Mistress - Amanda Quick [14]
“Which others?”
“The men with whom you frequently play cards, of course.”
“You intend to search the libraries or studies of every man with whom I have played cards?” Marcus was curious to see how elaborate her tangle of lies would prove to be.
“No, only those who were also in the habit of playing cards with Lord Guthrie when he was alive,” Iphiginia said crisply. She held up a hand and ticked off familiar names. “Lartmore, Darrow, Pettigrew, and Judson. They are the four men who link your household and that of my aunt’s.”
“Because they were known to play cards at one time or another with both me and Guthrie?”
Iphiginia sighed. “It was the only link I could discover between your circle and that of my aunt’s. I concluded that someone who knew Lord Guthrie had somehow learned Aunt Zoe’s secret. Perhaps from a servant. That same person also knew a great deal about you.”
“But not a secret worthy of blackmail,” Marcus pointed out. “I told you, I am not being blackmailed.”
“Perhaps not, my lord, but the blackmailer was sufficiently well acquainted with you to know that you intended to be out of Town for a considerable length of time.”
“That was not a secret, either.”
“No?” Iphiginia gave him a challenging look. “Virtually everything you do is a secret to most people, sir. Think back. How many people actually knew your plans to go to your estate for a month?”
“Any number of people,” Marcus replied easily. “My man of affairs, for example. My servants.”
“And the men with whom you played whist shortly before you left London?” Iphiginia asked blandly.
“Hell and damnation.” Marcus experienced a grudging sense of admiration. The lady was clever, indeed. “You really did make a thorough study of me, did you not?”
“Yes, sir, I did. I am very good at research. Among the things I discovered almost immediately was that you had played cards with Lartmore, Darrow, Pettigrew, and Judson at one of your clubs the day before you left London.”
“And Lady Guthrie confirmed that they had also played a few hands with her late husband.”
“Not only that,” Iphiginia said with great satisfaction, “but they had played cards quite regularly with him for nearly twenty years before he died, sir. That number is important because my aunt’s great secret dates back eighteen years.”
Marcus smiled slowly. “Brilliant, Mrs. Bright. Absolutely brilliant. You have concocted a truly amazing tale to explain your astonishing behavior. I am consumed with admiration for your inventiveness and originality.”
Her face fell. “You believe that I have invented the entire thing?”
“Yes, madam, I do.” Marcus held up a hand. “But don’t let that stop you. I assure you, I am enjoying the play to the utmost. You are a captivating actress of exceptional talent. I feel privileged to have a minor role in the performance.”
Confusion and a deep wariness flickered in her eyes. “You do not believe me, but you are not angry?”
“To be perfectly truthful, I’m not yet certain just how I feel about the entire affair. I am still pondering the matter.”
“I see,” she muttered. “Do you generally take a long time to consider matters before you decide how you feel about them?”
He smiled at the note of asperity in her voice. “You sound like a governess demanding a response from a slow pupil. The answer is that I have a rule against altering a decision once I have made it. But the corollary to that rule is that I gather all the facts first before making my decision.”
She brightened. “I am well aware of your famous rules, sir. May I take it that you are still gathering the facts in this instance?”
“Why not?”
“That is a great relief, sir.” She gave him her shatteringly brilliant smile. “I have faith in your intellectual nature. I know that once you realize that I am telling the truth, you will be only too happy to assist me in my efforts to discover the blackmailer.”
Marcus felt the carriage rumble to a halt. “Rest assured, Mrs. Bright, I shall take pleasure in learning everything there is to know about this entire situation.”
“Of course.” She seemed blithely unconcerned