Free I Adored a Lord by Katharine Ashe

you.”
    â€œYou don’t wish to please me. You wish to thwart me.”
    â€œYou are correct. In this at least.” His gaze slipped to her shoulder, then her arms she was hugging to her waist, passing over her breasts as though they were not there. “Your lips are blue. You must retire to the warmth of your bedchamber. I will instruct Monsieur Brazil to send up a maid to build your fire again.”
    â€œAren’t you concerned that the murderer might realize we have discovered the body and will know that I know about it, and will come after me?”
    That muscle twitched in his jaw again, but she did not know if humor or pique inspired it. “Yes.”
    â€œIf you keep me close, he won’t be able to get to me easily.”
    â€œInteresting choice of words from the woman who vowed not two hours ago that she would not in this life come close to me again.”
    â€œTo solve the mystery of the murderer,” she said, her tongue abruptly dry, “of course.”
    â€œAh.” A smile caught at the corner of his mouth, the dent peeking out. “Of course.”
    â€œWhat do you know of Mr. Walsh?” she asked. “In truth?”
    â€œAt one time he served as secretary to a man of considerable status and wealth. After that he fought in Spain against Napoleon’s army. He was approximately five-­and-­thirty. And he was fond of dice.”
    â€œBased upon that you are suspicious about his presence here at the prince’s party?”
    â€œI may have other reasons.”
    â€œI suppose a man like him has no more right to be in a prince’s castle than I do. But no matter. I have plenty to recommend me to this investigation that the local police will appreciate.”
    â€œAn expertise in deaths involving medieval armor, perhaps?”
    â€œA female body.”
    That stalled him. Again his gaze dropped but this time it more than grazed over her breasts; it lingered. “I will admit I am not seeing how that makes you an expert investigator to murder.” He lifted his eyes to hers. They were decidedly dark and not entirely focused. The night before, his eyes had looked like this when his body atop hers had become aroused.
    â€œI can speak to the women at this party in a manner in which I suspect you cannot. In regular conversation that seems like gossip I can encourage them to reveal information that could be valuable to discovering why this man was murdered and stuffed into a suit of armor.”
    The butler of Chevriot appeared in the doorway. She moved toward him.
    â€œMonsieur Brazil, do you have a wife or a grown daughter?”
    â€œA daughter, mademoiselle.”
    â€œWhat is her name?”
    â€œClarice, mademoiselle.”
    â€œIf I were to speak to Clarice concerning a private matter, would she reveal more information to me than she would to a man?”
    â€œEh, mademoiselle, I cannot—­”
    â€œOf course she would.” She turned to Lord Vitor. “What’s more, I can at this moment subtract nearly two dozen ­people from the list of suspects.”
    â€œCan you?”
    â€œYou don’t believe me. Monsieur Brazil, where were the household and guests’ servants before, during, and immediately after dinner?”
    â€œExcepting the cook, kitchen maids, and the footmen serving dinner, they were in the servants’ hall taking dinner and reviewing procedures in the chateau.”
    Lord Vitor turned his attention upon the butler. “Could you provide an accurate accounting of which individuals left the servants’ hall at any moment during those hours?”
    â€œ Oui , monseigneur.”
    â€œDo so now, written, as well as a list of the servants who remained in the servants’ hall the entire time, with the names of the guests beside their servants’ names. Bring it to me as soon as you have finished it.”
    â€œ Oui , monseigneur.” The butler snapped a bow and