“Mr. Stanbridge,” she said cheerfully. “How nice to see you again, sir.”
Amity shot to her feet. “I am not interested in your proposition, Mr. Nash. Indeed, I have nothing further to say to you. I suggest that you take your leave immediately.”
Benedict strode into the room. His eyes were as heartless as those of a hellhound.
“Exactly what sort of proposition are you making to my fiancée, Nash?” he asked.
Alarmed, Humphrey jumped to his feet. “Not the sort you are clearly imagining, sir. It was a business proposition, nothing more.”
“You call that a business proposition?” Amity demanded. “How dare you?”
Benedict did not take his eyes off Humphrey.
Humphrey moved toward the door, showing a fine turn of speed. Benedict stepped into his path. Penny appeared in the doorway. Her hand went to her throat. There was near panic in her eyes.
Belatedly Amity realized that the situation was escalating out of control.
“It’s all right, Benedict,” she said firmly. “Please allow Mr. Nash to leave. I assure you I have dealt with the matter. There is no need for violence. Indeed, I will not allow any fisticuffs in this household. Do I make myself clear?”
Benedict did not move for a moment. Amity held her breath.
Reluctantly Benedict shifted out of Humphrey’s path. Humphrey hurried out into the hall, where Mrs. Houston handed him his coat and gloves. A few seconds later the front door closed.
Penny stared at Amity, stricken. “What happened?”
“Evidently Nash just made your sister a business proposition,” Benedict said grimly.
“He wouldn’t dare,” Penny whispered. “He knows she is engaged to you.”
“I will speak with him in private,” Benedict said.
“No, you will not,” Amity said. “I told you, I took care of the matter.”
“He insulted you with his proposition,” Benedict said, his eyes still burning with icy rage.
Amity wrinkled her nose. “I suppose, viewed in the proper light, it was actually something of a compliment.”
“How can you say that?” Penny whispered. “Mr. Stanbridge is right. Fifty years ago, such an insult could have meant pistols at dawn.”
“These days such matters can be settled in other ways,” Benedict said.
Amity threw her hands wide. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, there is no need for such high drama. Mr. Nash’s proposition was definitely of a business nature. He wanted me to agree to put his name on my book as a coauthor. Indeed, although he did not come straight out and say it, I suspect that he intended for his name to go first.”
Penny blinked. Understanding and something that might have been amusement lit her eyes. “Oh my. The poor man had no notion of what he was getting into, did he?”
Amity clasped her hands behind her back and paced the room in a tight circular pattern. “He seemed to think that my book would sell more briskly if the public thought that he’d had a hand in writing it.”
Benedict frowned. “That was his proposition? He wanted you to give him credit as a coauthor?”
“Exactly.” Amity stopped. “You see now why I was so annoyed.”
“Certainly,” Penny said. “He did, indeed, want to take advantage of you. Financial advantage.”
“He may be an excellent photographer and an entertaining speaker, but I suspect he cannot string two or more interesting sentences together,” Amity said. She exhaled a small sigh. “I must admit you were right, Benedict. Mr. Nash did have ulterior motives for wanting to call on me today.”
Fifteen
Iam very impressed with your investigative talents, Mrs. Marsden.” Inspector Logan lowered the sheaf of notes he had been perusing and looked at Penny. “I wish I had more people like you on my staff.”
