Page 78 of A Whisper at Midnight

“Perhaps he will take tea with us,” Grandmama suggested.

“Perhaps,” Tilda said vaguely before kissing her grandmother’s cheek. Vaughn held the door for her as she exited the house and hastened to the coach.

Hadrian had climbed down only to stop short upon seeing her. “You’re ready to depart.”

“We’re eager to solve this case, aren’t we?” Tilda replied with perhaps a touch of jovial impatience.

“We are indeed.” Chuckling, he handed her into the coach.

When they arrived at the drapery shop, Hadrian removed his gloves before leaving the coach. “I will not miss an opportunity to perhaps shake Pollard’s hand or touch something inside the shop.”

They walked to the door of the shop and Hadrian knocked. Pollard answered, his mouth twisting into something between a frown and a grimace. “Why have you come again?”

“We have a few more questions,” Hadrian said amenably. “I promise we won’t take too much of your time.”

“I will hold you to that,” Pollard said as he opened the door for them to move inside.

Tilda immediately noticed a woman standing near an empty case with a glass top and recognized her as the woman who’d been sitting beside Pollard at the inquest.

Pollard closed the door and walked around them. “This is Mrs. Pollard. Joanna, I believe you will recognize Lord Ravenhurst and Miss Wren from the inquest. They’ve come to bother me again with questions about Louis. You may recall that Miss Wren is working for Mrs. Chambers as aninvestigator.” His tone seemed to indicate that he didn’t approve.

“Why does she need an investigator?” Mrs. Pollard asked. She was taller than average, nearly as tall as her husband, but with a far more curvaceous figure. She had dark-blonde hair and small brown eyes. “Aren’t the police investigating Louis’s death?”

Tilda smiled patiently. “They are. However, I have been employed to conduct an investigation.” She did not bother mentioning that Hadrian had hired her.

“Seems unnecessary,” Mrs. Pollard said with a tsking sound. “But then the Chambers like to spend money.”

There was another knock at the door, and Pollard went to open it. He returned a moment later with a card which he handed to his wife. “The funeral is on Wednesday.”

Mrs. Pollard perused the card and made a moue of distaste. “I suppose I should go with you.”

“You needn’t bother, if you’d rather not,” Pollard said. “I know you aren’t particularly fond of Mrs. Chambers.”

“Why is that?” Tilda asked.

Mrs. Pollard sniffed. “She doesn’t care much for the shop. I think she believes it’s beneath her husband to be so involved in the direct management. She thought he’d just give money to Edgar, and we’d run things. How I wish she’d been right.”

“Come now, dear,” Pollard said cajolingly. “None of that matters now that Louis is gone.” He shook his head. “I am sorry about that. We may have fallen out somewhat, but I would never have wished him dead.” A wistful expression passed briefly over the man’s features. “We had some good times together in the beginning. I hadn’t known then that he was such a wastrel.”

“Are you referring to his financial problems?” Hadrian asked. “Or his behavior with women?” He glanced toward Mrs. Pollard. “Pardon me for asking such a question in your presence.”

Tilda watched Mrs. Pollard closely. When Hadrian had asked about Chambers’ behavior with women, her nostrils had flared, and her lip had curled ever so slightly. Tilda was convinced the woman knew something. But would she volunteer the information?

“Both,” Pollard replied. “He was not content to remain faithful to his wife, as I am to Joanna.” He sent her a warm smile, and his love for her seemed evident to Tilda.

Joanna returned his gaze but didn’t respond in kind.

“Mr. Pollard, you mentioned Chambers didn’t want a wife,” Tilda recalled. “Was that because he did not wish to commit himself to just one woman?”

Pollard shrugged. “I am not sure of his reasons, but I suppose that could have been why.”

“I don’t suppose you were aware of any of his paramours?” Hadrian asked. “He didn’t tell you of a mistress?”

“No one specific.” Pollard wrinkled his nose. “He liked to visit brothels, but I never accompanied him.”

Tilda moved on to her next line of inquiry. “Louis’s death has allowed you to accept Oliver Chambers’ investment as a partner.”

Mrs. Pollard came toward them, her eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare insinuate Edgar had anything to do with that man dying.”