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The secretary looked through the leather appointment book he had kept by his side during the interview. “She should have a few minutes to meet with you at one o’clock.”
He bit back a curse. “I will return then.” The two men rose and shook hands. Henry then gave the secretary his card. “Thank you for your cooperation. Please let me know if anything else occurs.”
“I will. And I hope it’s not too forward, but may I just say it is a thrill to meet you. My wife in particular will be terribly jealous to know I met the gallant Captain Harris.”
Henry had to look away from the man’s smile as the blood rushed to his face. “Yes, well. Very good,” he grumbled before leaving the room.
Henry still didn’t know how to react to his admirers, as he couldn’t very well say “Find someone else to fawn over. I deserve none of it.”
As Henry moved toward the exit, two young men left Lady Arlington’s office just a few steps ahead of him. They must be the accountants she had met with. They exchanged knowing smiles.
“Balfour wasn’t exaggerating,” said the first man. “She really is a beauty.”
“And sharp. Bet nothing slips by her,” the second one added in a suggestive tone.
“Only one way to find out.”
“Like you’d ever have a chance with a viscountess.”
The first man shrugged. “I’m not looking to marry the bird. Just have a night of fun. Lord knows she could probably use it after being with that crusty husband of hers for so long.”
“Eh, maybe that’s her type,” teased the second.
“In that case, don’t tell old man Balfour. Otherwise he might start coming here himself!” They both shared a loud laugh.
Henry bit the inside of his cheek as the blood pounded in his ears and he cut into a doorway. If he had to listen to their drivel for a second longer, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. He pressed his forehead against the brick wall and closed his eyes to concentrate on his breathing. It took a minute before his heartbeat returned to normal. He couldn’t believe they would speak about a lady—never mind aclient—in such a degrading manner.
And areyouso very different from them?
Henry pushed away from the wall at the bitter thought. Perhaps he hadn’t voiced anything aloud, but he had broken one of the cardinal rules of a successful investigation: He had let his personal feelings influence his behavior. But regardless of their past, he had chosen to accept this case. At the very least he owed it to Reginald Fox to do his best to investigate these threats against his sister. It was time to do the job he was hired for. Henry straightened his shoulders and headed toward the exit. First stop: a visit to DeLacey’s.
***
Henry returned to Fox and Sons shortly before one p.m. exasperated and irritable. He had visited each of the competitors Mr. Khan had named, but the owner of Rigby’s refused to even meet with him, and Mr. DeLacey went so far as to welcome the threats against Lady Arlington: “That damned hellion is taking money out of my and my shareholders’ pockets. I’ve also heard she’s supporting efforts to unionize the workers. If that’s true, then Ihopesomeone puts a stop to her. We’ll all be ruined otherwise.”
Henry had politely but firmly pointed out that his words could be considered a threat, but Mr. DeLacey was unrepentant. “It isn’t safe for her to be running that company. Everyone knows women lack the cognitive functioning to run large enterprises. It’s a disgrace.”
“Yet they seem to manage the work itself without issue. And at half the pay of men,” Henry shot back, surprising himself.
Mr. DeLacey’s thin mouth had twisted in disgust. “I didn’t take you for areformer, Captain.”
Henry left shortly afterward without offering a response. In the end, he wasn’t able to narrow down the list of potential suspects, as theyallappeared suspect. Not one had even tried to hide their contempt for the viscountess, and once again Henry was left feeling dangerously naïve regarding the challenges Lady Arlington seemed to face on a daily basis.
Mr. Khan rose from his desk as Henry entered the room and shot him an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, Captain. But Lady Arlington has left for the day.”
“What? Didn’t you tell her we had a meeting?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid she…she didn’t—”
Henry held up a hand, saving the man from further embarrassment. “I understand. She didn’t give a damn.” Mr. Khan’s eyes widened at the curse, but he nodded sheepishly. Henry sighed. “Will you at least tell me where she went?”
“Claridge’s. She decided to have tea with a friend.”
The hotel would be filled with toffs at this time of day. Apparently the viscountess did participate insomeof the rituals of her class. Henry grimaced. He would have understood if something important had come up, but being passed over in favor of an impromptu visit with a friend stung. She knew exactly why he was here. Then again, her carelessness shouldn’t come as a surprise.
He turned on his heel without another word, ignoring Mr. Khan’s calls.
She would learn that she could not escape him so easily.
