Lady with a Black Umbrella by Mary Balogh

Author:Mary Balogh [Balogh, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-9967560-9-9
Publisher: Class Ebook Editions Ltd.
Published: 2016-02-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Lord Kincade sat back in his chair after setting his quill pen down carefully beside the blotter. He regarded his head groom, who was standing quietly across the desk from him.

“Well, Chandler,” he said, “what did you find out?”

“Not me exactly, your lordship,” the groom said. “I would have been too easily recognized. I sent Baker. Baker is a good man and has had some dealings with, er, shady affairs.”

“Baker is presumably the one that the Reverend Arthur saved from a life of crime and probably from a hanging, is he?” Lord Kincade asked dryly. “An admirable choice, Chandler. What did he discover?”

“The individual you described is not one of Lord Powers’ servants,” Chandler said.

“Hm,” the viscount said. “So much for that guess.”

“However, your lordship,” Lord Kincade noticed not for the first time in their eight-year association the dramatic flair of his head groom. The man should be on the stage, not wasting his time in someone else’s stables.

“Yes?” the viscount prompted, as he knew he was meant to do.

“The man is known to deliver messages to Lord Powers,” the groom said. “Baker’s drinking companion thought he might be a servant of the Marquess of Chalcott.”

Lord Kincade’s eyebrows rose and he stared at his groom for a moment. “The reclusive marquess,” he said, “Powers’ father. Interesting, Chandler. Very interesting. Baker was satisfied he was the same man?”

“He described him very carefully to his drinking companion," Chandler said, “even down to the yellow teeth on one side of the mouth only, your lordship.”

Lord Kincade nodded slowly. “Good,” he said. “Thank you, Chandler. And convey my compliments to Baker. Would he be willing to do something else for me that would take him from the stables, do you suppose?”

“If you ask me, your lordship,” Chandler said confidentially, "he is willing to do anything in preference to working in the stables. Not that he is a bad worker, mind,” he added hastily. “But his heart is on the streets, if you understand my meaning, your lordship.”

“I know that Lord Powers is an impecunious gentleman,” the viscount said. “He has expensive tastes. I should like to know more about the circumstances of the marquess. It might be difficult to find out. No one of my acquaintance has ever even seen the man. Do you think Baker can do it?”

“There is no knowing, your lordship,” Chandler said. “But if anyone can do it, Baker can, I daresay.”

“Good,” Lord Kincade said, and nodded as an indication that the servant was dismissed.

So it had not been coincidence that Powers and the man who had tried to rearrange the features on his face were on the same street at almost the same time. And it seemed that there was possibly more to that attack on him than the desire for revenge of a rather uncouth innkeeper. Had Powers been that desperate to see that nothing came between him and his plans to marry a rich wife?

It was an intriguing question, Lord Kincade thought, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepling his fingers beneath his chin.

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