Page 12 of A Night of Forever
Hadley’s attacker had confessed he’d met with a man who’d paid him to kill Lord Fullerton. Accompanying this man were two women. He had seen them through the open carriage door. One woman had worn a hood hiding her features, but the other woman fitted Isobel’s description.
Taking a parcel to a family in need was a good cover. Isobel had neither blinked nor avoided his gaze when she replied. Either she really was innocent or she was the world’s greatest actress.
“You seem to be very interested in my stepmother,” Isobel said suddenly.
Was there a tinge of jealousy in her voice?
“I thought I was showing how interested I am in her stepdaughter.” He leaned into her for effect, his breath brushing her ear. Her tiny emerald earring trembled as she shivered.
“My stepmother certainly appears to be interested in you,” she said dryly. “I saw you together last night. She took liberties with your person, and you did not seem to object. I’m not sure what game you are playing with my stepmother, or with me, but I will not be a pawn.”
Damn. Victoria’s questing fingers might have made this seduction harder. That encounter was why Isobel had refused to dance with him. How could he appease her?Think.His plan hinged on his reply.
The thought of having to outwit and confront the spirited Lady Isobel gave rise to the stirring of familiar excitement. But this time there could be no overt seduction. He sensed that such an attempt would mean that he would lose any chance with her.
He took a breath and called on all his powers of persuasion. “I am not interested in your stepmother in that way.”
“Really?”
Her skeptical tone made him smile. “I’m interested in her because”—he hoped he was playing a good hand—“I believe she is the one behind the attacks on the Libertine Scholars.”
He had nothing to lose in sharing the information. Victoria was already aware they knew. His admission could, however, reveal what Isobel knew.
She showed no horror at his announcement. She merely eyed him warily. “Then perhaps if you stop this silly game of seduction,” she said tartly, “we could help each other.”
Arend was rarely surprised, but this was one of those few times. His excitement grew, and he let the silence between them stretch out.
Finally Lady Isobel sighed and looked across the park at Sealey. “I can quite believe my stepmother capable of kidnapping Lady Marisa,” she said. “Or even murder. That is why I agreed to you accompanying me today. I had no idea our objectives would be so aligned. You see, I think she killed my father. I would like your help to prove it.”
Chapter 4
Of all the things Arend had thought she’d say, those words were the last he’d expected to hear. He didn’t have to ask if she was serious. The expression on her face and the coldness in her eyes when she talked about her stepmother told him that she was.
“Do you know for certain that Victoria killed your father?”
She nibbled her bottom lip and sighed. “I learned from someone who had no reason to lie that the fire that killed my father and his mistress was deliberately lit. A large portion of oil soaked the ground where the blaze began.”
Surely there had been an enquiry, he thought. “Did the magistrate not investigate such a claim?”
Isobel shook her head. “I don’t believe he was ever told. I overheard my father’s groomsman, Taggert, telling Victoria, yet when the magistrate came, Victoria never revealed that information.”
—
Isobel could see by Arend’s expression that he believed her. She was grateful he was one man who did not seem to be fooled by Victoria’s façade.
“At first I thought she didn’t say anything because he’d been found with his mistress,” she continued, “and she was upset at his betrayal, or she was jealous. But when Taggert went missing, my suspicions arose. A week later he was found in dense brush on the estate with a broken neck. Everyone assumed a horse threw him, but I’ve never known any horse that could do so to him.”
He looked skeptical. “You also knew about the oil. Why did she not kill you too?”
She felt her face heat. “Victoria does not know I overheard the conversation.”
An only child, she had learned at a very young age the skill—and the fun—of eavesdropping. It wasn’t that she’d wanted the power she gained from the information. It was that she’d had no one else to talk to, and felt left out unless she knew what was going on in the house. As she’d grown, the talent had grown with her. Now it proved extremely useful.
Arend’s skeptical expression had faded into a frown. “And just how do you think I can help you?”
“The journals,” she said without a pause. “I think the reason you’re interested in the journals is because you believe Victoria is the madwoman seeking revenge upon the Libertine Scholars. Lord Stuart was my father’s very close friend. If you think Lord Stuart has recorded information on Victoria, then I want to know what it is.”
Aaron sat studying her as if trying to find a way into her mind. She understood now why he’d interrogated her after the carriage accident. If he believed Victoria was his villain, he might well believe that she and Isobel were in cahoots. Would he believe her now?
