Page 81 of Marigold and the Marquess
“Denby must have been up to his eyeballs in dirty dealings,” Marigold remarked, leaving his side a moment to peer into the parlor and the dining room before returning to his side. “I still don’t understand how he could wind up so impoverished. Well, he isn’t quite destitute unless one judged him bytonstandards. He kept a roof over his head and a small staff in his employ. His furniture is not fancy, but not everyone requires opulence. My friends, Syd and Gory, are going to question Lady Withnall. She knows everything about everyone.”
Ian laughed. “You are right. The little termagant is downright scary sometimes. Shall we go up? Finn may have discovered something else for us by now. By the way, I have put Mr. Barrow’s men to the task of checking around the gaming hells. He has a way of getting information out of everyone. The man is uncanny. I ought to recruit him as an agent.”
Leo grinned. “He is good at what he does. I would not be surprised if Denby was a frequent visitor to those gambling dens, especially the copper hells.”
“Copper hells?” Marigold regarded him quizzically.
“They are the less reputable gambling establishments,” Leo explained. “Those who go there have their own vices and secrets, so they are not likely to gossip about Denby if they happened to see him there for fear they would be found out, as well.”
Leo held Marigold’s hand as they climbed the stairs and kept hold of it as they walked into the study. The murder had occurred here. He knew the body had already been moved but was not certain whether the blood had been cleaned up yet.
His instinct was to protect Marigold’s delicate sensibilities. But the truth was, she could handle the gore. She was a tough, little thing. Not only were her friends veritable ghouls, but Marigold herself was used to studying desiccated bones. “I never thought Denby was particularly smart,” he remarked. “It is easy to see how he can be left with almost nothing.”
They greeted Finn, but did not want to distract him from his important work.
“Glad to be of help,” Finn said. “Sitting behind a desk all day can be quite dull. Although I don’t suppose I am doing anything different here. One desk is the same as another.”
Marigold shook her head. “Oh, no. This is quite different. You are saving England.”
Finn laughed. “I’ll let Belle know you said so. She’ll box my ears if I’m late getting home for supper.”
“We three are married to Farthingale women,” Ian remarked. “We may control the fate of England, but they control us. Do not fight it, Leo. You are as doomed as the rest of us. Marigold will have her way and keep you from implementing your revenge plan.”
“Thank you, Ian.” Marigold tipped her head up and smiled at him.
“Botheration,” Leo muttered.
She stifled a grin. “Leo, you are grinding your teeth.”
“Why should I not be angry? I don’t care what Ian said. You are not to interfere.”
“I am most definitely going to interfere. I am a Farthingale and proud of it. You are not an avenging angel, Leo. You do not have the right to exact death on those you believe plotted against you. That is for our courts to decide. Shall we move on and search for clues?”
He agreed because watching Finn sit behind a desk and unravel the entire treasonous organization was more than he could bear. “Ian, have you already searched the grounds this morning?”
“I had men go over it, but I would like you and Marigold to have a fresh look. Can’t hurt to have more eyes on the task. Search inside the house afterward.”
Leo resigned himself to the task.
He may have been sullen, but this was a vital part of any investigation. In truth, most investigations relied on diligently pouring over documents and searching homes. Speaking to potential witnesses. It was legwork and teamwork and careful review, not heated chases or shootouts with culprits. “Marigold is actually quite good at digging up buried things. I think she will be quite helpful. By the way, I’ve given Syd and Gory permission to examine Denby’s body.”
Ian laughed. “I was considering doing the same, but glad you were the one to authorize it. I would much rather have you facing the Duke of Wooton and explaining why you allowed women to meddle in an investigation of this importance.”
“We are not meddling,” Marigold insisted.
Ian raised his hands in mock surrender. “I am not the one who needs convincing. Dillie saved my life twice. You do not need to tell me what you are capable of accomplishing. Come back inside once you are finished and we’ll plan our next steps.”
Marigold took hold of Leo’s arm as they walked downstairs.
He glanced at her hand as her small fingers curled around his forearm. “Keeping me tied to your apron strings? I am not going to run off and do something foolish.”
“Well, it does not hurt to watch you closely. You are so wound up, Leo. You know you are. Everything bothers you, from Denby’s death at someone else’s hands, to Ian’s control of the investigation. You even frowned at Finn who is doing nothing but going over ledgers.”
“I know.” He let out a breath in frustration. “What can I do? Beldon and Denby are out of my reach now.”
“More important, England is safer because they are out of the way.”
Ian came hurrying after them as they were about to walk out of the house. “I forgot to mention…we took Beldon into custody before his ship sailed for Calais.”
