Brushed by Scandal (13 page)

‘I have been otherwise occupied,’ he said, drawing her aside as a mother and her three giggling daughters made to enter the shop. ‘This is a very busy place.’

‘Madame Delors is London’s darling when it comes to
fashion,’ Anna said. ‘She boasts an illustrious clientele, most recently the Duchess of Briscombe.’

Barrington smiled. Given that Madame Delors also dressed the Duke of Briscombe’s latest mistress, he knew better than to place too high a value on her level of exclusivity. ‘Speaking of not being visible around town, how is Mr Rand going on?’

Anna sighed. ‘Not at all well. He misses Lady Yew dreadfully; though I have told him she is not worthy of the heartache, I cannot dissuade him from his feelings.’

‘Of course not. Love isn’t logical,’ Barrington said. ‘It finds warmth in the most inhospitable of environments and draws comfort from the most uncomfortable of people. It demands neither explanation nor excuse. It is content merely to be.’

Anna stared at him in surprise. Such sentiments from a man like this? ‘How is it you know so much about love, Sir Barrington, when, by your own admission, you have chosen to banish it from your life?’

‘Who better than a man who has chosen to live without love when it comes to knowing how easily it takes root?’ His grey eyes impaled her. ‘I am not immune to the emotion, Lady Annabelle. I simply cannot give it a home. As I tried to explain to you the other night and failed so miserably.’

It was an olive branch, and Anna recognised it as such. But she knew she had to be cautious. The wounds from their last encounter were not yet healed. ‘You didn’t fail. It was simply not something I wished to hear. I do not believe any man or woman is truly happier spending their life alone.’

‘It is not the natural order,’ he agreed. ‘God intended that man and woman should live together. It was the reason He gave them a home in Eden.’

‘Until the serpent tempted Eve and they were cast out.’

Barrington smiled. ‘As I recall, it was Adam’s willingness
to eat the forbidden fruit that incurred God’s wrath. Temptation has always been there. It is simply a man’s ability to resist that sets him apart from others.’

‘A philosopher,’ Anna mused. ‘I would not have thought it of you.’

‘When you have learned as much about your fellow man as I have, you tend to become either jaded or philosophical. I choose the latter.’

Of course he would, Anna reflected, because he was that type of man. ‘Well, I mustn’t keep you here.’ She gave him a falsely bright smile, aware that she was still no wiser as to why he was coming out of a busy modiste’s shop now than she had been a few minutes earlier. ‘I’m sure you have business elsewhere.’

‘I do, my lady,’ he murmured. ‘But none, I can assure you, as pleasurable as this.’

* * *

As soon as she finished her business with Madame Delors, Anna headed for Julia’s house and was pleasantly surprised to find Lady Lydia already there. She and Julia were partaking of tea and cakes and no doubt sharing the latest
on-dits
that were enlivening the drawing rooms of society. Her pleasure soon evaporated, however, when she discovered that it was not society’s goings on that were keeping her two friends so occupied, but an unexpected crime.

‘Your sapphire-and-diamond necklace has been
stolen?’
Anna said when Lydia informed her of it. ‘But how? And when?’

‘I have no idea how
or
when,’ Julia admitted forlornly. ‘I was dressing for the Buckerfields’ reception last night and asked Smith to bring my jewellery case. When she did, I unlocked it to find the necklace gone.’

‘But surely it has not been stolen,’ Anna said. ‘Perhaps just misplaced?’

Julia shook her head. ‘I am very careful with my jewellery, Anna. I always take it off and put it immediately into the case. Then I lock it and put it away.’

‘Is it possible someone took the key?’

‘I keep the key on a ribbon around my neck. I only take it off to bathe and, sometimes, when I go to bed.’

‘Have you questioned the servants about the matter?’ Lydia asked. ‘Your maid, for example. She would be in a perfect position to steal it.’

‘I have spoken to all of them and to a person they denied knowing anything about it,’ Julia said. ‘And given how horrified they looked at the idea of something of mine being stolen, I can’t imagine any of them actually
doing
it.’

‘So what are you going to do?’ Anna asked.

‘I suppose I shall have to report it, but I don’t like what I am going to have to tell whoever comes to take down the details.’

Lydia frowned. ‘Why not?’

‘Because the only people who knew about that necklace were the ones who came to my dinner party. I haven’t worn it on any other occasion.’ Julia bit her lip. ‘What if one of my guests took it?’

