Emma stared at Lady Lymington. It almost sounded as if she intended to—
“Lady Flora is tremendously fond of Lady Emma, as you know, Lady Crosby, and then you and Lady Silvester are such dear friends. They’re both insisting upon accompanying us to Kent, but they’ve been made rather unhappy over it, I think.”
Emma said nothing, but leaned forward, waiting, hoping.…
“My nephew doesn’t like to see Lady Flora made unhappy in any way, and so I came to see if I might persuade you both to come for a visit at Lymington House.”
Lady Crosby covered her gasp of surprise with a dainty cough. “How kind you are, my lady. We’d like that very much, wouldn’t we, Emma?”
Emma didn’t answer. She’d fallen back against the settee, stunned speechless.
The idea of appearing at Lymington House after that scene with Samuel in his carriage made a cowardly shudder roll down Emma’s spine, but even with the mistakes she’d made, the lies and the mess and the heartbreak, she’d never beforebeen a coward.
Lord Lovell was innocent, but someone else at Lymington House was as guilty as the devil himself. Two girls had vanished. Both of them were likely dead, and Caroline Francis had lost her life in a filthy London alley, the breath strangled out of her.
Now, unbelievably, a second chance to bring the murderous villain to justice had just fallen into Emma’s lap. How many more girls would meet the same tragic fate if she gave up now? How many more girls just like Helena—just like Emma herself—would find themselves at the mercy of a villain, because Emma was too spineless to face an imperious marquess?
The only way to unravel the rest of this mystery was to uncover the secrets that remained buried in Kent. Shehadto get to Lymington House. It was assimple as that.
“Er, Emma, dear. Lady Lymington has generously invited us to Lymington House.” Lady Crosby gave Emma a meaningful look. “Isn’t that kind of her?”
“Yes, yes, very kind indeed, my lady.” Emma recovered her wits enough to smile gratefully at Lady Lymington. “I’ve always enjoyed the country, and it’s especially delightfulin the spring.”
“It’s settled, then. How wonderful! Lady Flora will be so pleased. I beg your pardon for leaving so abruptly, but Lord Lymington is anxious to be on our way.” Lady Lymington rose to her feet, casting another curiousglance at Emma.
Emma forced herself to meet Lady Lymington’s eyes, then regretted it at once when she saw they were the same lovely dark grayas her son’s.
“Of course, I’ll see you both again at Lymington House very soon,” Lady Lymington added. “Tomorrow, perhaps? The journey is a brief one, and exceedingly pleasant. If you’re not too fatigued, may we expect you fora late supper?”
“Certainly, my lady. We’re lookingforward to it.”
Emma smiled at Lady Lymington, but remained where she was while Lady Crosby rose from the settee and accompanied her to the door of the drawing room, chatting amiably about the countryside around Kent, and begging Lady Lymington to send their compliments to Lady Flora andLady Silvester.
Meanwhile, Emma’s headwas spinning.
“What an unexpected stroke of good luck!” Lady Crosby joined Emma on the settee once Lady Lymington was gone. “I daresay we were due for some. But you look grave, Emma. What’stroubling you?”
Emma hesitated. Itwasa stroke of good luck, but Lady Crosby might not still think so when she knew the plan that was forming in Emma’s head. “Perhaps we’d better fetch Daniel, my lady.”
Lady Crosby cast her a wary look, but she signaled for a footman to fetch Daniel. They heard the thump of his boots coming down the hallway before he entered the drawing room and took up his place in front of the fire. “All right then, lass?”
Emma gave him a grateful look. “Yes, much better. It looks as if we’re leaving for Lymington House tomorrow, Daniel.”
One heavy dark eyebrow rose. “That so?”
“Yes. Lady Lymington has cordially invited us for a visit to Kent.” Emma glanced at Lady Crosby, and chose her next words carefully. “Which is fortunate, indeed, as I’ve a notion we’ll find our murderer there.”
Lady Crosby sucked in a breath, but Daniel only regarded Emma calmly, his massive arms crossed over his chest. “Whyis that, lass?”
“Because he’s been keeping a close eye on Lord Lymington and Lord Lovell since they arrived in London, and isn’t likely to stop now. Given an opportunity, he’ll followthem to Kent.”
“Aye, that seems likely.” Daniel waited, his dark gazeon Emma’s face.
“No one will think it odd if he appears, as he’s a friend of the family. It’s strange, though,” Emma said slowly. “As familiar as he is with them, he isn’t such an intimate he knows about Lord Lovell’s duel. If he did, he’d have known he couldn’t implicate Lord Lovellin the crimes.”
“ImplicateLord Lovell!” Lady Crosby pressed her fingertips to her lips. “My goodness, how wicked.”
“Do ye have any idea who he is, lass?”
