To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars 2)
Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. “I thought I could be indifferent, but it hurts to have blatant proof of his adultery.”
Roslyn squeezed her hand comfortingly. “It’s still possible you are mistaken about the boy’s identity.”
“No, dear, I’m not mistaken. I know here…” Herhand covered her heart.
Roslyn felt her own heart go out to her friend. She was sad and angry, knowing how Winifred had suffered from being betrayed by her husband. She was even angrier at the late Sir Rupert for hurting this dear, sweet woman, no matter how frustrating her meddling matchmaking efforts could be.
Hoping to divert Winifre
d from her pain, Roslyn asked another question entirely. “So why did he hold up your coach and break into your house? Was he after your brooch because it contains a miniature portrait of his father? The brooch was the only thing he seemed to want when he held us up, and he didn’t steal your other more valuable jewelry that was lying there in plain sight.”
“That seems the most likely reason,” Winifred answered unevenly. “And to be truthful, the brooch really isn’t mine. Or at least Rupert never gave it to me. It was turned over to me by the jewelers, where it was being cleaned. Rupert died so suddenly-his heart failed him, you know-that he had no time to put his affairs in order. But I think that miniature was his gift to his mistress…”
Pushing the empty snifter at Roslyn, Winifred began crying softly into her hands.
Roslyn put her arms around Winifred in a consoling embrace, which brought her own painful memories rushing back. She’d consoled her mother this way numerous times over the years. Her father’s shameless philandering had caused her mother even more pain than Winifred had endured. At least Winifred’s husband had been discreet, whereas Sir Charles had flaunted his mistresses just to spite his wife.
When Drew silently provided a handkerchief, Roslyn gave him a grateful glance. Winifred took it and eventually her sobs quieted.
“I am sorry,” she murmured, wiping her eyes. “I don’t mean to turn into a watering pot. It’s just that seeing the boy…has dredged up some painful memories.”
“I know,” Roslyn said softly.
“Rupert had no family relations,” Winifred added, sniffing. “He was the last of his line and his title died with him. That is what I regret most.”
“You cannot let yourself dwell on the past, Winifred.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Sniffing, she sat up straighter. “I cannot stay here sniveling in this ridiculous fashion. I have dinner guests. It is terribly rude to leave them to their own devices. I may not have been born a lady, but I know that much! You and your sisters taught me all about genteel manners, my dear, and now I am letting you down.”
Roslyn managed a smile. “Please don’t concern yourself about the thief, Winifred. Don’t even think about it. His grace and I will determine what should be done.”
Winifred glanced up at Drew with a watery smile. “I didn’t expect to involve you so deeply in my troubles, your grace. I only wanted you to see my dear Roslyn’s worth.”
With a charming smile of his own, he shot Roslyn a glance as he helped Winifred to her feet. “I see her worth quite clearly, my lady. But leave it to me to investigate the boy’s identity.”
“Leave it to us,” Roslyn corrected. “We will discuss the matter while you rejoin your guests, Winifred.”
“Very well,” her ladyship agreed. “I will have Pointon keep your dinner warm.”
When she had gone, Roslyn found herself frowning as Drew settled beside her on the sofa. “Do you think she is right?” she asked. “That the thief really is Sir Rupert’s natural son?”
“It makes sense. If the brooch came into her possession four years ago, he may want it back. But why now? And what happened to his mother if she was Sir Rupert’s mistress?”
“And is the boy really a footman?” Roslyn mused aloud. “If his father failed to provide for him, he may have been forced to seek employment merely to survive. Perhaps he truly is in service in some noble household, and the livery he wore is not a disguise but his regular attire.” Roslyn’s eyes suddenly widened. “Good heavens…what if he served at Danvers Hall last week? We hired numerous extra staff for the wedding celebrations.”
Drew nodded. “That would explain why he was able to intercept your coach so readily. If he was acting as a footman that night, he could have kept watch on Lady Freemantle’s carriage and slipped out in time to ride after it.”
“I should ask the Simpkins if they noticed any of the footmen behaving oddly that evening.”
“Good. Meanwhile, Bow Street may develop some leads about the livery soon.”
“But isn’t there any other avenue we can pursue? I loathe having to sit still and do nothing.”
Drew smiled at her impatience. “I won’t be sitting still. I plan to interview Sir Rupert’s solicitors tomorrow to discover what they know about a former mistress. If we can identify her, it might help us to locate the boy.”
Roslyn gave Drew an admiring look. “That is very clever. And if Sir Rupert did keep a mistress for so long, Fanny may know something about her. Fanny makes it her business to know everything about the demimonde, particularly wealthy gentlemen who could potentially become patrons. And even if she can’t tell us about Sir Rupert’s arrangement, she has acquaintances who may be able to remember his circumstances four years ago.”
“She may be a good source,” Drew agreed.