One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club #1)

“That was years ago,” Bellamy said. “It doesn’t prove a damn thing.”


“Perhaps not. But this does.” Spencer drew Leo’s token from his waistcoat pocket and tossed it onto the table. “It’s his,” he said, answering the silent question. “I’ve seven more upstairs, if you want to count.”

“I knew it,” Bellamy said, his face going red. “I knew you—”

“It was me,” Jack said. “I mean, it wasn’t me who killed Leo. But I found that token. It was in the possession of a wh—”

Spencer threw his fist down on the table. “Not now,” he growled, casting a look at Claudia. For God’s sake, he suddenly realized they’d been discussing violence and murder right in front of her. They weren’t going to discuss whores, too. “We’re not having this conversation in front of the child.”

“I’m not a child!” Claudia protested, banging a fork against her plate. Her eyes swam with tears. “When are you going to realize that?”

“Eat your salmon,” he told her.

“I’m not going to eat the dratted salmon.” She stabbed it with her fork and muttered, “I hate you.”

Spencer sighed. He didn’t suppose that comment was directed at the fish. He looked to Amelia, hoping she would intervene and use her hostess’s charm to rescue this wreck of a dinner. But his wife wouldn’t meet his gaze. She was staring down at her own salmon, wearing a puzzled frown. All evening, she’d been strangely preoccupied.

Bellamy said, “Send the girl to bed if you must. But I’ve been slaving day and night for the past month to find the men who killed Leo, and if anyone at this table has information, I want to hear it now.”

“I found the token,” Jack said. “It was in the possession of the wh—” He absorbed Spencer’s cutting glare. “Of the witness to Leo’s attack. The one who called for the hack and delivered him to your house.”

“When did you recover it?”

“Just the day after his death.”

“And you told no one?”

Jack shrugged. “At the time, I didn’t know you were looking for it, or even that it was Leo’s. I met with her in Covent Garden, but I suppose she’d made a special excursion to Whitechapel that night for the boxing match. Anyhow, when I tried to find her again, she’d disappeared. I’d given her a guinea in exchange for the token. Seems she’d decided to take a holiday with her windfall and gone to visit her mother in Dover.”

Spencer caught Bellamy’s gaze. “That’s why neither of us had any luck finding her ourselves.”

“What do you mean, ‘neither of us’?”

“Later.” He most definitely was not discussing his day of searching Whitechapel taverns and brothels in front of Claudia. “But at least we know this. Whoever killed Leo, they weren’t after his token. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended in the hands of a passerby.” He turned to Jack. “But you did find her?”

“Eventually, yes.” He gave Spencer a look. “Thought it might help.”

Interesting. So now Jack wanted to help him? Spencer had no doubt what sort of help Jack would ask in return.

“And then you just left her again?” Bellamy speared both hands through his unkempt hair in exasperation. “Where is she now?”

“Relaxing in finer accommodations than she’s ever enjoyed in her life,” Jack answered. “Don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere. Someone’s watching her.”

“Did she have any further information? Did she see his attackers?”

“Only glimpses, in retreat. Her descriptions of them are vague at best. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in coarse attire. She couldn’t describe them with any helpful detail. What was interesting”—he raised an eyebrow in a theatrical pause—“was her description of Leo’s companion.”

Silence.

“What?” Bellamy finally managed. “But … but he was alone that night.”

“No, he wasn’t. There was another man with Leo when he was attacked. The harlot remembered his features quite well—hair, height, clothes, looks.” He turned a steely gaze on Bellamy. “From her description, the man looked a great deal like you.”

Chapter Twenty

Julian Bellamy’s face went pale with shock. “He looked like me?”

Oh, Spencer was going to enjoy this. Not only was he cleared of all suspicion, but now he could repay Bellamy the favor. “Well, well. This is an interesting development.”

“I was not with Leo that night,” Bellamy said. “I wish to hell I had been, but I wasn’t.”

“Then it’s curious, isn’t it, that Leo was seen with a man who matched your description?”