“I am so sorry about Mrs. Johnson.”
He merely dipped his head and sighed. “Thank you. I have not been able to sleep or eat since she passed away.”
Amy was growing more uncomfortable as they remained. Patrick just sat there, staring into space.
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Finally, William said, “We stopped in to see how you were doing and also to tell you your stepmother has been advised of your illness.”
He looked over at William. “She is not worried, is she?”
“No. I told her you were on the way to recovery.”
“Good, good.” He continued to stare, giving a slight sigh every once in a while.
Amy caught William’s eye and gestured with her head toward the door. In unison, they both stood.
“We will leave you now, Whitney. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.”
“Thank you.” He climbed from the sofa and walked them to the door. “I appreciate you stopping in.”
“Will you be staying here for a while, then?”
“Not for long. I expect to return to my own rooms shortly.”
“Well, we’ll be off, then.” William took Amy’s arm, and they descended the steps and climbed into in the carriage.
“The poor man is a mess,” Amy said.
“Yes.” William stared at the house as they left, his brows furrowed.
CHAPTER 29
Amy and William entered the bookstore for the weekly meeting. Aunt Margaret had agreed to come with them but said she would browse the bookshelves for a while, then join them in the meeting and do a quick sketch of Mr. Davidson before the gathering broke up.
Miss Gertrude and Miss Penelope were standing in a circle with Lady Wethington and Mr. Colbert when they arrived. Amy noted that Mr. Colbert stood closer to Lady Wethington than anyone else.
Miss Gertrude hurried over to Amy, took her by the arm, and led her to one of the settees. “I am very upset, my lady, and I can’t think of anyone else I can speak to about this.”
“What is the matter, Miss Gertrude?
With shaky hands, the woman patted her upper lip with the handkerchief she clutched in her hands. “You know that horrible Mr. Harding was blackmailing me?”
“Yes. I agree, he is horrible, and yes, you told me he was blackmailing you. Does your upset have something to do with that?”
“Yes.”
Amy took Miss Gertrude’s ice-cold hands in hers. “What is the problem?”
The poor woman attempted to pull herself together. She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I received a letter in today’s post. The writer of the missive claims to be in possession of the information Mr. Harding had and said he intended to continue with the blackmail.” Her hurried words ran together.
Amy was shocked. Since she had the ledger, how did the author of the letter know whom Mr. Harding was blackmailing? Did Harding have a partner?
“I know you and Lord Wethington have been doing a search for Mr. Harding’s killer, so I thought maybe you would know who this person is.” She continued to wring her hands around the handkerchief.
Amy shook her head. “No, I am afraid not. However, let me speak with Lord Wethington about this and see if we can help in any way. In the meantime, do not agree to meet this person.”
“But what am I to do?”