The warm, bright sound of her voice sent a flash of acute awareness through him, tightening his insides and causing his blood to beat more heavily in his veins.
He looked up and saw her standing in the opening. Her dark hair was now pinned into a neat twist at the back of her head. The lenses of her spectacles sparkled. She had on the same severe, unadorned dress she had worn out of the castle. There was no bustle. When a lady prepared for a dangerous flight into the night, she had to make fashion choices, he thought.
He made a note to do something about the wardrobe situation. When one entertained a houseful of ladies who had arrived with only the clothes on their backs, one had to think about things such as gowns and gloves.
“I doubt that you have missed anything of great importance.” He put down the paper and got to his feet to pull out a chair. “Just the usual scandals and gossip.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” She sat down and unfolded her napkin. “But when one has been out of touch with current events as long as I have, one comes to miss any sort of news, even that supplied by the sensation press.” She pulled the nearest paper toward her. “Speaking of which, what is the latest sensation?”
“A murder, of course.” He indicated the story he had just finished reading. “Evidently while you and I were busy dashing about the countryside, a gentleman here in town was dispatched by his mistress after he told her that he intended to cast her aside in favor of another woman. They say she fed him poison. Each of the papers printed various versions, all of which are most likely inaccurate, of course.”
“I see.” She adjusted her eyeglasses and scanned the piece briefly. “The murder stories do seem to sell best when they are associated with rumors of an illicit love affair, do they not?”
The serious manner in which she made the observation amused him.
“I have noticed that, myself,” he said dryly. “It is, in fact, quite startling how often love and death go together.”
She lowered the paper and regarded him with a curious frown. “Do you suspect that is the case in the affair that you are investigating, sir?”
He shook his head. “There is nothing to indicate that love or passion is involved in this. From all accounts, Larkin is motivated solely by two things: power and money.”
The door that connected the breakfast room to the kitchen opened. Mrs. Oates appeared, her round, cheerful face reddened from the heat of the stove. She carried a large silver platter of scrambled eggs, crisply cooked fish and toast.
“Good morning, Miss Glade.” Mrs. Oates smiled warmly. “I trust you had a good night’s rest?”
“Yes, thank you,” Concordia said. “The young ladies are still in their beds, though. I think it would be best if they were not disturbed. They were quite exhausted.”
“Of course, poor dears. Never fear, I’ll make certain that they are not bothered.” Mrs. Oates set the platter on the table and poured tea into Concordia’s cup. “So nice to have a house full of guests. We rarely entertain here.” She glanced at Ambrose. “Isn’t that right, sir?”
“Yes,” Ambrose said.
Concordia cleared her throat very delicately. “Mr. Stoner does not care for houseguests?”
“Oh, my, no, that’s not the problem,” Mrs. Oates said. “The problem is that there’s no lady in the house. You know how it is with gentlemen living on their own. They can’t be bothered to plan a dinner party or a ball, let alone invite guests to stay.”
“I see,” Concordia said. “I hope we won’t be too much trouble.”
“Not at all, not at all.” Mrs. Oates went back through the door and vanished into the kitchen.
Concordia took a spoonful of eggs from the platter. “Mr. Wells, I have been contemplating the extremely unusual nature of our association.”
Damnation, he thought. That did not bode well.
“Odd situations necessitate unusual associations,” he assured her.
“I am aware of that.” She picked up her fork. “But it occurs to me that it would be best if you and I were to put our connection on a businesslike footing, as it were.”
“No offense, Miss Glade, but what the deuce are you talking about?”
She looked at him with a level gaze. “You mentioned that you are a private inquiry agent.”
“Yes,” he said, cautious now.
“Very well. I wish to employ you to make inquiries on behalf of my four students.”
He sat back slowly. “There is no need to hire me, Miss Glade. I am already investigating the situation in which you and the girls are involved on behalf of another client.”
A speculative light appeared in Concordia’s eyes. “You have yet to tell me any of the details of that situation.”
“My client has engaged me to look into the circumstances surrounding the recent death of her sister. She believes that it is a matter of murder, not simply an unfortunate accident as the authorities assume.”
“I see.” She frowned. “How did you come to be at the castle?”
“In the course of my inquiries I spoke with an informant who hinted that there might be a connection between the woman’s death and whatever was going on at Aldwick Castle. I went to make some observations. You know the rest.”
Her mouth tightened at the corners. “Yours is an exceedingly mysterious business, sir. All the more reason why I would feel more comfortable if we secured our arrangement with a formal contract.”
For some reason he found that suggestion thoroughly irritating. “I see no necessity for a contract.”
Her fine brows came together above the rims of her spectacles. “In spite of Mrs. Oates’s kind remarks, my students and I are not really guests in this household. For heaven’s sake, the master of the house does not even know that we are here.”
“Don’t worry about Stoner.”
