It was an honest reply, but it was also a response to what felt like a threat and a challenge.
His voice dropped dangerously low. “You must hit the heart, and not just pretend you’ve reached close enough.”
“Now that’s not about archery,” Theo muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Joshua gave Daniel a smug look before rejoining the others.
Daniel wondered what that was all about, but then his gaze drifted back to the studio’s French doors.
Through the glass, the ladies were intently working in front of their easels. He quickly found Lucy. She was gripping a charcoal stick in her hand, her brow furrowed.
It was as if a lot hinged on her work and the result would not only be something to hang on the walls of her bedroom. Even from a distance, Daniel could not help but notice how devastatingly beautiful she was, despite her drab clothes. He was still at a loss as to why she was not wearing the dress he had bought her. The dire state of her wardrobe didn’t seem to be caused by poor finances, but by something else.
“Careful,” Theo murmured near his ear. Daniel didn’t even notice his friend’s approach. “You are staring at her, and not as a polite duke would. You are doing it like a predator about to pounce.”
Daniel grumbled in annoyance. “I was merely wondering what it must be like, cloistered inside while the rest of us are enjoying the fair weather.”
“Ah,” Theo teased. “You mean it’s a fine afternoon for a scandal, and possibly even a fight. The Earl of Marsleigh has keen eyes like a hawk, and I wonder if his hit was merely a display of that. Don’t give him a reason.”
He did not have to elaborate on what kind of reason. Daniel understood completely, but he didn’t want to give his friend the satisfaction of
knowing that he was right.
He forced his gaze away from the studio. As he did, he met Adrian’s eyes. With a silent understanding, the two men moved away from the others and walked toward the edge of the terrace, where no one would hear them.
“I needed to speak with you in private,” Daniel said, inwardly beating himself for stating the obvious.
“I’ve guessed as much,” Adrian replied dryly. “You do look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, Daniel. Is it a big secret?”
“Well, I visited Valentine St. Clair,” Daniel revealed. “After you gave me his address.”
“Mmm. Well, I am not surprised that you did. The man certainly offers quite a number of unique services. However, I hear he’s quite popular as of late.”
Daniel quickly thought of Lucy. Their first meeting might be unfortunate. However, he now wondered if he was meant to pull her away from not only a potential scandal but also from something she might regret for the rest of her life. The thoughtof her meeting a male escort and soliciting his services made possessiveness surge through him.
He reminded himself that he did not own her or her decisions. No matter what the ton said about propriety, Lucy had the right to discover what it would be like to chase her pleasure.
A different kind of heat flared within him then.
“Well, he gave me a name,” he explained. “I must admit I did not think a visit to someone like Valentine would result in something tangible enough. But yes, he pointed me to a fire specialist, a Moses Gordon. Apparently, he can make arson and other types of accidents happen without leaving proof of his involvement. He operates mostly in a warehouse near the Shoreditch docks.”
Adrian frowned, reminding him of his past in the underworld. The Duke of Wolfcrest took these matters seriously.
“I’ve heard of Gordon and the warehouse. However, I didn’t know that he was working for someone powerful.”
“It looks like it. Gordon might have committed the crime, but he did it at someone’s bidding. Someone from the ton must have wanted Kenneth dead,” Daniel gritted out, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists. “I always knew that my family was not killed by accident. They weremurdered, and Gordon was merely the assassin. I want to know who the mastermind was and what his reasons were.”
“Mmm. So you’re suggesting that a peer hired a common thug to burn your family alive,” Adrian murmured. “It means that this whole thing is madness. It’s dangerous. You might be walking into a trap each time you follow a hunch. After all, this peer may have been constantly watching your movements.”
“I know that I am right about this,” Daniel insisted. “I was there. It must have been Gordon’s shadow I saw. He could also be working with more thugs. I will not rest until I have answers. I need to know who gave the order. That man should not be allowed to continue living in society. He is a menace!”
Adrian tilted his head, studying him. Daniel could tell that he was trying to gauge his willingness to follow the trail with or without help.
“I still believe it’s a trap,” he said. “Gordon will make sure that he has men posted at places they will expect you to be.”
“I have no illusions that it will be easy. I need to be smarter than him,” Daniel replied. “If he is watching my movements, I must find out where he goes. Who he is meeting at the warehouse and who leaves it. I know that I can’t just strike.”
Adrian sighed heavily. Daniel almost expected him to raise his hands in surrender. “I don’t want you floating in the Thames. Daphne would never forgive me for being involved in this. She would also grieve you for the rest of her life. Here I was, enjoying having a brother-in-law who no longer hates me and can actually hit a target several times.”
