Millingham puffed out his chest. “You can’t possibly thinkIhad anything to do with it.”
“May we speak with Lady Rosalind?” Grimaldi asked, his voice tight.
“I believe she’s still abed,” Millingham replied.
Grimaldi gave him a false smile. “We’ll wait.”
Millingham looked perturbed at their resilience but he hastened from the room and came back not half an hour later with his daughter in tow. Lady Rosalind was tall with blond hair, crystal-blue eyes, and a calculating smile.
“Lord Coleford, Mr. Oakleaf,” she said as she walkedsolemnly into the room. “My father says you’d like to have a word with me.” She blinked at them innocently.
“Do you know a Mr. Quinton Knowles?” Daffin asked.
Her gaze turned to the floor and she shook her head. “No. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that name.”
“He claims you paid him a thousand pounds to have Lady Regina Haversham murdered.”
Lady Rosalind gasped. Daffin had to admit she was a fair actress. “Whatever in the world do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I barely know Lady Regina.”
“You see, my daughter doesn’t even know who this Knowles character is,” Lord Millingham replied. “Let alone have access to that amount of money.”
“Yes,” Daffin ground out. “It’s quite a mystery how Lady Rosalind might access that amount of money… without help.” He eyed the viscount up and down.
Grimaldi stood. He addressed his remarks to Lady Rosalind. “According to Mr. Knowles, you were hoping for a proposal from Lord Dryden and knew he and Regina were soon to become engaged.”
“Are Lord Dryden and Lady Regina engaged?” Lady Rosalind asked, fear and anger flashing across her features.
“Not yet,” Grimaldi replied.
“Not ever,” Daffin muttered.
“What’s that?” Lady Rosalind asked.
“Nothing,” Daffin replied.
Lady Rosalind tossed her head. “Lady Regina seems nice enough, but I sincerely doubt Lord Dryden intends to marryher.She’s a bit, shall we say, long in the tooth, for a marriage proposal. Besides, Dryden’s told me more than once that the land was more attractive than the lady.” She laughed.
Daffin jumped to his feet. “Lady Regina is a better womanthan you’ll ever be. Dryden would be a lucky man to have her.”
Millingham pushed his daughter behind him. “How dare you speak to my Rosalind that way? How dare you come in here spouting accusations from a common criminal without any proof? I assume you’ve got no proof or you would have produced it by now. Show me immediately or leave. I refuse to have you under my roof for another moment, Mr. Oakleaf, or should I say… Dubois?”
Daffin lunged for the viscount, but Grimaldi got there first, pushing Daffin away.
“Please leave,” Millingham ordered, lifting his nose in the air.
Daffin straightened his coat and watched the viscount through narrowed eyes. “Rest assured, my lord, when we get proof, we will be back for Lady Rosalind.”
Grimaldi made Daffin leave the room first. They made it out to the coach where Daffin punched the side of the conveyance. “Damn it, Grim. She’s going to get away with it.”
“I’m afraid you’re right. You know as well as I do that in our world a lady’s word against a known criminal’s is taken as truth.”
Daffin shook his head. “At least Knowles is locked away in the bowels of Newgate.”
“Yes, for the exact opposite reason. He was accused by Regina, a lady.” Regina had been able to identify Knowles easily yesterday afternoon and the magistrate at Bow Street sent him away with nary a second glance. “This is precisely why we need a police force.”
Daffin nodded. “You’re right.”
“It’s doubtful we’ll ever find proof that Lady Rosalind paid Knowles,” Grim said, entering the coach.
