“Ken Gattenger is Lord Peters’s father, from a time when Ken and Clara had called off their engagement.”
“Dear heavens. How did you find out?”
“Von Steubfeld told me. And Rosamond as much as admitted it when she begged Clara and me not to spread the story for the sake of the child.”
“And the fire in the Gattenger study?”
“Clara asked Rosamond for every letter, every keepsake Ken had given her. It was her price for keeping her silence. Rosamond left the room and returned in a few minutes with a small package. Clara returned home with it, vowing to burn the contents without peeking.”
Her story made tragic sense in light of Clara’s desperate desire for a child by Ken. It also made sense if the baron wanted their evening routine disrupted. Unfortunately, instead of driving the Gattengers to another part of the house while the blueprints sat unprotected in the study, the upheaval meant they arrived in the study sooner than usual. The baron had inadvertently made the burglar’s work more difficult.
“And this is why you came in here crying?”
She looked shocked. “No. The baron told me he’d not be coming to my room tonight. He hinted he was going to yours. Isn’t one man enough for you?”
My jaw dropped. I quickly shut my mouth and, before I thought of a suitable reply, opened it again and snapped, “Yes. No. I should hope he doesn’t show up in my room.”
Her smile brightened any hint of tears from her face. I, on the other hand, probably looked ready to do murder.
My expression changed the moment her words reached my brain. What was von Steubfeld going to do if he was too busy to entertain Lady Bennett in the dark hours of the night? This might be the clue we were waiting for; Snelling told the valet he’d meet the head man tonight.
“You know who he’s going to meet. Tell me. Tell me her name.” Lark Bennett looked ready to torture me for the information.
“I don’t know. Why do you think he’s seeing another woman?”
“I’ve seen him with a young blonde who dances in a London theater. And he’s a man, so there may be more. As long as they’re not women he can take to balls and receptions, I don’t care. But someone here could replace me, and that I won’t allow.”
“I’m not that woman.” I rushed out of the room and upstairs as fast as I could limp. I headed straight to Rosamond Peters’s room.
Her maid, Minette, answered my knock and looked at me suspiciously.
“May I speak to your mistress?” I asked.
“Come in, Georgina,” was heard from inside the room. Grudgingly, the maid stepped aside.
Lady Peters wore an elegant ivory dressing gown. “You may go, Minette.”
The maid left, shutting the door behind her.
“Am I interrupting anything?”
“A hunt for something of mine that is missing. But I suppose you know about that.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“My maid is called down to the kitchen by your maid for just a moment, and when she returns, you are outside my room. When she checks, this item is missing, and as she peeks out the door, she sees Sir Henry Stanford go into your room.”
“I was looking for my frivolous maid, and I can assure you I didn’t invite Sir Henry to my room.” I hoped Emma never heard I’d called her frivolous.
“What I lost is more valuable to Sir Henry than it is to me.”
“Then perhaps he has it.”
She shrugged. “Perhaps he does. Why have you come?”
“Lady Bennett just told me you saw Clara Gattenger on the day she died and gave her distressing news.”
“It’s distressing to me that Lark Bennett keeps telling people this story.”
“Except it’s not a story, is it?” When she didn’t reply, I said, “Did you know Clara suffered two miscarriages in her year of marriage?”
“No.” She looked at me through widened eyes. “That poor woman. I understand how much producing an heir means to the British aristocracy.”
“Did Lord Peters know he might have an heir before he died?”
She rose, walked to the open window, and looked outside. Perhaps satisfied that no one was below us listening, she said, “Yes, and he was very happy. He wanted the title to continue, and he wanted me to be provided for.”
“So he was content with his fate?”
“Quite content. He felt we’d accomplished all that we needed to do. All that we could do.”
I repeated what Phyllida had learned. “Even though by this time his body had wasted away so badly that he was almost totally paralyzed?”
“Must you bring this up now?” she hissed.
“Unfortunately, yes, since it involves Ken and Clara Gattenger.”
“I realize you miss your cousin, but knowing my secrets won’t bring her back to life.”
“I believe your secret was used to change the routine in the Gattenger household that evening. A change that was supposed to simplify a robbery but instead led to Clara’s death.”
“As if my secret hadn’t led to enough pain already. Most of all to myself.”
“How did your husband feel about your betrayal of him?”
She laughed, the brittle sound giving away her emotions. “Betrayal? Finding a suitable stud was his idea. Gattenger was one of his suggestions. I would never have done it if he hadn’t insisted.”
She walked over to me and held out her hand. “I’m a good Catholic. I loved my husband very much. But to make him happy, I had to defy the church and all that I believed.”
I quickly wiped the shocked expression off my face and touched her hand. “The affair was Lord Peters’s idea?”
“My husband was a traditional aristocrat. He wanted me to have a child, and I did. He was glad.”
“And Gattenger?”
“Doesn’t know. And doesn’t need to know. A secret fails to be a secret if everyone knows.”
I wasn’t sure that was right, but telling even Gattenger wouldn’t be fair to the child. “And the baron?”
“I don’t know how he learned our secret and Gattenger’s identity with such certainty. Bribed a servant, perhaps.” She studied my face for a moment. “I beg you. Please keep silent. After all, it’s a family matter.”
“Of course.” I wondered how Blackford would feel about dishonesty in the bloodlines of old, aristocratic families. I suspected he’d be displeased. I decided he shouldn’t know.
There was one more thing I wanted to know. “Is Lady Bennett blackmailing you with her knowledge?”
“Yes. She wants me to procure something for her. I asked Sir Henry to get it for me. The item that is missing is part of the deal between Sir Henry and myself.”
“I hope you find it.” I left, certain from what Sir Henry had said that the thing Lark Bennett wanted was the warship blueprints. Why would she want them? And if the baron was the one who’d ordered the burglary, why was Lady Bennett trying to get them away from him?
I needed to dress for dinner and the ball while wondering what to do about all this new knowledge. Emma came into my room, Phyllida following her. “How is your ankle holding up?”
“Very well, thank you. I should be able to waltz or give chase, depending on what’s required.”
Emma smiled at my response. “Good, because it was the duke’s acceptance of her invitation that made Lady Harwin decide to host a ball. The servants have been working hard the past few days on short notice to get ready for tonight. We could have cannon fire in the gardens and they’d be too tired to notice.”
“Where will they be?”
“Except for the footmen serving dinner and the tasks surrounding the midnight refreshments, they’ll be downstairs, out of sight and out of mind, and hopefully getting some rest.”
“And the valets and lady’s maids?”
“Wherever their masters and mistresses want them to be.”