She ignored that. “You have offered us protection and I have accepted because I think it is in the best interests of my girls to do so. However, I would prefer that we establish a clear understanding of our arrangements. Hiring you would seem to be the most straightforward way to accomplish that.”
He propped his elbows on the arms of the chair and put his fingertips together. He wanted to take her to bed and she wanted to do business with him. Matters between them were not proceeding along optimistic lines.
“I see,” he said neutrally. Always a safe response, he assured himself.
“Excellent.” She smiled, evidently taking his comment for agreement. “Now then, what is your customary fee? I believe that a number of the items I removed from the castle are somewhat valuable. There is a rather nice silver and crystal salt cellar that is surely worth several pounds.”
“You mean to pay me in stolen goods, Miss Glade?”
She flushed but her eyes remained steady. “I’m afraid I do not have any money. And, under the circumstances, I am highly unlikely to receive my quarterly wages for my work at the castle.”
“Yes, I think that is a safe assumption.”
Her chin came up. “If you feel that you cannot accept what you term ‘stolen goods’ in exchange for your services, sir, then I shall have to consider other alternatives.”
“You have no other alternatives, Miss Glade. And I think you know that as well as I do.”
She took a deep breath. “Nevertheless—”
“Nevertheless, you want to hire me so that you will feel that you are in control of this situation.”
“That is putting it somewhat crudely, but yes, I suppose that is an accurate statement.”
“Very well, Miss Glade, if you insist upon paying me, I hereby officially accept your business. Now then, about my fee. You should know that I do not charge money for my services.”
“I don’t understand, sir.”
“I deal in favors.”
She stiffened. “Favors?”
“Most of my clients cannot afford to pay me in hard coin of the realm, Miss Glade. So I long ago established a system of barter. It works in this manner. I pe
rform the services required to obtain the answers my clients want. In turn, they agree to repay me at some future date, should I ever happen to need a favor that they are in a position to grant.”
“What sort of favors do you generally request?” she asked coldly.
“It varies. Sometimes I need information. Sometimes goods and services. For example, a few years ago I was hired by a housekeeper in a wealthy household. She wanted me to find answers to some questions she had concerning her employer’s private activities. After I conducted an investigation and confirmed her fear that her employer was, indeed, a member of a rather nasty club, she determined that she could not continue on in her position. I asked her if she would consider a new post in this household. She and her husband, who happened to be a skilled gardener and very good with tools, accepted positions here.”
“That is how you obtained the services of Mr. and Mrs. Oates?”
He nodded. “Nan, the maid, came with them. She is Mrs. Oates’s cousin. It has worked out well.”
She cleared her throat discreetly. “You say that you, personally, hired Mr. and Mrs. Oates and Nan? Mr. Stoner was not involved in that decision?”
“Stoner had no objections, and as it happened, we were in need of new staff.”
“It strikes me as a trifle odd that the master of the house left something as important as the hiring of the staff in someone else’s hands.”
“Stoner is more interested in his scholarly research, his writing and his travels, than he is in the management of this household.”
“How often is Mr. Stoner in residence?”
“He comes and goes at his own whim.”
“How convenient for you,” she said dryly. “It would appear that you are able to enjoy all of the comforts and advantages of a grand house without the necessity of having to actually pay for it, as it were.”
“The situation has worked out rather nicely.” He sat forward and picked up his fork. “Then there is my current case. The woman who recently employed me to investigate the death of her sister is a shopkeeper. She has promised to repay me in ladies’ parasols should I ever happen to require some.”
“Good heavens.” Concordia blinked. “What possible purpose might you ever have for parasols?”
“One never knows.”
“In some quarters such a manner of conducting one’s business would be deemed eccentric, to say the least.”
“I do not concern myself with those particular quarters.”
“Obviously.” She sighed. “Very well, I believe that I comprehend how you conduct your business. What sort of favor might you request from a professional teacher?”
“I have no notion.” Thoroughly annoyed now, he put down his fork and assumed what he hoped was an air of intimidation. “Never worked for a teacher before. I shall have to think upon it for a while. I will let you know when I have decided what would constitute suitable payment. In the meantime, you may consider me hired.”
Concordia did not appear to notice his intimidating expression.
“It is settled, then,” she said with cool satisfaction. “Henceforth, you may consider me your employer.”
“It doesn’t work like that, Concordia.”
“The logic is quite plain. I have hired you to conduct an investigation. That makes me your employer. Now that the nature of our association has been established, I wish to make it clear that, as your client, I expect to be kept informed and involved in this case.”
“I do not allow my clients to become involved in my investigations,” he said evenly.
“I am not one of your usual clients, sir. Indeed, I am already deeply involved in the inquiry. In point of fact, had I not conducted my own investigation at Aldwick Castle, I would never have initiated the escape plan.”
“I will allow you that much, however—”
“In addition, you must also admit that I have been able to provide you with some very valuable information concerning Larkin’s scheme.”
This was not going well.
“Huh,” he said. As a clever riposte it was somewhat lacking, but he could not come up with anything better.