‘I don’t believe that for a moment,’ Anna said flatly. ‘The people you invited were friends. They would never steal from you.’

‘And if a thief did break into your house,’ Lydia said, ‘he would naturally go for the most valuable piece of jewellery he could find, don’t you think?’

‘So you believe this the work of a random criminal?’ Julia asked doubtfully.

‘I think it must have been,’ Anna said. ‘For one thing, what would any of your friends, or even other members of society, gain by taking the necklace? They would never be able to wear it in public.’

‘But they could break it up and sell the stones individually,’ Julia said. ‘They might even be able to have some of the larger diamonds cut into smaller pieces.’

Anna didn’t know what to say. It seemed impossible to imagine a thief breaking into Julia’s house and stealing her favourite piece of jewellery, but it was even more incredible to think that someone she knew might have done it. ‘I honestly don’t know what to say, Julia,’ she said at length. ‘Other than that I am so very sorry this has happened.’

‘Your father did warn me about keeping my jewels in a safe,’ Julia said. ‘But I truly did not think it would be necessary.’

‘Have you hired any new servants?’ Lydia asked. ‘Or had people in the house who wouldn’t normally be here. Chimney sweeps, for example, or trades people coming and going?’

‘There have certainly been trades people in and out,’ Julia admitted. ‘The entire house is being redecorated and there has been a steady stream of paper hangers and plasterers coming through on a daily basis. But I instructed my maid to make sure they were never alone in my room and I have no reason to believe my orders were not followed. No, I shall have to hire a private investigator and ask him to look into it.’

‘I say,’ Lydia said, glancing at Anna. ‘Why don’t you get in touch with Sir Barrington Parker?’

‘Sir Barrington?’ Julia frowned. ‘What would he know about matters like this?’

‘You’d be surprised,’ Anna murmured. ‘However, he is very good at finding things out and I agree with Lydia that he is probably the best person to contact about this. He is nothing if not discreet.’

‘Well, if you think that highly of him, I will certainly speak to him,’ Julia said. ‘I would very much like to have
my necklace back. It has sentimental value far beyond any monetary value I could ever put upon it.’

‘I don’t think you will be disappointed with Sir Barrington’s methods,’ Lydia said, adding with a sly look at her friend, ‘he has made quite an impression on Anna.’

‘Lydia!’

But Julia was beaming. ‘Has he really? How wonderful! I thought I detected something between the two of you at my dinner party, but when things became rather chilly later in the evening, I didn’t want to appear rude by asking personal questions.’

‘There is nothing between myself and Sir Barrington Parker,’ Anna said quickly. ‘I will not deny that he is…an attractive and engaging man—’

‘Exceptionally so,’ Lydia added.

‘But we do not see eye to eye on several important matters and I doubt we will do so in the future,’ Anna concluded. She reached for an iced
petit four,
hoping to distract the attention of the other two. ‘However, I do stand by my assertion that he can be of help in this situation.’

Julia got up and crossed to the bell pull. ‘Well, I am grateful for the recommendation, Anna, though I am sorry to hear there is nothing of a more romantic nature going on between the two of you. Sir Barrington really is such a handsome man. And that
voice
! I could listen to him all night. However, it is the heart that dictates these matters and, if you are not in love with him, there is nothing more to say. Ah, there you are, Smith. We’d like some fresh tea, please. This has gone cold.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ The maid bobbed a curtsy, but something in the way she bent to pick up the tray drew Anna’s attention. On her previous visits, the maid had served tea with both skill and efficiency. This time, however, she seemed slightly ill at ease. She also seemed thinner than she had on those
earlier occasions, her black gown hanging loose around her shoulders. Anna thought it might have been a different girl, but upon closer inspection, she realised she was mistaken. The girl had the same heart-shaped face and the same dark brown hair pulled back in a tight chignon.

Perhaps she had things on her mind, Anna reflected as she reached for a macaroon. Servants had problems just like their employers. Maybe she’d recently fallen out with her gentleman friend, or a member of her family wasn’t well. There were any number of reasons she might be looking poorly.

