AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"What's troubling you, Thaddeus?"
There was confusion and a touch of fear marring his features when he turned his head to her. "Why now?" he asked. "Why were you sent back now, to this specific time? I don't think Arch is anywhere near ready to actually marry Katherine. He's been procrastinating for years. So what's driving this? What is so important that you were sent back now to correct it? You're not telling me everything," he concluded.
Quinn took his hands into hers. "You're right. In the future, there is nothing, absolutely nothing about Whispering Winds. The place is like a tomb, abandoned by everyone, but the furnishings that remain are Archer's. It is sad and empty with none of the grandeur it deserves. My theory is that Katherine and Edwyn are working a con and the ones who stand in the way of them getting what they want are Archer and Nickie. I think that they kill them in such a manner as to put a black cloud of suspicion over the place that lingers into the future."
Thaddeus looked almost ill with trepidation and when he spoke, his voice cracked, "That's really rather disturbing. So you think that you were sent here to stop this?"
"It's all I've got so far, but the more we learn about the Danvers, the more I think I'm right."
Thaddeus wiped at a tear, "Thank you for telling me."
The detective looked a lot like Sherlock Holmes with his black cape and funky little hat; he even smoked a pipe. He was just a bit taller than Quinn and very non-descript but his dark brown eyes were sharp and astute. In fact, he had the perfect cover since no one would look twice at him and Quinn bet he used that to his advantage to get close to people and hear their dirty little secrets with no one being the wiser.
His office was small, his desk completely cluttered with papers, a small fire burned in the grate of his fireplace. The place needed a good cleaning but Quinn knew, in her gut, if anyone could find out about Archer's wife it would be this man, Douglas Grant.
"So she died just over three years ago?" he began.
"Yes," Thaddeus replied.
"And her family?"
"I'm not sure that they are still around. I believe they may have moved after her death."
"Interesting," Douglas jotted notes in his notepad before he looked up at Thaddeus and Quinn. "Lord Scarcliff was not home at the time of her death, is that right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Thaddeus supplied.
"Is it fair to say that Lord Scarcliff and his wife did not care for one another?"
"She was a cold fish. I don't know of a single person who cared for her," Thaddeus bit out.
"I apologize; I just am trying to get an accurate picture. It helps me in my work when I understand all the nuances of those I investigate."
"Fair enough," Thaddeus replied.
"There is a son?"
"Yes, but Nicholas was too young to remember anything. He doesn't even remember his mother," Thaddeus countered.
"Strange that a mother would willingly leave her child though I have heard of stories where the mother is so overcome with depression after the birth that they bring harm onto themselves or their baby. I suppose if this is a case such as that, we should count it lucky that she didn't hurt the boy too."
A shiver went through Quinn at the thought of harm coming to Nickie. Postpartum depression, was it possible? She was pulled from that thought when Douglas Grant offered, "I'll be in touch within the week."
"Thank you," Quinn replied.
Quinn rose and Thaddeus followed. Mr. Grant walked them to the door and shook Thaddeus' hand before turning to Quinn and bowing his head in farewell. When they were alone on the street just outside his office, Quinn asked, "What now?"
"We need to tell Archer but we can't send a letter. It's too risky so we'll just have to summon him to London," Thaddeus announced. Quinn didn't miss his calculated look which prompted her to ask, "What are you up to?"
"Oh, nothing I just have a fool proof way of getting Archer here as quickly as humanly possible."
"And that would be?"
Thaddeus' smile was positively wicked. "Why spoil the fun? You'll learn soon enough. Shall we go for tea? I'm famished."
Quinn had the sense that the other shoe was about to drop but she took Thaddeus' offered arm and replied, "Tea sounds great."
Quinn's first ball was overwhelming to say the least. Her gown was a gorgeous confection of silver silk that shimmered when she moved. The square cut neckline and capped sleeves tapered to a tight bodice and a skirt that, for the time, scandalously hugged her figure. Mrs. Beaufort was particularly pleased with this gown and when Quinn saw herself in it, she understood why.
