A study in scandal (8 page)

“No, it really isn’t. Love is one of those foolish and fleeting emotions that people spend an enor
mous amount of energy on, only to be repeatedly disappointed. People say love is blind; I say love is, at best, fickle.”

So perhaps he didn’t have a lover and hadn’t had a more passionate life than her. All the more reason to pursue this affair with him. Yes, love could be fleeting and fickle, but it could also be wonderful and uplifting and changing and enabling. And so many other amazing things. She’d seen it before. And she’d felt it.

Perhaps not the sort of love a woman feels for a man, but she loved and she loved deeply. Her friends, her dear, sweet father. And an assorted collection of tiny other things in her life such as her books and her mother’s locket.

Perhaps that was simplifying the matter, but love was a grand emotion and worthy of respect. Poor Colin—to have never known such a thing. Or perhaps he did know it, but simply refused to believe it. Perhaps he was looking for something else while love sat quietly in the corner. For it was quite evident to her that Colin Brindley knew how to love. He was unabashedly passionate about his research—that was love.

“So I suppose it is safe to assume that you shall never marry?” she asked.

“Quite safe. I have never seen the point. With
the exception of children. I suppose children need parents, and you must marry for that. But I don’t need children.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever marry either. So I shall miss out on motherhood, but I shall be a splendid aunt to my friends’ children.”

“Your sleuth society friends?”

She nodded.

“They are married?”

“No, but they will be.” She toyed with a ribbon on her bodice.

“But not you?”

“Oh, no.”

“Why are you so special?” he asked, and she thought she detected a hint of humor in his voice.

“That’s just it. I’m not special. Plain Amelia with nothing quite extraordinary about her.”

That garnered her a laugh. A genuine and hearty laugh that tickled at her heart and put a smile on her face.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you laugh, Inspector.”

“There is often nothing that amuses me. But you, I find amusing.”

“That’s not very kind,” she said.

“I’m not teasing you. I meant that sincerely.”

“Oh.”

“But I think it is absurd that you don’t think there is anything extraordinary about you. Most people are not extraordinary. That has nothing to do with being marriageable.”

“You think I’m marriageable?”

“I think it will be hard to find a man who can keep up with you, Amelia, but if you ever do, then yes, you are quite marriageable.”

She frowned. “I can’t decipher if that was a compliment or an insult.”

“A compliment.” Then the carriage stopped in front of his offices. “Right, then, shall we?”

She allowed him to assist her to the street, then followed him up into the house.

He started up the stairs, then paused. “Would you like some tea?” he asked.

“That would be nice.”

“You can wait for me in my office. I shall prepare the tea and see if I can’t find some biscuits as well.”

She was nervous, she realized. Her hands were even a bit shaky. She supposed it was the decision to pursue an affair with Colin that had her jittery inside. But nonetheless she felt certain about her decision. Now all she needed to do was figure out how to apprise him of her decision.

He’d laughed at her earlier. He said he hadn’t been jesting. What, then, was so amusing about
her admission of not being extraordinary? Was it amusing because it was so obvious that no one ever needed to say it aloud?

Or?
A voice inside her whispered. That same tiny voice that always wanted to argue this point.

What if he disagreed?
it said.

What if Colin Brindley sees some tiny hint that you are in fact extraordinary in some small way?

She shook her head. That was impossible. This was a futile direction for her thoughts to be going. She needed to stay focused on the case. Be helpful. Lest he’d regret ever asking her to assist him.

She wandered into his office and found it much in the same state it was in the last time she visited. Clean and tidy. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think that no one used this room.

She found Othello curled up on some papers on the desk in front of the window. She ran her hand over his soft orange fur. He stretched, then peeked at her with tired green eyes. She picked up the sleepy creature and held him to her chest as she continued to pet him.

And surely Colin loved his pet. Othello certainly had a good life, lazing about wherever he chose. She would be willing to bet Colin gave him cream to drink by the fireplace at night. But love did not exist? She smiled.

“I do believe your master is fooling himself,” she said.

“Here we are. I don’t think these biscuits are exceptionally fresh, but I hope they shall serve their purpose.”

She turned to face him. “Dipping them in the tea will hide a multitude of sins.”

“He doesn’t usually like people,” he said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Othello. He doesn’t often like other people. In fact, he generally will hiss and run into the other room if I have a visitor.”

