“His actions surprised me, as I’m sure they did everyone. And yet the evidence against him was strong.” Mr. Maddox spoke in a measured tone, his gaze on her the entire time.
He hadn’t answered her question. Heart pounding, Norah tightened her grip on her fork, hoping she didn’t convey how nervous she was. Every reasonable voice in her head screamed at her to drop the subject, but she forced them back.
There was only one reason she agreed to this outing with the odious Mr. Maddox, and that was to help Jeremy.
And so she pressed on. “You were friendly with him. Did you see him much in the days beforehand?” She tried to keep her voice light, as if she was simply making conversation and trying to get to know Mr. Maddox better.
He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I did. I wish I’d known what he was planning. I would have attempted to dissuade him from it.”
Norah shoved a bite of potatoes into her mouth to give herself a moment to think before speaking again. As she chewed, an idea emerged. It was a dangerous thought . . . and yet, if it worked, it would make sitting across from Mr. Maddox worthwhile.
“To be honest, Mr. Maddox, I’ve forgotten a lot about that moment in time. I’m sure it was the shock, and perhaps it’s for the best.” It was a bald lie. Norah would never forget each terrible second of those moments when she’d learned of Jeremy’s arrest—and every awful event afterward. She set her fork down and laced her hands together in her lap, praying for strength and asking forgiveness for the falsehoods she was telling.
“But there is one detail I remember so clearly. The day before the robbery, I had set aside a few bits of jewelry I no longer cared for. It was nothing very dear, of course, but I thought I might see if a few friends would like to have the pieces. Jeremy picked up a necklace—a simple one, but very pretty with a small cameo. He asked if he might give it to a friend who was saving money to buy a gift for the girl he was courting. I agreed, of course. He mentioned the friend’s name at the time, but it meant nothing to me then. It was Tip.” She gave him her prettiest smile, and then let it falter, as if she was troubled. “I do hope he was able to give it to you before . . .”
Mr. Maddox paused only half a second before giving her a sad smile. “My dear Miss Parker, that gesture was very much like the Jeremy I knew. You’ll be pleased to know that he did indeed give me the necklace, and I gave it as a gift that very evening.” He paused. “You mustn’t trouble yourself over that, though. That courtship is now long in the past.”
Norah’s heart nearly stopped. She had to force herself to nod and say, “Of course.”
She could hardly wait to tell Stuart. Mr. Maddox had just lied to her. And if he was willing to agree to a false story about a necklace, what else was he hiding?
Chapter Twelve
HE OUGHTN’T HAVE PUTit past Maddox to waste any time in visiting Norah.
When Stuart had stopped by the Parkers’ home that evening, dear Mrs. Parker had apologized for Norah’s absence. When she’d pressed him for questions about Maddox, who she clearly didn’t much care for, he’d done his best to soothe her worries. There was no point in letting her know of the man’s true character. Or that he didn’t trust Maddox’s intentions at all.
Mrs. Parker had thanked him and invited him for supper the following evening. Stuart left feeling awfully good about himself. Mrs. Parker clearly hoped he and Norah might find . . .
What, precisely?
The thought stopped Stuart in his tracks. Love? Marriage? His head spun. He’d barely had time to contemplate anything beyond the constant presence of Norah in his thoughts and the way every hair on his body seemed to stand on end when he’d touched her cheek.
But he did know one thing for certain, and that was the very thought of Maddox taking Norah’s arm or whispering in her ear made him want to hit something so badly that he could hardly see straight.
He couldn’t go home. Papa would want to talk business, and Ma would ask after Norah—he was beginning to suspect that she’d had more than one conversation with Mrs. Parker about how much time he and Norah were spending together.
