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And that led me back to Victoria Dutton-Cox’s puzzling death. I had no answers there. After letting my thoughts run in circles a few times, I picked up the sponge and rubbed down my skin.
If I’d found understanding Margaret’s and Victoria’s motives difficult, my parents’ killer was a complete enigma. Why had he killed my parents? Why had I seen nothing of him for a dozen years? His face haunted my dreams. That was my first investigation and my one failure. I needed to find him.
After a good soak and a scrub, I felt human and ready to face anything. Even reasons beyond my understanding.
*
PHYLLIDA HAD ALREADY unpacked for me and laid out clean clothes. She gave me the welcome news that there’d been no domestic accidents and there were spring peas for di
She helped me dress in a white shirtwaist and blue skirt, but instead of going to the shop, I put on my cloak, hat, and gloves and went to Hyde Park Place. At that time of day, the sidewalk was busy with well-dressed men and women heading home from shopping or visiting or meeting with their men of affairs. Traffic on the street was busy with hansom cabs and carriages traveling between the City or Regent Street and the wealthy residential area on this side of Hyde Park.
I walked slowly along a four-block stretch, looking at every top-hatted man around me before I turned and strolled in the opposite direction. After my second circuit, a bobby stared as if considering whether I was up to no good, but I gave him a big smile as I walked past and he appeared to ignore me after that.
Clouds were blocking the sun, bringing an early end to the day and speeding pedestrians along their way. I couldn’t tarry much longer looking for my prey, when I heard, “I doubt you’ll find Drake along here.”
I swung around to find myself facing the Duke of Blackford, an umbrella replacing his usual walking stick. “No, I’m here on a different search entirely.”
“I hadn’t heard the Archivist Society handles more than one investigation at a time.”
“We don’t. This is a private matter.”
He raised his eyebrows.
I was saved from answering as a fat raindrop hit my nose. The duke put up his umbrella instantly and held it over both of us. “There’s a tea shop nearby on Oxford Street. Shall we have a cup of tea while we wait out the storm?”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
His smug smile made me think he’d offered to save me from a soaking for the pleasure of forcing me to call him “Your Grace.” I had to hurry to keep up with him, although he didn’t appear to be rushing. We arrived before we were dripping. The duke arranged for us to have a table by one of the windows to share a pot of tea and some biscuits.
“This is very kind of you.”
“My father raised me to be a gentleman. And while he’d never approve of leaving a lady out in the rain, he would expect me to ask why she was walking slowly along a busy sidewalk for quite some time.”
Our tea arrived and neither of us spoke until I’d served us both. “I told you, it’s a private matter.”
“Not so private that you can’t tell me. Who are you looking for?”
“What makes you think I’m looking for someone?”
He glared at me. “Please, Miss Fenchurch, don’t treat me like a mental defective. You were slowly walking down a major sidewalk staring at every passing man. I repeat, who are you looking for?”
“You’ll laugh at me.” Sir Broderick had told me it was hopeless.
“No. I won’t. I can tell it’s important to you.” His expression showed genuine interest.
“I’m looking for the man who killed my parents.”
“Why here? Why now? Didn’t your parents die years ago?”
“Yes, they did. However, I recently saw their murderer walking down that sidewalk. I was on an omnibus, and by the time I climbed down, he was gone. I’m hoping he has a reason to be in this area and I’ll see him again.”
“Have you looked for him before?”
“Every day for the past dozen years. Not actively, but I’d walk down the sidewalk, see a top hat, and immediately glance at the man’s face. The day I met you was the first time I’d seen him since the day my parents died.”
“You’re certain it was him?”
“Yes,” I snapped. I held up my hands. “Sorry. You sound like Sir Broderick.”
“Sir Broderick doubts you?”
“Yes.”
“Has he ever spotted someone he thought was that man?”
“He couldn’t. He wasn’t there when my parents and I were taken hostage. When I escaped, I ran to him as my father’s partner and as someone who knew how to take care of himself.”
I shivered, knowing it wasn’t from watching the rain fall. “When I pulled Sir Broderick out of the burning cottage after the beam fell on him, I saw our abductor standing nearby. Sir Broderick was unconscious at that point, or nearly so. And that was the last time I saw that horrible man. Until recently.”
The duke stared at me for so long I began to wish he’d say something. He reached over and touched the bare back of my hand with his fingertip. His skin was warm against my flesh. I reveled in his gentleness and the intimacy of the contact. A touch that overcame the differences in our stations in life and shouted out our human co
“You pulled Sir Broderick, a much larger person, out of a burning building?”
“Yes.”
“How?” He took a sip of tea while he waited for my answer.
“The cottage was being renovated. There was a lot of lumber around. I grabbed some boards and worked them under the fallen beam to raise it enough to drag Sir Broderick out.”
“You did that alone?”
“Yes.” Then I realized—“You don’t believe me.”
I started to rise, but the duke gestured with one hand for me to sit. “I believe you. What I find amazing is the amount of physical effort you put into your rescue.”
Sitting again, I took a sip of tea to keep from crying. “I can’t believe how badly I failed.”
“You saved his life.”
“His legs were crushed. And I couldn’t get back in to help my parents. The roof collapsed. I did a very bad job of saving anyone.”
“I find it amazing anyone survived. That two people did is a testament to your ingenuity.” He tapped his fingertip on the back of my hand again. “Can you tell me where this cottage was?”
“I’m not likely to forget. Why?”
“Somebody owned it a dozen years ago. That might give you a hint to who your mystery man is.” He ran one finger along my hand to my wrist. His touch felt like a warm breath and made my insides tremble.
I dragged my mind back to our conversation. “We tried that at the time. Neither the owner of the property nor the farm manager had anything to do with what happened. I met the farm manager, and the owner was in Egypt.”
“Still, give me the location of this cottage. I may be able to learn something useful.”
I was suspicious. “Why would you want to assist us in finding a man who’s done nothing to you? Our interests are similar concerning Mr. Drake, and you don’t want our help.”
“Give me a chance to try to help find this killer to repay you for your help at the Arlingtons’ ball. At worst, you’ll know as much as you do now. Let me talk to some people for you.”
I was grateful for his help. The duke had contacts I would never have. With his aid, I might finally find this elusive man.