The obituary blazed brightly in his mind. With this missing piece of information, the larger puzzle was taking shape. Gabriel could admit that Bauer was clever, but he’d made too many mistakes.
Gabriel stood in the shadowed corridor just outside the great hall, waiting for the crowd to disperse. He even avoided Ella, fearing he might miss his opportunity with Bauer. When only a few guests remained, Bauer exited the chamber, and once he was in the corridor, Gabriel stepped forward, blocking his way.
“Mr. Rowe,” said Bauer, his tone flat, his eyes hard. “I thought you’d left us.”
“That was quite an assessment you gave me.”
Bauer raised his thick black brows. “The head’s shape tells what the mouth will not admit. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Gabriel shifted to prevent Bauer from taking another step, and his gaze fell to the collection box under his arm. He would not allow this man to take advantage of the members, whether the money would be used to repay his client or not. The need forjustice burned through him, and he knew what he needed to do. If he made Bauer uncomfortable or angry enough, he’d slip up.
Bauer attempted to step around Gabriel, but Gabriel stood firm. “Before you go, I want to show you something.”
Once Bauer realized he was not likely to pass, irritation flashed in his eyes. “Be quick about it.”
Gabriel retrieved the obituary from his pocket and held it before him.
Bauer’s gaze narrowed onto the paper. “Where did you get that?”
Gabriel tucked the paper back away in the safety of his waistcoat and out of Bauer’s reach. “I wonder if Hawthorne knows that the man he invited to come speak to the Society, or the man hethoughthe invited, died two years ago.”
“I don’t know where you got that, but I—”
Gabriel stepped closer and lowered his voice further. “I don’t know who you are, but I don’t really care. You may have already deceived these people, but I’ll not allow you to steal from them.”
Bauer’s face shook. “The audacity to suggest I am stealing from the very people I am attempting to educate. You are overstepping your bounds.”
“Thomas Bauer is dead. Your assistant possesses written descriptions of the attributions of everyone present here. You owe a great deal of money to Jameson & Company. I’m giving you this option out of respect for the Wildes: Either you tell these people the truth about who you are and return the money you collected, or I’ll share everything I know.”
In a sudden burst of action, Bauer spun on his heel and huffed back into the great hall.
Gabriel grinned in spite of himself. He had Bauer where he wanted him. It was not time to celebrate quite yet, but he’d won this battle. Now he needed to win the war.
The conservatory, for all the peace and tranquility it afforded, seemed oddly confining. Ella paced the flagstone floor. She wanted—needed—to speak with Gabriel. She had to thank him for his intervention with Mr. Bauer’s request. He sacrificed his own reputation to preserve hers. Never had anyone done anything like that for her.
Normally Ella prided herself on her independence. She rarely accepted assistance from others. Why was accepting help from Gabriel different?
It dawned on her: She trusted him. His attention, his considerations were not motivated by the desire to dominate or prove her wrong.
He cares about me.
She expected that Gabriel would enter the conservatory with his customary grin and lighthearted disposition, but when he arrived, his brow was furrowed, his expression tense.
“What is it?” she asked as he stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to show you something.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and extended it to her.
She opened it, but the words were foreign. “Is this German? I don’t—” Ella snapped her mouth shut. She saw the name.
Thomas Bauer.
Gabriel stepped closer to look over her shoulder. His breathrustled the hair by her ear. “It’s an obituary. Thomas Bauer—the actual Thomas Bauer—died two years ago.”
Gabriel’s words—and all subsequent ramifications—took several moments to sink in. “So we were correct,” she breathed. “That’s not him.”
“No. And he gathered a massive collection tonight. I confronted him about this obituary a little while ago, so he knows I’m aware of what he’s up to.”
“Where is he now?”