She looked down at the kitty in her arms. “Well, that’s not nice of you, Othello. Feigning disinterest so people will pursue you, I assume. I suppose it’s a tactic that works quite well for some.” She placed him down on the desk, then made her way to the seating area.

Colin handed her a cup of tea and motioned toward the biscuits. “Please help yourself.”

“Thank you.”

“Where shall we start?” He crossed his left leg over his right, and once again she was struck by the sheer length of his limbs.

“At the moment, we have no firm leads in the case,” she said, hoping she sounded as if she knew
precisely what she was talking about. “We know that Nefertiti is missing.”

“Right. And we know that practically all of London had access to her,” he said.

She smiled. “Correct.”

“Tomorrow, I shall interrogate your servants and then I wish to go and see this museum curator you mentioned.”

“Very well.” She took a thoughtful sip of tea. “Must you speak with the servants?”

“We’ve been over this. It is essential. Amelia, they each had prime access to the piece.”

She nodded. “Were this piece not so important to my father, I would not care who took it.”

“Yes, you would.” He smiled. “I do believe you love a good puzzle.”

He was right. She wished that she could claim she only worked on this for her father’s sake, but she could not. Her own selfish desires were there as well. “I cannot deny that, Inspector. You are rather perceptive in identifying my hidden motivations.”

He glanced at the window. “Another storm is approaching. I hate for you to be out.”

“I suppose I should be going, then,” she said.

“Very well, I shall walk you out.”

They made their way to the door.

“Amelia,” he said.

She turned to face him, and before she could answer he grabbed her by both shoulders and pressed his mouth against hers. There was no movement as in their last kiss, only his lips on hers. He released her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but found no words.

“That wasn’t quite right,” he said. “No, not right at all.”

This time he moved in slower, placed one hand against her cheek, and softly lowered his mouth to hers. His lips moved against hers this time, slowly. Very slowly. Desire coiled down her body and settled between her legs. She shifted her weight, but found no relief.

His tongue slid across her bottom lip, then her top, then into her mouth. Gracious, he was torturing her to death. But oh, what a way to die. She released a throaty sigh and leaned farther into him, her fingers curling into his hair. A warm dampness settled in her nether regions and she wanted desperately to rub herself against him. But she wasn’t quite that bold.

He continued his slow and thorough perusal of her mouth until she thought her legs would melt
right off her body. Gently, he ended the kiss, and when she opened her eyes, she found him staring intently at her.

“I believe
that
was quite right,” she said.

His warm brown eyes had turned darker, and he looked very much as if he wanted to devour her. The thought of which sent shivers to places in her body she hadn’t known could get shivers. She wanted him to touch her. Everywhere. A blush heated her cheeks. What a disgraceful thought.

“Yes, well,” he said, his voice husky and raw. “I shall see you tomorrow afternoon. I trust you will find your way home safely. I called for a hackney.”

Their kiss had affected him as well. Why, though, had he kissed her?

“Thank you. Tomorrow it is.”

She turned on her heel and left. This time there was no apology for the kiss. And this time he’d started it. As if he’d been planning it all day. Their conversation earlier had been disjointed, and he hadn’t been paying as much attention as he usually did. He wasn’t nearly as argumentative. It was as if the idea of kissing her had been the sole thought occupying his mind.

Her heart sped up slightly. She quite liked the
prospect of him thinking about her. Especially if those thoughts included kisses, as hers so often did. Perhaps starting a passionate affair with him would not be quite so difficult as she had first thought.

“Love is an emotional thing, and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgment.”

The Sign of Four

“W
eston is simply arrogant, so he might be a tad reluctant to even speak with you. Ignore his attitude. He is perfectly honest. And Bethany is very shy, so she most likely won’t make eye contact. Be patient with her.” Amelia looked at him with eyebrows raised. It was the first time Colin had ever seen her look as if she were losing her patience. “Are you going to write any of this down?”

“Amelia, all will be well. I promise I shall not abuse your servants.”

She released a heavy breath. “Oh, wait, this one is important. Penny, she’s quite nervous. I believe she was quite ill to her stomach this morning. Oh, do be kind to her. She’s so young and sweet, and this has been the only position she’s been able to keep. She’s a bit clumsy and others have been less tolerant of such things. Even though any one of us could drop and break things—that sort of thing happens all the time. Chances are the nasty women who let her go have never even handled the teapots and whatnot in their houses, else they might have dropped and broken them as well.”

