Page 104 of A Whisper at Midnight

“Portsmouth.”

Unfortunately, Tilda walked into the entrance hall and disrupted their revelatory moment. Tilda’s gaze lingered skeptically on Mrs. Styles-Rowdon, then shifted uneasily to Hadrian. He could well imagine how this looked.

Hadrian stepped away from the woman and looked eagerly at Tilda. “Ready to depart?”

“Yes.”

“I should be going also.” Mrs. Styles-Rowdon moved toward the door, and Hadrian hurried to open it for her. “Thank you.” She inclined her head toward them and walked outside.

Hadrian continued holding the door for Tilda who preceded him from the house. They walked in silence to the coach. He waited until they were settled together inside before speaking.

Except she beat him to it.

“Was Mrs. Styles-Rowdon flirting with you?”

“Yes, and I was flirting with her.” Hadrian rubbed his forehead, wincing. “She touched me, and I saw something.”

“Another vision?” Tilda touched his arm. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine.” He hoped—his head felt as though it might split in two. “I saw her pour something into a soup and give it to a man who was ill in bed. I believe it was her husband. They were near the ocean, and she said her husband died in Portsmouth.”

Tilda’s eyes rounded. “She poisoned him?”

“I think so.” He closed his eyes briefly. That felt better.

“I’m worried about you,” Tilda said softly. Her hand was still on his arm.

“I’ll be fine,” he repeated. “Let’s assume she poisoned her husband. Why? And why would she poison Louis Chambers?”

Tilda took her hand from his arm, and Hadrian opened his eyes. She looked pensive.

Her gaze met his. “What if Mrs. Styles-Rowdon was Louis’s paramour? That would mean both men had something in common—their intimate relationships with her. That isn’t a motive, however.” She looked away and her expression became determined. “I’m going back to Scotland Yard after Leach takes you home. Teague should be able to send a telegram to Portsmouth. We can find out how her husband died and anything else that may be helpful.”

“I want to come with you.”

Tilda gave her head a firm shake as she moved her attention back to him. “Absolutely not. You need to rest.”

Hadrian frowned, which made him wince again. “At least let Leach drive you and then take you home.”

“All right.” She sent him a stern look. “You must promise me that you’ll rest.”

“I will. I plan to drink some brandy, take a warm bath, have a light supper, and sleep this headache away.” He hoped. The one thing he could expect from his power and the resulting headaches was that he should always be prepared for something unexpected, such as multiple visions in a short amount of time leaving him feeling as though he’d been tossed about in a boat crossing the English Channel.

“I hope you don’t have to be at Westminster tomorrow,” she said. “You should take it easy.”

He leaned back against the squab and stretched out his legs so that his toes nearly touched the other seat. “I do not, in fact. I shall take your advice. But you must come tell me what you learn from Teague.”

“Of course I will—if only to ensure you are well.” Her eyes gleamed with a warm promise that sparked something within him. He enjoyed this familiarity they shared. And he was delighted that she cared so much about him.

“Don’t forget to bring an invoice for me to pay.”

“Given how much you’ve contributed to our investigation, it hardly seems fair for you to pay me.”

He waved his hand. “You deserve to be paid for your work.”

“And what of your work?” She arched a brow at him. “And I’m not just speaking of your visions. You’ve developed very good investigative skills. Just look at what you did with Mrs. Styles-Rowdon today.”

Hadrian’s chest swelled and his heart sped for a moment as the thrill of her praise raced through him. “That is quite a compliment coming from you. Thank you.” His eyes met hers, and they simply looked at one another for a long moment. She broke the connection first, moving her focus to the other side of the coach. His gaze dipped to her mouth, and he recalled theirconversation about kissing. He wanted to kiss her. Would she really allow it?