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specifically protected, Vaile would have willed it elsewhere.” She rubbed her forehead. “My trust will revert to me—or at least to me through a trustee. I suppose I need to appoint a new trustee to replace Vaile. I do not know how long the transition will take.”
    Sophia tilted her head. “I will arrange for you to meet with my solicitor. He will know. I was able to appoint a new trustee quite quickly after my husband’s death.”
    Thea leaned forward. “Who did you appoint, Sophia?”
    “Someone who has served me well.” Her clipped response closed the door to further questions. “Now, Lavinia, we tried to make Mr. Harrison believe you were with Thea earlier this evening, but if he did not believe us, why should the court?” Sophia hesitated. “Can you tell us where you were?”
    “I was meeting someone at Vauxhall—someone I would rather not reveal.” She rubbed her forehead. “They never came.”
    Sophia examined her with a calculating expression. “Randolph was at Vauxhall earlier.”
    “I wasn’t meeting Randolph,” Lavinia said, insulted that Sophia could think she’d intrude.
    Sophia laughed. “I know. But perhaps he saw you and will swear it to the court. They would never question a peer.”
    “He couldn’t have seen me. I was disguised.” Lavinia rubbed her eyes, thinking of Max’s falsehood. “I appreciate the thought, but I will not allow anyone to lie for me.” Again.
    “Well, asking Randolph couldn’t hurt. He is quite observant. He often rattles off our guests’ names when I, who wrote the invitations, cannot recall who was invited without consulting the roster. Maybe he saw you in truth.”
    “Just say he does remember… ” Thea’s eyes narrowed. “…how will you convince him to speak to the court, Sophia?”
    “That’s between him and me.” Sophia inhaled as if sucking in courage. “Be assured, if he did see you, I will have him at the court before the day is finished. And tomorrow, we will meet at Vaile House, inspect the hatchment and decide how to proceed from there. I am certain of a Fury victory.”
    “What could possibly go wrong?” Thea asked.
    …
    Stubble scratched Max’s palms as he rubbed his hand over his cheek. The journey up the staircase connecting the mews to his study had never seemed so long. Then again, he’d accomplished much since dawn.
    After leaving Sophia’s, he had arranged for a surgeon to view Vaile’s body—and what a grisly mess they’d found. Vaile’s mattress was soaked in so much blood, he’d almost pitied the man. Almost .
    Next, he’d paid a visit to his old friend Sullivan, who now spent his days as a hackney jarvey. A poor Irish soldier and a wellborn court officer may never have crossed paths in England, but in the merciless world of a madman’s cell, they had become brothers. Nothing could break the bond they had forged during their months of imprisonment.
    Sullivan had agreed to keep a discreet eye on Lavinia’s coming and goings—an arrangement that had caused Max guilt until Max had attended the start of the coroner’s court’s first session.
    The coroner himself, thank God, seemed an upstanding man who would be unlikely to accept a bribe. First, the housekeeper had testified about how she had heard a shot and then found the body. Next, Lord Montechurch had testified that he believed he saw Lavinia rushing from the house. He said he knew the exact time because he’d stopped his pocket watch as a gesture of grief and remembrance.
    Surprisingly, the infamously indolent Lord Randolph had testified that Lavinia had been at Vauxhall at that very time.
    Max rested his back against the wall.
    An alibi for Lavinia should have brought him relief, but things too good to be true usually were. And, judging by Montechurch’s angry reaction to Randolph’s testimony, he wouldn’t be surprised if Monte found more “witnesses” to come forward who would challenge Randolph’s claim.
    Max had wanted to discuss the strength