Chapter Thirteen
Brighton, England
When they arrived at her parents’ rented townhouse, it was to find that dinner had been put back an hour because Andrew had arrived late.
“Why does he get special treatment, but I was told they wouldn’t hold the meal if you and I were tardy?” she whispered to Felix in a fierce voice as they climbed the stairs to the drawing room.
“Perhaps they mean to antagonize us because of me.” A trace of bitterness went through his voice, and her heart squeezed for him.
As they reached the drawing room, Caroline released a sigh of relief, for the only one there was Andrew.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Then she frowned. “Mama said you were coming to dinner with a friend.”
“I did, but he is with Papa’s valet just now. One of the buttons on his jacket came off.” Curiosity lined her brother’s face. “I wasn’t aware you and the major were joining us.”
“We had no plans, but when I heard you were to be here, and since Felix has a few more questions to ask of you, we decided to join.”
Immediately, Andrew turned guarded as he moved toward the sideboard. “What sort of questions?”
Felix cleared his throat. “Why did you have words or argue with Danforth the night before he died?”
The clink of crystal against crystal echoed in the sudden silence as her brother poured a measure of brandy into a glass. “It’s true that I was livid with Danforth,” he said as he faced them but remained at the sideboard.
“Why?” the major prodded with a raised eyebrow.
The hand holding the glass of brandy trembled slightly.
“A few months ago, Danforth had introduced me to an investment man. I listened to his pitch and was completely taken in by him. I thought giving him coin was a sure bet and I could expand my financial worth, which would make me more favorable in the eyes of eligible ladies.”
Knots of worry pulled in Caroline’s belly. “What happened?”
“About what you would think.” Andrew sipped his drink. “I gave him hundreds of pounds, told him to invest in steel, coal, and shipping ventures. The other day, I went by his office in London to see how the money had grown. Then he told me the bald truth—there was no coin left. He’d lost it all.”
Her chest tightened. That wasn’t good. “You lost the money in the markets?”
“Who can say?” His shrug only lifted one shoulder.
“The fact of the matter was my coin was gone. Whether he put it on bad investments or he stole it for himself, I don’t know.
The man was nervous, cagey, practically tossed me out of his office on Oxford Street.
When I demanded an accounting of every farthing, he slammed the door in my face saying that it’s a volatile business and these things happen. ”
Dear God. What would that mean for her brother’s future? “What did Danforth say when you confronted him?”
“He denied knowing the man was a fraud or a thief, said he’d also lost coin going with the man but that he hoped everyone would soon recoup their investments.”
Felix snorted. “How?”
“He didn’t say.”
“What about this investment fellow? What’s his name?”
Andrew took another sip of his brandy. “Bartholomew Knapp.”
“You said you met with him in person. Could you identify him?”
“I suppose. Why?”
After jotting a note on a page in his book, Felix stared at her brother. “He was supposed to have been a guest at the wedding.”
“Oh, he was, which was another reason I had words with Danforth. He was the one who’d invited Knapp, and now I suspect that it wasn’t merely to wish you and Caro well.”
She frowned. “Why would you say that?”
“I think between the two of them they were trying to have other people at the wedding invest. That would have been the only way for any of us to recover the funds we lost.”
A grunt escaped Felix. “Or else they were working together on the fleece.”
It was certainly a new angle, and another motive for wishing Danforth dead. She forced a hard swallow into her suddenly dry throat. “What came of the argument between you and Danforth?”
Mottled red color eased up Andrew’s neck. “I told him if I found out he was working with Knapp to take our money, I’d kill him myself, for that was a betrayal of friendship.”
Surprise jumped into Felix’s eyes. “Did anyone overhear the argument?”
“I don’t know.” Andrew shrugged. “There could have been since we were in front of the townhouse at that point, hadn’t yet entered. Some of my friends were lingering about; we’d intended to play billiards and cards that night.”
Felix exchanged a glance with her before focusing back on Andrew. “How many others who’d invested with Knapp were in attendance at the wedding?”
“How should I know? Most people don’t wish to talk about losing money like that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Do you believe they were as upset as you about being used?”
