella asked.
“He trusts me to take care of such matters for him.”
Bella frowned. “This is what I meant about taking advantage of you.”
“Bella, he is too much of an academic to pay attention to everyday situations,” Aidan explained.
She kept silent a moment, wondering if she should reveal her conversation with the Duke. If he didn’t want others to know, he shouldn’t tell anyone. She decided he must feel the prank has gone on long enough, and that was why he was honest with her.
