Zoe smiled tremulously. "Otis, I do love you so," "The thing is," Iphiginia said briskly, "if Otis were to marry you, there would he no need to make the true facts of Maryanne's parentage public."
"Iphiginia is right," Amelia said.
Zoe frowned. "I do not comprehend."
Otis's brows formed a bristly hedge across his nose. "I say, she has a point, y'know."
Iphiginia saw the new light in his eyes. She smiled. "If you and Otis were to wed, he would become Maryanne's stepfather. She could call him Papa and no one would take any notice. He can refer to her as his daughter and people will merely assume that he has a genuine paternal affection for her."
"Which is no particular secret, anyway," Amelia pointed out. "Furthermore, the legalities of the situation settle rather nicely into place with regard to both the Guthrie money and the Otis fortune."
"Precisely," Iphiginia said. "Maryanne will no longer he a young lady with a respectable portion, but a great heiress. "
"No one will think to question the situation," Otis murmured. "Perfectly natural that I would provide for her'"
"Good Lord." Zoe was clearly struck by the possibilities. "She would have her pick of husbands."
Otis took her hand and kissed it. "And I would have the great pleasure at last of not only claiming my daughter without a scandal, but of being able to claim you, my sweet, as my wife.".
"Oh, Otis." Zoe looked up at him. "You have always been so good to me. You were the only thing that made my life bearable while Guthrie was alive."
"It was my greatest pleasure," Otis said. "And if you wish to continue our liaison as it is, I shall be honored to do so. But I want you to know that nothing would make me happier than to be able to call you my wife."
Zoe's eyes glowed. "How can I say no? I thought never to marry again after being freed of Guthrie. But in truth, you are the only man I have ever loved. The father of my child. My dearest friend."
"I shall obtain a special license this afternoon," Otis said. "We can he married tonight."
"Something tells me that Maryanne will be delighted," Amelia said.
Iphiginia tapped her pen against a sheet of foolscap. "And a bit more venom has been leeched from the blackmailer's fangs. I begin to perceive that Masters was right all along. He said the easiest way out of this situation was to call the villain's bluff by unveiling the secrets."
"It would, indeed, appear that he was correct," Amelia agreed.
"He very often is," Iphiginia muttered. "What worse, he knows it and does not hesitate to make one aware of that fact. I vow, it is vastly annoying at times."
"I suspect you feel that way because you are so accustomed to being correct most of the time yourself," Amelia said.
Iphiginia wistfully recalled her plan to solve the blackmail problem by discovering the owner of a phoenix seal and some black sealing wax. "I have never met a man who is right more often than I am. It is rather unnerving," she admitted.
It was even more unsettling to know that she was in love with a man who was convinced that he was intelligent enough to learn anything except how to fall in love again.
"What is Masters's latest hypothesis, Iphiginia? Who doe he believe is behind this nasty attempt to reveal everyone's secrets?" Amelia asked as she and Iphiginia walked up a flight of stairs that led to Adam Manwaring's office.
"He does not know the new villain's identity yet," Iphiginia said. "His most interesting theory is that Mrs. Wycherley may not have been the villain in this piece, after all."
Amelia shot her a startled glance. "Really? But who else could it have been?"
"As I said, Masters does not yet have a new suspect, merely a few doubts about the old one." Iphiginia reached the landing and started down the hall to Adam's door.
"What do you believe, Iphiginia?" "I no longer know what to make of the events. I am still stuck on black wax, phoenix seals, and the fact that whoever sent that first note to Aunt Zoe knew that Masters would be out of Town for an extended period of time."
,"I know how difficult it is for you to abandon your own notions. Well, I'm certain that Masters will soon get to the bottom of this."
Iphiginia wrinkled her nose. "Goodness, such faith in his intellect and talents. There was a time not so long ago when you spent a great deal of energy warning me off him."
"I still think that he will break your heart, but in the meantime, perhaps he will also solve the puzzle."
"You are always so very practical, Amelia. It is one of your most endearing qualities."
They came to a halt in front of the narrow door. Iphiginia raised her hand to knock and then noticed that the door was ajar. A man's voice, raised in blistering rage, boomed through the opening.
"I demand to meet with the principals of this venture, d'ye hear me, Manwaring?"
Iphiginia opened the door quietly. A large, thickset man was leaning over Adam's desk. Es face was contorted with anger. Adam sat quietly, his own expression one of cold disgust. Neither of them saw Iphiginia and Amelia in the doorway.
"I have told you, that is impossible," Adam said. "I insist upon it," the stranger roared. He slammed his meaty fist down on the desk with such force that the wax jack and pens shuddered. "I insist upon being allowed to speak with them. I won't take no for an answer."
Iphiginia heard Amelia's soft, choked cry of dismay. "Amelia?" Iphiginia touched her cousin's arm. "Are you all right?" she whispered. Amelia did not answer. She stood stock-still, her attention riveted on the man who was pounding on Adam's desk.
"I've told you that the principals behind this speculation venture are not interested in including you in the pool, Dodgson." Adam got to his feet, his jaw set as solidly as that of a bulldog. "And I told you the reason why."
"Lies. All lies told by a slut of a governess," Dodgson howled. "I cannot believe men of the world would listen to the creature."
Amelia took a step into the room. Her shoulders were rigid. "They are not lies. You are a nasty, vicious man, Dodgson. You know it and I know it."
Dodgson whirled around. "Who the devil are you?" he demanded.
"Don't you even remember me, Dodgson? I'm Amelia Farley. At one time I worked as a governess. But now I make my living in a much different fashion'
Dodgson's eyes glazed with the shock of recognition. He stared at Amelia, mouth agape. "It's you. You're the one who told the principals that I could not he trusted. How dare you? Why would anyone listen to you?"
"Miss Farley is one of the principals of the investment pool," Adam said with grim satisfaction.
"I don't understand." Dodgson's heavily jowled face swung back and forth between Amelia and Adam. "This is impossible."
"No, Dodgson," Adam said evenly. "It is far from impossible. You will not he allowed to join the investment pool."
"On the word of this… this pinch-faced little lightskirt?" Dodgson bellowed. "You cannot be serious."
Adam rounded the edge of his desk, drew back his fist, and slammed it straight into Dodgson's unsuspecting face.
Dodgson shrieked with pain, surprise, and fury. He reeled back against the wall, clutching at his nose.
Adam advanced on him with clenched fists. "One does not speak to a lady with such disrespect in my office."
"Damn you." Dodgson examined the blood on his hands with horror and disbelief. "Damn all of you. This is a nightmare. I am to be ruined be-cause of the whim of a silly little governess who should have been grateful that some man was willing to tumble her."
"I have news for you, Dodgson," Adam said softly. "Financial ruin is not all you face. You will meet me at dawn tomorrow morning in the park. Name your seconds."