The Marquess and the Mask (The Paragon Mysteries #2)

Chapter 1

Lord Julian Hartford was annoyed.

A rarity, for he was hardly ever annoyed.

Mostly at the slight woman standing in front of him, her nose in the air. One who had a backbone that belied her small frame.

He had been passing through the main foyer of his closest friend’s house—and an incredible house it was—when he had overheard something that caught his interest enough to pause his footsteps.

To be honest, he'd had enough of this blasted mystery that had kept Asher spellbound for months now.

The stolen Paragon Diamond had uncovered far more than a jewel.

It had unearthed accusations of treason, murder, and secrets buried for decades.

The truth had finally come to light, Norwood was dead, and the matter ought to have been finished.

Julian could only hope the rest of its secrets remained buried.

“I need to tell you something,” Julian had heard as he’d been about to walk by the door of the drawing room where they had all recently been sequestered for the grand reveal.

This particular tidbit had come from Lady Verity Merrow. She had never been particularly interested in him, much the opposite of all the other young ladies of the ton, who were more likely to be infatuated by him, and he far preferred to be appreciated.

He had inched closer to the door, hoping neither Lady Verity nor the two friends with her—Evelyn, Asher’s new wife, and Lady Thalia, Asher’s sister—heard him.

“What is it?” Evelyn had asked. Julian supposed he should call Evelyn, “her grace,” being that she was now a duchess, but he would remember to do so when he spoke to her aloud.

“I found something,” Lady Verity had said. “Letters. Very old letters. And I think they are related to the diamond.”

Julian had frozen. Had she discovered something that she shouldn’t have? Something that might connect his own family to the old scandal? He had thought they were in the clear. That no one would connect the diamond to them. But if Verity had more information….

Never one to shy away from confrontation, he had stepped through the door.

“Lord Julian,” the duchess said, rising to her feet. “I thought you went with Asher.”

“I forgot something in my cloak,” he said, taking two measured steps into the room, not removing his eyes from Lady Verity. “Repeat what you said, please.”

Lady Verity stood, holding herself straight and tall. “That was part of a conversation between her grace, Lady Thalia, and me,” she said. “Not one meant for anyone to overhear. Most especially you.”

“Is that so?”

He was as much of a guest in this house as she was.

“I think we should all take a moment,” Evelyn said, raising her hands in the air and stepping forward.

“Lord Norwood is practically exiled. The Crown now knows he framed Asher for treason by hiding false evidence inside the Paragon Diamond. We also found the documents proving the truth. The matter should be finished. All is well.”

“Is it, though?” Verity asked, staring at her. “Lord Julian seems most agitated.”

At that, Asher Fairborne, the Duke of Ravenscar and Julian’s very best friend, filled the doorway.

His face, usually a mask of ducal control, was stripped bare by… well, horror.

Or maybe panic. Julian couldn’t be sure.

“Evelyn?” he said, staring at his wife.

“What is it?” she asked, rushing to his side.

“It’s the diamond,” he said. “It’s gone.”

“You must be joking,” Evelyn demanded, but Asher was not one to joke. Not anymore.

“I went to make sure all was set to rights so that we could return it, but…” he lifted his hands to the side. “It was no longer there.”

The room went silent, an eerie tension settling over the five of them.

“It wasn’t me again, I swear it,” Lady Thalia said, breaking through it.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just misplaced?” the duchess asked, her optimism clear.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Asher said, his agitation high, reminding Julian of how much he missed the old Asher, the one from when they were both second sons, before Asher had lost his father and his brother, when the two of them had spent their days and nights reveling and worrying about nothing but pleasure.

Asher ran a hand over his face. “What are we going to tell Eastclere?”

“What were we planning on even doing with the diamond?” the duchess asked.

Asher sighed. “That is another discussion entirely. My father and the former Marquess had a complex arrangement regarding the diamond. The Paragon Diamond had long been entrusted to the Marquesses of Eastclere, though it had originally belonged to the Crown. It was meant to be returned to the Crown, but the politics grew complicated. Part of me wonders whether it should simply go to the Crown now, as was the original intent.”

“What did Lord Eastclere expect when he left?” Lady Thalia asked.

“He said that he will be waiting for the diamond to be returned to him at a time when we can ensure its security upon transport.”

Julian grimaced. “That puts you in a bit of a pickle, doesn’t it, your grace?”

“Well, at this point, it doesn’t much matter, as we don’t even have it,” Asher said. “But the question is, how was it stolen out of our home?”

They were all silent for a moment, no one wanting to lay blame until Lady Verity spoke up.

“Think of who was here when Evelyn explained her theory,” she said. “Besides our own family, there was the constable, Lord Eastclere, Mr. Pine… who else had the opportunity?”

“Who is the most likely suspect?” Julian asked with a frown.

“Would you like me to be frank?” Lady Verity asked, and he paid her closer attention, wondering about her tone.

“Why would you not? We are among friends.”

Lady Verity raised a brow, and Julian looked at her—truly looked at her—for the first time in a long time.

He had known her family forever. She was Lord Eastclere’s distant cousin and was part of the same circles, even though he usually preferred to keep himself out of the social events of the ton, instead appreciating events more focused on pleasure.

Lady Verity had always been rather salty toward him, if he considered it, but she was a few years younger than him, and he had always viewed her as a child.

