Page 69 of The Marriage Method

“Not that I’m aware.” He turned back to her. “What about you? Any luck at Lady Belwood’s chasing down the third date?”

Nell was silent for several seconds. And then: “It’s a shooting party,” she said. “It takes place on the third of September.”

Miles felt a flare of satisfaction at her discovery. Their investigations were making progress. “So,” he said. “We have the date of the late baron’s death, the date of the new baron’s shooting party, and one unaccounted for date in between. Another day in March, not long after the late Lord Amstead died.”

“What could it be in reference to?” Nell wondered. “And what could any of it have to do with brothels and adulterated tea?”

“And five thousand pounds,” Miles reminded her. “It’s a princely sum. More than most people see in a lifetime.”

“Mrs. Pritchard’s brothel did shows signs of recent prosperity.”

“You presume she was the recipient of the money?”

“It seems likely,” Nell said.

Miles ran a hand over the side of his jaw. The coarse scrape of stubble abraded his palm. He was clean-shaven, but his beard always came in late in the evening. It had never mattered before. He’d lived alone. But now…

It occurred to him that, with Nell in residence, he might have to start shaving twice a day.

He pushed the thought out of his head.

“I must go to Hertfordshire,” he said brusquely. “I’ll need to speak to the locals. Try and find out the significance of that second date.”

“As to that,” Nell said, “Lady Belwood was able to provide some assistance.”

“What manner of assistance?”

“She’s arranging for us to receive an invitation to the shooting party.”

His hand fell from his face. “What?”

“I took the liberty of asking her to act on our behalf,” Nell said. “She wrote a note to Lord Amstead while Mrs. Royce and I waited, telling him that you and I were friends of hers and she required my companionship in order to—”

“Your companionship?” Miles took a reflexive step toward her. He stopped himself before going any further. “Are you telling me that this invitation includes you?”

“Naturally, it does. Lord Amstead’s party is short of ladies. My presence is the impetus for him to extend us an invitation. ‘My exceptionally beautiful and vivacious young friend,’ Lady Belwood wrote in her note. What gentleman could refuse such a temptation?”

If Miles didn’t know better, he’d think Nell was baiting him. She had only this morning reminded him that they were supposed to be partners. Perhaps this was a test?

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“Is it such an outlandish proposition?” she returned with deceptive calm.

Miles didn’t answer. Not directly. “Has it not occurred to you that they’ll know exactly who we are?”

Nell paced back to the fireplace. She was without her cane. A hitch in her left leg marred her gait. “It did occur to me,” she acknowledged. “Except that they don’t know you by name. And the only ones who know our faces are Verity, Claudine, Mrs. Pritchard, and Silas. The chances that any of them will be at an aristocratic shooting party in Hertfordshire are surely slim to none.”

“They know your name,” Miles said. “If Lord Amstead is involved, they’ll likely have shared it with him, along with descriptions of both of us. Once he discovers I’m affiliated with the Courant—”

“The party is but three days in length. We’ll be gone in a blink. But once we’re there…” She looked at him over her shoulder. “We’ll be perfectly placed to search for clues. Not to mention, we’ll be able to talk with Lord Amstead, and his servants. Perhaps we’ll even find out who Innes is.”

Miles stifled the urge to utter an oath. He admired her initiative. Her intelligence, too. But a fellow had his limits. “A man has been murdered, Nell. The danger involved—”

“Isn’t it better to draw that danger out than to sit idle waiting for the next blow to strike at random?” she asked. “To face it head-on?”

“I commend your courage, but…no.” He shook his head. “There’s a fine line between daring and recklessness.”

Nell spun around to face him. “Not daring,” she said in a burst of impatience. “Action. I’ve spent too long allowing things to simply happen to me. My life at the Academy. Our marriage. Your kiss last night.”