He laughed. “I was warned that you are a singular woman, Mrs. Adler. I am glad to find it is so.” Placing his hat on his head once more, he offered her his good arm. “Shall we?”
“I should be offended that someone felt the need to warn you about me,” she said as she collected her gloves and riding crop from Carstairs, who then held the door open for them to depart. “Sadly, it is not the first time that has happened. Lead on, Mr. Spencer.” She laid her hand over his arm and allowed him to escort her from the house.
In front of the house, Mr. Spencer’s groom waited with three horses. Even with her limited equestrian knowledge, Lily could tell they were beautiful creatures, including the older one that was clearly meant for the servant.
The groom led forward an elegant chestnut mare with a white blaze on her nose. “I think you and Lady shall get along admirably, Mrs. Adler,” Mr. Spencer said. Correctly interpreting her expression, he smiled sheepishly and added, “It is a terrible, typical name, is it not? But I promised my daughter she could choose any name she wanted, and so Lady it is.”
“It suits her, at least,” Lily allowed, stroking the horse’s nose. “She is a lovely girl.”
“I regret that I am unable to assist you to mount,” Mr. Spencer said as he gestured with his injured arm. His look was self-deprecating but not embarrassed. “But my man will be happy to provide his services.”
Once the groom had helped her into the saddle, Lily settled the folds of her riding skirts, unable to keep from watching her companion from the corner of her eye. The groom held the horse’s head steady, and that seemed to be all the assistance Mr. Spencer required. In spite of his missing arm, he mounted quite easily, settling into the saddle and taking the reins from the pommel with great physical confidence.
Lily busied herself with her own reins as Mr. Spencer turned to her, hoping he hadn’t noticed her scrutiny. “Where shall we go, sir?” she asked, turning her mare toward the street, surprised to find that she did not feel as awkward in the saddle as she had expected in spite of how much time had passed since she had last ridden. Behind her, the groom mounted up to follow them.
“Sadly, there are not many places to ride in London. But if we make our way to the Row, we can at least have a little bit of a trot.”
“That sounds lovely.”
In spite of her airy promise to be entertaining, Lily hadn’t needed to charm a man in years, and she had wondered what she would manage to talk about. To her surprise, it took very little effort to fall into conversation with Matthew Spencer. He talked easily and pleasantly, asking about her former home in Hertfordshire and telling her about his own property in Hampshire. The ride to Hyde Park passed more quickly than she had expected it to.
The busy hours in Hyde Park wouldn’t come until later in the afternoon. As it was just half past eleven when they arrived, the paths of the park weren’t too crowded. They were able to trot cheerfully up Rotten Row—once the Route du Roi, or King’s Road, now merely a promenade through London’s little remaining wilderness. Past the Row, the crowds thinned out further still, and even Lily found herself tempted by the stretch of open land before her.
Mr. Spencer laughed as Lady shifted restlessly under her rider. “I think our pretty girl wants that gallop as much as you do, Mrs. Adler. But perhaps”—he smiled conspiratorially—“we could satisfy ourselves with a bit of a canter?”
“You are a bad influence, sir,” Lily remarked, but the corners of her eyes crinkled up with unvoiced laughter. She was finding Mr. Spencer a more than pleasant companion.
“So I was often told by my dear Harriet,” he said, and though his smile was bittersweet, his voice was easy as he mentioned his wife, dead now for many years.
Lily envied him that ease and, to her own surprise, found herself saying, “You speak of her very fondly still.”
He cast her a sideways glance. “You are not offended, I hope?”
“Why should I be?” Lily thought of the bitter conversation with her father and shook her head. There was a difference between loving someone and becoming stuck in your own life without them. She wished her father had been able to see that—for her sake and his own. “I think it a mark of high character, both hers and yours, that you still feel so deeply for her.”
Mr. Spencer smiled gratefully. “That is a kind thing to say, Mrs. Adler. Harriet and I were …” He hesitated. “We cared for each other very much.”
