Page 49 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

Noelle stared at him. “You’re inventing this, whole cloth.”

“No. I promise you they exist. They were popular a number of years ago and even now some people still use them. The appeal is that one doesn’t have to invest much, but if he wins, he receives a large amount.”

“So basically, it’s gambling. A bet that one particular person will outlive everyone else.”

“Well...yes.”

“But that’s...”

“Mad? Yes, it proved a foolish investment. People saw it as an easy way to leave money to a child or grandchild; that child, if he outlived the others, would be the beneficiary. Businesses sold shares in the tontines to finance large projects. The project would pay the money back to the fund with interest, and in the end the winner would get it all. But there were a number of swindles where everyone lost their money and on other occasions didn’t make the amount of money they thought they would.”

“Not to mention it sounds like an invitation to murder,” she pointed out.

“That is a glaring drawback. At first, when the fund covered many people, it wasn’t an issue, but as the group of beneficiaries grew smaller, with fewer people to get rid of, it could prove rather tempting to someone with a criminal nature.”

“That’s awful.”

“I don’t know that anyone was actually killed because of it, but there’s always that risk.”

“And Mr. Rutherford is saying that Gilbert was one of the people with money placed on his life?”

“Presumably.” Carlisle nodded. “The thing is, Sloane said that my father, as well as Nathan’s father and the earl, were among the people contributing to it. But my father died years and years ago, when Adam was still a child, long before Gilbert was born. How could the earl have placed a bet on him back then? I suppose the group could bet on something more general, like their grandsons, but I wouldn’t think it’s likely you could put it on someone who isn’t even alive yet.”

“Yes. You’re right.” The knot that had been growing in Noelle’s chest loosened. “Of course. It couldn’t have been about Gilbert.”

“If there was a tontine, the beneficiaries would more likely have been the men’s children.”

“You and Adam and Nathan.”

“Yes. And whoever else was in the group. So I’m not sure how a tontine, if it indeed exists, would be the reason for attacking Gilbert. The more I think about it, the more it strikes me as a move to throw us off track.”

“You think Mr. Rutherford hopes to lead us astray, send us chasing down this tontine and its members instead of checking to see if he was in Scotland? At the least, it would give him time to pay a witness to affirm his presence there.”

“You have a devious mind—I like it.” Thorne gave her a smile, the one that never failed to set up a tingling inside Noelle. It was absurd that such a small thing—a faint lifting of his lips, a twinkling of amusement in his eyes—should make her feel at once off balance, yet excited, as well.

Her cheeks warmed and she glanced away, scrambling to pull her mind back from where it strayed. “Do you think Sloane was in Scotland?”

“I don’t know. I intend to send Diggs to verify it—immediately, before Sloane has a chance to arrange for a witness. But my guess is that he was there. Sloane wouldn’t have tried to shoot Gilbert himself. He’d have hired someone. Actually, the fact that he went to Scotland, giving himself a solid alibi for the time, in itself raises some suspicion.”

“The only other suspect is Sloane’s father, but I find it hard to imagine him hiring someone to harm Gilbert,” Noelle said. “It’s not only that he doesn’t seem wicked enough, but I doubt he would go to such effort. He obviously doesn’t like being under his son’s thumb, but he doesn’t try to leave.”

“I agree. I don’t think Marcus is a wicked man, just weak. Perhaps he realizes that he can’t control himself, so he lets Sloane protect him from his own demons.” He shook his head. “Sloane’s as hotheaded and stubborn as he ever was, but he’s harder now. I wasn’t convinced the rumors about him were true. After all, Annabeth found something in him to love. But having seen him, I don’t doubt he’s capable of any number of misdeeds.”

“But he did finally answer us.”

“After you asked him.” Carlisle slanted a look at her. “I suspect that says more about you than it does about Sloane. Even wicked men are susceptible to a beautiful woman.”

The spark his smile had lit spread through her abdomen. Noelle couldn’t keep her lips from turning up a trifle teasingly, couldn’t stop the flashing glance she sent him in return. She saw him swallow, light flaring in his eyes. He was going to kiss her. She desperately hoped he was going to kiss her.

For an instant, it hung in the balance; then he pulled his gaze from her and slid closer to the door. “I...um...” He stopped, seemingly at a loss. “Damn it, but you distract me.”

“I don’t mean to.”

“Don’t you?” He huffed out a little laugh. “Then I am an even worse case than I thought.” He fixed his gaze on his hands, where he was aimlessly turning a ring around and around one of his fingers. His voice was low as he went on, “Nothing can happen. Tonight at the inn.”

Noelle watched the deep flush steal up his neck. “Of course not.”

“You are Gilbert’s mother.”