A Dash of Scandal(101)
A light shown in Chandler’s eyes. “I think I might know who saw you.”
“Who?”
“Lord Heathecoute.”
She gasped. “That would make perfect sense. How do you know he was there?”
“He came to my door shortly after you left. He must have seen you leave.”
“What did he want?”
“He brought back the raven and said he had found everything that his lady had stolen. He asked me to help free his wife by speaking to the authorities on her behalf. I must admit I was in a hell of a temper after you left so abruptly with nothing settled between us. I don’t remember being sympathetic to his petition.”
Millicent shook her head. “Of course it would have been him. He should have been the first person I suspected. He must have bribed someone at the newspaper to exchange my column for his own.”
“Does he know you work for the gossips?”
Millicent wondered how much she should admit to Chandler and how much he already knew. “Yes. He and his lady are the only people who know other than my—Lord Truefitt. But, none of that is as important right now as finding out how you met my mother.”
A thoughtful expression flowed over Chandler’s face. “I went to her home.”
“Chandler, this is not the time to play the question game.”
“Why? You play it so well.”
Her gaze remained firmly on his face. “This is serious. I never told you my mother’s name. How did you find out where she lives?”
His expression turned more thoughtful and he said without hesitation, “I had someone make private inquiries about you and your family.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did.”
Outrage swept over her. “You spied on me?”
“In a manner of speaking, I suppose you could interpret it that way. I’d rather you see it as when you wouldn’t tell me about yourself, I became worried.”
“How could you do that to me?”
“I had to know if anyone was forcing you to do something you didn’t want to do. So when I had Doulton looking into the finances of various members of the ton, I asked him to make inquiries about you.”
Millicent took a deep breath and looked away from him for a moment. Already her exasperation was fading. It was difficult to be angry with him when she loved him so much and appreciated his concern for her well-being.
She faced him again. “How much did you find out about me?”
“Not everything I wanted to know.”
“Good. There is some mystery left me.”
“Maybe,” he said with a half smile.
Her senses perked up again and put her on guard. “What do you mean?”
“Doulton discovered that your mother was ruined by scandal during her come-out season, and that her father married her off to the earl of Bellecourte, a man more than twice her age. You were born two years later. And I know that Lady Beatrice is your aunt. Why did you keep that a secret?”
“My aunt thought it best that no one know of our relation so they wouldn’t be inclined to ask me too many questions. And you, sir, were the only one who queried me at length.”
“You fascinated me.”
Her heart lifted. “Why go see my mother? It appears you had already found out all there was to know about me.”
“Not quite. I knew about your family, Millicent, before you stayed with me in my town house.”
“You didn’t say a word. You should have told me.”
“I wanted you to trust me. I wanted you to tell me what I already knew.”
“Perhaps I should have,” she admitted, wondering if things would have turned out differently if she had told him.
“I tried desperately to get you to confide in me about yourself that morning we were together and again later that day when I called, but you refused to see me.”
“I remember.”
“I had to take this matter further without you. That’s when I decided to go see your mother. I rode like the devil day and night, changing horses often to get to your mother’s house as soon as possible.”
Fear gripped Millicent. “Did you tell her what I’ve been doing?”
“No.”
“Thank you. I know she wouldn’t understand why I had to do it,” she whispered, breathing easier, grateful he hadn’t told her mother that she wrote tittle-tattle. There was still hope that she could keep that bit of information from her.