“A nice sort of marriage, then,” Lily said, and he nodded his agreement. Unable to help her curiosity, she asked, “You said you had a daughter?”
He nodded. “And a son. Eloisa is twelve, Matthew ten. They live in Hampshire, of course. After their mother died, her sister raised them more than I did, since I was away in the Peninsula.”
“It must have been hard to have duty take you away from them after their mother died.”
“Yes.” The single word had so much feeling behind it that Lily had to swallow away the prick of tears. “Almost as hard as her death.”
Lily nodded. If she had thought more closely about it, she would have been surprised that they were having such a frank, personal discussion. But somehow it seemed perfectly natural.
He looked pensive, though, so she gave him a sideways smile to lighten the mood. “Your Harriet may have said you were a bad influence, but Mr. Adler always accused me of being a secret harridan. Though of course I am too well bred to show such a flaw in public.”
“Ah, but if that is true, you will not be able to resist that canter. Particularly if …” Accepting her desire to change the subject, Mr. Spencer smiled. “I should dare you to it.”
Lily gave him an assessing look. Then, smiling to hide her nervousness, she kicked her horse forward.
Lady needed no encouragement, and she set out at a brisk pace over the open expanse of parkland. Behind her, Lily heard Mr. Spencer laugh, and then he was thundering past her, much closer to a gallop than anyone should have attempted in the middle of Hyde Park. After that, it was all Lily could do to hold on as Lady took off after her stablemate.
He was still laughing when she caught up to him. “Secret harridan indeed!”
Lily, who couldn’t decide whether she was thrilled at the brief exercise or still terrified of falling off, said, a little short of breath, “You are a marvelous rider, Mr. Spencer.”
To her surprise, his neck and ears flushed red at the praise. “It took some doing to get my seat back,” he said with quiet pride, gesturing with the stump of his arm. “You wouldn’t think it would make such a difference, but it did.”
Feeling a little awkward, Lily merely nodded. He noticed her discomfort immediately and laughed. “No good pretending it’s not there. Or rather, pretending it is there, not to put too fine a point on the matter. I learned early on to mention it myself. Otherwise, everyone stumbles all over themselves trying to ignore the fact that I only have one and a half arms, which is far more uncomfortable for everyone. Including me.” He smiled.
“To be honest, sir, I had almost forgotten until you mentioned it. Not to diminish your accomplishment,” she said quickly. “I can only imagine what coming home must have been like and how your life must have changed.” Remembering she had promised to be entertaining, she added, “You will be glad to know, I am sure, that it did not diminish the appreciation any of the ladies last night had for your handsome face and figure.”
“Why, Mrs. Adler, that is twice in five minutes now that you have made me blush. But indeed, I was—I am—one of the lucky ones.” His smile grew a little sad. “I was a major when I was discharged for my injury. But I no longer find anything glamorous in our military endeavors on the Continent.” He shook his head, glancing down at the stump of his arm. “What a horrible, senseless waste war is.”
Lily found herself thinking over that moment for the rest of the ride back to her house, though she hid her preoccupation behind pleasant chatter. He had spoken with such disgust and resignation. Hearing someone express that depth of feeling out l
oud was rare, even more so when they had met as new acquaintances during what was left of London’s social season.
“I hope, Mrs. Adler,” he said, smiling as they turned onto Half Moon Street, “that you will not hold my bad behavior against me and will grant me the pleasure of your company in the future?”
“I should like that, Mr. Spencer. I might even consider accepting a compliment the next time we meet, in spite of your horses’ questionable names.”
“Would you truly fault me for being a doting father?” he asked.
Lily merely smiled, still trying to decide whether she was brave enough to ask what she wanted.
“I would take that as a favorable response, Mrs. Adler,” he said with good humor. “But you seem a bit distracted. Is something the matter?”
