They travelled along Audley Street, the well-sprung carriage a great deal more comfortable than the hackneys they’d used yesterday. Each bump in the road caused a gentle sway instead of a jarring jolt, the plush upholstery further cushioning them from any discomfort.
A couple of bags sat on the opposite bench. Adrian smiled while considering them and what they would lead to. Samantha had voiced a need for physicalexertion lately, so he’d suggested they stop by Reed’s after speaking with Orendel. It would finally give him a chance to discover how capable his wife was in a fight, and he looked forward to it tremendously.
When they arrived at Orendel’s, the butler, a man with whom Adrian was now well acquainted, invited them into the foyer and went to see if his master was still at home. They had come unannounced, but Adrian was fairly certain the earl would see them unless he was truly indisposed. After all, it was in his best interest.
As expected, the butler showed them into the parlor when he returned. “His lordship will join you shortly. Would you care for some tea or coffee while you wait?”
They’d barely declined the offer of refreshment when Orendel entered. The butler bowed and closed the door as he left.
“I gather you have news,” Orendel said, a restless sort of energy about him. He gestured toward the seating arrangement
“To some degree,” Adrian said once he and Samantha had made themselves comfortable on the sofa. The earl lowered himself to one of the armchairs. “I’ve spoken with Mr. Benjamin Lawrence. He pointed me in Mr. Michael Hutchins’s direction. Seems like there’s a great deal you neglected to mention to me.”
“I told you everything I deemed important.” Orendel’s voice had tightened. “My daughter’s acquaintance with Mr. Hutchins ended last year. It’s in the past, so I saw no sense in bringing it up.”
“There’s also Lady Eleanor’s engagement to Mr.Lawrence to consider,” Adrian pointed out. He’d get back to Hutchins later.
“What about it?”
Adrian angled his head while holding Orendel’s gaze. “Seems you and Lawrence stood to gain the most from the upcoming marriage. You never mentioned that he would acquire your shares in North Atlantic Trade or that you would receive ten thousand pounds in return.”
“I honestly don’t see how it relates. Marriages of convenience are the norm for people like us. Eleanor knew this and she accepted it. She even told me how well she liked Mr. Lawrence, who’s not a bad looking man and who made a deliberate effort to court her as she deserved. Had she not…” He paused for a second, broke eye contact briefly, then managed to say, “She was happy with him.”
“You’re certain of this?” Adrian asked.
“There’s no reason for me to doubt it when she gave every indication of looking forward to her wedding day with joy.”
Adrian pondered this. Orendel did look extremely certain of himself, which had to mean one of two things. Either his daughter had hidden the truth or Hutchins was lying. It was time to figure out which was more likely.
He glanced at Samantha, a little impressed by her inscrutable expression. She revealed nothing of the conversation they’d had with Hutchins, reminding himonce again of how skilled she was at keeping all thought and emotion carefully hidden.
A touch of bitterness curled through his veins. Was he a fool to have faith in her after what she had done? Perhaps. The problem was, hewantedto trust her,longedto believe what she told him was true, risk his heart and his own damn safety because…
She met his gaze, a questioning look in her eyes, and he became acutely aware of the silence. So he shook off the tendrils of doubt creeping in and returned his focus to Orendel. “According to Hutchins, Lady Eleanor wished to elope. With him.”
The earl’s expression turned thunderous. He balled his hands into fists, the tension in his shoulders pulling his jacket tight. “He’s a damn liar. The arrogance of him to suppose he might have been worthy of her and that she, a gently bred young woman, would lower herself to the likes of him is laughable at best.”
“Are you telling us she made no request for you to meet with him? That she did not hope you might consider letting her wed him instead?”
“Bah…” Orendel swiped one hand dismissively through the air. “Women have all sorts of foolish notions that don’t make an ounce of sense.”
“I beg your pardon,” Samantha said, a slight but noticeable edge to her voice.
“She described Hutchins as the handsomest man she’s ever laid eyes on, adding that he was also incredibly charming,” Orendel explained, not deigningSamantha’s comment with a response. “There’s no doubt in my mind she was smitten by looks rather than substance. Not to mention the fact that the man has no fortune. Her life with him would have been hell, but she was too young and inexperienced to realize as much, so it was up to me to make sure she’d be properly settled and well taken care of. Even if she disagreed with my view at the start. As far as I know, she eventually came around to my way of thinking.”
“Not according to Hutchins. He claims she was being forced into doing something she had no wish to do, that she felt used for your and Lawrence’s gain.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Orendel growled, his expression twisted in anger. “If that were true, then why put in the effort to plan the wedding? She spent hours visiting dressmakers and trying to decide on the floral arrangements and wedding cake with her mother. Had there been a hint of unwillingness on her part, I’m sure we’d have known.”
The earl did make a compelling argument. And yet…
“Hutchins mentioned a detail you might want to check. According to him, he and Eleanor used the charity she frequented for their secret rendezvous. Apparently the maid who served as chaperone was offered tea and cake at the bakery next door. This allowed Eleanor the chance to interact with Hutchins without her chaperone overhearing.”
Orendel’s stony-faced expression appeared to harden further, but he nodded. “I’ll speak with themaid in question and see what she has to say on the matter, but even if she confirms that such meetings were possible, I still don’t believe my daughter intended to run off with Hutchins. She may have enjoyed his attentions, but she would never have acted in any way that could have brought scandal upon her family. As I’m sure you know, an elopement would have done precisely that. It would have tainted our name and endangered her sisters’ prospects for the future.”
“I must confess, I agree with his assessment,” Samantha said once they’d left Orendel House and returned to the carriage. “If there’s one thing everyone we’ve spoken with thus far agrees on, it’s that Lady Eleanor was kind, thoughtful, and selfless. Such a person would in all likelihood sacrifice her own happiness rather than risk ruining the lives of the people she loved.”
“In which case, Hutchins makes the most likely suspect. If he tried to compel her to elope and she refused, even going so far as insisting she would go through with her wedding no matter what, he might have snapped.”
