“My reputation isn’t so important to me that I’d suffer through life with you.” She spun on her heel and nodded to Victor. “As I’m sure you’ve already sent a ransom demand to my father, andprobably a substantial one at that, and since you were so accommodating to me throughout my abduction, will you now arrange for me to stay in a George-free room until the ransom is paid?”
Victor inclined his head. “I see no reason why I can’t accommodate that.”
“Lovely,” Camilla said before she returned to her seat, took a sip of coffee, and frowned. “May I also ask a few questions while we finish our coffee?”
“You don’t seem like you’re the type of lady who would stop asking even if I said no,” Victor muttered.
“You’re probably right, so...” Camilla set aside her cup. “You introduced yourself to me, which seems odd since I can now identify you.”
“I don’t plan on remaining in New York after my transaction with your father is completed.” Victor steepled his fingers together. “I’ve already set up plans to take my organization to another city far from here, one I won’t disclose to you, of course, but one that will be more than welcoming to the type of business I operate.”
“How prudent of you,” Camilla said.
“Indeed,” Victor agreed. “And with that answered, anything else you’d like to ask me before I take my leave?”
“I suppose the only truly pressing question I have left is ... who was your informant?”
Victor smiled. “I would’ve thought you’d have figured that out by now, my dear, seeing as how you seem to be such a clever sort.”
“I’m apparently not as clever as you believe.”
“Then allow me to assuage your curiosity, although I’m sure you’re going to feel quite the idiot to learn that the informant who sold you out in exchange for obtaining her greatest desire in life—that being an opportunity to take to the stage—was Bernadette.”
Thirty
“Am I to understandyou’rethe gentleman my daughter traipsed off to the wilds of West Virginia with?” Margaret Pierpont asked as her gaze roamed over Owen.
Given that Owen was currently looking as if he’d taken up bare-knuckle boxing and gone more than a few rounds with a champion pugilist, what with how he was sporting two black eyes and had a large gash running down the side of his face, caused when he’d lost consciousness and plummeted to the ground, he could certainly understand the incredulousness in Mrs. Pierpont’s tone.
In all honesty, he’d never imagined meeting Hubert and Margaret Pierpont in their Fifth Avenue mansion under what could only be considered difficult circumstances. It was a forgone conclusion that he probably wasn’t making a very good first impression, even though Mr. Timken, who’d traveled to New York with him after he’d regained consciousness, had made a point of telling Camilla’s parents that Owen had fought tooth and nail to save Camilla, until he’d been rendered incapacitated.
Owen inclined his head Margaret Pierpont’s way. “I am the gentleman Camilla traveled to West Virginia with, but before weget into the particulars of everything that’s happened of late, allow me to first apologize for being ill-equipped to prevent Camilla’s abduction.”
Margaret’s lips thinned. “Why were you ill-equipped, Mr. Chesterfield?”
“I underestimated the situation. I had security in place for Camilla, as well as the protection services of Charles and Leopold, but I never considered that anyone would attempt to abduct your daughter from a paddle steamer filled with a few hundred people. I also didn’t anticipate that the men behind her abduction would have additional criminals waiting at my residence on Wheeling Island on the chance the abduction plan on the water was unsuccessful.”
“I don’t believe anyone could have foreseen that,” a man said, striding into the receiving parlor and up to Owen, immediately holding out his hand. “I’m Gideon Abbott.”
“Owen Chesterfield,” Owen said, shaking Gideon’s hand. “Camilla told me about you. Dare I hope you have any leads as to where she’s being held?”
“We have every agent from my firm out searching for her. So far, we’ve not been able to find her.”
“We do have our suspicions regarding who took her,” a lady with black hair and dressed in a deep shade of purple said as she strolled into the room, stopping in front of Owen, where she promptly dipped into a curtsy. “I’m Adelaide Abbott, Gideon’s wife as well as an agent with the firm. I’m also very dear friends with Camilla.”
Owen presented her with a bow. “Camilla mentioned you more than a few times, Mrs. Abbott. I believe she considers you a dear friend as well.”
Adelaide’s lips curved. “Of course she does, and I’m looking forward to speaking with you further regarding Camilla’s stay in West Virginia, but for now, allow me to return to Camilla’s case. I’m wondering, since you were with her when she was abducted,if you heard any pertinent information that may confirm our suspicions regarding who is currently holding Camilla for ransom.”
“Since the attack was well organized, I’m going to say it was arranged by a criminal syndicate, perhaps run by one Victor Malvado, although I can’t help thinking that Lord Shrewsbury is somehow involved,” Owen said.
Gideon nodded. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on Victor and his operation, but he’s slippery. Keeps himself surrounded with guards, and none of our agents have seen any suspicious activity that points a finger his way for this particular crime. Lord Shrewsbury, on the other hand, seems to be our most credible suspect at this point.”
“Could it be that he’s working in tandem with another criminal organization?”
“Given that the man is severely lacking in the morals department? Probably.” Gideon nodded to Adelaide. “Adelaide and I began investigating Lord Shrewsbury after I had a talk with him in England when I encountered him at a gentleman’s club I frequent. He was unaware of my close association with Camilla when I first asked if I could join him at his table, but he didn’t hesitate to encourage me to sit down with him after I offered to buy him a bottle of his favorite wine. After Lord Shrewsbury gulped down a few glasses of that wine, and, even though he’d never met me before, he didn’t hesitate to disclose that he’d divorced his wife and was intending on traveling to New York to reunite with a lady he claimed was the love of his life.” Gideon’s lips thinned. “I knew he was speaking about Camilla. I then revealed my close friendship with Camilla and told George that he wasn’t to have anything to do with her—ever.”
Adelaide caught Owen’s eye. “Gideon and I knew, as we discussed that conversation, that Lord Shrewsbury was clearly pursuing another fortune, and who better to pursue than Camilla, a lady who’d fallen for him the year of her debut.” She pursed her lips. “Camilla told me during this past winter Season that George,before he left New York, told her that although he was being forced to marry someone else, his heart would always belong to her.”
