“When was the last time you had a decent meal?” Chase asked.
Kevin looked down at his plate, now empty of a mound of eggs and two of the three cakes. “Last night. No, wait. The night before. I have been busy.”
“Still working out the problem with gambling odds?”
“Not problems. Probabilities. And yes, I have been doing a bit of thinking about those.”
“It doesn’t seem right, somehow. To gamble with a mathematical advantage.”
“I’m certainly not going to gamblewithoutan advantage. The point is to make a lot of money fast, not lose it.”
Chase, who knew why he needed that money, gave a little shrug. “You will find a way.”
“It may not matter. You are harboring a woman in your home who may make it all pointless.” He forced calm, even nonchalance, into his tone as he turned to Minerva. “How did the visit to the solicitor go?”
“Very well. Miss Jameson is overwhelmed, of course. Mr. Sanders was his usual, calm, fatherly self and explained everything clearly. He answered her questions completely.”
“What questions?”
Minerva’s mouth opened a bit, then shut. She glanced askance at Chase, who returned a look that said, “That was a mistake, darling.”
Minerva drank a bit of tea. “She had typical questions about accessing the funds. Unlike mine, hers are not in trust. The duke knew her, and probably saw what anyone can see, that she is a very levelheaded woman and quite practical. He would perhaps not worry so much whether she could manage the money on her own.”
Kevin felt a very thin smile form. His uncle, the late duke, had left a woman who was almost a stranger more money than he had left one of his favored nephews, Kevin. Free and clear, no less. “And the rest? The business enterprise?”Hisbusiness enterprise.
Minerva cleared her throat. “Yes, that. Well, she did ask Mr. Sanders what she should do with it. He was duty bound to tell her the options.” She grimaced. “The notion of selling her half did seem to appeal to her.”
Hell and damnation. He would kill Sanders.
“I must see her,” he said. “Go and get her. Either that or Chase will be fighting me with swords on the staircase to try to keep me from going myself.”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed. She turned to Chase, looking for equal annoyance, only to see Chase decide to drink more coffee right then.
Minerva stood. “I suppose I can see if she has risen yet. However, I will not wake her for your convenience, and if she is not yet dressed, you will have a long wait. You should call again this afternoon, as a civilized person would.”
“I don’t care if it is a long wait. I’ll stay in the library until she comes down.”
Minerva left. Chase pulled over a stack of mail and began flipping through it. Kevin availed himself of the sideboard again.
He settled back into his chair. All the Radnor cousins had their own strengths, and one of Chase’s was the ability to find information and assess its worth. He also could size up a person quickly. He had made a profession of those talents.
“What did you think of her?” Kevin asked.
Chase set down a letter and considered the question. “She is sensible and independent. She has established herself in a shop and appears to be making a success of it. At least enough of one that she has an assistant and an apprentice, which allowed her to leave it in their hands while she journeyed here. She is common born, but she has little of the rustic left in her. She seemed intelligent, but I did not speak with her very long.”
“What does she look like?”
“She has blond hair. Other than that, my opinion would be subjective at best. Does it matter?”
Blond hair. He had assumed it would be gray. He didn’t know why he thought that. Perhaps because most modistes were advanced in years before they could afford to open their own shops, and he assumed it would be the same for milliners. Of course, most women did not have a duke giving them a small purse that could be used to establish a business.
“Minerva thinks her hats are very fine. Dramatic without being vulgar, in her opinion,” Chase said. “You look annoyed that I have nothing more.”
“You know how important this is, so I assumed you would examine her closely and ask a few discreet questions.”
Chase smiled broadly while he picked up his interrupted letter. “I knew you would be able to conduct your own investigation soon.”
Kevin returned to his breakfast, wondering what his cousin found so amusing.