Still, it was none of her business, and as they waited for fresh tea to arrive, the conversation veered back to more congenial topics. Anna was simply thankful they had moved away from the subject of Sir Barrington Parker. His name was coming up far too often in conversation for her liking, and she wasn’t at all happy at hearing that Julia thought there was something going on between them. She’d even been tempted to correct Julia’s phrasing of her recommendation of Barrington, by saying it wasn’t Sir Barrington of whom she thought so highly, but, rather, his skills as an investigator.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t true either and when it came right down to it, Anna preferred not to lie to Julia. But she had to stand firm when it came to her feelings for him. She had to accept his reasons for keeping her at arm’s length and move on. She had every intention of marrying one day; while she hoped it would be for love, she was intelligent enough to know that the luxury of feelings did not always accompany a proposal of marriage.

As to whether or not Sir Barrington Parker ever married, that was really no concern of hers.

B
arrington received a visit from Baroness von Brohm at half past ten the following morning. She was shown into the gold salon, whereupon she briefly told him about the theft of her necklace and of her sincere hopes for its recovery. He then asked a series of pointed questions, which she answered to the best of her ability. An hour later, he stood by the window and reviewed everything she had told him. He didn’t have a lot to go on, but he had already concluded that there were four possible answers to the question of who might have stolen her necklace.

The first was that the jewel thief who had been plaguing London for the past three months had returned and struck again. He would have had a relatively easy time getting into the baroness’s house. During his questioning, Barrington discovered that she often slept with her window open and that her bedroom was located at the rear of the house on the second floor, close to a small clump of trees. It was possible that someone had climbed a tree to the second floor, gained access through the open window and, after taking the baroness’s necklace, had managed to escape the same way.

The stumbling block was that in order to get into the baroness’s jewellery box, the thief would have had to get at the key the baroness kept on a ribbon around her throat. Barrington doubted any thief would have been able to remove the ribbon, steal the necklace, and make his escape, all without disturbing the baroness’s slumber.

The second option was that a servant had taken it. This was certainly the more logical answer. The baroness employed a butler, a housekeeper, three maids, and a parlour maid, all of whom would have had access to her room at times when she was not present. But again, they would have needed the key to open the locked box, and, according to the baroness, the box showed no signs of a forced entry. It had been neatly opened and closed.

The third possibility was that a visitor to the house had taken the necklace. Barrington thought this the least likely of the four, but experience had taught him that it was often the
least
likely suspect who actually committed the crime. In this case, it meant that one of the many people who had paid calls on the baroness had gone up to her room and taken the necklace. But again, there was the matter of the key.

Which left the fourth and most likely possibility—that the baroness had simply misplaced the necklace. That kind of thing happened all the time. It explained why the jewellery case hadn’t been tampered with and why the key hadn’t gone missing. It also cleared any visitors to the house of the theft.

Unfortunately, the baroness had stated most emphatically that she had
not
misplaced the necklace and that she was in the habit of locking her jewellery away immediately after taking it off. The practice had been instilled in her by her late husband.

So where did that leave him? What was he missing with regard to the stolen necklace?

‘Excuse me, Sir Barrington,’ Sam said from the doorway. ‘Lord Richard Crew is here.’

‘Thank you, Sam. Be so good as to show him in.’

Barrington was relieved to have caught Crew at home. He’d sent a note to him immediately following the baroness’s departure, but given his friend’s sexual proclivities, one never knew where he was or what state he might be in. A fact confirmed when Crew walked into the room, looking slightly dishevelled and none too bright-eyed.

‘You’d better have a damned good excuse for this, Parker,’ he said testily. ‘I was enjoying a rather delicious breakfast in bed when your note arrived.’

‘Forgive me,’ Barrington said, grinning, ‘but I’m sure the lady won’t mind drinking champagne alone.’

‘Probably not, but I’m not sure I
want
her drinking it alone. I was rather enjoying what she was doing
before
your letter arrived, demanding that I present myself at your door.’

‘It was not a demand. And I did say at
your
convenience.’

‘Hah!’ Crew said, collapsing into a chair. ‘We both know that at
my
convenience really means at
yours.
So what was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until later in the day?’

‘Two things. I need you to make some discreet inquiries on behalf of a lady.’

‘A lady?’ He brightened. ‘Always ready to be of service. Do I know her?’

‘Baroness Julia von Brohm.’

‘Ah, the merry widow. Yes, we were introduced at some gathering, though the name of my host and hostess escapes me at the moment. What has happened to the poor lady that she requires your services?’

