“Julian didn’t mention that.” Carenza frowned. “But one has to wonder whether Mr. Calloway has shared his suspicions with Percival and made things worse.”
“Calloway?” Allegra asked. “What does that rascal have to do with it?”
Carenza shared a grimace with Olivia. “He was one of the very few gentlemen who turned up at the inn to be interviewed. We sent him on his way when he refused to say whether he’d ever had the pox.”
Allegra shuddered. “I’m fairly sure he has.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Olivia agreed. “I wonder when he encountered Julian?”
“I believe they met outside the inn,” Carenza said cautiously. “But you’d have to ask Julian to be certain.”
“Where is he?” Olivia looked around the room.
“Not here,” Carenza said. “Unless he’s hiding somewhere.”
“Then we need to summon him to a conference,” Olivia said. “I’ll have a note sent to his house.”
“He might be busy,” Allegra said. “He is very involved in good works these days.”
“Julian is?” Olivia looked surprised. “I suppose it’s a better use for his money than gambling or drinking it away. Did he tell you he’s invited me to a house party?”
Slightly unnerved by the rapid change of subject, Carenza blinked. “House party?”
“Yes, at his place in Epping Forest.” Olivia went over to the desk and began writing a note to Julian. “He did invite you, didn’t he?”
“Of course, I’d forgotten all about it,” Carenza confessed.
“How romantic,” Olivia said as she rose to her feet and headed for the door. “I’ll take this down to the kitchen and get someone to deliver it immediately. By the time we sit down to dinner we should have heard from him.”
She left the room, and Allegra stared at her sister. “Olivia’s invited herself to dinner again.”
“So she has,” Carenza sighed. “I’d better have a word with Cook.”
CHAPTER11
They were halfway through dinner when Julian arrived. Olivia, obviously on edge, looked him up and down as he bowed in greeting and set her wineglass on the table with something of a thump. “I suppose it took you two hours to get ready to venture forth after receiving my urgent message.”
Julian glanced at Carenza before he sat down. Then he turned to Olivia and said, “With respect, Mrs. Sheraton, I was dealing with estate matters at my solicitor’s and didn’t receive your note until I returned home.”
Olivia sniffed. “I’ll wager you still took the time to change before you came out again.”
“I could hardly appear before you in my morning clothes. What would people think?” Julian said with an easy smile that Carenza guessed was a deliberate attempt to enrage Olivia.
“People?” Olivia looked around the room. “It’s just us.”
Knowing how her friend could keep an argument going for hours, Carenza hastened to intervene. “Perhaps you might care to explain to Julian why you thought it was so urgent for him to talk with us, Olivia.”
“I’m being blackmailed by Mr. Cox,” Olivia said.
“Ah.” Julian sat back and regarded her. “I wondered whether he would try that.”
“And you didn’t think to mention it to me?”
“You assured me that he was an honest man who would never double-cross you. I chose to believe you and gave him the benefit of the doubt when he approached me with a similar offer.”
“And what should I do?” Olivia asked, her fingers tapping.
“Nothing.”
