“Not really,” I said, sitting down beside her.
And then, because she deserved it, I told her a paired down version of what had happened. How Wickham had been calm and answered all questions fully. He had explained away the Bennets’ accusations and since there was no definitive proof of a contract, there was very little I could do at the moment. I explained what the law required for a charge to be laid.
She listened without interrupting, jaw tight with tension. “So that’s it. Gavin gets away with stealing from my family.”
“For now,” I replied. “However, I’m not done with my investigation.”
She let out a breath that sounded more like a laugh than anything else. “He makes it sound like I imagined everything.”
“I know,” I said.
“He asked if I had proof at the cafe,” she continued. “Like I was the unreasonable one.”
I chose my words carefully. “What he did relies on people questioning themselves before they question him.”
She looked at me then. “You believe me.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I said.
The relief on her face was subtle but unmistakable.
“I should go,” she said after a moment. “I have things to do.”
“Of course,” I said, standing up. I walked her to the lobby doors and waited as she adjusted her coat then went out into the cold.
Once back at my desk, I pulled up the gala assignment details, reading through them more carefully this time. My role was crowd management with security oversight. I would coordinate with private staff and the manager. Nothing unusual on paper.
In practice, it meant proximity to the man who I believed had stolen from the Bennets.
There would be money, vendors, charity donations, temporary hires, and loose oversight in the name of efficiency. The kind of environment Wickham thrived in.
This time, I would be there to watch him.
Chapter Fifteen: Perfectly Terrible Timing
Lydia
The inn felt louder than usual when I walked back in.
Not actually louder. Just fuller. Voices overlapping, footsteps on the stairs, the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Normal sounds, familiar sounds, the kind that usually grounded me. Today they hit all at once, like I had stepped into motion after holding my breath too long.
Jane spotted me first. She was at the front desk, pen in hand, halfway through something she immediately abandoned.
“You’re back,” she said. “Did you get the cherry pie filling?”
“Yes." I held out the bag to her.
She took one look at my face as she took the bag from me. Jane set the bag down and came around the desk, her hand settling lightly at the small of my back as she guided me toward the sitting area near the fireplace. “What happened?”
“I think everyone should be here to hear this,” I murmured, sitting down. I didn’t want to have to repeat the story.
Sitting next to me, Jane got out her phone, calling each member of the family and asking them to meet in the lobby.
Soon Kitty and Meri were there. Lucy appeared from the hallway a moment later, while Mom and Dad arrived together.
“What’s going on?” Dad asked in concern.
