Amelia pondered that statement and the convincing manner in which Bartholomew delivered it. Perhaps they were wrong about him? All they had was an idea cultivated by Guthrie.
“I rather suspect you might be,” Coventry said.
Bartholomew sighed. “Very well, let us suppose that I am. You still have no evidence to prove it, do you?” When Coventry failed to answer, Bartholomew shook his head. “Honestly, I cannot imagine what you hoped to achieve by asking me to come here. If a confession was your aim, you ought to know that I never confess to anything.” He stood and turned toward the door. “Come along, Mr. Smith. The duke has wasted enough of our time today.”
“I will be launching an investigation,” Coventry added.
His words made Bartholomew pause with his hand on the door handle. He looked back at Coventry. “Feel free to do as you please. I certainly have no plan to stop you.”
“That man is a snake,” the dowager duchess proclaimed as soon as Bartholomew and his compatriot had quit the room. “Those light green eyes made my skin crawl.”
“He is right though,” Coventry murmured. “We cannot prove that he is involved, and he certainly will not be making a confession.”
“But perhaps confronting him like this will warn him off,” Lady Everly suggested.
“It is a possibility.” Coventry looked across at Amelia and met her gaze. He gave her a regrettable smile. “I am sorry I could not achieve more.”
“Don’t be. Now that we know we’re being targeted, we’ll hire some watchmen to keep an eye on the building both day and night. If someone tries to cause harm again, they will hopefully be caught.”
“Perhaps you ought to refrain from visiting the house in the meantime,” Coventry said. “I do not like the idea of subjecting you to possible danger.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She could feel her entire person revolting against the idea. “I need to stay apprised of what is going on.”
“Coventry can easily do so,” Lady Everly said. “I think he is right to insist on keeping you away from there until all threats have been eliminated.”
“But this is my project, and the threats are not as big as all that when all I am doing is assessing the progress for a few minutes here and there.” She could hardly believe what was happening now.
“Even so,” the dowager duchess chimed in, “caution is advised. Especiallybecausethis is your project, Lady Amelia. If anything were to happen to you, it would probably be the end of it.”
Disliking that ominous thought, Amelia reluctantly agreed. “Very well,” she said, “but if a week passes without incident, I am going back for a quick visit.”
With a sigh, Coventry looked to his mother, then to Lady Everly before eventually meeting Amelia’s gaze. “Fine.” His curt affirmative spoke of deep apprehension on his part.
The dowager duchess rose, signaling an end to the conversation. “It has been a trying hour. Perhaps you would like to have a refreshing cup of tea?”
“Oh indeed, that would be welcomed,” Lady Everly said. She preceded the dowager duchess out of the room.
“I was actually wondering if I might be able to see Jeremy again,” Amelia said.
Turning in the doorway, the dowager duchess raised an eyebrow and then looked toward her son. “Perhaps you can engage Lady Everly in a bit of conversation, Coventry, while I show Lady Amelia up to the nursery?”
“I would be delighted to,” Coventry said. He circumvented his desk and came to a halt before Amelia. “Thank you for taking an interest in him.” The appreciation with which he spoke was profound.
“Having made his acquaintance, I cannot imagine not doing so,” she said. “He is a bright child.”
“Yes, he is.”
There was something about the way Coventry spoke that almost appeared insightful. She found that a bit strange since he was Jeremy’s father and would obviously know just how wonderful Jeremy was.
“After you,” Coventry said, his words scattering her thoughts.
She glanced at him, producing a smile in response to the warmth that shone in his eyes, and then followed his mother from the room.
Entering the nursery, Amelia searched the room for Jeremy until she spotted him by one of the windows. A cushioned bench there allowed him to sit and look out at the street below, his arms crossed against his chest while his small frame rocked gently back and forth.
“We’ll be all right,” Amelia told the dowager duchess. “If you would like to return downstairs, I will join you in a few minutes after I give him the gift I’ve brought with me.”
“You brought him a gift?” The dowager duchess’s voice was but a whisper of incredulity.
