A Little Bit Sinful(69)

Not a quarter of an hour later the three of them waited in Lady Manchester’s parlor. Unlike the hotel bearing her name, this room spoke of more immediate wealth. Justin sat in the only wooden, non-upholstered chair in the room while his wife huddled closely next to her friend on the settee. When the door opened, the three of them stood.

The lady walked in without the assistance of anyone and seemed completely capable, but a woman followed closely behind her. Once Lady Manchester sat, the other woman promptly wrapped her lap in a blanket, then went to stand behind the woman’s chair.

“It’s so rare that I get visitors these days,” Lady Manchester said.

“Lady Manchester, I’m not certain if you remember me, I’m Ella Atkins. I believe you know my mother, Lady Weaver. These are two of my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Justin Rodale. They’d like to ask you a few questions.”

The woman nodded, then looked up to see her guests. Her breath caught when she looked at Justin. “Gracious, you look just like her,” she said.

“Who?”

“Simone,” she said, then shook her head. “I cannot remember the girl’s full name.”

Simone. Was his mother’s name Simone?

“We’d like to ask you a few questions about Manchester House,” he said.

“Thieving bastard took that property right from under my nose, he did,” Lady Manchester said with a frown. The woman behind her put a hand on her ladyship’s shoulder. “Don’t pat me to calm me, Sally, I speak the truth.” She shooed away the woman’s hand.

“Your cousin?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes, nasty little man. I bequeathed the entire hotel to my niece, Charlotte, and her husband, but somehow Winston got it put in his name.” She shook her head. “I’ll never understand it.”

“But you owned it and ran it in the 40s?”

She met his gaze again and nodded. “Yes. I simply cannot get over how much you favor Simone.”

“Did you keep records of your guests during that time?”

“Primarily the time when you had all the families from France stay with you during the Season,” Clarissa added.

“Of course, I kept impeccable records,” Lady Manchester said. “My father always told me that you never put anything of importance in the rubbish.”

“Do you have them?” Clarissa asked. “The records?”

“Of course not, they’re at the hotel. In the basement, precisely right where I left them. A record of every guest and every room they stayed in as well as every pence they spent. I kept meticulous records.”

“When we visited there earlier today, your cousin claimed that you had taken all the records with you,” Clarissa said.

“Why would I do a silly thing like that?” She pointed a crooked finger at Clarissa. “That man is nothing but a lying fool. Unless he’s put everything in the rubbish, then it should all still be there.”

“This Simone you speak of,” Justin said. “Did you know her well?”

Lady Manchester smiled warmly. “I did, she was a wonderful girl, so full of life and love.”

“Did she find love here?”

“She did, but it was not to be. Her family had already arranged a marriage between her and a wealthy Frenchman. She left here quite heartbroken,” Lady Manchester said. A wistfulness filled her expression. “She was so very pretty.” She looked up at Justin. “You look like her, you know.”

“Thank you, my lady,” he said, “for your time and your information.”

There was only one thing to do now. He had to break into Manchester House to sneak a peek at those records.





Chapter Fifteen


Justin had intended to invite her to accompany him back to the hotel that night, but had changed his mind. It was one thing for him to break into a building, but to bring along his wife and make her a criminal as well…

“Are you going back to Rodale’s?” her voice came from behind him.

He considered lying to her, but he’d never been much of a liar. Part of why he’d hated gambling. “No, I am going to Manchester House,” he said. “I need this issue resolved. And I want to take a peek at those records before that man decides to destroy them. If he hasn’t already done so.”

“I’m going with you,” she said.

“Chrissy, there is no need for that. If we get caught, there will be nothing I can do to salvage the rest of your good name.”