Unmasking Deception by Lancaster Mary

Author:Lancaster, Mary
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2021-10-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Just after five o’clock, Mr. Dunne was announced.

Richard was seated in the library of Sedgemoor House with his father and his brothers—all but Dominic, whom he had left pacing like a caged tiger in his rooms off Piccadilly.

Mr. Dunne was a tall man with steady gray eyes and thick hair of almost the same color. Despite this, he was not yet thirty years old. He dressed with neatness and no frills, but definitely as a gentleman.

Richard rose as the man walked into the room.

“Is this your fellow?” the marquess demanded quite audibly. “I was expecting a grubby little man in glasses.”

“Mr. Dunne is licensed to practice law,” Richard said reprovingly. “And he certainly seems to beat the nobility in manners. How do you do, Dunne? Thank you for coming.”

While his father glared, Richard shook hands with his investigator and turned to perform the introduction. “Father, this is Mr. Dunne, whom I asked to look into Dominic’s case. Dunne, my father, the Marquess of Sedgemoor, and my brothers, Lord Rampton, Lord William Gorse, and Lord Charles Gorse.”

Dunne bowed, and Richard indicated a chair.

“So, what have you found?” Richard asked, trying to curb his impatience. It had been a long time since he had been impatient for anything, so the feeling took him by surprise.

As he sat, Dunne took a thin sheaf of folded paper from a pocket inside his coat. “I found that the case was handled appallingly badly, with far too much speed and too little care.”

“That was me,” the marquess growled. “I didn’t want the boy hanging around causing even more scandal.”

“If the magistrates, or your own man, had been instructed to investigate the matter,” Mr. Dunne said, “they would have easily found what I did. That Lord Dominic was seen going into his own rooms at two of the clock that morning, after saying goodnight to a parcel of other young gentlemen.”

“Then that was true?” the marquess said in surprise.

Richard bit back a retort. After all, he hadn’t believed Dominic either, regarding it only as the unreliable memory of an ashamed and guilty drunk.

“It appears so. Moreover, the servants of both Mr. Minton and Mr. Jarvey told me their masters did not return home until around half-past six the same morning. I have their signed affidavits here.” He placed two of the papers on the small table in front of him.

Richard drew in his breath. “Minton’s brother Sir Alfred would appear to confirm that. He said George had only just gone to bed when Alfred woke him again at seven.”

His brothers bore stunned expressions. His father’s was more complicated, with more than a hint of anger and shame thrown in. Good.

“Lord Dominic’s landlord,” Dunne began.

“Dobbs,” the marquess said impatiently. “He couldn’t vouch for Dominic coming in at two. He heard nothing.”

“No, but he was up at six and heard Lord Dominic snoring.”

Richard frowned. “Not enough by itself to prove Dominic didn’t go out again between two and six.”

“No. But I found Mr. Crawley’s valet, who is now with another gentleman.

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