He growled with displeasure and finished his food. “One would think they’d see the merit in being forthright.”
Her answering expression suggested she agreed. But then she said, “Of course, there’s also the possibility that the murderer, whoever he may be, caused her to act out of character. Maybe she was different with him for some reason.”
Adrian frowned. “That’s not a bad theory.”
He brushed off his hands and seeing that Samantha was done with her pie as well, he stood. They walked the remaining mile to Benjamin Lawrence’s townhouseand knocked on the door. A butler appeared moments later, and Adrian stated their business.
“Please come in.” The butler stepped aside and they entered a tastefully understated foyer. A hushed click accompanied the closing of the door. “Wait here while I check to see if Mr. Lawrence is receiving guests this afternoon.”
The butler departed and Adrian gave his attention to the loveliest longcase clock he’d ever beheld. Walnut and marquetry, the face not only showing the time but also the phases of the moon. It, along with a beautiful lion carved from marble, suggested a maturity Benjamin Lawrence’s younger brother, Nigel, had seemed to lack when Adrian met him while hunting Clive Newton.
“Mr. Lawrence says he will see you.” Adrian turned in response to the butler’s voice. “This way, if you please.”
Allowing Samantha to take the lead, Adrian followed her and the butler into a room that turned out to be the library. His gaze searched the large space until he found the man he sought. Lounging on one of the sofas, with his legs stretched out before him, was Benjamin Lawrence.
Of slim build with a reddish tint to the curls that fell lazily over his brow, a pair of dazzling blue eyes, and a general softness shaping the rest of his features, he had an almost poetic look about him. This was further amplified by the book in his lap and the additional stack of books that sat in a pile on the table beside him.
Adrian had never been formally introduced to him, though he’d seen him once or twice at his club and at a few social functions. Edward had told him who he was when Adrian asked, and that had been the extent of their acquaintance. Until now.
“Thank you for agreeing to see us,” Adrian said.
Lawrence produced a welcoming smile. “You’ll have to forgive me for not getting up to greet you and for remaining seated in the presence of a lady.”
“No forgiveness required,” Samantha told him. “If you need anything while we’re here, just ask. May I?” She gestured toward the seating arrangement.
He nodded. “By all means.”
She settled into one of the two chairs positioned near the sofa. Adrian lowered himself to the other. He leaned back, crossed his legs at the ankles, and cleared his throat. “I’m here because of the terrible fate that befell your fiancée. Her father has asked me to help solve her murder.”
Whatever pleasure Lawrence had just given way to vanished like sunshine behind a dark cloud. Misery filled his eyes. His mouth became a straight line, the edges of which turned slightly downward. “Good. I’ve little confidence in Bow Street’s abilities.”
A man of like mind, Adrian decided. “Do you have any idea who might have killed her?”
Lawrence looked close to tears. “No. She was the kindest person I’ve ever met. Are you aware that she made regular donations to the poor?”
“Audrey, her lady’s maid, mentioned it to me.”Adrian glanced at Samantha, whose observational gaze was wandering around the room. To Lawrence he added, “How did you feel about her personally?”
Lawrence dabbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. He cleared his throat, appeared to compose himself somewhat. “She was my fiancée. I should think it goes without saying that I cared for her well-being.”
“Did you love her?” Samantha asked while perusing the titles of the books that sat on the table within their host’s reach. Pausing, she sent Lawrence an expectant look.
“I believe our relationship was too new for either of us to feel so strongly, though I’ve no doubt we would have grown to love each other with time. I certainly respected her and valued her opinion. We got on well together. I…looked forward to starting my life with her.” His eyes hardened with a sudden flare of anger. “I want the person who killed her to suffer.”
Adrian met Samantha’s gaze, the meaningful look in her eyes prompting him to say, “It’s our understanding that Lady Eleanor’s dowry was small compared to others. So if you didn’t love her and you didn’t stand to gain financially or socially, then why did you pursue her?”
The tension in Lawrence’s expression had eased a little while Adrian spoke, but there was still an overall gravity to him – perhaps a hint of unease – to suggest that asking for Lady Eleanor’s hand had not been done on a whim. He drew a lengthy breath through his nose and expelled it slowly.
“It was a business transaction,” he finally admitted. “I wanted Orendel’s shares in North Atlantic Trade. He refused to part with them until I offered him ten thousand pounds and agreed to marry his daughter as part of the bargain. I was naturally hesitant at first, could not recall ever seeing her before. But then I met her and I was impressed by how pretty, intelligent, and agreeable she was. In my view, it’s a good thing her dowry wasn’t larger or someone more eligible than myself would most likely have snatched her up.”
“In other words, you feel as though it was serendipitous,” Samantha said. She’d risen while he’d been talking and had crossed to one of the bookcases flanking the opposite wall. Her fingers traced across the spines of various volumes as she drifted past them, her progress slow and thoughtful. “You’d never noticed her before, but once you did you were thrilled and excited to know what a wonderful bride you’d acquired. A woman you could see yourself living a pleasant life with, perhaps even loving.”
“Yes.” Lawrence’s voice turned raw. It seemed emotion had once again caught him in its grasp. His eyes grew watery and he brushed the tears away. “I asked her father if I could see her. Afterward, you know. He refused to allow it. Told me it was best for me to remember her as she was.”
“I think he was correct to deny your request,” Adrian said. “As someone who has seen what was done to her, I can only say that she was not in the most presentable state.”
“It is my understanding that she was stabbed?”
“Multiple times, though I believe she was already dead when that happened. A small mercy.” He would not mention the eyes. No sense in torturing the poor man any more than necessary.
