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Chapter Seventeen
Eleanor noticed that Byron had managed to disappear shortly after their arrival at the Duke of Winnett’s residence. She wished he would tell her what he was looking for. Whatever he’d been doing in the past week hadn’t yielded anything useful. Otherwise, he would have told her father about the duke being a suspect by now.
She took a deep breath then sipped her drink. She’d already had one dance with the Duke of Winnett. Thankfully, he was currently talking to her father. Since her father was distracted, this allowed her an opportunity to relax.
Her gaze went across the room. She’d been here for a half hour, and Byron was still missing. Just how many rooms was he looking through?
Someone approached, and her attention went to the Duchess of Ashbourne.
“You won’t attract gentleman by staying to the side of the room,” the lady kindly warned her.
Eleanor smiled. “I’m sorry. I just needed a moment to myself.”
“You don’t care much for these social activities, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Once I marry, I won’t have to keep doing this, will I?”
“That depends on the gentleman you marry. My advice is to choose someone who doesn’t like these social engagements any more than you do. Then you won’t have to do them much.”
“Does such a gentleman exist?”
The duchess nodded. “Believe it or not, some gentlemen feel more comfortable at home like you do. Not everyone enjoys these things.”
“Do you enjoy them?”
“I enjoy my job, which is helping ladies and gentlemen find a suitable marriage partner. My hope is that everyone I teach finds a love match. It’s always best when couples love each other. The more suitors you can get, the more options you have.”
“I’ve been trying to get suitors, Your Grace.”
The duchess placed an understanding hand on her arm. “I know, and you have attracted a good number of gentlemen. You might not be aware of it, but I notice the way some are looking your way.”
They were? Eleanor scanned the room but didn’t see anyone looking at them.
“No one is looking now since I’m with you. Most are aware that I’ve been hired to assist you in finding a husband. It tends to make gentlemen shy when I’m around. They don’t want to seem like they’re too eager for marriage. It doesn’t help with a person’s reputation.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t.” Eleanor took another sip of wine. “Give me another minute, and I’ll return to my spot near the dance floor. I will do everything you instructed. You won’t have to pay my father back.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve dealt with plenty of people over the years. I can handle your father. Whatever he says, I want you to know you’re doing everything perfectly. You’re not the reason no one has asked to pay you a visit. It’s possible it might be your father. Gentlemen do take into consideration who their father-in-law will be when picking a wife.”
They did? Shocked, Eleanor watched as the duchess walked away from her. So her father was an important part of the equation when it came to finding a husband? If so, that might explain it. She had barely known her father before coming to London. She didn’t know much about him even now. But she had been dismayed by how difficult he was.
She took another sip of her wine then went to the table to set down her glass. She could do this. She could go out there. She would ask her dance partners questions to get them to talk, she’d smile and laugh, and maybe she’d find a way to tell them that they didn’t have to worry about her father. The last part would be a bit challenging, but if she let them know her father didn’t spend much time with her, then they’d know her father wouldn’t be a big part of their marriage. That might reassure them about taking a chance in asking to court her. Exhaling, she straightened up and headed for the dancing area.
***
Byron opened the last drawer of the desk in the library but didn’t find anything of interest. With a sigh, he shut the drawer and straightened up. The Duke of Winnett, it seemed, was one of the more intelligent suspects he would be dealing with. If the duke had intercepted any missives going to Eleanor, he had quickly destroyed them so as not to leave any evidence behind. That meant Byron was going to have to tell Eleanor’s father about his suspicions so he could get her father’s permission to question the butler and footman.
Byron made his way to the door. He gave another scan of the library to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Unfortunately, nothing stood out. The Duke of Winnett was meticulous. Everything was set in order. There wasn’t a single book out of place. Minus the inkwell, there was nothing on his desk. The chairs had been lined up with one another. The chessboard had all of its pieces in place. A gentleman who went through the lengths of organizing his library like this paid close attention to the details. While Byron was intrigued by the challenge of this case, he worried about what this meant for Eleanor.
He slipped out of the library. The hallway was empty. He stuck to the shadows of the passageway in case someone happened to come by. Would it be wise to investigate more of the townhouse? While the Duke of Winnett would be distracted by the ball, the servants wouldn’t be. He’d had to hide behind the drapes in the library when one of the servants came in to check on the fire in the fireplace. He’d only managed to narrowly avoid being caught. The music from the ballroom made it impossible to hear footsteps.
At least any footsteps that were on the main floor. There would be less noise upstairs. Byron reached the edge of the hallway where he could see if anyone was entering the townhouse. A gentleman removed his hat and the lady removed her hat and shawl. They then handed their things to the footman who stood by the door. Byron waited as they went to the ballroom. The footman turned his back to him and searched for a place to put the things.
With a glance to make sure no one else was nearby, Byron tiptoed his way to the stairs and hurried up the steps before anyone noticed him. The Duke of Winnett’s bedchamber was easy to find. It was the only one with any bedding in it. That was odd, considering how often he’d seen wealthy people decorate rooms they never used. Perhaps the Duke of Winnett didn’t have money to spend on things he wasn’t going to use. He was in financial trouble with Lord Swenson.
Byron made sure the bedchamber was clear before he went into it. The bedchamber was just as meticulous as the library had been. Not a single thing was left out of place. He sorted through the duke’s things. The only thing of interest he found was a ledger. He took it to the window so he could read the contents in the moonlight. It turned out the duke loved to spend money but didn’t have the funds to pay for everything. He did a lot of gambling. He owed money to quite a few gentlemen.
Well, it was easy to see why the duke was interested in a marriage to Eleanor. Her father was wealthy. She would come with a good amount of money, especially since she was his only child. But if he could marry her to get the money, why would he seek to harm her? She’d be no good to him dead.