It didn’t help that she dressed in a way that never drew attention to herself, that he couldn’t remember having ever seen her on the dance floor, and that she was not one to spend a great deal of time socializing with eligible young men.

A wallflower.

But he realized now that at some point over the past few years, she had grown up.

Her dresses were still rather dull, but the necklines had lowered.

Her hair was pulled back, revealing a delicate expanse of neck.

And those eyes that were a rather soft, almost pastel mauve, were older, more experienced, assessing.

“You could say we are among friends,” she said. “Or acquaintances. Because the truth is, Lord Julian, of everyone in this house tonight, the one most likely to steal the diamond is you.”

* * *

Verity’s words echoed around the room in the silence that remained.

She knew it was a bold statement, but if Lord Julian had been so undaunted to enter a conversation in which he had not been invited, then why could she not speak her own truth?

He stared at her now, his dark brown eyes almost black with anger, a shock of brown hair falling across his forehead.

Every other young lady of the ton thought him handsome, most eligible, and while she couldn’t agree with their assessment, she knew better.

Unfortunately.

She’d had a crush on him like every other woman until she had learned who he truly was and all those silly notions had come crashing down.

Yes, he was still handsome. Yes, he was still charming and attractive and caused a stirring inside her that she would prefer to ignore.

But she was wiser now, and that would protect her, especially as she felt nothing but annoyance when he stared at her with undisguised anger. The only part of his stare that unnerved her was, perhaps, the slight bit of hurt that lingered there.

“Just what,” he said icily, “is that supposed to mean?”

“I am not accusing you,” she said calmly. “But I think you should be prepared for questions. Who else in that room would stand to gain? Your gambling debts are notorious—”

“Excuse me!” he blustered, and she shot him a look.

“Do you or do you not have gambling debts?”

“I gamble as much as any other young gentleman,” he exclaimed, but the duke cut him off with a sigh.

“He has gambling debts.”

“Precisely,” Verity said. “The Ravenscar family already possessed the diamond. Thalia’s original motive is gone.

Lord Eastclere expected its return. While one might suspect the solicitor or the constable, they were guests with limited access.

It is far more likely the thief was someone with intimate knowledge of this house, someone who felt they had a right to be here.

” Her gaze remained fixed on Julian. “That narrows the possibilities considerably, does it not?”

“You have assessed that all accurately, Verity,” the duchess said. “But—”

Julian cut in, his temper flaring. “Just what is all that supposed to mean?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Verity said. “I was only answering a question.”

“Fine,” Lord Julian said, biting out the words. “Search me.”

He lifted his arms and turned toward the duke, who shook his head.

“I trust you as much as almost any other person in this world,” he said. “I will not search you.”

“I beg you,” Lord Julian said. “So that you are able to later tell anyone who might question it that I had nothing to do with this.”

The duke stared at him, and Verity felt a twinge of guilt that she had been the one to suggest this, but Lord Julian was right. He would be better off to have evidence of his innocence.

Lord Julian turned to the duke. “Do it. So you can tell anyone who asks that my pockets were empty.” The duke hesitated, for the request was a clear violation of trust between friends.

But Julian’s gaze was firm. With a tight nod, the duke stepped forward and quickly, professionally, ran his hands over his friend’s coat as the ladies stepped into the hall.

Once the three of them were outside the door, Evelyn eyed Verity.

“Was that wise?”

Verity shrugged. “Would you not have said the same had you believed it?”

“I would have, yes. That doesn’t mean it is wise,” she said. “Plus, there is the fact that your dislike for Lord Julian is apparent.”

“What?” Verity said, her eyes widening. Evelyn was right, but she thought she had hidden it better. “I hardly think—”

Evelyn eyed her.

“Oh, very well,” Verity sighed. “Yes, I dislike him.”

“Why?” Lady Thalia asked, and Evelyn opened her mouth, but Verity shook her head.

“Another time,” she said before returning her gaze to Evelyn. “Just when we thought this was over.”

They heard a slight whimper from beside them, and they turned to look at Lady Thalia.

“This is all my fault,” she said in a low voice. “If I hadn’t initially stolen the diamond—”

“Then Asher would have been suspected by the Crown of treason because of the evidence Lord Norwood planted,” Evelyn said, placing a hand on Thalia’s shoulder. “You did the right thing.”

Thalia took a shaky breath as the duke called them to return to the room.

“All is fine,” he said. “Julian is exonerated.”

“For now,” Lord Julian muttered before tipping his head to the side and grinning. “But, then again, sometimes a little scandal just adds to the intrigue.”

Verity stared at him, blinking. “You cannot be serious.”

“I rarely am,” he said, winking at her and walking out the door as though he was done with it all. Verity couldn’t stop herself from following him out.

“Lord Julian,” she protested. “This is of great importance.”

“Everyone says that about everything,” he said, waving his hand. “But each person can decide what is important, can they not? This too shall pass.”

“It’s about responsibility,” she said. “And honour.”

He shrugged. “And then one spends his days in constant worry,” he said. “Just look at Asher after he became the duke. Until he met Evelyn, the man couldn’t sit through a meal without drumming his fingers raw on the table. Thank the Lord I’ll never be the marquess.”

She stared at him.

“Thank you, Lord Julian.”

“For what?”

“For proving to me that you are exactly what I always thought you were.”