Page 115 of The Meaning of Love
“But,” Melissa said, “he must be one of those who stayed afterward. Ulysses was only spoken of on the morning of the wedding.”
“True.” Julian paused, then looked at his brothers. “We haven’t yet discussed Gordon recommending Manning to Damian, and Manning proving to be one of X’s pawns.”
Grimly, Felix met Julian’s gaze. “And Gordon otherwise fits our deduced description of X.”
“Except,” Julian said, “in one vital way.”
Damian shook his head. “Can any of you see Gordon searching for and learning four damning secrets of four different people and holding those secrets over those four people’s heads to force them to do his bidding—namely, to commit multiple murders?” Lips compressed, Damian shook his head decisively. “I know Gordon’s an ass sometimes, but he’s not a cold-blooded killer, and that’s another thing X definitely is—cold-blooded.”
“And calculating.” Julian tipped his head to Damian. “That’s the point on which I stumble. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t see Gordon formulating this plan, much less organizing and activating it.”
Julian noticed Melissa was frowning, not as if she disagreed but as if she was thinking of something else. He caught her eye. “What is it?”
She grimaced. “I was just thinking…” She paused, then with renewed determination, went on, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but if both you and Felix are killed, as nearly occurred in the barn fire, then Damian inherits, and if Damian is also removed, then Frederick inherits, with Gordon as his heir.”
When she looked at them expectantly, they all nodded.
“That,” Julian confirmed, “is the succession as it currently stands.”
“All right,” she said. “Let’s back up one step. Damian is earl. Frederick is his heir, but Frederick is old, much older than Damian or Gordon. Couldn’t it be said that, at least until Damian marries and sires a son, Gordon is the effective heir to the Delamere estates?”
Along with Felix and Damian, Julian stared at her, then slowly inclined his head. “I could see that argument being made—by Gordon, if no one else.”
“And that,” Melissa stated, “is precisely my point. He could borrow on the expectation, couldn’t he?”
“Damn,” Felix muttered. “Yes, he could.”
“And he would.” Damian didn’t sound happy to have to admit that.
Julian concluded, “As much as we don’t believe that Gordon is X, it’s Gordon we need to concentrate on.”
But Melissa waved her hands as if to hold them back. “I haven’t finished,” she stated and, when they looked at her, continued. “No more than any of you can I see Gordon as X, much less Gordon managing all that X has done. What we’ve established is that if Julian and Felix are removed, Gordon will be in a position to borrow funds against his expectations.” She looked at Damian, then Felix, and finally met Julian’s eyes. “What we haven’t asked ourselves is who is in a position to borrow from Gordon?”
They stared at her, then Julian asked, “You think someone else is behind this, and his plan is to put Gordon in a position to borrow on his expectations?”
Melissa looked at Damian. “If you were the earl, and Frederick was your heir, and Gordon got into serious debt—scandalous debt—wouldn’t you bail him out?”
Damian passed his hands over his face, then nodded. “Very likely.” He glanced at Julian. “You’ve bailed him out once already, haven’t you?”
Curtly, Julian nodded. “I hoped I’d put the fear of God into him over ever going to the cents-per-cents again, but…”
Melissa said, “We know Gordon is easily led, and we have no idea who’s whispering in his ear or what they’re saying.”
Felix looked at Damian. “You’re closest to our dear cousin. Do you have any idea who he might be persuaded to funnel money to?”
Damian shook his head. “But Gordon as a dupe? That, I can believe. Sadly, as to who intends to pull his strings, of that, I have no clue. We’re not, in fact, that close. I have no idea who his other friends are.”
“But it doesn’t matter, does it?” Melissa looked around the circle. “Gordon must know who X is.”
Damian frowned. “You mean Gordon is in league with X?”
“No.” Julian felt the first inklings of clarity seep into his mind. “But Gordon must know who recommended Manning to him as a suitable candidate for Damian’s valet, and that man is X.” He met Melissa’s increasingly bright gaze. “That’s what you meant, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “So we need to contact Gordon, but specifically to ask who suggested Manning as Damian’s valet.”
“Well,” Damian said. “We’ll be able to do that in two days’ time.”
“Indeed.” Julian could finally see the way forward. He looked at Melissa and explained, “Gordon will be here for the Wirksworth Ride.”