The question made Lily start, and the sudden pull on the reins made Lady prance a little beneath her. “I beg your pardon?” Lily asked, blushing as she settled her mount. It was as embarrassing to be caught in her woolgathering as it was to ride so poorly in front of him.
“You seemed distracted. I hope I did not upset you before, with my talk of the war.” He hesitated, falling silent as they steered their mounts around a cart that was waiting in the road, then added, “I meant no disparagement of Captain Hartley, of course. I know you and he are old friends.”
“No, it was not that.” Lily hesitated, wondering how honest she could risk being with him. On the one hand, he talked like a man of principle, and he was a father himself. On the other, what she wanted to ask him to do would sound unbelievable to his ears. And if he should mention it to anyone else …
Lily straightened her spine. He had shown last night that he wasn’t a gossip. And perhaps he would be shocked, but if there was even the slightest chance of success, it would be worth it. At worst, he would never ask her to go riding again, and as much as she had enjoyed the outing, that wasn’t enough of a risk to deter her.
“It did not upset me,” she said quietly, drawing her horse as close to his as she could while they were still moving. She glanced briefly over her shoulder, but the groom was far enough back that he wouldn’t be able to hear her. “But it did show me that you are a man of honor and sense.”
“You flatter me,” he said politely, but his expression was puzzled.
“I hope I do not, or I may soon regret what I am about to ask you.” Lily kept her face straight ahead, but she could see her companion’s eyebrows shoot up. “You will recall Mrs. Steele’s talk about the Wyatt family last night? I was impressed that you would not be moved to gossip, even though you must know something of the matter from your cousin.”
“I do,” he said, shaking his head and looking a little wary. “But such speculation is not something I enjoy.”
“Which is to your credit. And I am not going to ask you to indulge in it now. But I am going to ask you to consider something else.” Lily took a deep breath and met his eyes. She wanted to speak quickly, to get it over with, but she forced herself to be slow and deliberate, to sound as credible and reasonable as she could. “When Mrs. Steele said the Wyatts had another son and that the family had kept him from society, she was telling the truth. But I fear that the rumors about his involvement in his father’s death are intended to steer suspicion away from the rest of the family. They do not wish that cloud hanging over any of them, and so they would rather let him take the blame than cooperate with the Bow Street investigators.”
“Mrs. Adler …” He trailed off, clearly at a loss for words.
Lily pressed on. “As a father yourself, you must see how abhorrent such a thing is. The real culprit must be caught. And to do so, the Bow Street Runner in charge of the matter needs to see Sir Charles’s will. Which his older son and widow, I believe, are unlikely to share.”
“Forgive me, Mrs. Adler, but what can you know of such matters?”
They had arrived in front of her door, and Lily pulled her horse to a gentle halt. Her entire body was prickling with nerves as she removed one riding glove and pulled out the card she had stashed there, just in case she had need of it. “I have been asked to assist the Bow Street gentleman in this matter.” She handed the card to Mr. Spencer, who looped his reins around the pommel so that he could reach out to take it. Lily pulled the glove back on, pleased with how steady her hands were. Her eyes never left his face.
His widened as he read. Lily didn’t need to glance down; she had the words memorized.
A Lady of Quality
Enquire by Letter
General Post Office, Old Cavendish-street, London
Discreet Inquiries, Confidential Investigations & Mysteries Solved
Mr. Spencer stared at it for several long minutes while Lily held her breath, wondering what he was thinking and if she had made a horrible mistake.
“Are you quite serious?” he asked at last.
Lily swallowed, trying to look as though she knew what she was doing. “The life, or at least the well-being, of an innocent boy may be at stake, sir. I am indeed serious. And I hope I have not misplaced my trust by telling you so.”
“And what do you expect me to do with this information?” His tone was mild, but she could sense a sharpness beneath the words—though whether that was directed at her or not, she could not be sure. “Because I can assure you, I will never betray my cousin’s trust or illicitly obtain anything for these new constables.”
