To the butler, Owen demanded, “I wish to speak with the earl’s driver.”
Again, the butler looked to her. “You may fetch him,” she agreed.
Not looking too happy, he did as directed, and in a few minutes came back from the servants’ quarters with Henry, her brother’s driver, who, by the looks of him, had quickly donned his uniform, which hung slightly askew.
“You took the earl last Wednesday night to pick up a young woman. Where did you go?”
Henry looked from Owen to Adelia, who nodded for him to answer.
“To the East End, my lord.”
Adelia gasped softly, drawing Owen’s smug attention. “Precisely where, man?” he growled impatiently.
“Corner of Whitechapel High Street and Osborn Street, my lord. The young miss was waiting there.”
“Very close,” Owen muttered, and she knew he meant to where Sophia had been strangled.
“That will be all, Henry,” she said. The driver disappeared the way he had come.
“I suppose we could go now,” Adelia offered. For if Owen were hunting Thomas that night, she had to go, too, to protect her brother if at all possible.
“I cannot take you there. It is beyond low. To that, I can attest.”
“Inyourcompany,” she said, appealing to his pride as a strong male, “I would be well protected.”
“If anything were to happen to you…” he began but trailed off.
Would it bother him?she wondered. Owen seemed to be painting her with the same brush of guilt as he was her brother. Hopefully, when calmer, he would see reason.
“All right,” he conceded. “We shall go to Whitechapel High Street and visit the last place I saw him. You will stay next to me,” he ordered. “I don’t need to remind you to keep your mouth closed. The less your finely accented tone is heard, the safer you will be. Frankly, you are the only woman I know who can stay quiet unbidden. I suggest you wear a thick black cloak and sturdy walking shoes.”
She glanced down at her expensive gown. If she asked to change, she feared he would go without her. Mr. Lockley was already grabbing the necessary outerwear from the downstairs closet, and she sat on the tufted chair in the foyer to remove her lightweight shoes, which she set next to her dancing slippers. After donning her favorite ankle boots, she glanced up in time to see Owen staring at her legs.
He visibly swallowed, and his gaze locked with hers. Apparently, the sight of her stockinged feet had reminded him he fancied her, as he’d once said.Good.She was not ready to lose this man over what could only be a severe misunderstanding of the facts.
“Ready?” Owen asked, offering her his arm.
“Yes.”
“Where is Penny, my lady?” This from Mr. Lockley, who was usually careful not to lose his staff.
Adelia exhaled in frustration. “Please send Henry back to Cavendish Square. I am sorry to say, we left her behind.”
Mr. Lockley scowled magnificently. “We shall recover her at once, my lady. Will you take Meg or—?”
“She’ll take no one,” Owen interrupted. “It’s bad enough I have to look after her. I cannot worry about two females.”
“My lady,” the butler protested, overstepping his position out of sheer loyalty to her family.
“Lord Burnley and I are going to look for Lord Smythe, Mr. Lockley. And there is a driver and a footman along as well. I shall be perfectly safe.”
And with Owen blisteringly angry at her and doubting her every word, she supposed her person was safer with him than ever before. Kisses were not in the foreseeable future.
In moments, they were back in his comfortable clarence, and she supposed if they found Thomas, she would return home with her brother.
As they traveled through Mayfair, she tried to piece together everything she now knew. “You found your sister because of a note that she left behind?”
“Yes.”
