Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Leonard’s hand shook as he lifted it to the knocker.
This was completely outside the bounds of normal, polite society.
But this was no normal circumstance. Leonard wanted his ring back, and he was willing to do just about anything to get it.
He found it unlikely that this Mrs. Gillingham would speak openly of what happened with prying ears around.
And with not knowing her schedule, he wasn’t left with many choices.
So here he was.
He gave the knocker three quick raps, then waited to see his fate. It didn’t take long for the door to open, revealing a graying man with rather impressive side whiskers and wiry brows to match.
“Can I help you?” The old man had no qualms about eyeing Leonard from head to toe, his gaze leery beneath his bushy brow.
“Uh, yes.” Leonard cleared his throat. “I would like to see Mrs. Gillingham.”
“And you are?” His body filled the doorframe. While old, he was certainly not a frail sort.
Leonard handed the man his calling card.
“And your purpose for seeing Mrs. Gillingham?” the doorman asked, eyes on the card now in his grip.
Leonard glanced up the street, shifting on his feet. He understood the man’s hesitancy, but how did one explain such a visit? “It is a personal matter.”
“I do not think Mrs. Gillingham is taking visitors at the moment. Perhaps you could try again in a few days. Or weeks.”
The deep baritone of his voice was enough to cause Leonard to pause. But he didn’t have the luxury of time. The longer his item was missing, the less likely it was that he would ever get it back.
A flash of movement from an upstairs window caught Leonard’s gaze. By the time his eyes landed on the paned glass, no one was there. But the slight sway of fabric gave it away. Someone had been watching him.
“Please, if you would be so kind,” Leonard said, gaining a bit of confidence.
If the young woman had darted away from the window, she knew who he was, and likely why he was here.
“Do tell your mistress that I need to see her. Or I can come back with the constable if that would be more to her liking.”
This gave the old man pause, his body tensing. “One moment, sir.” Before he fully turned about, the young woman herself floated down the stairs, quickly but gracefully, her steps barely making a sound.
“Wilson, do I have a visitor?”
He stepped back from the door. “There is a Mr. Stanton here to see you. I told him you were not accepting visitors, but he was insistent.”
“I told him—” Leonard began.
“You must come in!” Mrs. Gillingham closed the gap to the door, taking Leonard by the arm and pulling him into the entryway. “Excuse Wilson. As a widow, he takes extra precautions with me. You understand, of course. I am but a single woman all alone. Quite helpless really.”
Leonard’s mind scrambled to catch up with the quick change of events. He barely had time to register the home as he was whisked to a rather opulent morning room. Mrs. Gillingham waved a hand toward a chair, which Leonard took mutely as he listened to the young woman ramble.
“Would you care for some port?” She uncorked a bottle and pulled out two glasses, setting them on the counter and beginning to pour before Leonard answered.
“Port?” he sputtered. “It is only three.”
A whisper of a smile crept to the corner of her mouth. “Are you one to follow convention, Mr. Stanton?”
He adjusted his cravat, needing something to do with his hands as nerves coursed through him. “Not particularly.”
“Would you prefer some tea and biscuits?” She turned, holding a finger of port in a glass in each hand.
Leonard dared another glance about the room, and to say it was eclectic was an understatement.
Haphazard paintings and brightly colored tapestries decorated the walls.
The furniture looked to be newly upholstered with a flamboyant floral print, only dimmed by the numerous tasseled pillows scattered throughout.
“It appears as if you have already chosen for me.” He eyed the two glasses she held.
“Of course not. I am happy to call for something else.”
Leonard leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “Then I believe I would prefer tea.”
Without a word, Mrs. Gillingham poured one glass into the other, then set the empty cup down and picked up a bell with her now free hand, giving it a loud jingle. As if clockwork, a maid appeared in the door.
“Mr. Stanton would like some tea and biscuits, Fanny.” The maid dipped her head, then left the room, and Mrs. Gillingham turned back to Leonard. She lifted the glass, now with two fingers of port, to her lips and gave a slow sip as she studied him. “What is this visit about, Mr. Stanton?”
Leonard worked his jaw. How did one accuse someone of stealing without any sort of proof? “I believe you know why I am here.”
“I can assure you I do not.” She swirled the liquid in her glass, giving an air of indifference to her demeanor.
Perhaps directness was Leonard’s best chance. “You stole my great-grandmother’s ring.”
