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“The names of his three daughters are Georgiana, Augusta, and Fredericka,” Lily informed them.
“George Augustus Frederick,” Gabriel muttered the full name of the Prince Regent.
“Exactly.” Lily nodded. “The earl’s loyalty to the Crown was unshakeable, steadfast, and meant more to him than anything or anyone else. Does that sound like a man who would have spied for the French?”
“No,” both men immediately acknowledged.
“There is also the problem of the half-empty decanter of brandy and used glass sitting on the earl’s desk when he supposedly put a pistol to his own head and pulled the trigger,” she added with a frown.
Gabriel looked at her through narrowed lids. “Why is that a problem?”
“Because I have just remembered that the earl did not drink alcohol. He believed, and this is a direct quote from Georgiana”—she grimaced—“that strong liquor was ‘the devil’s work and detrimental to a man’s intelligence and health.’ As such, the earl did not drink brandy nor any other alcohol.”
“He might have needed some this evening to give him courage to pull the trigger,” Gabriel pointed out.
“I do not think so.” Lily recalled Georgiana saying her father was positively rabid on the subject of the evils of alcohol. “Despite that being the obvious implication.”
“Implication?” the Duke of Hellsmere repeated slowly, a frown marring his brow.
“Do you not find it interesting that one of the few people left for you to investigate, the same person you now both firmly believe to be guilty of treason, is no longer in a position to be able to defend himself against such an accusation?” Lily reasoned.
Gabriel scowled. “Are you suggesting that someone…murdered Shefford and deliberately made it look as if he committed suicide?”
Lily snorted. “I am stating it as being a definite possibility.” The more she thought about it, the more it seemed likely that was the sequence of events of this evening’s tragedy. “To that end, I also suggest that you question the earl’s secretary, the man responsible for finding his dead employer, before you decide to involve anyone else.”
Gabriel’s brows rose. “You think the man might have more information he will not have told the authorities?”
She shrugged. “Tell me, did your secretary accompany you during your own investigations?”
“Yes,” both men confirmed.
Lily nodded. “And have you never thought it interesting how a secretary’s presence, and the fact that he is invariably privy to all his employer’s private business, is so often overlooked? For example, and Gabriel is already aware of this situation, my own father was totally ignorant of the fact that his youngest daughter, my sister Hazel, had fallen in love with his own secretary and that this same gentleman returned her feelings, until we all woke up one morning to discover my beloved sister had eloped with him.”
“Why did we never think of any of the secretaries, or any of the other clerical servants, of the men we were asked to investigate?” Gabriel speculated.
“Because, as our superbly intelligent Lady Tremayne has already stated”—Hellsmere gave her an acknowledging inclination of his head—“and I am a little ashamed to admit”—he grimaced—“we in the gentry have a habit of not noticing our employees. Indeed, in some cases, we pay them not to be noticed.”
“Exactly.” Lily nodded. “My prejudice against the deviousness of some secretaries might be a little biased, but I would still suggest you question the earl’s secretary as soon as possible. Because if he was not averse to killing a man in order to cover his own guilt, then he will surely also be more inclined to abscond sooner rather than later before that deed is discovered.”
“That sounds very reasonable advice,” Hellsmere nodded.
“I believe so.” Lily turned her attention to Gabriel. “I also adviseyounot to ever again have the mistaken belief that you have the right to forbid me to do anything.”
He had the grace to look shamefaced. “I—”
“Now, if you will excuse me, gentlemen,” Lily continued coolly. “I need to see whether Georgiana and the rest of her family have already been informed of the earl’s death, and whether they are still here or have already left. In either case, I intend to offer them my love and full support.”
She doubted that her parents would approve of her decision to align herself with a family in the midst of such a scandal, but Lily did not carethatfor what her parents thought. If Georgiana needed her, then Lily had every intention of being there for her friend.
“It has been a pleasure, Lady Tremayne.” Hellsmere took one of her gloved hands in his before lowering his head and briefly pressing his lips against the back of it.
Lily ignored the growl coming from St. Albans’s throat. “Thank you.” Her gaze remained fixed on the third button of Hellsmere’s brocade waistcoat. “If you could please find the time to inform me of your progress in this matter, I should be most grateful.”
“Go away, Hellsmere,” Gabriel rasped. “If you please,” he added grudgingly.
“My lady.”
Lily raised her startled gaze to find the Duke of Hellsmere had already turned to stride in the direction of the door out of the summer house. “That was very rude of you,” she admonished Gabriel.