Free Ivory and Steel by Janice Bennett Page B

in Bath?” he asked.
    The girl’s hands tightened on the door of the landau and she looked across to the shop where Ingram had disappeared then nodded. “She-she liked to brag about her conquests. Though of course he wasn’t Captain Lord Ingram then, merely a lieutenant, and not a baron.”
    “Smitten with her, was he?” Mr. Frake smiled his encouragement.
    “Oh yes.” Constance sighed. “All men were. It was so romantic, the way she managed to steal moments with him, even an occasional evening.”
    “In the habit of slipping out of the seminary, was she?” the Runner asked.
    Constance nodded. “So romantic,” she repeated. “Poor Lord Ingram. He must have been quite dreadfully shocked when he saw her in the box last night. I vow, my heart quite went out to him.”
    “And why is that, miss?”
    “He couldn’t have known! That she would be there, I mean,” she added at the Runner’s inquiring expression. “He came to call upon Allbury. It must have been a terrible blow, returning from the war like that to find the girl he adored had already married, and one of his oldest friends, at that.”
    “Jealous, was he?”
    “Terribly!” A wistful smile just touched her lips. “He had been so very much in love with her, you see. Why, once she told me he had threatened to kill anyone who touched her. Then another time he said he would murder Louisa if she so much as looked at…” her voice trailed off to a horrified whisper, “another man.”

Chapter Five
     
    “Murder someone out of jealousy? Lord Ingram?” Miss Phyllida Dearne clenched her hands about the ribands of her reticule, her gentle face a picture of incredulity. “I’d be more likely to believe him to do it out of revenge or just pure hatred.”
    “Now, miss,” Mr. Frake cautioned. “No one’s saying he’s our murderer. Not yet, at any rate.”
    “I didn’t mean to imply that ,”she declared with some asperity. “I merely meant he is not a mawkish person.”
    With that Mr. Frake was inclined to agree. A shrewd young lady, Miss Dearne. “I think I’ll just have a word with his lordship before we go getting ourselves all worked up about this.”
    “Yes, it might be quite informative to learn what really passed between Louisa and Lord Ingram.” Miss Dearne’s voice held a rueful note.
    Mr. Frake stared hard at her, his mind rapidly sifting through the undercurrents of possible meaning behind that utterance. The young lady showed signs of considerable strain. Grief, mayhap? Or a guilty conscience?
    That was an unpleasant thought. He’d be sorry to learn such a nice-seeming young lady could up and murder her own sister, but it wouldn’t be the first time in his experience such a thing happened. Above the law, the Quality thought themselves.
    Becoming color flooded her cheeks and she fumbled with the handle on the carriage door then pulled it open. “We had best return to Allbury House, Constance. There is a great deal there demanding my attention at the moment. Mr. Frake?” She inclined her head.
    He nodded affably. “I’ll call on you later, if I may, miss. Miss Yarborough?” He sketched a brief bow and the ladies, followed by the dresser, climbed into the carriage.
    He watched them drive off then turned his attention to the haberdashery across the street. On one point, at least, he agreed with Miss Dearne, that Lord Ingram seemed a sensible sort of gentleman, somewhat cold, even—not one to go crazed with unrequited passion. Still, appearances, as he knew all too well, could be deceiving.
    He didn’t have long to wait until Lord Ingram, a package under his arm, emerged into the sunlight.
    Mr. Frake strolled over to join him and offered his most affable smile. “Ah, m’lord, if you could spare me a moment more?”
    Ingram’s eyebrows rose a fraction. “I thought you had dismissed me. What else do you require?”
    “Well now, I hear tell as how you took your attachment to the young lady quite seriously. Enough so as you