He tried not to smile, tried not to be amused, because she was serious. Very concerned for those in her employ. He had to admire her for that. She was a kind woman who did what she could to ensure those around her felt no discomfort. He would be kind to her servants, but he would also do his job.

“Please be at ease, madam, I promise your servants will be no worse for the wear. Now you must go. The longer you are in here, the longer they must wait. Which in turn might increase the unsettled nerves of some. Go. All will be well.”

She eyed him for a moment more before standing. “You’re a good man, Colin. I trust you’ll be kind to my servants. Let me know if you need anything.” With one last glance, she left him alone in the study.

He’d decided on doing the interviews in the room where the “crime” took place in case the perpetrator was here today. Forcing someone to answer questions in the location where the crime was committed often made that person nervous. And nerves often made people reckless and more open with the truth than they intended. It was a trick he had learned at the Yard. But more than that, he was here in the Watersfield home doing the interrogation because it put Amelia more at ease.

The first to arrive was Weston, the butler. He was as Amelia described, arrogant. Colin had had a few interactions with him thus far and had seen the protective gleam in his eyes. Not to mention the strong streak of propriety that clung to the man. He answered all of Colin’s questions and remained calm. This was not the one he sought.

One by one they came in, the housekeeper, the chambermaid, the laundry maid, a housemaid, and a footman. Colin only had one name left on the list. Penny. The maid who cleaned this room. The one Amelia had said was ill with nerves this morning. It could simply be a fear of losing her position, or it could be guilt. Only time would tell.

The girl who entered the room was much younger than Colin had anticipated. She looked to
be only twenty or so, and her hands visibly shook at her sides. She gave him a small curtsy.

“Sir,” she said quietly.

“Hello,” he said. He smiled at her, hoping to ease her nerves. Even if she had a confession to make, he didn’t want her becoming ill. Especially all over him. “Sit,” he said.

She complied and folded her hands in her lap. Her knuckles whitened beneath the clench of her hands.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“Yes, sir, a bit.”

“Have you ever been questioned about something before, Penny?”

“Yes, sir. At my last two posts. The ladies of the house questioned me, then let me go. I can be clumsy at times.”

“Try not to be too nervous. I’m going to ask you a few questions and you need only answer them honestly. I have no doubt that regardless of the outcome, Lord Watersfield and Miss Watersfield will be most kind.”

“They are the best employers,” she said.

“Are you happy here?”

“Oh, yes. Most happy. They are so kind.” The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rapid rhythm. “I have a nice room and good meals. They
pay well, too. And no one yells, save that day when his lordship found her missing,” she said with a whisper.

“You remember that day?” Colin asked.

“Yes, sir, very well. It was a sad day. We don’t like to see his lordship upset. He hasn’t been the same since. He’s so sad and quiet. Not his usual cheery self.”

“Did everyone here know of the importance of that piece?”

She nodded. “When anyone is hired, Miss Amelia explains everything about the household and how to care for the pieces in the collection. Then her father…” She swallowed. “I’m not sure if he does this for everyone, but he took me aside my first week. Showed me all his collection, told me things about them.” She shook her head. “I never knew anything about Egypt or other faraway places. He’s got so many beautiful things from all those places.”

Colin made some notes. “So you like the antiquity collection?”

“Very much.” She frowned. “May I be honest?”

“Please.”

“I’ve been in lots of the nice houses, the lords’ and ladies’ houses are full. Trinkets and statues and things. But Lord Watersfield knows about his.
He has them for a reason. They’re not things simply to take up space or show people he’s got money. He cares about them. He’s different. Those others, they simply collect things to have more things than their neighbors.”

It was an astute observation for one so young. But more than likely Penny kept her mouth shut and her eyes open. No wonder the Yard always went to the servants first when questioning began. They knew everything.

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Now, what can you tell me about the day the statue went missing?”

“It began as a regular day. I was helping Mrs. Bennet in the kitchen, since I had finished my chores early. We were getting his lordship’s tea ready. I went ahead and brought it to him, since Mrs. Bennet had other things to attend to.” She looked off in the room for a while before continuing. “The statue had to have been gone already, but I didn’t notice. I set his tea down and had barely made it back to the kitchen when he started to yell.”

“You said you had finished your chores already that morning. Had you cleaned this room?”

