“That’s none of your business!”
I glanced at my handwritten declaration. “We have an agreement.”
His jaw worked in an attempt to stamp down on his rising fury. “We talked about the weather.”
“Did she ask you for money?”
His lips parted with his silent gasp. He was surprised I knew that much. But he didn’t answer.
“Did she tell you that someone is blackmailing her over her relationship with you?”
He gave a humorless laugh. “You are a fool, Miss Fox.”
It was my turn to be surprised. Why would he think that? Then it occurred to me. If someone knew about his relationship with her, they wouldn’t blackmail Pearl; they’d blackmail Lord Wrexham. He had more to lose and more money to pay.
So the blackmailing attempt had nothing to do with her relationship with Wrexham or, for the same reason, with Lord Rumford. Then what was it about?
I couldn’t answer that unless this man admitted she asked him for money. “What was the money for?” I pressed.
“She didn’t come here for money. She came to reminisce.”
I scoffed. “That’s absurd. She visits her former lover in the middle of the day when his wife is at home simply to reminisce with him? I am notthatmuch of a fool, my lord.”
He simply smiled at me. The sores on his face made it looksinister.
I wasn’t going to get an answer about the meeting, and I doubted I would get an answer for my next question, too, but it had to be asked. “Where were you last Monday, the day Pearl died?”
He frowned. “Why?”
“It’s just a question.”
“An unnecessary one, in my view. She killed herself. What has that got to do with my whereabouts?”
“Even so, can you tell me where you were?”
He sniffed. “I can’t recall.”
I pointed at the open diary on his desk. “Why don’t you check?”
He slammed it shut and placed his hand on the cover. “Which newspaper do you work for?” The ice-cold edge of his tone made me shiver.
I glanced at the piece of paper I’d signed. “We have an agreement.”
“I asked you a question.”
“And I asked you—"
He smacked his hand down on the diary.
I stood abruptly to hide my flinch. It was time to go anyway. I wasn’t getting anywhere.
I turned to leave, but Lord Wrexham was surprisingly fast and reached the door before me. He blocked it.
“Who do you work for, Miss Fox?”
“Let me out,” I said with a calmness I didn’t feel.
He smashed his fist against the door. “Answer me, or by God you’ll regret coming here.”
