“What other reason is there?” Edmund repeated as he took a seat behind his desk.
She held his gaze and tipped her head to the side, waiting purposefully for a minute before saying, “I want to know the truth.”
He shook his head as his brow furrowed. “I am afraid I do not know what you mean.”
She rolled her eyes. “I am not stupid! You know precisely what I mean, but since you will likely continue to pretend that you do not, let me elucidate for you. Our brother did not die by accident. Penny did not throw herself into the Thames. The colonel is not just visiting his relations in Hertfordshire. There are men who visit here but not at calling hours. Our cook and a few others such as Jimmy are men you worked with on the continent. I know it is all connected in some way, and I want to know what that is.”
“You cannot.” His expression was as stone-like as she had ever seen it.
She folded her arms and glared back at him. “I will find out.”
He flinched and his head shook just a bit.
“I found Andrew’s watch. It was stolen, which proves he did not just stumble and die.”
“It proves nothing of the sort,” he retorted. “Andrew could have fallen, died, and then, had his things stolen from him.”
She shook her head. “He was not in a normal location.” She uncrossed her arms so that she could count off the clues pointing to her conclusion on her fingers as she said them. “That was the first clue.” She held up a finger. “The theft of his watch and money was never mentioned.” She held up a second finger.
“That means you needed to be able to find the watch, and then, decipher who it was that had it.” She held up a third finger.
“That is not a clue,” he grumbled. “It is a supposition.”
Again, she shook her head. “It is a clue, which is why the store at which I purchased the watch is written on the paper in the bag with it. And, I am certain that is why you have already talked to Jimmy to confirm that bit of information and extracted from him what it looked like and the proprietor and all those sorts of things.”
She rested her hands in her lap. “If you have not, then, you are far less astute than I thought you were, and I will have you know that you are nearly the most intelligent gentleman of my acquaintance.” Here, she let herself smile teasingly.
He did not return her smile. “Nearly the most intelligent, you say? Those are dangerous words when you could be in severe trouble for all that you have done in the past twenty-four hours.”
He could glower all he wanted. She would not be intimidated. Her heart would beat loudly, and she would wish to fidget under his glare, but she would not show an ounce of trepidation. “Why is the colonel your best man?”
He blinked. “He is very good at what he does.”
“And he outwitted you often when we were younger.”
His head bobbed up and down very slowly. “So, you are saying that I am second to the colonel?”
“Yes.”
“Again.” He blew out a breath and shook his head. “So I am both no longer your favorite, nor am I the most intelligent fellow you know.” There was a note of sad resignation in his tone.
“It is very close,” she assured him softly. “In fact, you may be tied for most intelligent if you were to finally realize that I am capable of supporting Richard in his role as his wife rather than being some bit of feathers for brains that will always be an inconvenience and a liability.”
Edmund scrubbed his face with his hands. “Harry, there are things that you do not know, nor should you.”
“But I will know them, Edmund.” She held up a finger. “Wait. Richard is watching a maid. My maid ended up dead. Our brother was in an area where many vices can be had for a price.” She gave her brother a pointed look. “I think we both know what I mean by that without my having to elaborate.” She sighed. “Please, tell me that neither you nor Andrew have visited the females who ply their trade in that area.”
Edmund squeezed his eyes shut. “Harriet, you are treading on my last nerve.”
“These things are all related, and it has something to do with ladies of the night, shall we say?”
He shook his head as he jaw clenched. “There are things you must not know.” He pulled the blue pouch containing the watch from his desk drawer. “And it is not I who has determined that you are not to know them.”
“It is not you?” she repeated softly. “Then who?” She tapped her finger on her lip.
“I cannot tell you that, so please stop trying to figure it out.” He took the watch from the bag. “I am happy that this was found.” He held it up and turned it this way and that. “I was going to lecture you about sneaking around behind my back. I still should.”
“I know,” she admitted. “But it would do no good at all. Oh!” she said as a thought came to her. “Have all your men spent time on the continent?”
“If I promise to tell Richard that he can present an offer for you once what we are doing is done, will you cease and desist?”
“So they have,” she said triumphantly.
“Harriet, answer my question.”
“I cannot promise that curiosity will not overwhelm my good sense.”
He snorted in derision at that.
“However,” she continued, “it would remove one reason for my being so obstinate, and the crown will never need to know that I know you are working on some sort of sensitive assignment.”
His mouth popped open and then closed before his lips made that thin line expression from earlier. “I am not even going to ask,” he muttered after he had given his head a good shake. “You have convinced me. The next time I see your colonel, I will inform him that he is free to offer for you. For I would hate to have you entrusted to any other man, and frankly, at this moment, I would be more than delighted to have Richard deal with you rather than me.”