‘A rather magnificent sapphire-and-diamond necklace was stolen from her home a few days ago. I want you to keep
your ear to the ground for any information that might come to light about it.’

‘Do you think it’s our jewel thief again?’ Crew asked.

‘It’s possible, but I need to check out all avenues. I’ll be questioning the baroness’s staff over the next few days, but if someone’s stolen the necklace with a view to selling it, you might catch wind of it before I do.’

‘Wouldn’t be the first time,’ Crew agreed, putting his hands behind his head. ‘I’ll drop in at a few of the clubs and see if anyone’s suddenly turned up flush.’

‘You might want to check the hells as well. A necklace like that would go a long way towards settling a man’s debts,’ Barrington suggested.

‘No doubt. What’s the second request?’

Barrington opened the top drawer of the desk and took out an envelope. ‘I need you to do some digging into an old family tree. The specifics are in the letter. Read it at your leisure—’

‘But report back to you as soon as possible,’ Crew said in a dry voice.

‘Expedience is always the order of the day. By the by, how did your meeting go with the lovely Rebecca?’ Barrington enquired as his friend got up to leave. ‘Has she agreed to marry you yet?’

‘No, though I expect an acceptance very soon. As I was leaving, Lady Yew brushed her hand against a rather sensitive part of my anatomy—and I’m quite sure it wasn’t by accident.’

Barrington burst out laughing. ‘I
beg
your pardon?’

‘You needn’t sound so shocked; I am more or less the right age; given that she is looking for a replacement for Peregrine Rand, she obviously thought to see if I was interested.’

‘Even though you have been paying court to her daughter?’

‘Perhaps she wants to bed me before her daughter gets the chance.’ Crew’s eyes flashed wickedly. ‘Make sure I have all the necessary equipment.’

‘As if your reputation would leave anyone in doubt,’ Barrington said cynically. ‘How did Lady Rebecca take to her mother’s interest in you?’

Crew slowly began to smile. ‘If I don’t miss my guess, the next time I call, the dear girl will be pushing the butler aside in her haste to throw open the front door and give me her answer—which I have every expectation of being yes. After all, if she doesn’t, she knows damn well whose bedroom I
could
be spending my nights in!’

* * *

Anna trotted Ophelia through Hyde Park, alert for the gentleman to whom she had sent a hastily scrawled note, asking that he meet her. It had been a bold gesture, and secretly she feared Barrington might soon tire of these imperious messages. But she had to know if Julia had been to see him and, if so, what he thought the chances of recovering the stolen necklace were. While she might not approve of or agree with his marital aspirations or lack thereof, Anna did believe that if anyone could find the missing necklace it was he.

Thankfully, he appeared within moments, sitting tall and easy in the saddle, his coat as black as that of the spirited thoroughbred he so easily controlled. His hands were strong and steady on the reins; in spite of her best intentions, Anna felt a quiver of anticipation at the thought of being close to him again. She’d told herself over and over that there was no hope of anything developing between them, but that didn’t take away from the strength of her attraction for him. The way he looked at her, without the lewdness or speculation she saw so often in other men’s eyes, made her feel as though she mattered, both as a woman and as a person. And the
memory of the one kiss they had shared still caused her heart to quicken…

She really had to get over this.
It was bad enough that thoughts of him kept filling her mind, but this silly racing of her pulse every time she saw him was ridiculous! It was imperative that she appear as cool as he was. As impervious to his charm as he so obviously was to hers.

He raised his hand and then put his horse to a brisk trot in her direction. Anna used the time to bring her breathing under control.

‘Lady Annabelle,’ he greeted her, drawing to a halt.

‘Good afternoon, Sir Barrington. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.’

‘To quote your father, the opportunity to spend time with a beautiful woman should never be missed.’

And now she was blushing again.
So much for being impervious.
‘Forgive me for being so inquisitive, but I was anxious to know if Julia had been to see you?’

‘As a matter of fact, we spent time together this morning.’

‘And? Do you think you will be able to help her?’

‘I will do what I can, of course, but there are many questions that need to be asked and several possible leads to follow. It will take time.’

‘But there may not
be
that much time!’ Anna cried. ‘Given the size of the stones, Julia said the thief might decide to take the necklace apart, or to have the gems cut smaller.’

