“Who else knows of your suspicions?” he snapped.
“Lady Wentworth, of course.” She pointed to Sally. “And the maid.”
“Carolyn believes I killed her husband?” He grasped her arms.
She hitched a breath, but not from Nash’s closeness this time. The steely look in his deep brown eyes made her shudder. “Yes. Carolyn was the one who suspected you and gave me information about you in order to find you.”
Confusion filled his expression. “Of all people, I thought Carolyn would be the one to believe in me.”
Maxey’s chest tightened. The hurt from his sister-in-law’s betrayal was evident in his eyes and especially in his tight voice. He must have been close to Carolyn at one time. For a moment, Maxey doubted her belief in his guilt. But if he had the ring, it would prove everything.
“Tell me exactly what she said as to why I’m a suspect.”
“She says you envied your brother’s title and lands. She said that the ruby ring with the family crest was missing. It should go to their son, Joshua, but she thinks you stole it. I wanted her to tell the police inspector instead of having her servants search for you, but she didn’t want that. No matter how ill-qualified I am to track down a criminal, Lady Wentworth wanted us to find you. She instructed us to bring you and the ring back to the estate so that she could talk to you before getting the police inspector involved.”
His shoulders relaxed briefly, and the grip on her arms lessened. He inhaled deeply before releasing his breath slowly.
“Then perhaps Carolyn wants me to prove to her I didn’t steal the ring. That is why she wouldn’t inform the police inspector of my whereabouts.” He shrugged. “That gives me a little hope.”
“Nash,” Maxey said calmly, “just come back to the estate with me, and you can tell Lady Wentworth why she shouldn’t suspect you. The poor woman is distraught, and I’m sure that having you there to share in her grief will help her considerably.”
At this point, she was weary of trying to convince him to come back to the Wentworth estate. Their arguing was going in circles. She just wanted to be done with all this and leave the Lake District forever. Her childhood home wasn’t far from here, and she didn’t want to think about all the sad memories that place brought. The home was still in her brother’s name, and she wondered if he still resided there.
A heavy sigh escaped from between Nash’s teeth, and he loosened his hold. Lines in his face relaxed, nearly disappearing. The drastic changes in his mood confused her. Was this just another one of his exceptional performances from being in the opera? What was he hiding, and could she gain his trust enough to expose his deep, dark secrets?
“Nash. Although I think you’re a wonderful singer, your days of glory are going to end. Taking your brother’s ring was wrong, and you must be punished.”
When a smile touched his tempting mouth, uncertainty overwhelmed her. Why would he appear happy so soon after his little fit of temper?
His hard chest moved noticeably with each deep breath. “Maxey, my sweet, I am sorry to tell you, but you have been misinformed.” He shook his head. “I also don’t believe Carolyn thinks I’m guilty.”
Irritation rose inside her, and she folded her arms. “Nash, this has got to stop. Of course Lady Wentworth thinks you guilty. Why else would she send her servants to find you?”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “She sent her servants instead of the police investigator because she doesn’t want me arrested. Why would she not want me arrested if she thought I was guilty?”
Maxey bunched her hands into fists. Confusion swam in her head, and she hated doubting her own thoughts.
“Maxey,” he continued as he gently stroked her chin, “you think you have captured my brother’s killer and thief, but I am not that person. I didn’t steal my brother’s ring, and I certainly didn’t kill him.”
Tingles warmed her skin from where his fingers touched, and she pushed aside the feeling. Emotions had no part in getting to the bottom of this case.
“Then why would Lady Wentworth have us find you?” She stared into his intoxicating chocolate eyes, wishing they weren’t so dreamy.
“If my suspicions are correct, it is because she wants to know about my uncle.”
She arched a brow, finding his excuse as false as his plea of innocence. Did he assume she would believe anything he said? Not this time—and certainly not with this woman! Gullibility was not her weakness any longer.
“Nash, I still don’t understand. Did you not tell me your father and uncle quarreled and parted ways? Then, if your uncle holds no claims to the Wentworth estate, why would Lady Wentworth care at all about the man?”
He nodded slowly. “Because Uncle Matthew still wanted Father’s title and lands. I believe that Carolyn suspects my uncle of killing my brother instead. Although I lived with Uncle Matthew for only a few months, I did learn one thing: he tells so many lies that I doubt he would know the truth if it slapped him in the face. I also know that since my father and Uncle Matthew parted ways, he has been slowly building up his wealth and power. He is a very influential man in Devonshire.”
She wanted to laugh. At the same time, she almost pitied him for making up such a tale and trying to show his uncle in a different light.
“Do you have proof that your uncle killed your brother for the title? Or perhaps you are accusing him of just stealing the family ring.”
Nash sighed heavily. “My sweet Maxey. Although you say you are not an investigator, you certainly act like one. Your mind is positioned on the guilty, not the innocent.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
