“And the intruder did not know the name of the gentleman who approached him?”
Sebastian shook his head, as Lord Windsor spoke up.
“I believe Roberts — for that is evidently his name — is speaking the truth when he says he does not know the name of the gentleman who paid him,” he said, slowly. “He was given a handsome amount of money, but the mysterious gentleman seemed to know both his name, where he lived and where he might find him should Roberts fail.”
Lord Monteforte chewed his lip for a moment, his brow furrowed. “Then it must have been a little out of fear that Roberts did as he was told,” he said, slowly. “Although it begs the question as to how this gentleman supposedly knew who Roberts was.”
Sebastian held up one hand. “It would not be too difficult to find such a person,” he said, quickly. ?
?All one would need to do would be to speak to some of those of the lower class, paying them whatever they asked for until such information was discovered.”
Shrugging one shoulder, Lord Monteforte silently agreed with what Sebastian had to say.
“So what are we now to do?” Lord Watt asked, leaving the question open to everyone to answer. “Lady Callander is speaking to Lady Madeline, from what I understand, but —”
Sebastian looked to the door as it opened to reveal both Lady Callander and Lady Madeline. Lady Madeline looked a little pale and certainly did not have the same spark of self confidence in either her gaze or her stance, looking about the room in an evident state of astonishment.
“Do excuse us,” Lady Callander said, quickly. “Lady Madeline is evidently to meet with Lord Chesterfield this afternoon for a short afternoon stroll about Hyde Park and I have informed her as to the suspicions that are laid against him.” She smiled tightly at Lord Watt. “In addition, I have been to visit Miss Sarah.”
“Oh?” Sebastian rose to his feet, finding himself moving towards Lady Callander without having any intention of doing so. “Has she awoken?”
“She has,” Lady Callander told him, as a sense of tension began to fill the room. “She was very confused as to where she was and who I was, but soon was reassured by both myself and the nurse.”
Sebastian held his breath, looking directly at Lady Callander and waiting for her to say something more.
“She told me that she was afraid of Madame Bereford,” Lady Callander said, softly, as Lady Madeline frowned, clearly uncertain as to what Lady Callander was speaking of. “And that Madame Bereford had instructed her to draw close to Lord Hazelton in any way she could. However,” she said, frowning. “This was some years ago that the instruction was given. Lord Hazelton was not always a regular client, but every time he appeared, the other ladies were kept away from him and thus, he became quite interested by her. He soon became a more regular client and as their intimacy grew, she began to speak to him and likewise, he to her.”
“I see,” Sebastian murmured, as Lord Watt rose, gesturing for the ladies to come and sit down. He waited until they had done so and then went to sit down himself also. “And what is it that she heard him speak of?”
Lady Callander drew in a long breath. “She was to tell Madame Bereford anything that Lord Hazelton said,” she continued, with a small, sad smile. “But when I asked her if she had done so, the poor lady began to cry.”
A little surprised, Sebastian glanced at the other gentlemen, who were all now looking just as confused.
“She apparently had begun to care for Lord Hazelton and so did not tell Madame Bereford everything,” Lady Callander continued. “She was terrified to keep such things from her mistress, but her loyalty to Lord Hazelton only grew.”
“So, she said nothing to Madame Bereford, then?” Sebastian asked, as Lady Callander shook her head. “Did she tell you what Lord Hazelton spoke to her about?”
“She did,” Lady Callander replied, her eyes fixed to his and Sebastian found himself holding his breath with such a sense of anticipation that it coursed through him like a burning fire. “Once she discovered my name was Lady Callander, she began to speak at length.” Her lips curled into a sad smile. “She was quite exhausted but gave all of her strength into explaining it all to me.”
The whole room was listening to everything that Lady Callander had to say, every eye fixed upon her without any of them making a single sound. Sebastian forced himself not to press her, not to hurry her in her speaking, knowing that there was a good reason for her taking her time.
“Lord Hazelton spoke of Lord Callander,” she said, slowly. “He did not know him well enough but commented once to her that, whilst he was sorry to hear that Lord Callander had passed away, he was quite certain that he had seen him once or twice since then.”
A murmur of confusion ran around the room.
“He was quite certain that he had done so, even though he knew he was being very foolish to even speak of it,” Lady Callander continued, a slight catch to her voice. “That was, I think, perhaps why he said such a thing to Miss Sarah, because he knew that she would not repeat what he had said to anyone in the ton.”
“Might I ask,” Sebastian interrupted, holding up one hand in what was a gesture of apology for his interruption, “what he said of Lord Callander? How had he known him?”
Lady Callander nodded slowly, closing her eyes as she continued to speak. “Lord Callander apparently spoke to Lord Hazelton on many an occasion. He sought Lord Hazelton’s financial assistance.”
Sebastian frowned. “He wanted money?”
“I am certain it was not my husband who was doing such a thing,” Lady Callander protested, firmly. “He was not a gentlemen who was struggling with his funds and certainly never once mentioned to me that he intended to start investing money in shipping.”
In an instant, everyone in the room was on edge.
“Shipping?” Lord Lexington said, his words quick and his eyes sharp. “Lord Callander — or whoever was masquerading as Lord Callander — sought Lord Hazelton’s financial input in order to begin involving themselves in shipping?”