“My bet’s on Mrs. Donnelly’s husband.” Mr. Forrester speculated the murder in a conspiratorial tone. “Mossant owed her close to a thousand pounds.”
Niles wouldn’t ask after the services that might have been rendered. Instead he nodded, keeping a mildly interested expression on his face. “Your master didn’t pay his debts?”
The valet threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Not recently. But he had a plan.” Without lowering his voice, the valet continued. “Heard that his wife had come into a plump sum of money.”
“How’d she manage that? She an heiress?”
“A wager. Bet that her own daughter would sacrifice her virtue.” Apparently the valet thought this quite humorous, guffawing and winking. “And she won. The thing is, she and Mossant had been separated so long, a good deal of effort was going to be required to gain access to it.”
Efforts which would not have been successful. Those funds were invested under names Mossant never could have uncovered. Niles would know better than anyone. But Mossant would not have known this, and his notions might explain why Mossant had invited his heir. He’d needed someone to assist him in getting to Eve.
Niles scratched his chin. The timeliness of Darius Mossant’s visit caused his hair to stand on end.
He recalled the man’s smug expression as he’d led Eve into the house. “How did Mossant intend to get it from her?” He remained impassive, as though none of this mattered.
The valet leaned closer. “Was gonna send the heir after it.” A snicker. “But he won’t have to go after her now. Word is that she’s come to pay her respects, showed up at the mansion today. The heir’s a handsome devil. I imagine he could win the old girl over. Past her prime for certain.”
Niles stifled the impulse to plant a facer on the valet. This was not the time to defend her honor. She’d much prefer he defend her fortune.
In order to do that he needed to get back to Pebble’s Gate. It was imperative that she know that her husband’s heir was aware of her winnings last year.
“What doyou mean Mrs. Mossant is not available?” Eve wasn’t the sort of woman to lie abed throughout the day. “Is she ill?”
The seedy-looking butler shook his head. “She is indisposed at the moment. Would you like to speak with the master?”
Hell yes, he’d speak with the master. “If you would lead me to him.” Niles kept calm despite the sick feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach.
“Of course.” The butler would not meet his eyes. For this man to have held onto his employment with someone as disreputable as Jean Luc Mossant for as long as he had, Niles doubted he could be trusted.
What the hell was Darius Mossant up to?
And then a thought struck. What if Eve didn’t want to see him? What if she was experiencing so much regret that she could not bring herself to face him?
It was possible Mossant had nothing to do with her inaccessibility after all.
But he’d assume otherwise until she told him herself.
The butler opened the door and gestured for Niles to enter.
“Ah, Mr. Waverly. I’ve been expecting you.” Darius Mossant sat behind a large desk with several papers strewn in front of him. Niles didn’t trust the smile, nor the handshake offered. “I imagine you’d like a look at the estate books. You’ll discover, unfortunately, that my uncle has burdened me with nothing but a stack of vowels.”
“In addition to the estate,” Niles added.
At which Mossant chuckled. “Indeed.” He lifted a small notebook out of the top drawer and handed it over. “Of course, everything should be settled tomorrow at the reading.”
Niles opened the pages and nodded.
“Of course, I’d like to go over these with Eve— with Mrs. Mossant.” Dammit! What kind of a fool was he to slip up and say her given name? Amateur move on his part.
Mossant’s eyes narrowed at him. Of course, he’d noticed.
“Mrs. Mossant does not wish to be disturbed. As her closest living family member, I’ll respect her request. She’s had quite a shock and needs her rest. I do believe viewing my uncle’s corpse disturbed her more than she expected.”
Was the man not aware that she had three daughters? Of course he was. He was simply of a mind to put Niles firmly in his place.
Niles was not family. He was not even a social equal.
He was tempted to argue but was in no position to demand anything. For now, he’d not press the matter. He would find Eve on his own. Regardless of what had gone on between the two of them, he had a duty to perform for her and he’d damn well do it.