At least Mrs. Gillingham had the decency to act surprised. She sputtered on her port, placing a hand to her chest as she recovered. “Excuse me?”
“Three days ago, we ran into one another on the street. After which, my ring was suspiciously gone.”
“I do not recall this.”
“It was outside of Mr. Notley’s jewelry shop.”
Mrs. Gillingham looked about the room before meeting his eyes again. “If you take the time to look about you, Mr. Stanton, you will see I have no need to steal anything from anyone.”
Before Leonard could answer, Mrs. Gillingham’s maid entered with the tea tray. It gave him time to collect himself, for this was not going very well. The lady was correct. Leonard had no way to prove she had done anything. And he didn’t wish to give away his source.
When the maid left, Mrs. Gillingham poured a cup of tea, then handed it to him. “That is a rather ludicrous statement you have just made, Mr. Stanton. I have half a mind to throw you out.”
“And yet, you haven’t.”
She put a hand to her head as she retrieved her port, then sat across from him in the opposite chair. “Perhaps I enjoy a handsome face coming to visit.”
Leonard’s eyes widened. “This is more a business meeting than a social call. I hope you realize this.”
“Goodness, you are no fun. No witty retort? I admit I am more than a little disappointed.”
He huffed a breath. “As I said, this is not a social call. I have an important matter to sort out.”
“And why were you walking around with your great-grandmother’s ring in the first place?” She leaned back in her seat, eyeing him like a cat as she sipped her beverage. “I’m assuming it’s because you have a quick need of funds and wished to sell it to Mr. Notley.”
“I am afraid that is none of your business.”
“It is if you are going to accuse me of being a thief.” She ran a finger along the lip of her glass, her gaze steady.
“Very well. Let me put it this way.” Leonard leaned his elbows on his knees.
“I had the ring in my pocket as I left my carriage. Then, out of nowhere, you run into me only to vanish like a ghost. And to top it all off, when I went to hand Mr. Notley the ring, it was gone. Now, you tell me what I am to assume.”
She put the glass just below her lip. “I would say you are clumsy.”
“Clumsy.” His mouth fell open. “No. I am not clumsy.”
“Absent-minded?”
“No.”
“Perhaps a bit mad.”
“Ma’am.” Leonard stood, placing his undrunk tea back onto the tray. “If this is a waste of my time, please say so now and I will save us both some time and trouble.”
“Are you truly giving up that easily?” She stood, placing her glass back on the shelf of her liquor cabinet. “I must admit I am disappointed.”
Leonard’s thoughts reeled. This woman was making his mind muddled. “So, you did take it.”
She sighed, then walked closer until she was only a few paces from him. “Lesson one. If you know something for a fact, do not be so easily swayed by someone’s innocent demeanor.”
He gazed down at her, taking shallow breaths. It was as if she had him trapped, and if he breathed any deeper, it would only bring them that much closer together. “Lesson?” His words were low. “What lesson are we talking about?”
“Lessons on human behavior.”
“And you are giving me lessons for . . .”
She propped one hand on her hip as she leaned against the back of a chair. “You clearly need them. Usually, I revel in the ability of being so good at fooling people, but with you, it’s been more appalling than exciting.”
“Appall—please. Explain to me what is happening right now.”
She threw her head back with a groan. “You see?” She straightened. “This is pathetic. You cannot even deduce that I am admitting I stole from you. Come, now. You cannot be this awful at reading people. Or, in this case, understanding a rather uncomplicated conversation.”
“You have not said one uncomplicated thing since I arrived at your door, Mrs. Gillingham!” Leonard nearly shouted. “I am about to pull out my hair, and I’ve been here for only ten minutes.”
“Oh, you must not pull out your hair. It is my favorite attribute of your appearance.” She walked up to him, and each step she took made his breathing more erratic. She reached up, and Leonard watched in frozen horror as she gently brushed the front of his hair to the side.
“So soft,” she whispered.
His mouth fell open, and his heart tightened in his chest. No woman in his life had ever come this close to him, and she had now done so twice.
Her blue eyes were only inches from his, and had the situation been different, he might have found himself admiring the light hue of her eyes or the pleasing shape of her face.
But the situation was maddening enough that he had no desire to admire anything about her.
In fact, her actions were so far removed from propriety that he almost felt like this was all a dream.
For there was no way a woman of society would be behaving as she was now.