I sat up straighter. “Have you received word?”
“Indeed.”
My pulse thrummed in my ears. Before coming to Kenwick, I had told Lord Paxton of my time aboard theFreedom. He had found my tale about Captain Hollinsby’s attempt to silence me concerning, to say the least. Coupled with the fact that the captain had taken Adda and fled the moment we arrived in Portsmouth, Lord Paxton was just as eager to get to the bottom of things as I was. No good could come of that man taking her with him. I needed to find her, and soon.
“The estate you mentioned was recently purchased,” said Lord Paxton. “I had my solicitor look into the matter, but it was not bought by your Captain Hollinsby. At least, that is not the name on record.”
My lips pinched. This news did not precisely help, nor did it entirely dash the lead Cratchit had given me.
“However,” Lord Paxton continued, “the servants at Kenwick are the most loyal in England, and I’ve asked them to bring any information they might hear directly to me. In addition, I’ve asked them to keep quiet about your presence here. If Hollinsby is at Willowbrook, he will not remain there if he knows you are nearby.”
Not with the condemning information I had against him. All I needed for justice was evidence to prove my claims. The most likely place to find it was wherever Hollinsby was hiding. I couldn’t risk him moving.
“So, I must wait for the gossip belowstairs to offer me clarity?” I asked.
“Not necessarily. One of my footmen overheard some men speaking in the village. The estate is occupied, and while he did not catch the master’s name, the men did mention the presence of several servants of dark complexion.”
My heart nearly leapt from my chest. “Dark complexion? Your footman is certain of this?”
“Yes, though he could not give more confirmation than what he overheard.”
My mind raced with possibilities. This one point of gossip could prove that Adda was here in Kent. And not just her, by the sound of it.
“I must go—”
I started to rise, but Viscount Paxton held up a hand. “Sit.”
Obedience required every ounce of my willpower. I wanted to run from this room, mount my horse, and race to the estate immediately. Logically, I understood the need for proceeding with caution. Storming over there would alert Hollinsby, possibly even put Adda in danger. No matter how much I wanted her safe, I needed a plan first.
Lord Paxton, seeming to sense my thoughts, pinned me with a firm look. “I do understand your desire to rush over there, Edward, but I will trust you not to act brashly about this. For your own safety and all those involved, we must tread cautiously. If Hollinsby was willing to murder you to keep his secrets, there is no telling how he might act when confronted. No telling how far he will go to avoid facing his crimes.”
“Yes, I know. What do you propose then?”
He studied me for a moment, his considering eyes penetrating right to my very core. “I will not suggest you sit back and do nothing. You are far too stubborn and determined to heed that counsel, nor would I expect it of you anyway. We are far too alike in our desire to help those in need, so I understand the urgency you feel. For now, however, we will continue to gather information from belowstairs, and if you happen to do somediscreetreconnaissance, I would not be disappointed.”
“Then I will aim to not disappoint you.” I gave a slight nod, and this time when I stood, the viscount did not object. “Thank you for helping me with this. You cannot know what it means to me.”
“As you have given me the details in full, I believe I can. Do not worry, Edward; we will bring Miss Adda home and see that justice is served. Do be careful, though, won’t you?”
“Yes, my—”
“Theo.”
I chuckled. “Yes, Theo. I shall be careful, and as you aptly put it, discreet.”
“Very good. And I shall remind you that, while you have come here on a mission of sorts, you gained a second.” His brow raised in expectation.
“I have not forgotten.” Nor would I. Because no matter how I had tried over the past four months, forgetting Annette Apsley was one thing I had never succeeded in doing.
Chapter seven
Annette
Margaretsippedhertea,but I suspected she was merely attempting to hide her smile behind the cup. I had told her about Lieutenant Paget’s visit, and to my annoyance, she was not nearly as supportively displeased as I had hoped.
“Is it really so bad?” she asked, her eyes dancing as if she fully expected my scoff in response.
“I assure you, it is! You do not understand how he strives to vex me.”
