Page 8

T here were gasps from all around the table, and Will could have cheerfully leveled the dour Mr. Chase with one punch.

The fellow’s proclamation fell in one of those lulls in conversation that happened at every gathering when whoever had the good luck—or in this case, ill fortune—to speak at that moment would have their words heard by everyone.

Beside him, Will saw that Lucy was all but quivering with indignation. Whether at the man’s crassness or his pessimism, he couldn’t tell. Though knowing her temperament, it was the latter.

But before Lucy could unleash her own criticism on the man, Jane spoke. “Oh, Archie, you promised to be on your best behavior this evening.”

Since Chase was Jane’s editor, Will guessed that she’d expected some kind of faux pas from him tonight.

“I know I did, Lady Adrian,” said Chase, using Jane’s formal title, “but that was before I knew there would be talk of Miss Blackwood’s abduction.”

Jane opened her mouth to offer a response, but before she could do so, Lucy raised a hand. “I would like to hear what Mr. Chase has to say. My cousin, the detective superintendent, always says that an outside perspective can be helpful in these matters.”

There were several murmurs of agreement, and though Jane still seemed reluctant, a speaking look from her husband seemed to make her relent. “Very well, Archie, unleash your analysis.”

Chase, who looked a shade uncomfortable now that he was the focus of every eye in the room, cleared his throat but began speaking.

Will felt a reluctant surge of admiration for Chase. Any other man would have succumbed to silence at a chiding from Jane, who had used her governess voice on the editor.

“As I told Miss Penhallow,” Chase said carefully, “I had the details of what happened and what she and Lord Gilford witnessed at the ball last night. Having made a study of such abductions, and similar crimes against the wealthy—for my employment as an editor of crime novels—I have observed that the matter rarely ends happily.”

“That’s nonsense, sirrah,” the dowager Duchess of Langham said with a sniff. “There have been many such incidents where the person who was taken captive has been safely returned to their family after the funds were paid.”

The dowager sent a reproving look in Jane’s direction, as if in chastisement for Jane having invited such a fool to the party in the first place.

Since he’d been one of the only two people to witness Miss Blackwood’s abduction, and as Jane’s friend, Will spoke up. “Your Grace, perhaps we should hear more about Mr. Chase’s investigation of such crimes. Mayhap that will make it clearer how he came to hold such an opinion.”

He sent a speaking look in Chase’s direction: Don’t make a fool of me as well, Archie.

Beside him, Lucy sent Will a grateful look, and he felt the power of it down to his toes.

“Well, Lord Gilford, perhaps I should begin with the case of…” And thus Chase began a rather lengthy—at least outside of a lecture hall—speech about the numbers of abductions in the past dozen or so years and how each had concluded. “I’m afraid, if you look at the numbers, it would seem that if there has been no communication from the culprits to her father, then poor Miss Blackwood was very likely done away with sometime today.”

By the time he reached the end, Will and, he was certain, most of the others at the table had let their minds wander to more interesting topics. Like the way one perfect coil of Lucy’s pale blonde hair brushed at the nape of her neck. Though it was perhaps only Will who was thinking of that.

The object of Will’s attention, whose rapt focus had been fixed on Chase all through his monologue, now spoke up. “That was utterly fascinating, Mr. Chase, but we do not know, in fact, whether her family has been contacted with a request for money in exchange for her safe return. Therefore, your conclusion is premature at best.”

“Hah!” The dowager gave Lucy an approving look. “Miss Penhallow has an excellent point, Mr. Chase. There has been no mention of a request for ransom, nor for anything in exchange for Miss Blackwood’s return. So your prediction of doom cannot be taken seriously.”

“Poor Mr. Chase,” crooned Lady Fortescue, as if the blow Lucy’s comment had leveled had indeed been wounding.

For his part, Chase simply shrugged. “My friend in the police says that if there was going to be a demand for money in exchange for the young lady then it would have happened by now. If ransom was not the reason for the abduction, then Miss Blackwood’s chances of survival are not good.”

Will thought about what Chase had said. He was sure that if there had been a request for ransom, Lucy would have heard about it by now. It was obvious from the way she and Eversham interacted that her cousin considered her to be trustworthy on such matters.

He glanced over at her, as if to test the truth of what he’d just concluded.

To his surprise, he found that she was looking his way, too.

