“Why am I being dragged into this?” the duke said, raising a brow.
His lady twisted around to look at him. “Because you were a rake just like Revelstoke here, and look how well you turned out.”
“I’m glad you think so.” The duke’s gaze dropped to her throat, and he slipped a finger beneath her choker of pearls, the touch more than a little proprietary. He smiled faintly. “I couldn’t have done it without your reformatory efforts, pet.”
Color stole up the duchess’ cheeks. “Nonsense, you were always a good man. You just needed the right motivation to change your ways. And the earl appears to be in much the same situation.”
Sinjin didn’t know what to make of the fact that Her Grace apparently was taking his side. He cast a questioning look at Polly; she gave him a small smile in return.
“You cannot be serious, Emma,” Kent protested.
“I am,” the duchess replied. “Recall how you didn’t approve of Strathaven, either, and yet he’s turned out to be the best of husbands. Why shouldn’t Revelstoke be given the same chance to prove his worth? He seems to be genuine in his suit, andPollybelieves him.” Her brows lifted with a significance that Sinjin didn’t fully understand. “Of all of us, Polly is the most equipped to judge true from false—and to make decisions about her own future.”
Looking disgruntled, Kent crossed his arms over his chest. “I cannot condone our youngest sister being involved with a man with Revelstoke’s past—and that’s to say nothing of his present troubles.”
“I’m hiring Runners,” Sinjin intervened swiftly. “To look into the clue that Pol—I mean, Miss Kent, found. Thanks to her ingenuity, we now have reason to believe that Nicoletta French has a connection to…”—he darted a glance at Her Grace—“a theatre. Of sorts.”
He had no problem being frank, but the last thing he wanted was to offend the one member of Polly’s family who was championing his cause. Nor did he think that Strathaven would take well to his bringing up a brothel poorly disguised as a theatre in front of the duchess.
“Oh, we’re familiar with The Cytherea,” Her Grace said cheerfully. “We’ve been there.”
Sinjin’s brows shot up, his gaze veering to Strathaven.
“Be forewarned, my lord,” the duke said wryly. “Marrying a Kent is not for the faint-hearted.”
“Pish posh. You know I did a marvelous job interviewing that actress at The Cytherea when we were busy clearingyourname.” Turning to Sinjin, Her Grace added, “As to Runners, we’ll not hear of it. This matter concerns your future, which now concerns Polly’s future, and therefore the future of this family. No one but the best will do. Which is why Ambrose will take on the case himself, won’t he? With my assistance, of course.”
“You’ve always said that everyone is deserving of justice, Ambrose,” Polly put in. “Surely you cannot stand by and let a man you know to be innocent be accused of a crime he did not commit? Whoever concocted this reprehensible plan may have other schemes planned against him. You must help him. Please—for my sake.”
Kent’s mien was one of aggrieved resignation. Sinjin even felt empathy for the man. It couldn’t be easy being faced with those wide-eyed feminine pleas.
“Bloody hell.” The investigator dropped into his chair. To no one in particular, he muttered, “Why couldn’t I have had brothers?”
“You have Harry, and he’s more trouble than us by far,” Her Grace said.
“My brother Harry is a genius and a scientist, but he has a penchant for blowing things to smithereens,” Polly said in an undertone.
Sinjin wondered why she didn’t seem like she was jesting.
“Thank you, Ambrose,” Polly went on softly. “And you as well, Emma.”
Her sister beamed; her brother just shook his head.
“Now that that’s settled, we ought to work out a plan of attack,” the duchess said.
Kent drummed his fingers on the desk. “At this point, we have naught but hunches concerning Miss French. We need evidence of her true identity before we consider other suspects. The place to begin the search appears to be The Cytherea.”
“No time like the present,” Her Grace said. “Shall we take your carriage or ours?”
“I’m coming too,” Polly said.
“I appreciate the offer, sweeting, but The Cytherea is no place for you,” Sinjin countered.
“On this, we agree,” Kent declared.
“Polly could prove useful.” Her Grace delivered a meaningful look to her brother. “After all, she’s the one who discovered the connection to The Cytherea. Strathaven and I will escort her.”
“I won’t be any trouble at all,” Polly promised, “and I’ll be perfectly safe with all of you present. Please. Let me help.”
