Mr. Bauer is the most unusual man, with a strange propensity to smack his lips when he is anxious or drum his fingers on the table. But it is his eyes that make him seem the most intense—they are the most unique shade of blue.
Surprised, he read it again.
“Blue,” he mused aloud.
She shifted with her eyes pinned on him, as if watching for his reaction. “I know.Blue.What do you think?”
“Did you read the rest of it? Is there anything else like that in here?”
“No. I’ve read the entire thing and the journal she wrote immediately after this one. I don’t believe my mother would err on something so obvious. She was far too particular.”
Ella was right. Anyone who knew Leonora Wilde knew she saw everything. Noticed everything.
“Well?” she prompted eagerly, beaming with pride. “What do you make of it?”
It was definitely a promising development, but he knew better than to get ahead of himself. “Is there anyone else here who would have met Bauer before?”
“No. Not that I’m aware of. My father never traveled to Austria with my mother. Mrs. Chatterly did, but she doesn’t recall him. The only other person who would have encountered him was my grandfather, and he did not keep journals.”
Gabriel paced slowly as he contemplated what he knew. A piece of information like this should infuse him with motivation and breathe fresh life into the search. Such a discovery would bring him one step closer to the truth, but how could he be happy when exposing the man as an impostor would bring the reputation of everyone associated with Keatley Hall into question?
Based on her enthusiasm, he doubted she’d considered the situation from that angle . . . yet. “Does anyone else know of this?” he asked.
“No.”
“What about Miss Hawthorne?”
“Definitely not,” Ella huffed. “She’d be crushed at the very thought. Everything in me wants to confront him and demand an explanation for every inconsistency.”
He chuckled at her impatience. How he could relate. “I wouldn’t recommend that.”
“Then I really would look insane, wouldn’t I?”
Her words stopped him. This was not the first time she’d made such a comment. Surely she did not believe any of those rumors. Did she? It pained him that she’d been so affected by the opinionsof others. He could never change what had happened to her or what was said about her, but he could expose the truth.
He handed the journal back to her. “I knew from the moment we talked in that assembly room that you were exceedingly clever, but this level of insight will put me out of business.”
She blushed under his praise and accepted the tome. “I’ve told you, I’ll not rest until my mother’s reputation has been vindicated.”
“Don’t worry. We’re getting close.”
The sounds of morning were awakening around them. Voices wafted from the corridors, and a groundsman passed the conservatory window. Their time alone was coming to an end.
Reluctantly, he bid her farewell, and as he made his way back to the breakfast room, a bittersweet battle was brewing within him. He reminded himself that his sole purpose for attending this symposium was to recover the money for his client. It was a straightforward responsibility. But he had broken his one cardinal rule—he had gotten personally involved in the investigation. What was more, he was emotionally involved. He was not sure of the best way to navigate this unusual situation, but he did know one thing for certain: It was far too late to turn back now.
Now that he was armed with the information he’d received from Ella, any doubt that Gabriel had about Mr. Bauer’s fraudulent intentions was eradicated. Regardless of his obligation to his client, Gabriel was now honor bound to formally inform Mr. Hawthorne of his investigation. He did not need to share all the details, just his suspicions, for if something were to happen and the entire Societywere to be the victim of Bauer’s deception, Gabriel wanted to ensure that he had given those in charge ample warning.
He’d never spoken to Mr. Hawthorne prior to his symposium arrival, but he’d certainly heard about him. As the leader of the Natural Philosophers Society of London, he was a powerful and influential man.
Gabriel would have to tread lightly. Hawthorne’s reputation for anger was well known. If he was going to point out a flaw in the man whom Hawthorne had handpicked as a symposium speaker, then he needed to be prepared for retaliation.
Gabriel spied Hawthorne immediately once he returned to the breakfast room. After the man broke away from his conversation, Gabriel seized his chance. He approached Hawthorne and intercepted him near the guest hall entrance. “Hawthorne. A moment, please.”
“Ah, Rowe. Have you enjoyed your return to Keatley Hall?”
“Very much. It hasn’t changed much over the years, has it?”
Hawthorne made a great display of looking around the chamber. “No, I suppose not. These grand old country houses are like that, though. Frozen in time, eh? And now that you have returned, what do you think of the symposium?”