‘That possibility does exist,’ Barrington acknowledged. ‘The jewels are too large to sell as they are, unless whoever took the necklace intends to sell it outside London. If they have contacts on the Continent, it could easily be sold intact in Paris or Brussels.’

Anna bit her lip. ‘Julia will be heartbroken. That necklace means the world to her.’

‘I know and am making inquiries. But whoever took the necklace isn’t going to make it easy for us to find him.’

Anna ran her gloved hand over the smoothness of the mare’s neck. ‘Nevertheless, I’m glad you’re involved. I know you’ll find who did this and bring him or her to justice.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Her?’

‘Why not? Desperation knows no gender. A woman who needs money to feed her family is just as likely to steal as a man.’

‘But it is more often a man who will take that kind of risk. A woman on her own is more likely to avail herself of…other avenues.’

‘Such as prostitution?’ she said quietly.

He met her regard evenly. ‘Yes. Or, if she is attractive enough, becoming the mistress of a wealthy man. However, I would caution you not to let your thoughts dwell on this, Lady Annabelle. It will not result in the culprit being brought to justice any faster and will only serve to cause you needless worry. I will advise you of whatever results I am able to find as soon as I have them.’

‘Thank you.’ Anna wished she could think of something else to say, but she didn’t know how or where to start. She usually found conversation so easy, but with him it was always a challenge. ‘Well, I suppose I had best be—’

‘Lady Annabelle!’

Hearing the shrill feminine hail, Anna turned to see a carriage approaching and smiled when she recognised the mother and daughter sitting within. ‘Mrs Banks, Miss Banks, good afternoon,’ she said.

‘Lady Annabelle, I thought it was you and I simply had to come and tell you the news,’ Mercy Banks said, jumping up as the carriage drew to a halt.

‘Mercy, for goodness’ sake, sit down!’ her mother admonished. ‘A lady does not bounce up and down like a hoyden!

You must forgive my daughter, Lady Annabelle. She has become quite uncontrollable of late.’

‘Because I am so happy, Mama,’ Miss Banks said, and though she promptly sat down, her joy could not be contained. ‘I am to be married, Lady Annabelle, and it is all thanks to
you!’

Aware of Barrington’s eyes on her, Anna laughed and said, ‘On the contrary, I think you played a considerable part in the production. I take it your intended is Lieutenant Blokker?’

‘Of course.’ Mercy’s face assumed that dreamy aspect Anna had come to associate with young men and women in love. ‘There could never be anyone else. He proposed to me at home in the garden yesterday and naturally I said yes.’

‘Then I am very happy for you. When is the wedding to be?’

‘The date has not yet been set,’ Mrs Banks said proudly. ‘We have been invited to dine with the young man’s parents in Hanover Square to go over the details.’

‘Hanover Square,’ Barrington murmured so that only Anna could hear. ‘Very nice.’

Anna only just refrained from rolling her eyes. ‘Mrs Banks, Miss Banks, may I introduce Sir Barrington Parker.’

The gentleman gallantly doffed his beaver. ‘Ladies.’

‘Sir Barrington,’ Mrs Banks said graciously. ‘I believe I saw you in conversation with Lady Annabelle at Lady Montby’s reception.’

‘You did, though it was only in passing since we had not been formally introduced at that time,’ Sir Barrington said smoothly. ‘Unlike your daughter, I was not fortunate enough to have someone make the introduction for me.’

‘Happily, it seems to have been made in the interim. And we will, of course, be sending Lady Annabelle an invitation. We are happy to see her bring an escort,’ Mrs Banks said. ‘I expect the affair to be quite grand.’

This time, Anna knew better than to look at the man beside her. ‘Thank you, Mrs Banks. That would be very nice.’

‘Well, we must be off. There is so much to do between now and the wedding, whenever it turns out to be. Good afternoon, Lady Annabelle, Sir Barrington.’

‘Goodbye, dear Lady Annabelle!’ Mercy called as the carriage pulled away. ‘And thank you again!’

In the silence that followed, Anna heard Barrington chuckle—and felt her cheeks burn. ‘I would have preferred that you not be a witness to that.’

‘Why not? I found it highly diverting,’ the odious man said. ‘And you should be proud. You managed to get Miss Mercy Banks engaged, though in truth I’m not sure who is the more pleased: the mother or the daughter.’

‘I venture to say they are equally delighted for entirely different reasons.’