But damn it, she couldn’t think about mankind’s foibles right now. She needed to think about only one person—the killer.
Two hours later, she was in front of the slate board with Alec sprawled out in one of the chairs behind her, reading the Times. They’d returned to a light meal, and then Lady Atwood had managed to pressure her brother into accompanying her on a few morning calls. They’d have to be social acquaintances, since it was still early in the afternoon. Later afternoon was reserved for intimate connections, like Lady St. James.
How scary was it that she was beginning to recognize 1815’s complex rules of social etiquette?
“Perhaps I can take you for a drive around the park,” Alec murmured, apparently feeling her anxiety. “It may relax you.”
“If I want to relax, I’ll do yoga.”
“I don’t even know what that means, but I’d suggest you do it. You’ve been tense since we returned home.”
“I’m not tense. I want to focus on the investigation.” She paused, then did just that. “Roberts would have no reason to steal the necklace. I think I can safely eliminate him from our pool of suspects.” She found the damp cloth, hesitated for a second, then wiped his name off the slate board. It felt right.
“And then there were five,” she murmured. She glanced around at Alec. “Could you find out where Roberts will be this afternoon? I’d like to talk to him again.”
Alec frowned. “Why? You only just erased his name from the list of suspects.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that. And when I talk to him next, I won’t have to focus on him. I might be able to play him against his in-laws.”
“Does that work in the FBI—playing people against each other?”
She gave a roguish smile. “More often than you realize.”
45
Roberts was at White’s. Because women were not allowed to cross the threshold of the gentleman’s club, Alec went inside to persuade the future Earl to venture out. Kendra waited in the carriage, drumming her fingers on her knee and cursing the circumstances.
She wasn’t sure how long she waited, but it felt too damn long before the door finally opened, and Alec and Roberts climbed inside. Alec rapped his knuckles against the trap, and the carriage jerked forward.
Roberts didn’t bother to conceal his irritation. “Now what do you wish of me, Miss Donovan? Haven’t you caused enough mayhem in my life?”
“How have I done that?”
“My wife’s ill temper has forced me out of my own home and into my club.”
“Infidelity can put anyone in a bad mood, I suppose.”
He glared at her. “Your attempt at humor is appalling.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny.” Maybe a little sarcastic, but not funny. “You want us to believe that you didn’t kill Lady Dover—”
“I did not kill her!”
“Then who do you think did?”
He stared at her. “I have not a notion.”
“Come on, you must have some suspicions. This is your moment to give us someone else to focus on, because I’ve gotta say, you look pretty good as a suspect, Mr. Roberts.”
“You’re daft.”
“You were having an affair with Lady Dover.” She raised her hand and began to tick the points off with her finger. “You didn’t want your father-in-law to find out, because he might not have been into sharing. She threatened to tell Weston—”
“She did not!”
Kendra studied him. “Lady Dover was mercurial. You couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t tell him. You killed her to make sure she never would.”
“That’s preposterous.”
“A magistrate on Bow Street doesn’t think so.”
“You’ve discussed this with Bow Street?”
“Of course,” she lied, and leaned forward, fixing him with her gaze. “You’re looking good for the murder, Mr. Roberts, unless you can give me another name. If it wasn’t you, it had to be someone in the Weston family. Lady Isabella and her husband are in the clear. They have an alibi—”
“So do I. I was at the ball.”
“Sorry, not good enough. Your house is a ten-minute walk from Lady Dover’s. It would be easy to slip out of your house during a crowded ball. So what about Lady Weston? She wasn’t there.”
Roberts’s eyes widened. “Are you bloody serious? Lady Weston—you are daft!”
“Because she’s a woman? Or because she was supposedly home in bed?”
“Yes—both!” He looked at Alec. “Your Lordship, this is utter madness. Miss Donovan may be the Duke’s ward, but she belongs in Bedlam.”
“Miss Donovan’s methods may shock you, but she has a way at getting to the truth,” Alec said. “I would suggest you answer her questions.”
Roberts looked at him like he was insane too.
“How do you know Lady Weston was really indisposed that night?” Kendra pressed. “It’s the perfect alibi. She tells everyone that she’s not feeling well and supposedly locks herself in her room until morning, but instead of sleeping, she goes over to Lady Dover’s house. Maybe she only wanted to scare her into leaving her husband, but things got out of hand. It happens.”
“Such things may happen in America—but not in England.”
“Really? Because someone here in merry old England stabbed Lady Dover to death.”
Alec held up a hand. “Let’s not quibble about geography. Mr. Roberts, how can you know that Lady Weston was in her bedchamber the evening Cor—Lady Dover was murdered?”
Roberts was silent for a long moment. Then he gave a disgruntled shrug. “After the incident at the theater, the woman was overwrought and took to her bed. Lady Frances was concerned and spoke with Lady Weston’s lady’s maid. She reported Lady Weston’s habit of lacing her tea at night with laudanum in order to sleep.”
“Lady Weston seems to have recovered remarkably well after Lady Dover’s death,” remarked Kendra.
Another shrug. “I cannot tell you what goes through a woman’s mind. If you want confirmation that Lady Weston was in bed as she claimed, I suggest you speak to the maid—Miss Aubert. She supplied Her Ladyship with the tea.”
Kendra kept her eyes on his. “What about Weston, or his son?”
“Lord Weston . . . in truth, I have no idea. He does have a temper, and what Cordelia did would enrage any man. But . . . I don’t know.”
“Dawson?”
Roberts shook his head. “He’s a young pup. I can’t imagine him doing anything more than sulk.”
“He seems to frequent the gaming hells, and rarely wins,” said Alec. “Gossip is he’s being crushed with debt.”
Roberts didn’t look surprised. “I am aware that he has played foolishly at the tables. But what young buck has not?”
Kendra said, “If he has money problems because of his gambling addiction, that can put a great deal of stress on a person. Lady Dover’s actions would mean more stress.”
Roberts frowned. “What are you implying, Miss Donovan? That Dawson lashed out at Cordelia because he was in dun territory? It seems unlikely. Besides, he was at the ball. Everyone was at the ball. You appear determined to forget that fact.”