Charlotte considered this.
‘Their fellowship seems unusually strong,’ she said slowly. ‘Either they have sworn dreadful oaths to one another, or they are simply too arrogant to believe themselves vulnerable.’
Lord Stanley drummed his fingers once against the desk. ‘There must be some way to break them.’
‘There is,’ Charlotte said, as an idea came to her.
He turned towards her.
‘Of course there is,’ he said dryly. ‘You have that look.’
Charlotte lifted a brow. ‘What look?’
‘The one that appears when you are up to no good,’ he said, a faint amusement in his voice.
She huffed. ‘Now do try to listen while I rescue your interrogation strategy.’
A glimmer of interest sharpened his gaze.
‘Proceed.’
‘We tell the others Hamilton has confessed and blamed them. Use details about the dagger, the passages, your stolen pin—enough to convince them he has betrayed the society entirely.’
Stanley’s attention sharpened.
‘They do not realise I overheard everything,’ Charlotte continued. ‘We may use that against them.’
For a moment he merely looked at her.
Then, more quietly, ‘Miss Walker, your talents never cease to amaze me.’
Charlotte gave the smallest shrug, though absurdly, she was far too pleased to hear her real name upon his lips.
‘Father taught me that immoral people are rarely as loyal as they pretend.’
His mouth curved faintly before straightening once more.
‘Remind me never to become your enemy.’
Lord Boulton was brought in next.
He entered in a state of theatrical agitation and had scarcely crossed the threshold before beginning.
‘I demand to see my wife.’
Lord Stanley pinched the bridge of his nose in a gesture Charlotte had seen his sister employ when thoroughly exasperated.
‘My lord,’ he said evenly, ‘we are conducting a murder investigation. Surely you understand why suspects cannot be permitted to wander about the house speaking freely to one another.’
‘This is preposterous,’ Boulton snapped. ‘Holding us here against our will, Stanley. What the devil do you think you are doing? I assure you I had nothing whatsoever to do with Wolverton’s demise.’
His outrage was so convincing that, had Charlotte not known better, she might almost have believed him.
‘Tell us about your business dealings with Hamilton and Payne,’ Charlotte asked.
He shot her a sharp, displeased stare, narrowing his eyes as though only now realising Charlotte was not quite as empty-headed as he had assumed.
‘I fail to see how that concerns anyone.’
