Stephen scowled, taken aback by her behavior. This was the same woman who had given him a hard time when they had previously met.
An embarrassed smile sat on her face. “Lady Naomi Steele told me about your father. I am sorry for your loss and also for the disgraceful way I behaved when you were here last week.”
I forgot she was a friend of Harry’s sister. I shall have to mind my words.
“That’s perfectly alright, Lady Bridget. You were not to know. While I wasn’t particularly close to my father, his death still came as a bit of a shock. I was not quite myself that morning, but rest assured you have my full attention today.”
Awkward exchanges over, they both took a seat.
“Oh, and this came from the blackmailer while you were away.” Bridget handed him a note.
He gave it a quick perusal then set it aside. Apart from repeating his demands, the scoundrel hadn’t added anything further. “That is good,” he said.
“Why is that good?”
He pointed to the letter. “It means he is still thinking about how to proceed. A hardened professional would have had the whole thing planned out well in advance. Which indicates to me that we are dealing with either a first-time blackmailer or a rank amateur.”
His money was on it being the former. Someone had read too many books and got the idea of communicating via the newspaper from one of them.
“So, you are hoping it means he will make a mistake?” asked Bridget.
He gave her an appreciative smile. She was a smart woman, thinking about the problem beyond just handing over money.
“While I was away, I took the opportunity to go through your mother’s diary.”
Stephen withdrew Lady Linton’s diary from his satchel, along with a piece of folded paper and placed them on the table.
After settling Toby to sleep in his room at the RR Coaching Company offices, he had stayed up late last night and read the diary. Most of the entries in the book were fortunately mundane and held little of note. But slowly a list of possible suspects had begun to take shape. By the time he finished thumbing through the pages, Stephen had eight names which had sparked his interest. Eight people who he had decided were worthy of further investigation.
Harry’s mother was unfortunately one of them. While he would dearly love to strike the Duchess of Redditch off the list immediately, Stephen was a professional, so no stone could be left unturned.
He pointed to the piece of paper. “Can we talk about these people? Some of them you might think are beyond reproach, while others may give you reason enough for thought. We must, however, consider all possibilities.”
Bridget picked up the note and examined it. She sighed. “Every one of these people are my mother’s nearest and dearest friends. She will be utterly crushed if it is any of them.”
Stephen silently nodded. Friends betraying friends was the currency of theton.Lives and fortunes were lost over petty jealousies and silent vengeance. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but your mother has an unfortunate habit of burning her friends. The previous work I have undertaken for her has involved people whom she has known for many years. None of them are currently on the list, but I will still make subtle inquiries as to the state of their current relationships with Lady Linton.”
In his line of work, it wasn’t unknown for people to harbor grudges long after things had supposedly been smoothed over.
“Yes, well they do say that revenge is a dish best served cold. I wouldn’t be surprised if the blackmailer did transpire to be someone that Mama would never have suspected.”
“I can’t believe any of these people would seek to hurt Mama or my family,” said Bridget.
The first two people on the list were her godparents. Her father already owed them money; it wouldn’t do any good for them to ruin the Linton family. She was sorely tempted to pick up the pencil and run a line through the names. But Stephen’s words about it being someone close to Lady Linton kept rolling around in her head.
Her gaze settled on the next name. “The Duchess of Redditch, really? You can’t be serious?”
Stephen frowned at her. “Everyone needs to have their alibis and motives checked and scrutinized. No one, even Kitty Steele, comes off the list without my say so. You have engaged me to do a job, and while your assistance is most welcome, you must allow me to succeed by whatever means I deem necessary.”
Bridget held back a sharp retort. She didn’t appreciate being spoken to in such a manner. Stephen might be in charge of the case, but that didn’t mean she was prepared to bend completely to his will. Rupert’s war against her had cost Bridget much of her self-regard; she was not going to yield up what little dignity she had managed to regain over the past year. If it meant standing up to Stephen, then so be it. It was her family’s money and future at stake.
But within reason. Remember why he is here. This is about more than your bruised pride.
“Alright. Now let us discuss the next person on the list,” she said.
It was late in the afternoon by the time they finally finished going through the life history of the other five people mentioned in her mother’s diary. Stephen didn’t just ask about their recent interactions with Lady Linton, he went back years. He was nothing if not thorough.
Bridget was exhausted and hungry. Stephen, meanwhile, kept writing more of his copious notes.
