“You’re not thinking of—” Nate began.
“Why not? She has plenty of money, and that husband of hers can’t be satisfying her. We both have something the other wants.”
“She has a son,” Nate said, but he was unsure why. It was no business of his what Helen did with her life. She’d offered herself to him, and he’d refused. He no longer loved her; still, the thought of Frederick—was this interest new, or had it existed before—when heand Helen were betrothed? Nate glanced at Frederick.How well did he truly know his friend?
“Don’t look at me like that! Every woman you come in contact with can’t be off limits to your friends, Squires,” Frederick said as if he sensed Nate’s thoughts.
“She wasn’t just any woman. We were betrothed.”
“And now you’re not.”
“Yes, you have a point.” Nate forced nonchalance, even though he didn’t feel quite that calm. “Do as you wish, with one caveat.”
“And what is that?” Frederick raised his eyebrows in question.
“You’d best hope Lord Luxton remains healthy. One accidental death might be overlooked by the local magistrate, but two certainly will not.”
“Good Lord, Squires! How long have you known me? I’m a philanderer, not a murderer.”
Nate turned to look at Helen as she walked beside her husband, confined to his chair, and wheeled by his valet.It’s not you that I’m concerned about.
Chapter Eighteen
While the guestscelebrated outside with champagne, the servants and Bijou were permitted to celebrate downstairs with tea and cake. With everyone occupied, Bridget took the opportunity to sneak upstairs and search the rooms. She tried Lydia’s chamber first, hoping to find Dodsworth’s “confession,” but her door was locked. Bridget frowned. Why hadn’t she anticipated that? She did not have time to fetch the master keys, so she walked down the hallway to Lady Eamont’s room and was relieved to find it open.
She began by looking in the most obvious places—the jewelry box, the drawers, and under the mattress. Not wanting to make a mess but also needing to be quick, Bridget paused, looking around the room and trying to decipher where Lady Eamont could have hidden the brooch. But the room was too clean and neatly organized. She couldn’t hope to find it without rummaging through all of Lady Eamont’s perfectly wrapped dresses, shoes, hats, bonnets, and gloves.
Feeling deflated, Bridget sank onto a red-velvet-upholstered chair and scanned the room, thinking. She’d searched every inch of Madam Bouffant’s room, and the brooch had not been there. She was certain Lady Eamont had it in her possession.
“What are you doing in here?”
Bridget jerked her head up, startled that she was not alone. Adelia stood in the doorway, her eyes red rimmed and her cheeks tear stained. Yet she didn’t look sad. She looked furious.
Bridget swallowed. Her mind worked to come up with an excusefor being in the viscountess’s room. “I—it’s Bijou, my dog. I was looking for him. He sometimes likes to hide in this room,” she lied.
“Why? What’s so special about this room?” Adelia stepped inside and glanced around.
“Nothing. I mean, I don’t know. It’s always been one of Bijou’s favorite places in the house.”
Adelia narrowed her eyes. “You’re lying. You left your mutt downstairs with that mad housekeeper. The one who stalks around in all black and speaks barely above a whisper, like some sort of demented specter.”
“Her name is Eliza. She’s my lady’s maid,” Bridget said, irritated. “And she wears black because she’s in mourning for her master.” She stood up, eager to escape Adelia’s company. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to continue my search.” Bridget made for the door.
“Do you think me ugly, Miss De Lacey?”
Bridget stopped, startled by the turn in conversation. “I—no, of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Mama says my eyes are too small. She calls them elephant eyes.”
“Pardon?” Bridget said. “Did you say ‘elephant eyes’?”
“Yes, haven’t you ever seen an elephant?”
“Only in paintings.”
“Well, I have seen one up close. There’s one in a cage at the Tower of London. It’s part of the royal menagerie. The poor thing was far too big to be stuck in a cage. I was shocked by its size. But for such a large animal, they have very small eyes.”
“I didn’t know that,” Bridget said.
