Page 26 of The Missing Book (Bluestocking Book Club #3)

“ L ord Melford, good afternoon!” Amelia, silently thanking fate for allowing her chance to meet with Lord Melford, smiled up at him. “You are back in Temple, I see.”

Lord Melford nodded, gesturing to the case which now held no books at all. “I came to see the state of things. I am sad to see the absence of these books.”

“Indeed,” Amelia sighed, quietly. “Mr. Lackington now has them in his safe. It is a great pity that he cannot permit them to be out on display.” She saw Lord Melford’s eyes flick back towards the case again, wondering if he was thinking about what had taken place…

and what he had done. “Though he was glad to have those three books returned to him.”

Lord Melford did not so much as blink. “I was glad to be able to do so, though I would have much preferred to return all of them. There were five books in total, I think.”

“Six,” Amelia corrected. “I do not know the titles for them all but I know they are very highly valued.” Her eyebrows lifted as, just a little away from Lord Melford, Lady Anna came into view. “Oh, I did not know Anna was with you!”

Lord Melford grinned, his eyes twinkling. “She is here with Lord Huggan, a friend of my brother’s. He wrote a note this morning to her, asking if she would like to take a walk through the Temple and truth be told, I do not know who was more astonished, Broughton or Anna herself!”

This made Amelia laugh despite her wariness and concern.

Lord Melford seemed so jovial, so amiable that it was difficult for her to think of him stealing such books.

Besides which, what purpose would he have for them?

Trying to think about how she might return the conversation to the books, Amelia gestured to Anna.

“She has told me of your interest in her friend, Lady Gwendoline.” Keeping her tone light, she watched the smile fix to Lord Melford’s face.

“Lady Gwendoline is quite a lovely young lady, I think.”

“Anna should not have said anything.” Lord Melford’s brow furrowed. “Please, Lady Amelia, do not say a word about this to any other. There is a friendship between us, that is all.”

“Oh?” Amelia feigned ignorance. “That is a great pity for I do think her quite a lovely creature and your visits to her will have meant more to her than mere friendship, I am quite certain. Every young lady is told that if a gentleman calls upon them repeatedly, they are to expect something more.”

A clearing of the throat was her only response.

“I am also afraid that your sister does not quite believe you in that regard either,” she said, as Lord Melford threw her a glance. “She did also said something to me that I found to be quite astute.”

Lord Melford lifted an eyebrow.

“She does not believe you, as I have said, but instead is quite insistent that something is hindering this connection. She sees you are pulling towards secrecy instead of honesty.” Speaking softly, she took a step closer to him.

“I know she wonders why that is, though she did think there might be something preventing Lady Gwendoline from accepting your courtship. Mayhap another gentleman?

Lord Melford sniffed, grimaced, and looked away. “Anna should try to keep her thoughts to herself.”

“Lady Gwendoline’s father is a little impoverished, from what I understand,” Amelia continued, pressing gently albeit carefully. She did not want Lord Melford to think she was prying. “Does that in itself present a difficulty for you?”

“For me?” Lord Melford snorted and ran one hand over his chin. “I can assure you, Lady Amelia, there is nothing in that regard that would prevent me from pursuing a lady I cared for. If I cared for her, that is.”

Amelia held his gaze, waiting for him to say more. Lord Melford let out a long and heavy sigh, closing his eyes briefly.

“Lady Amelia, you are quite persistent.”

Again, she stayed silent.

“ If I cared for Lady Gwendoline, the only thing to prevent me would be my brother,” he said, a heaviness in his expression and a weight rounding his shoulders.

“He has made it quite clear that she is not a suitable match and given his character, his demands for near perfection, and his insistence that things are done to his satisfaction, I cannot even consider Lady Gwendoline. The strain it would cause, the difficulty and the brokenness that would follow would be too great.” He turned to face her so that his eyes searched hers.

“Please, do not say a word of this to anyone. I shall also beg of you to tell Anna not to say anything either. Things are already difficult enough.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Amelia to stare after him in the greatest astonishment. The gentleman had told her more than she had ever expected to hear but, with that, there came a great relief that something more had come to light.

Ever so slowly, fragments of conversations and remarks began to come back to her, slotting together to create a picture in her mind.

She thought of Lady Gwendoline, of Lady Anna, of Lord Melford and Lord Broughton.

She thought of the books, of the money they would be worth, of the four books over the three.

She thought of Lord Broughton’s apology, of Lady Anna’s frustration when they had first met, of Lord Melford’s begging at this very moment.

And then, in one swift, beautiful, overwhelming moment, it all made sense.

She had it.

Amelia looked around the room, seeing every face staring back at her, though Miss Trentworth was slowly beginning to smile. She had only just finished explaining about Baron Wishart but now, there was more for her to say. More that, she hoped, would bring an end to this mystery.

“So we have the name of one of the gentlemen who stole the books,” Amelia said again, just to clarify the situation. “Baron Wishart. He was speaking to Lady Gwendoline, though it may have been entirely innocent, of course.”