“I will take that as an acknowledgment of the fact,” she said. “ Furthermore, as matters progress it may very well transpire that I and my girls will be able to supply you with other details or observations that will prove even more useful to you. Can you deny that?”
“No.”
She smiled, looking quite satisfied.
He raised his brows. “In hindsight, I suppose it should have been obvious to me that one ought never to engage in a debate with a professional educator.”
She was pleased. “Now that the terms of our relationship have been settled, I suggest that we move on to more important matters.”
“Such as?” he muttered.
“Solving the case, of course. What is your next step?”
He wanted nothing more than to get to his feet, go to her end of the table, haul her up out of her chair and kiss that look of feminine triumph off her face.
Instead he forced himself to move on to the only subject that seemed to interest her at the moment.
“You mentioned that you got the post at the castle through an agency operated by a Mrs. Jervis,” he said.
“That’s right.”
“Do you happen to know if the ill-fated Miss Bartlett came from the same agency?”
She looked at him in surprise. “I don’t know. I never considered the matter. Why do you ask?”
“If you and Bartlett both were employed through the services of Jervis’s agency, it would be an interesting link of sorts.”
“Good heavens. Never say that you think Mrs. Jervis might be involved in this affair?”
“I have no idea at the moment but I intend to look into the matter. Do you have the address of the firm?”
“Yes, of course. But you can hardly walk through the door and start making inquiries about Miss Bartlett or the post at the castle. If Mrs. Jervis is somehow connected to Larkin’s scheme, she will become suspicious and perhaps alert him.”
“Believe it or not, that possibility has occurred to me.”
“Naturally.” She wrinkled her nose and reached for the teapot. “You must forgive me for trying to tell you how to manage your professional affairs, sir. It is the teacher in me, I suppose. I cannot resist the opportunity to instruct.”
He startled himself with a laugh. “You did not offend me.”
“How will you proceed, if I may ask?”
“I will start by examining Jervis’s files.”
“She is highly unlikely to allow you to go through her files.”
“I do not intend to ask her permission.”
Concordia’s cup paused in midair. “You are going to break into her office when she is not there?”
“I think that would be the most efficient approach. But I believe I will wait until tomorrow night. This evening I intend to speak with an acquaintance who has some knowledge of Larkin. In addition, it looks as though it is going to rain for most of the day.”
She stared at him. “What on earth does the weather have to do with it?”
He shrugged. “I prefer not to conduct that sort of business on wet nights if it can be avoided. Too much danger of accidentally leaving a footprint behind.”
“I see.” She looked a little dazed. “Well, regardless of the weather, your scheme sounds risky, sir. What if you are caught?”
He raised a finger. “Ah, now that is the truly cunning aspect of my plan. I do not intend to get arrested.”
A disapproving frown tightened her brows. “You appear to have some expertise in this sort of thing.”
“Such skills are useful in my line.”
“I confess, I find you something of a mystery, sir.”
“We are even in that case, Miss Glade. Because you are a great enigma to me. Speaking of interesting questions, you mentioned that you took the post at the castle because you had recently been dismissed from one at a girls’ sc
hool.”
Her jaw tensed but her voice remained very cool and even. “That is correct. I was told there would be no reference.”
“Why were you let go?”
She put down a slice of toast and gave him a considering look. “I cannot see how knowing the reasons for my dismissal would be of any help in this matter, sir.”
He inclined his head in understanding. “There was a man involved, then.”
She crushed the napkin in her lap, anger leaping into her eyes. “Of course you would leap to such a conclusion. It is a common enough tale, is it not? It takes so little to shred a woman’s reputation, even less to ruin a teacher. Rumors of a love affair, being caught in a compromising position, or even a small indiscretion, and one discovers that one’s career has been destroyed.”
“Forgive me, I did not mean to dredge up unhappy memories.”
“Rubbish. That is exactly what you meant to do, sir. You no doubt assumed that if you made me lose my temper, I would tell you what you wish to know. Well, you have succeeded. For your information, my situation did not involve an illicit love affair with a man.”
“A woman, perhaps?”
She stared at him, nonplussed. Then she broke into light, lilting laughter.
It was the first time he had heard her laugh. He was enthralled.
Hastily she clapped her napkin over her mouth. “Forgive me,” she mumbled into the linen.
He pushed his empty dish aside and folded his arms on the table. “You find my question humorous?”
“Not the question.” She recovered her poise and lowered the napkin. “It was the remarkably casual way you asked it that caught me unawares. There are very few gentlemen who could have voiced the suggestion of the possibility of a love affair between two women with such an air of . . .” She paused. “Shall we say, equanimity?”
“I have been out in the world a very long time, Miss Glade. I am well aware that for some, love and passion do not always follow the traditional path. I cannot help but observe that you were not the least bit shocked by my question, merely amused.”
She made an offhand gesture and selected another slice of toast. “I was raised in what most would call a highly unconventional manner.”