“No, sir. I never clean this room on Tuesdays.
We have a schedule, and his lordship prefers to have privacy on Tuesdays.”

“Why do you think that is?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think there is any particular reason other than his lordship is peculiar.”

Now,
that
surprised him. She’d seemed completely loyal up until that moment. “That’s quite bold of you to say,” he said.

She smoothed her skirts and nodded. “I thought so too, at first, but he says it all the time. He’ll devise a new rule for the house and then say, ‘ ’Tis only because I’m peculiar.’” The last phrase she said in a voice that clearly mimicked Lord Watersfield’s. “You learn to agree with him. He prefers it that way.”

“I see.” Colin made a few more notes, then continued. “So you did not clean this room that morning, and you don’t recall either seeing or not seeing the statue when you brought in the tea?”

“No. But to enter this room from the kitchen, you don’t walk near the area where she sat. So I wasn’t actually looking there.”

“Was the statue here the day before when you cleaned?”

“Yes, I dusted her off, as I always do, and set her back on the table.”

“And then?”

“Then I left the room for the rest of my chores.”

“Did you return to this room in between then and bringing in the tea?”

She thought for a moment before answering. “No, sir, I did not.”

“And nothing seemed amiss that previous morning when you were cleaning?”

“No.”

“Thank you, Penny, you’ve been very helpful. I trust that you will seek me out should you remember anything or hear anything that might be helpful.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You may go. And please send in Miss Amelia when you leave.”

“Thank you.” She curtsied again, then left the room.

He didn’t have to wait long for Amelia to appear.

“Well?” she said as she walked into the room. “How did it go? Are you satisfied now that my servants are innocent?”

“Mostly.”

“Mostly? What does that mean?”

“I’m mostly satisfied, but I’m not going to rule anyone out at this point. But for the time being, I am done interrogating your staff.”

“That is a relief. I gave them all the day off for
their trouble. So if you’d like any tea, I’ll have to make it for you myself.”

He chuckled. “No, I don’t need any tea at the moment.”

She sat back down. “I am most relieved that is over with,” she said.

“You mentioned that,” he said. He ignored his desire to reach out and touch her hand. That kiss they’d shared in his office, the one he’d sworn would be enough to wipe his desire for her out of his mind, had only further whetted his appetite for her. Even now he wanted to lean her into that chair and kiss her senseless.

He stood abruptly. “I should be going. Will you be ready to visit the London Museum tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, then. I shall come around for you at half past two. I can see myself out.”

Colin relaxed into the phaeton seat. The more time spent in Amelia’s presence, the more he wanted her. It was getting quite out of hand. He would go home and get all his notes on the case in order. Spend the evening poring over them in hopes that something would fall into place. And in the process he’d forget about his growing desire to toss Amelia’s skirts up.

Amelia said goodnight to the servants and started for her father’s room. She’d called a meeting with the household to see how their interviews with Colin had transpired. All agreed that he was civil and not harsh with his questioning.

She’d known he would be kind, but she owed it to them to inquire. She certainly didn’t want them falsely believing she secretly accused any of them of the crime.

She knocked on her father’s door. “Papa, are you awake?” she asked quietly, not wanting to wake him if he had already retired for the evening.

The door opened, and her father stood there looking tired and older than he had the day before.

“Papa, are you still not sleeping well?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps I do not need sleep,” he said.

“Might I come in?”

He moved to allow her entrance, and she was caught by the state of his chambers. It was common for him to have his work strewn about. But it was not common for it to be in this much disarray.

“We must get you out of this room tomorrow. If only for a little while. I want you to sit in the garden.” She smoothed his thin white hair. “You need the sunshine.”

He gave her a weak smile. “So much like your
mother, dear girl. She was so lovely. Have I told you that?”

She did favor her mother, she knew that, but Amelia had never been as pretty as her mother. Amelia led her father to a chair and helped him sit. “Not today, Papa, and I always love to hear about her.”

She allowed him to talk, gently, quietly, about her mother and the memories he had of her. He had moments like these. Times when he got lost in the way his life had been. Times when the sadness of her death overtook him and he retreated to a place of memories that brought him joy. But this time there seemed to be no peace to be found.

The loss of his favorite antiquity had dropped him deeper into his pain and even the memories of her mother’s love could not pull him out.

She had to find Nefertiti. It was the only way to bring her father back.