A Scandal Most Daring (Saved By Desire 2)

Barnaby nodded. “So, do we know who has been attempting to mug you? Do you have any idea who tried to shoot you?”

“We don’t know if they intended to shoot me or Connor,” Tahlia declared.

She whirled on Connor and glared at him, challenging him to deny it.

“It’s true.” Connor tried to calm the rising tension by bringing Barnaby and Isaac up to date on what they had learned so far.

Barnaby shook his head in disbelief. “Let me get this straight. After being mugged – twice, you then had someone try to snatch you off the street. You managed to get here only to then be shot at. You then found yourself surrounded in jewels you never knew about, and asked to deliver an odd message to someone you didn’t know.”

When it was couched like that Tahlia realised that it did all soun

d rather stupid, but she refused to admit that she should have stayed at home.

“What did this Mr Tate say?”

Tahlia looked at Connor.

“I need to go back to this Mr Tate’s house tonight and take a better look at it,” Connor sighed.

“I just can’t see Uncle Henry being friends with that man. Mr Tate was abrupt to the point of rudeness, and seemed intrigued, not shocked, intrigued, by the ridiculous message I did pass on,” Tahlia explained.

Connor nodded. “She didn’t give him the right message. The housekeeper was rude, and didn’t even bother to show us to the room properly or announce us. Then Mr Tate was odd to say the least. I am going to go back to take a better look at what he is hiding.”

Barnaby shook his head in disbelief. “What was the message you were supposed to pass on?”

“That the mudlark diamond is with Valentin,” Tahlia replied.

Barnaby froze and stared intently at her. “The mudlark is in London?”

Connor knew that look on his boss’ face, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“What do you know about the mudlark diamond?” It was the first he had ever heard of it. He wondered what else Barnaby knew that the rest of the men didn’t.

“I will tell you what I discovered just this afternoon,” Barnaby retorted. “That the mudlark diamond is supposed to be worth a vast fortune, but nobody has ever seen it. Nobody can say whether it truly exists.”

“It has not been stolen yet?” Isaac asked.

“Nobody knows where it is,” Barnaby replied. “We need to find out what we can about this Valentin fellow.”

“I have a picture of him,” Tahlia exclaimed. She hurried out of the room and returned moments later with the portrait.

“He doesn’t look familiar to me,” Barnaby mused and handed the picture to Isaac, who shook his head.

“Me neither.” Isaac handed the picture back to Tahlia. “Do you think he is connected to the mudlark diamond in some way? Why would your uncle have a picture of him?”

“I don’t know,” she replied.

“Well, keep it to one side for now. It may become useful later on in some way. For now, stay inside where it is safe,” Barnaby warned.

It irked Tahlia to have to follow orders. After all, she wasn’t one of his men, there to do whatever he wanted.

“It is for your own good,” Connor added.

“Ha!” Tahlia snorted. “What is for my own good is to leave this wretched place far behind, and the sooner the better.”

“You need to stay here for a while,” Barnaby replied firmly.

“Now that I have passed the message on to Mr Tate,” Tahlia hesitated. “Well, sort of, I am going to go through my uncle’s things and select which I wish to keep. The rest can remain in the house for now. As soon as I have seen the solicitor tomorrow, I am returning home where I belong. I am afraid all of these mysteries and shadows are a part of your line of work, not mine.”