And Adrian was devastating proof of that. Tilly gave her husband’s hand a squeeze of reassurance.
“Whatever the reason, I am damned grateful he not only failed to destroy them but you were able to discover them and bring them to me,” Northwich said. “They will help me in unraveling the greater mysteries surrounding Shaw’s dealings.”
“Greater mysteries?” Tilly asked.
The duke nodded, looking grim. “I believe Shaw had a partner in this despicable business of his. I am determined to find out who and why, and when I do, I shall bring the villain down.”
“I was familiar with Mr. Shaw,” she said, “but I never suspected…he always seemed so polite. Pippa was quite besotted with her husband.”
Northwich clenched his jaw. “Indeed. I am aware that Lady Philippa was fooled by him. It has been one of my everlasting regrets.”
One of his everlasting regrets? His response gave Tilly pause. Could it be that the Duke of Northwich had harbored atendrefor Pippa?
“You will see these letters go to the detective at Scotland Yard?” Adrian pressed, interrupting her madly whirling thoughts.
Northwich nodded. “I will. For the first time, we have definitive proof that Shaw was acting as an intermediary between wealthy, powerful men who required favors and others who were willing to commit any misdeed for the right price. I have no doubt this will bolster the case.”
“How long have you believed Mr. Shaw was conducting a criminal venture?” Tilly asked, needing to know.
Northwich remained somber. “For years. He swindled me into investing some funds into American railroad stocks which did not exist. When I discovered the truth and confronted him, he was apologetic. We had been friends, you see. He was a third son, he said, and in desperate need of coin so he could live his life as befitting the son of an earl. His family was impoverished, I knew, so I sympathized with him and accepted his apology. A fortnight later, I discovered he was at his tricks again and confronted him. He vowed he would stop.”
Years.Dear heavens. That meant the entire time Pippa had been married to Mr. Shaw, he had been deceiving her. Tilly’s heart ached for her friend. This knowledge would be incredibly painful and difficult for her to accept.
“I warned him that I would go to the police if he did not cease his swindling,” the duke continued. “We drank together at my club, and when he was in his cups, he said he was planning to begin a different business altogether. One that involved the fixing of problems. Bribery, in other words. I warned him against it, for the damage it could inflict upon his wife and others, but Shaw refused to hear it. We never spoke again. Afterward, he continued to live far beyond the means of a third son from an impecunious family.”
More dread curdled Tilly’s stomach.
“Northwich’s suspicions about Shaw led him to finding me at Dunsworth,” Adrian added.
“I am forever grateful to you for finding Adrian and helping him to be freed,” Tilly said to the duke, meaning those words with all her heart. There was a tremble in them for which she could feel no shame, the prick of tears in her eyes.
“I am not the only one responsible for discovering him. A former Dunsworth prisoner had approached the detective I had hired to investigate Shaw, claiming to have information that two men—one of whom we believe to be Shaw—were responsible for seeing prisoners sent there in exchange for great sums of money. The prisoners were not guilty of any crime other than having made themselvespersonae non grataeto men who could pay for them to be, essentially, erased.”
Prisoners like Adrian.
A sob rose in her throat.
But he had not been erased. He was here at her side, his hand in hers. She clung to his hand even more tightly.
“Before we could interrogate the prisoner further, the man turned up dead. Not long after, Shaw was dead as well,” Northwich said. “Fortunately, we had enough information to begin looking into Dunsworth. When I learned Hastings had been arrested for stealing from the Duke of Longleigh, I expected Shaw’s involvement. But mere suspicions are not sufficient proof. It required all the influence I possessed to see Hastings freed early thanks to his impeccable behavior during his stay.”
“The letters, however, are more than enough proof,” Adrian said, his tone firm. “And if there is another man who was aiding Shaw, mayhap this will bring you one step closer to finding him.”
A sudden knock on the drawing room door heralded the arrival of Pippa.
“Mrs. Shaw,” announced Northwich’s butler.
Pippa crossed the threshold, looking confused. Tilly, Adrian, and Northwich all rose, Tilly crossing the chamber to greet her friend.
“Pippa,” she said, taking her into an impulsive embrace.
The interview that was about to unfold would not be a comfortable one, and she hated knowing her friend could possibly be hurt by the discoveries they had made.
“Why would you ask me to come here?” Pippa asked,sotto voce, stepping out of Tilly’s embrace. “You know I dislike the duke immensely.”
“I am sorry,” she whispered back to her friend. “I saw no other way around this. Come.”
Tilly led Pippa to the seating area where the tea had likely long since grown cool.
