Chapter 14 #2
“As it happens, we are calling at the Chadwicks’ residence next. We’ll be happy to inform him.” Indeed, Tilda was looking forward to seeing Vincent’s reaction to the news, but she doubted she’d be allowed inside.
Lady Priscilla smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Thank you! I wish there was time for me to write him a note, but I wouldn’t want my mother to know.”
“She’s not aware of your correspondence?” Tilda asked, though she knew the truth. Lady Priscilla never would have hidden the letters if she wasn’t trying to keep them secret.
“Not at all.” Lady Priscilla lowered her voice to a dark whisper. “My father is dead set against our courtship, but I love Vincent.”
“I saw him recently,” Tilda said. “He loves you too.”
Lady Priscilla flushed and pressed her hands to her face as she smiled widely. “Did he say so? Where did you see him? Did he return from Richmond?”
“Yes, we saw him in Belgrave Square.” Tilda wasn’t going to say why, and she glanced at Teague to make sure he wouldn’t either. He gave her a subtle nod.
“How did you find out about me and Vincent,” Lady Priscilla asked skeptically.
“We discovered the letters he wrote you.”
“You did?” Lady Priscilla blinked in surprise, then darted a look toward the corner where Tilda had found them. “How? I thought I hid them so well.”
“Your maid might have encouraged me to look behind the wallpaper.” Tilda glanced at the corner.
Lady Priscilla sighed. “I thought she suspected something, but we didn’t discuss it. I was afraid she would tell my parents.”
“As far as I know, she didn’t,” Tilda said. “In one of the letters, Vincent mentioned elopement. Did you have plans to do that?”
Lady Priscilla shook her head. “We both knew it could never happen, but we did dream about it in a fantastical way.” She paused, then smiled again. “I’m going to tell my mother I want to call on Delia. That will allow me to see Vincent too.”
Tilda exchanged a look with Teague. Lady Priscilla obviously didn’t know that Delia was dead, and Tilda wasn’t going to tell her.
“When did you and Vincent meet?” Tilda asked.
“When Delia and I became friends just before the Season started.” She smiled warmly, her cheeks flushing a delicate rose pink. “Vincent and I immediately got on well together. I found him so dashing.”
Tilda wanted to ask if Lady Priscilla was aware of Delia Chadwick also having a suitor or someone with whom she was romantically involved. However, Tilda couldn’t think of a reason why she would do so without revealing to Lady Priscilla what had happened to Miss Chadwick.
“Have you thought of anything else that happened during your captivity?” Teague asked.
“No,” Lady Priscilla replied.
Teague went on. “What about when you were taken from your bed? You said you saw blue flame. Do you remember seeing anything in the kidnapper’s mouth before the flame ignited?”
She thought for a moment, her features creasing. “No. It all happened so fast. There was a smell, now that you mention it. It was like the wine my father drinks. Perhaps Spring-heeled Jack was drunk.”
“Perhaps,” Teague said with a nod. “Thank you, Lady Priscilla. We’ll leave you to rest now.”
Tilda felt sorry for the young woman. She would be denied the man she loved, and she was soon to learn that her dear friend had also been kidnapped but had not found her way home.
“You mentioned your friend, Miss Chadwick.” Tilda had an idea for how to broach the topic of her friend without divulging what happened. “It sounds as though you are close. I know from her brother’s letters that she was acting as a courier between the two of you.”
“Yes, Delia is such a lovely person. It’s been wonderful to have our first Seasons together.”
“Did she also have a suitor?” Tilda was careful to ask as if Delia were still alive .
Lady Priscilla’s auburn brows drew together.
“No, though there was a time a few weeks ago when I thought she might have. There was something different about her. She seemed almost…giddy. But she swore there wasn’t anyone.
I decided I was hoping there might be so that we would fall in love and be married around the same time. ”
“Thank you, Lady Priscilla.” Tilda gave her a warm smile. “Please take good care.”
Tilda and Teague turned and left. Her Grace stood just outside the doorway.
Teague inclined his head. “Thank you, Your Grace. We’ll try not to bother you again, but I can’t promise we won’t need to speak with Lady Priscilla in the future.”
“I hope you catch this horrible Spring-heeled Jack, before he can terrorize someone else’s family.”
“That is our goal,” Teague assured her. “And your daughter’s assistance could be what helps us reach it.”
He and Tilda returned to the drawing room.
The duke eyed them with impatience. “I hope you obtained everything you needed.”
“We did—for now,” Teague said. “As I told Her Grace, we are committed to catching Spring-heeled Jack before he kidnaps another young lady. If we uncover new evidence and need to speak with your daughter again, we hope you won’t mind us calling.”
“I’m sure you want to see the kidnapper captured,” Hadrian said in a nearly cajoling tone.
“Of course,” the duke replied. He inclined his head toward Teague. “You may return and speak with Priscilla if it becomes necessary.”
They left the house and made their way toward Hadrian’s coach.
“How did it go with Lady Priscilla?” Hadrian asked, stopping and turning toward them. “Were you able to speak with her alone?”
“We were,” Tilda said. “We learned she and Vincent Chadwick had no real plans to elope.”
Teague eyed Tilda with curiosity. “Why did you ask her about Miss Chadwick having a suitor?”
Tilda noted Hadrian darting a glance at her. She’d planned to tell him about that exchange since they couldn’t discuss the memory Hadrian had seen in front of Teague.
“I was grasping for information—or a suspect of some kind,” Tilda said with a mildly sheepish tone. “Since Lady Priscilla had a secret romantic relationship, I was rather hoping Miss Chadwick might have one too.”
Teague chuckled. “I don’t blame you for asking.
And Lady Priscilla did suspect it, even though she was wrong.
” He sobered. “We’ve learned very little of use.
Wycombe and Constable Mercer have conducted several inquiries with Miss Chadwick’s friends—from the list you gave me—over the past few days, and no one has been able to provide anything helpful.
I believe they concluded the list this morning. ”
“Perhaps they’ll have something to report at Scotland Yard,” Tilda suggested.
“We should be on our way.” Teague looked to Hadrian. “Do you mind if I ride with you? I didn’t ask the growler driver to wait.”
“Not at all.”
When they were settled in Hadrian’s coach and moving, Tilda let out a wistful sigh. “I feel bad for Lady Priscilla. She still loves Vincent and wants to see him.” She glanced over at Hadrian. “She plans to ask her mother if she can visit with Delia so that she could perhaps see Vincent too.”
Hadrian grimaced. “She doesn’t know Miss Chadwick is dead?”
Tilda shook her head. “It will be a blow. I’m curious to see how Vincent Chadwick will react when he learns Lady Priscilla is safely returned.”
“Does that mean you’re going to come into the Chadwicks’ with us?” Hadrian asked.
“I don’t think Chadwick will allow it,” Teague said. “And I’d rather you not try, because he may not agree to speak with any of us.”
Tilda frowned, then blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ll wait in the coach.”
“You can take the time to read through Lea’s notes,” Teague suggested.
“Excellent idea.” Tilda was quite mollified by that.
When they arrived at the Chadwicks’, Teague climbed out first. Hadrian briefly clasped Tilda’s hand. “Don’t worry. I know what to ask. You’ve taught me well.”
“Yes, but will you refrain from touching anything or anyone if I’m not there?”
He put his hand over his heart. “I give you my solemn vow I will not remove my gloves.”
Hadrian departed the coach. Tilda didn’t doubt him, for she knew him to be a man of his word.