“What other reason, indeed?” she said for his ears only.

Will’s attention for the rest of the meal was taken up by the lady on his other side, who wished to quiz him on the latest fashions in Paris.

Once the ladies had departed the dining room to leave the gentlemen to their port, Will was drawn into a group with Adrian and Woodward, as well as Lord Peregrine Maitland, whom Adrian knew from university.

“I must offer my thanks, Gilford,” Adrian said, clapping Will on the shoulder with his free hand—the other held a tumbler of whisky. “I warned Jane that Chase might not be ready for a dinner party with Grandmama in attendance, but she was determined.”

“He wasn’t so very bad,” Woodward said in a low voice so that Chase, who was in conversation with one of the dowager’s elderly brothers, wouldn’t hear. “And his dissertation on the outcomes of kidnappings among the wealthy of England was interesting.”

Sir Peregrine choked on his whisky, Adrian disguised a bark of laughter as a cough, and Will grinned outright.

“Fine,” Woodward said, lifting his hands in surrender and offering his own rueful smile. “It was dry as dust. Most statistics are. But you must admit, his conclusion that the Blackwood girl is likely dead by now makes more sense when you consider the information he shared.”

“But we don’t know whether there has been a request for ransom,” Will pointed out, remembering with admiration how Lucy had taken the wind out of Chase’s sails. She was proving to be cleverer than he’d expected.

“Yes,” Adrian said with a nod. “And though I realize she, as much as anyone, has reason to hope that Chase is wrong, Lucy was right to point out the fact.”

“It isn’t so difficult to believe that the lovely Miss Penhallow would be the one to point that out, however.” Woodward glanced at Will with a smirk, reminding him of his earlier promise to box the American’s ears soon. “She has been doing some work for her cousin in his offices at the Met for several months now.”

This was the first Will had heard of it, but he saw that Adrian and Perry nodded to Woodward, as if they had been in on the information as well.

It didn’t matter, Will told himself. The larger issue was the fact that Eversham was allowing his lovely, unmarried cousin to swan about in such an uncivilized location as Metropolitan Police headquarters.

“I thought Eversham was more sensible than that,” he said aloud now, gulping down the last of his whisky.

“I’m not sure what about his allowing her to do a bit of clerical work for him is so objectionable,” Adrian said with a shrug. “I suspect she might have been the one to suggest it, but she’s a clever lady, and I daresay she enjoys it.”

Will shook his head in disappointment. “She very likely does enjoy it, but that’s not the point. The point is that she shouldn’t be exposed to the sort of unsavory characters who are to be found in such a place.”

“Unsavory characters, eh?” Woodward didn’t bother hiding his mirth at Will’s words.

Perry, who had been watching the byplay among the other men, said with a confused expression, “I rather agree with Gilford on this. Not sure I think police headquarters is the sort of place where any young lady should spend time. Especially not one as pretty as Miss Penhallow.”

At Sir Peregrine’s words, Will sent a scowl in the man’s direction. “Et tu, Perry?”

Adrian and Woodward succumbed to peals of laughter while Will scowled at them and Sir Peregrine just looked more confused.

“I don’t understand,” Perry said with a bewildered shake of his head. “What was it I said?”

Beside him, Woodward gave the baronet a consoling pat on the arm. “I believe Lord Gilford has developed a partiality for the lovely Miss Penhallow, Perry.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Will growled at his friend. “She is simply my sister’s dear friend, and I wish for her to be kept from harm.”

“For Margaret’s sake,” Adrian said with a skeptical nod. “Of course. That is why you looked just now as if you wanted to skewer both Woodward and Perry with the same sword. It’s perfectly believable.”

“If you are suggesting I am jealous of those two”—Will gestured at the American and now smug Perry—“then you’re cracked in the head.”

He lifted his chin in the hopes of projecting an air of superiority. “I have no particular attraction to Miss Penhallow. And certainly no reason to be jealous.”

Woodward nodded in mock seriousness. “Then you will have no objection if I ask the lady to go riding in the park with me tomorrow.”

Will’s jaw clenched before he could stop it. “Of course not,” he said through his teeth.

“I say, I’m going to do the same.” Perry broke into a grin. “Don’t know why I hadn’t noticed the chit before now, but she’s dashed pretty. And smart. Can’t resist a clever girl.”

And neither, Will admitted silently to himself, could he.