“Why the hell wouldn’t they be? Coin just doesn’t fall out of trees. It takes ages to earn it but seconds to lose.” Andrew swallowed the remaining liquid in his glass. “God, I hope Knapp gets what’s coming to him.”
Her eyes widened, but there was no more time to say anything, for her parents came into the room. Instead, she went over to her brother, and in a whisper said, “Tell me what this Knapp fellow looks like. Then Felix and I can be on the hunt of him, hmm? If possible, we’ll get your money back.”
A bitter laugh escaped him. “Good luck. No doubt it’s gone now. He’s ruined folks, count on that.”
Which gave anyone who’d invested with him motive for murder.
Later that evening
No 13 Clarence Square
Brighton, England
Caroline stifled a yawn behind her hand as the maid helped her into her night dress. “It has been a long day.”
“I’m sure it has been,” the younger woman murmured as she held up the matching robe of the peignoir set. “With you being recently wed, I’m surprised you’re running about Brighton investigating a murder.”
Heat went through her cheeks. “That’s the nature of the business, I’m afraid. Murder doesn’t care about what stage of life one is in.”
When Felix came into the room, clad only in breeches, lawn shirt, and boots, the maid directed her gaze to the floor.
“I’ll leave you alone. Ring if you should have need.” She scuttled from the room as quickly as possible, and quietly shut the door behind her.
“Where have you been?” Caroline asked as she slipped into the bed. The breeze coming in through the window from the sea was slightly cool and faintly tinged with salt. It was heavenly compared to the dark, oftentimes polluted air of London.
“I took a quick walk along the shore. My mind is muddled regarding this case.”
“I understand the feeling.” The stones in her ring caught the candlelight. The glimmer cheered her. “It’s been quite vexing.”
“Indeed.” After he toed off his boots and then removed his shirt, Felix moved to the bureau. He pulled open the top drawer and removed a flat, rectangular-shaped box. “I have something for you.”
“Oh?” How interesting. She glanced at him as he crossed the room then sat on the side of the narrow bed. “What is it?”
“Here.” He shoved the wooden box into her hands.
“Cheeky.” As she opened the lid, she gasped, for resting on a bed of black satin was a small ladies pistol. Silver with an ivory butt, it was petite enough to tuck away into her reticule. “What’s this?”
“A pistol, obviously.” His shrug only lifted one shoulder. “Consider it a wedding gift.”
“Whatever for?” Confusion gripped her mind as she ran a fingertip over the cool metal.
A huff escaped him. “Since we were attacked, I don’t feel comfortable with you being out alone. I wish to have you protected if I am not with you.”
“Oh.” With a frown, she glanced at him. “I don’t know how to properly fire a pistol.” The thought that she might need to put knots of worry in her belly. “I’d perhaps be more of a problem than a help.”
“I shall teach you.” With a slight grin that did funny things to her insides, Felix took the box and pistol and laid them on the bedside table. “There is something odd about this case that I can’t put my finger on. It’s maddening.”
“Agreed. It is as if something isn’t quite what we’d like it to be, as if we can’t believe the evidence of our own eyes and ears.”
“That is exactly it.” He slipped into bed with her, and seconds later, bundled her into the protective circle of his arms. “Are you quite well?”
“Yes, why?” It was on the tip of her tongue to blurt out her secret, but after everything, she was unsure of how he would act. And she was running out of time.
“You’ve been distant this whole week. I thought those feelings would have cleared once we wed or at the very least when your portion of the interviews was over.”
“Right.” The urge to cast up her accounts grew strong. Quickly, she swallowed to prevent disaster. “Perhaps I’m just exhausted from everything this week has held. It has been rather a lot. I need rest, and I haven’t properly enjoyed all that Brighton has to offer for a holiday seeker.”
“Indeed.” He nodded, but his eyes remained shadowed with worry. “Well, we are at the sea, where people come to relax.”
“Yes…” Resting her head on his shoulder, Caroline tried to take calming breaths. “For the sake of our honeymoon, let us hope we can solve the case soon.”
Before I destroy everything by telling you the truth.