“That would appear to be the case, but...” Gideon released a breath. “I’m not comfortable revealing too many details about what I do, because there’s a reason I’ve taken such pains to keep my true occupation a secret. I don’t want to exposeany innocent parties to the risks involved with my chosen profession.”
“Which is admirable, but I’ve uncovered your secret.” She nodded to Frank, who’d still not moved a muscle. “With that said, if we don’t figure out how to get him out of here, society as a whole may soon know your secret as well.”
“You might have the right of that, but again, I’m not comfortable disclosing much.”
“A few basics will suffice, and know that I won’t breathe a word to anyone.” She held up her little finger. “I’ll even be willing to pinky promise.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I don’t believe anyone’s offered to pinky promise with me since I was in short pants.”
“No one should ever be too old to pinky promise,” Adelaide said, holding out her little finger and doing her best to ignore the jolt of something interesting that raced up her arm the second his little finger curled around hers. She gave his finger a quick shake, retrieved her hand, and summoned up a smile. “With that out of the way—to the basics. What exactly are you involved in?”
“I’m sure you’re going to take great delight in this because...” Gideon sent her a hint of a smile. “You were exactly on the mark about me being involved with Roland Kelly. We’re business partners, and yes, we delve into matters of deception and duplicity, normally for titans of industry, although Sophia Campanini hired us a few months back to investigate the background of a gentleman who was enamored with her.”
“How did she know your accounting firm was a front for an investigation agency?”
“Sophia has a lot of connections throughout the city, most of them wealthy gentlemen. It wouldn’t have been difficult for her to learn about Roland, although the only reason she discovered I’m involved with the accounting firm is because she saw me engaged in conversation with the gentleman she wantedinvestigated, and she put two and two together.” He rubbed his chin. “I had to have a chat with her about discretion and may have had to promise her priority service from the firm whenever she needs assistance with any delicate matters.”
“Bet that rankled.”
“Given that Sophia enjoys the reputation of being a demanding woman and has taken to contacting the firm over the most trivial of matters, yes, it’s somewhat annoying.”
“But it seems as if she truly did need someone to intervene on her behalf tonight, what with how Frank Fitzsimmons reacted to your appearance.”
Gideon shot Frank a glance. “I’m sure one of the first questions I’ll ask him after I get him well removed from the Nelson estate is why he went to such lengths to meet with Sophia. He must have had a matter of great importance to discuss with her since he took the time to travel from the city to the Hudson. Most criminal bosses would have sent an underling to deal with Sophia, which does lend a certain sense of menace to whatever she’s gotten herself involved in.”
“Indeed, which means the sooner you get him roused from his unconscious state and talking, the better.”
“My only obstacle with that is I haven’t the foggiest idea how to get him removed from the library without being seen. While I could say I wandered into the library and was attacked without provocation, authorities will then most certainly be called in.”
“And you’ll lose your opportunity to interrogate the man,” Adelaide said. “Since that will leave too many questions left unanswered, what you need right now is a distraction.” She caught his gaze. “It just so happens I’m more than experienced with creating chaos.”
Gideon shook his head. “I can’t allow you to place yourself in another embarrassing incident because I have a dilemma on my hands.”
“Of course you can because I owe you.”
“How do you figure that?”
She moved across the room, drew aside a curtain that revealed French doors leading to the back terrace, and smiled as a plan immediately began to form. “You’ve saved me from unpleasant fates numerous times. I could have been horribly disfigured if not for your quick actions as well as dead if I’d gone over a cliff, but because of your intervention, I’m still here, alive, kicking, and not deformed. That means I’m going to assist you tonight, whether you want me to or not.”
“I think we need to add stubbornness to what is rapidly turning into a long list of attributes I doubt your mother would approve of.”
“Mother is perfectly aware of my faults. She just doesn’t care to acknowledge them. However...” Adelaide twitched the curtain back into place before returning her attention to Gideon. “Perhaps it would be to my benefit if you were to mention some of those faults to Mother because, if she learns that gentlemen believe I’m odd, stubborn, contrary, and perhaps a touch tenacious at times, she’ll resign herself to the inevitable.”
He quirked a brow. “And that would be?”
“That she’ll need to content herself with having a daughter who’s destined to remain a spinster.”
“I doubt you’re destined for spinsterhood.”
“And I’ll respectfully disagree, but now is hardly the moment to discuss my spinster status, not when I have some chaos to attend to.”
Gideon frowned. “I’m not convinced that should be our first approach to solve my quandary.”
“In this situation, it’s the only approach to use if you want to get Frank Fitzsimmons well removed from here without being seen. That means you need to stop arguing with me and let me get on with things.”
“What exactly are these things you’re going to get on with?”
She shrugged. “I only have a glimmer of an idea right now,one I hope manifests into something more once I put the rudimental aspects of it into motion. With that said, after I get on my way, you’ll need to crack open the French doors behind the curtains, then give me five minutes. I believe that’s enough time for me to draw attention.”