“But Lady Gwendoline is closely connected to Lord Melford,” Miss Trentworth said, as Amelia nodded. “And we believe Lord Melford to have been involved in some way with the theft of the books.”

Hesitating, Amelia considered and then spread out her hands. “I have a theory if you would all like to hear it?”

The excited murmurs from her friends made her smile.

“Very well,” she began, taking in a deep breath and then letting it out in its entirety before she began.

“You see, Lord Melford and Lady Gwendoline begin to realize their interest in each other goes further than a friendship only. At the same time, however, Lord Broughton says, quite clearly, to Lord Melford that Lady Gwendoline is not at all suitable. It is only in a passing comment or two but it is made quite clear to him that Lady Gwendoline is not someone he can pursue.”

“Even though he wants to,” Miss Sherwood said, as Amelia nodded. “That must have been difficult for him to hear.”

“He did state initially that he had no desire to court her and that she was only a friend to him but I did not believe him, just as Lady Anna did not,” Amelia continued, her heartbeat quickening as she continued her explanation.

“Lord Melford begged me to keep my thoughts to myself, did not want for me to say a single word to anyone. But I believe that there may well have been a reason for his involvement in these book thefts.”

There was silence in the room as all the bluestockings looked at her.

“Love,” Amelia said, softly. “Lord Melford wishes to marry Lady Gwendoline. However, given that her father is impoverished, I can imagine that her dowry will be less than substantial, though I am also quite sure that such a thing will mean very little to him! But for Lord Broughton, it will be a severe issue.”

Lady Isobella gasped, her eyes rounding as one hand flew to her mouth. “He stole the books to improve her dowry?”

A sad smile touched the corners of Amelia’s lips. “That is my thought, yes. That way, Lord Broughton would be more likely to agree to the marriage. Somehow and in some way, the books were taken deliberately, with Lord Melford involved in the theft.”

“But why pursue them?” Lady Rosalyn asked, frowning. “Why make it appear that he was the one chasing after them and thereafter, returning three?”

Amelia clasped her hands tightly in her lap, aware that she was doing nothing more than speculating.

“If it was all planned in advance, then he must have had to make sure that Lord Winslow and the other gentleman, whoever he was, did as was asked. I suspect that the gentlemen who ran were permitted to take a book each whilst Lord Melford took four back with him. The books can be sold for a significant sum and then shared between the three of them. That way, they gain something as does Lord Melford.”

Silence was her response as the other bluestockings all began to consider what she had said. Amelia licked her lips, wondering if she had been foolish in her thinking, only for Lady Isobella and Lady Rosalyn to look back at her and nod.

“I think you are right,” Lady Rosalyn said, speaking slowly.

“Though I must wonder what happened to the fourth book. If Lord Melford only returned three, then one was still in his possession somewhere. Where is it gone? And why did he take it? Why not let the other gentlemen have it if they were to sell the other ones regardless?”

“Mayhap so it would not raise suspicion?” Miss Sherwood suggested. “If all three books were sold in different places, then there is only a small chance that they will be discovered.”

“I suppose that is true,” Miss Trentworth mused, her brow furrowed. “I must say, Amelia, it does make sense. Though the only way to discover it is if we ask Lady Gwendoline and Lord Melford.”

Pressing her lips tightly together, Amelia nodded. “I know that.”

“But with your improved connection to Lord Broughton, is that something you want to do?” Miss Trentworth continued, speaking gently now. “It may jeopardize what you have built.”

Swallowing hard, Amelia looked down at her clasped hands.

“I have to do what is right,” she said, quietly.

“My connection to Lord Broughton has, as you have all noticed, improved vastly to the point that I am now beginning to find myself fond of him, though that has astonished me as much as I am sure it will astonish you!” Looking up, she saw one or two rueful smiles returned to her.

“But that does not matter. What I must do is what is right and that means trying to find out who stole the books and why.” She licked her lips.

“Though I may try to soften the blow by speaking with Lord Broughton first about it all.”

“Do you think that wise?” Miss Sherwood sounded doubtful. “He may say something to his brother and then refuse to meet.”

“Then I shall speak with him only a few minutes before the meeting, once it is arranged,” Amelia replied, her heart beginning to pain her at the thought of losing Lord Broughton’s company.

She wanted him to trust her, to continue to pull close to her but with this dark truth potentially threatening to cover over his family, she could not imagine how he would respond.

“This has to be spoken of, we have to find the truth.”

Her friends all nodded.

“Then if we are all satisfied, I shall invite them all here for tea tomorrow,” she said, recalling that Lord Broughton had made his intention of calling upon her very soon quite clear.

Would he think it strange that she had arranged a meeting instead?

Her stomach knotted, worry biting down at her as her friends all nodded their agreement.

“Then you are all welcome to join me,” she said, pushing aside her anxiety as best she could.

“Let us hope that, tomorrow, we find out the truth in all its entirety.” And that Lord Broughton will not, in his upset, turn his back on me either.