“And I would not ask you to,” Lily said. “All I ask is that you present what I have told you to your cousin and ask that he share the will with Mr. Simon Page, a principal officer of Bow Street and the man investigating Sir Charles’s death.”
“And this request, I gather, is the reason you sought my company today?”
Lily hesitated. But there was no use trying to lie, as the answer was already obvious to them both. “As much as I enjoyed our time together, enjoyment was not my principle motivation.”
He stared at her silently, his expression unreadable, then glanced once more at the card in his hand. Lily held her breath until he finally spoke.
“I will consider it.”
CHAPTER 16
Lily still had not had any response from Mr. Page by that afternoon, and she had just settled down at her desk to write once more when a gentle tap on the door interrupted her.
“Begging your pardon, but you’ve visitors downstairs,” Anna said, poking her head around the door.
Lily sighed and laid down her pen, rubbing her temples. “Depending on who it is, I might not be at home today.”
“It’s Lady Carroway and Captain Hartley.”
“Oh!” Lily hurried to set her things aside. “In that case, I am most certainly home. Will you have Carstairs show them into the drawing room?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
It took Lily several moments to make herself presentable for guests; she had kicked off her shoes and sequestered herself in her room immediately after her ride, wanting to think over her talk with Matthew Spencer and avoid her father as much as possible. After repinning her hair and finally locating one of her shoes under the bed, she hurried downstairs.
She was stopped at the bottom of the stairs by the sound of a deep laugh from the drawing room.
Lily frowned at Carstairs, who was waiting for her in the hall. “Did someone else arrive?”
“Lady Carroway has returned from her wedding trip, madam, and is waiting for you.” The butler’s normally somber face broke into a genuine smile as he spoke; the new, young Lady Carroway was his favorite of Lily’s friends, though he would never have presumed to say so out loud. “Captain Hartley is with her as well. I’ve taken the liberty of requesting refreshments from Mrs. Carstairs, which should arrive soon. And there is this.” He bowed, holding out an envelope. “I discovered this in the hall. I believe it arrived with yesterday’s post but was mislaid.”
“Thank you, Carstairs.” The envelope was rough, not the pristine, smooth paper that usually arrived with Lily’s correspondence, the direction on it written neatly in
pencil. Lily gave it a puzzled look before tucking it into her palm and turning once more toward the door. “But … who is with them?”
“Mr. Pierce was sitting in the drawing room when they were shown in.”
Lily stared at him. “And that was him laughing?”
“It appears so.”
Lily eyed the drawing room door, suddenly feeling unsure. Ofelia, Lady Carroway, not yet twenty years old, was known for being charming, pretty, and popular, especially since her marriage to a wealthy young baronet earlier that summer. But she was also the child of a union between an Englishman and a West Indian woman. As her father’s only child, her entrance into London society had been guaranteed by his large fortune and impressive family connections. But there were still rumors about her parentage and unkind remarks whispered behind her back. Lily couldn’t imagine that her father would be willing to sit and laugh with her friend, no matter how pleasant and polished she might be.
“Even she could not win my father over.” Lily looked back at her butler. “Could she?”
If Carstairs had been anyone else, he might have shrugged. “There seems to be only one way to find out, madam.”
He was right. And she did want to see her friend. Straightening her shoulders, Lily flung open the door to the drawing room.
There was a pause in the conversation as three heads turned her way.
“Mrs. Adler!” Ofelia sprang up and across the room, her hands outstretched and a wide smile lighting her face. Behind her, the two men rose politely from their seats. “Gracious, it has been an age! You look lovely, as always. And what do you think? Do I look married?”
Lily dropped the envelope she was holding on a table by the door, holding out her hands as well. But she didn’t get a chance to speak; Ofelia, laughing and giddy, was too excited to let her get a word in edgewise.
“That was the first thing my aunt said when she saw me yesterday, the old dragon. I still cannot decide whether it was a compliment or not.”
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