Norton left town."
"He did. And Fenwick was the reason. Apparently Norton was mishandling the old man's funds and a goodly sum came up missing. No charges were filed—as I recall, Norton was caring for an invalid wife at the time—but after the incident, his reputation was in shambles. His business was ruined, of course, and he was forced to leave London. I have no idea what happened to him after that, but the last I heard, he blamed Fenwick for all of his troubles."
Jillian set her sherry glass down on the table. "If the man stole the earl's money, he's lucky Lord Fenwick didn't send him to prison."
"True enough," Clay said, "but there are always people who refuse to accept responsibility for their actions."
Adam penned himself a few more notes. "Anyone else?"
"There are a number of others like Barton Witherspoon, people the earl offended, but I don't think they were outraged enough to kill him. Howard Telford, of course, had a motive. With Oswald Telford's death, he has gained the Fenwick title and fortune. And Ozzie's daughter-in-law is undoubtedly named in the will."
Jillian straightened. "I hadn't thought of Madeleine. Surely she wouldn't have killed him. The earl seemed to think very highly of her."
Adam knew little about the woman, except that she had been married to Lord Fenwick's only son. Early last year, Henry Telford, for reasons only Henry knew, had committed suicide. Word was Fenwick had been devastated by the loss. He had taken his daughter-in-law under his financial wing, though she remained at her late husband's estate on Hampstead Heath near the outskirts of the city.
"How much money was Madeleine due to inherit?" Adam asked.
"Quite a tidy sum, I imagine." Clay took a sip of his brandy. "As Miss Whitney said, Fenwick seemed to hold her in high esteem."
Adam turned to Jillian. "Did you know her?"
"A little. She came to the house a couple of times."
"How did the two of you get along?"
Jillian's eyes strayed toward the fire. "She was cordial. I'm not sure she really approved of me, but she was always courteous. As I said, I only saw her a very few times."
Adam had tried to pay a call on the woman but apparently as soon as the funeral was over she had left London to visit relatives in the country. He jotted down a reminder to pay a call on Howard Telford on the morrow and stuck the plumed pen back into its holder.
It wasn't much, but unless the constable turned up something else, it was all they had for now and more than they'd had before.
Adam stood up and so did Clay. "Thanks for coming."
"I'm happy to help." He turned a look of scrutiny on Jillian. "I'll do a little digging on my own. Perhaps I can come up with something we've missed."
She summoned a smile, but it was obvious she was worried. "Thank you, Your Grace."
Adam walked Clay to the door. Once they were out of earshot, Rathmore drew Adam aside. "Sooner or later they're going to find out she's here."
He nodded. "Hopefully by then we'll have found some sort of proof that she's innocent."
Clay nodded, but didn't look convinced.
"You haven't mentioned this to Kassandra, I gather."
Clay shook his head. "I think she's beginning to harbor suspicions that I haven't been entirely forthright, but so far I've been able to dodge her questions. I don't want her involved in a murder, and for Jillian's sake, the fewer people who know, the better."
"I appreciate all you've done, Clay."
"You still believe she's innocent?"
"What she says is true; she doesn't have a motive."
"That we've discovered so far."
"No, not so far. But if she were guilty, she would have tried to run, and she hasn't done that."
"Not yet, at any rate."
Unless she had planned to run the morning of the funeral. Adam sighed. "I realize Fenwick's entire household believes she's guilty, but my instincts tell me she isn't the one who shot him."
"Well, you've always had good instincts."
His mouth tightened. "Unfortunately, not when it comes to women."
Clay chuckled. "By
"He did. And Fenwick was the reason. Apparently Norton was mishandling the old man's funds and a goodly sum came up missing. No charges were filed—as I recall, Norton was caring for an invalid wife at the time—but after the incident, his reputation was in shambles. His business was ruined, of course, and he was forced to leave London. I have no idea what happened to him after that, but the last I heard, he blamed Fenwick for all of his troubles."
Jillian set her sherry glass down on the table. "If the man stole the earl's money, he's lucky Lord Fenwick didn't send him to prison."
"True enough," Clay said, "but there are always people who refuse to accept responsibility for their actions."
Adam penned himself a few more notes. "Anyone else?"
"There are a number of others like Barton Witherspoon, people the earl offended, but I don't think they were outraged enough to kill him. Howard Telford, of course, had a motive. With Oswald Telford's death, he has gained the Fenwick title and fortune. And Ozzie's daughter-in-law is undoubtedly named in the will."
Jillian straightened. "I hadn't thought of Madeleine. Surely she wouldn't have killed him. The earl seemed to think very highly of her."
Adam knew little about the woman, except that she had been married to Lord Fenwick's only son. Early last year, Henry Telford, for reasons only Henry knew, had committed suicide. Word was Fenwick had been devastated by the loss. He had taken his daughter-in-law under his financial wing, though she remained at her late husband's estate on Hampstead Heath near the outskirts of the city.
"How much money was Madeleine due to inherit?" Adam asked.
"Quite a tidy sum, I imagine." Clay took a sip of his brandy. "As Miss Whitney said, Fenwick seemed to hold her in high esteem."
Adam turned to Jillian. "Did you know her?"
"A little. She came to the house a couple of times."
"How did the two of you get along?"
Jillian's eyes strayed toward the fire. "She was cordial. I'm not sure she really approved of me, but she was always courteous. As I said, I only saw her a very few times."
Adam had tried to pay a call on the woman but apparently as soon as the funeral was over she had left London to visit relatives in the country. He jotted down a reminder to pay a call on Howard Telford on the morrow and stuck the plumed pen back into its holder.
It wasn't much, but unless the constable turned up something else, it was all they had for now and more than they'd had before.
Adam stood up and so did Clay. "Thanks for coming."
"I'm happy to help." He turned a look of scrutiny on Jillian. "I'll do a little digging on my own. Perhaps I can come up with something we've missed."
She summoned a smile, but it was obvious she was worried. "Thank you, Your Grace."
Adam walked Clay to the door. Once they were out of earshot, Rathmore drew Adam aside. "Sooner or later they're going to find out she's here."
He nodded. "Hopefully by then we'll have found some sort of proof that she's innocent."
Clay nodded, but didn't look convinced.
"You haven't mentioned this to Kassandra, I gather."
Clay shook his head. "I think she's beginning to harbor suspicions that I haven't been entirely forthright, but so far I've been able to dodge her questions. I don't want her involved in a murder, and for Jillian's sake, the fewer people who know, the better."
"I appreciate all you've done, Clay."
"You still believe she's innocent?"
"What she says is true; she doesn't have a motive."
"That we've discovered so far."
"No, not so far. But if she were guilty, she would have tried to run, and she hasn't done that."
"Not yet, at any rate."
Unless she had planned to run the morning of the funeral. Adam sighed. "I realize Fenwick's entire household believes she's guilty, but my instincts tell me she isn't the one who shot him."
"Well, you've always had good instincts."
His mouth tightened. "Unfortunately, not when it comes to women."
Clay chuckled. "By
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