They had taken her father’s suggestion and married in Bunburyonly two weeks after Alex’s proposal so as not to encroach on Phoebe and Will’s wedding date. The preparations had been simple out of necessity: autumn flowers from the garden at Atkinson House, a decadent chocolate mousse cake made by the cook based on a trusted recipe Lucien’s mother had developed, and a small guest list of only family and very close friends. And, to her mother’s great disappointment, Alex wore a gown she already owned that was not white. It was, however, the same gown she had worn the night she propositioned Lucien in the summer house at his request.
“That was the night it all began for me,” he had admitted. “The night I began falling in love with you.”
It was harder for Alex to pinpoint exactly when her feelings had crossed over into this all-encompassing love, though she expected it was around the time when Lucien became more interesting to her than work.
Since leaving Atkinson Enterprises, she had partnered with Marguerite LaSalle to create an investment firm that focused exclusively on women who had been turned down by banks and other firms. They offered interest-free loans for smaller businesses in addition to funding larger-scale ideas and inventions. The firm handled everything from neighborhood laundries to a company that produced a dishwashing machine for home use.
At first Lucien had been all too happy to assist Alex in this new endeavor but lately he had been talking with Alain about reopening the supper club or at least a modified version of it at the hotel. The newlyweds hadn’t yet found time for a honeymoon, but they intended to visit Paris in the spring. Alex was very much looking forward to visiting the catacombs and also meeting Lucien’s relatives. She had even resumed her long-abandoned French lessonsin preparation. She and Lucien had whiled away many an evening practicing increasingly scandalous French phrases by the fire in the parlor of their small, elegant townhouse in a sleepy little square not far from Park House.
“Do you think we can slip away now?” Lucien murmured as he subtly nuzzled her ear.
“Yes,” Alex said with a smile. “We’ve shown our faces here long enough.”
Lucien gripped her hand in his own. “And we can always blame our absence on being newlyweds ourselves.”
“Excellent point.”
But just as they made their way to the exit, they were intercepted by Inspector Holland, looking as stern as usual. “May I have a word, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor?”
“Inspector. I didn’t know you were here,” Alex replied.
“Their Graces were kind enough to invite me,” he began. “But I only just arrived.”
“I see. Well, we were just on our way home. Can’t it wait?”
The inspector’s eyes narrowed. “Afraid not. It involves the Nun.”
“Himagain,” Alex grumbled. She was growing quite tired of that man interrupting her life.
“I think we should hear this, my dear,” Lucien said gently.
Alex crossed her arms. “Very well.”
They moved to a secluded corner of the room where they would not be disturbed. “Gerald O’Hara was brought in last night,” the inspector began. “He was arrested during a raid of an illegal boxing ring that he has been running.”
“Why, that’s excellent news,” Lucien said enthusiastically ashe turned to her, but Alex was still watching the inspector’s face closely and knew there was more to come.
“And?” she asked.
“He admitted to following you on orders of the Nun, but when we visited his alleged headquarters, the place was empty. The man seems to have vanished.”
Alex frowned. “What does Mr. O’Hara know?”
“Apparently not much,” the inspector replied. “He claims he never even met the Nun in person.”
“And you believe him?”
The inspector gave her a level look. “For the time being. As I understand it, that is largely how the Nun operates and why he has so effectively evaded capture all these years. Very few people know what he looks like.”
“But why was he at Alex’s office that night?” Lucien asked.
“Mr. O’Hara maintains that he did not think Mrs. Taylor would be there at that time of night,” the inspector explained. “He had been instructed to look for any information related to her business activities and insists that he would have left once he realized she was still in the office.” Inspector Holland then addressed Alex with a smile. “I am beginning to think the Nun is more of an admirer of yours rather than a threat.”
Alex snorted. “If he is so interested in understanding my business acumen, he would be better off making an appointment.”
“You take this too lightly, Alex,” Lucien grumbled. “I don’t like it.”
“Well, it’s no matter anyway,” she said. “The Nun is gone and I no longer work for my father.”
