Sir Henry Stanford joined us. “What’s so amusing?” His gaze told me to watch my step.
“Mrs. Monthalf has the measure of most of London. You must watch what you say around her.” Her tone was light, but I wished she hadn’t warned him to be careful of me. The more helpless he thought I was, the safer I’d be.
His eyes narrowed as he gave us both a smile, waiting to hear more. I wasn’t going to enlighten him.
“Being near government and the queen, Mrs. Monthalf believes we have all taken to being mysterious and deceitful,” Lady Peters said.
I shook my head and laughed. “I don’t believe I said anything of the sort.”
“Then forgive me,” she said with a nod, “I misunderstood you.” She turned to Sir Henry. “Mrs. Monthalf said the most amazing thing. The thief who stole Lady Monthalf’s hatbox told her he was hired to steal hatboxes.”
“The heat is getting to people,” Sir Henry scoffed. I thought he looked relieved. Perhaps I could eliminate him as the man who’d hired the hatbox thief, but he could certainly have orchestrated stealing the warship plans.
The duke came over from where he’d been talking to Lady Bennett, his face unusually red. “There have been strange incidents occurring in London lately. I challenge you to make sense of any of them.”
“Stranger than stealing hatboxes?” I asked.
“Leading a goat through the cellars beneath Parliament.”
Sir Henry chuckled. “I read about that. Bizarre.”
The duke glanced over his shoulder. “Mrs. Monthalf, you might want to check on your cousin. Lady Monthalf looks unwell.”
“Excuse me.” I leaped from the sofa, but just as I did so the train swayed and I bumped into the duke. With masterly charm, he tucked my arm inside his and walked me to the chair next to Phyllida’s.
I sat heavily and said, “Phyllida, are you all right?”
She gripped my arm. “Are we going to crash?”
“No. It’s just a stretch of track that is bumpier than before.”
“Please stay here with me.”
“Of course.” I smiled at the duke, who nodded in return and walked off.
“Learn anything?” Phyllida asked when we were alone in our area of the carriage. She looked at me intently, gripping my arm with one hand. She must have believed our journey would prove Gattenger’s innocence, else she would never have withstood this train ride. She was terrified.
“Sir Henry was in love with Clara. Did you know about him? What did Clara think of him as a suitor?”
Phyllida leaned toward me and lowered her voice. “I’d seen Clara and Sir Henry together a few times before her marriage to Kenny. The last time she and Kenny called off their engagement, I thought she would marry Sir Henry, but he was disappointed.”
“Were their feelings equal, or did Sir Henry love Clara more than she did him?”
Phyllida pursed her lips together for a moment. “Their loves were different. Clara loved him like a brother. Sir Henry’s feelings were more romantic.”
“Was Sir Henry angry enough at Ken Gattenger to hire the burglar to steal the blueprints?” I asked.
“But Clara was killed.”
“Not the result that was expected or wanted. But what if Kenny was the one who was supposed to die?”
Phyllida’s eyebrows rose to the ceiling of the train carriage. “Then the Germans might not have anything to do with the burglary and we’ve been looking at this all wrong.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WE both jumped when Sir Henry pulled over a chair and sat at my side. “I don’t think I’ve properly expressed my condolences on the death of your cousin Clara Gattenger,” he said to both of us.
“Thank you,” Phyllida said. Her face looked like it would crumble at any moment, but her eyes were fearful as she looked at him.
“I accused Sir Henry of being in love with Clara. I should apologize,” I said. It was a clumsy way to interrogate him again, but I needed to learn more without making him suspect I was more than a penniless widow and a chance thief.
“Please don’t apologize. You’re correct. I was a little in love with her. Had been for years. Not that anything inappropriate happened,” he rushed to assure us. “She saw me as a friend of her father’s. Nothing more.”
“I’m sure we all loved Clara,” Phyllida said and reached out a hand to Sir Henry. He grasped it for a moment and nodded over her fingers.
When he let go of Phyllida, I said, “I hope Clara’s not the reason you haven’t remarried. That’s not something she would have wanted.”
“No. I’ve grown used to having my freedom to come and go as I want. But, like my close relationship with Clara, I would like your friendship, Mrs. Monthalf.” He gave me a fearsome smile, teeth showing.
“As I would like yours. I’m sure you and I and the duke and Lady Peters can all be good friends.” I smiled, hoping he got the message that I wasn’t entirely friendless.
Sir Henry smiled broadly. “I hope we’re better friends than you are with them.” He took my hand and clutched it.
When he didn’t let me go, I said, “Tell me about your shipyard. You said it’s the most modern in Britain.”
He gazed into my eyes, looking uneasy. “Yes.”
“Installing new machinery must have cost a fortune.” I tried to pull free and failed.
“But it will be worth it in the end. I’ll be able to build ships faster and better to satisfy my customers.”
“Including the queen.”
“Her Majesty’s government is my biggest customer.”
I jerked my hand free. “With your important position in the industry, of course you were called on to bid on building Gattenger’s new warship.”
“Of course.”
“Did you discuss the bidding with Clara?”
“No, with Gattenger. He knew how keen I was to build the ship. If that warship lives up to expectations, it will make the reputation of both Gattenger and whoever is chosen to build the first models.” He stressed the “if.”
“And I imagine a tremendous windfall for the builder.”
He nodded. “Only if it floats. Otherwise, the shipyard that builds it will be ruined.”
I lowered my voice. “I told you, Gattenger said the design is sound.”
He studied me for a moment. “I hope you aren’t lying to me. That would be unwise.”
“The Admiralty heard doubts and had Kenny check his calculations again. All is well.” He moved as if to get out of his chair and I set a hand on his arm. “Did Clara know about your doubts?”
“No. I’d never tell her. When I talked to her the night before she”—he swallowed and swiped at his eyes—“was murdered, I’d planned to see Gattenger. Not Clara.”
Across the railway carriage, Lady Bennett and Lady Peters laughed at something Blackford had said. Tamping down jealousy, I focused on Sir Henry. “You spoke to our cousin the night before she died?”
He looked embarrassed to have admitted it. Then he glanced around to make sure no one could overhear us. “Kenny wasn’t there that evening. Being old friends, Clara kindly invited me in.”
“So you two were quite alone,” Phyllida said, for the first time looking fierce.
Sir Henry reared back. “It was nothing like that.”
“You kept quiet to protect her reputation?” Phyllida sounded as if she were interrogating Sir Henry.
“Exactly.”
“Where was Gattenger? Was he expected home soon?” I asked.
“Clara didn’t know where he’d gone or when he’d come back. She seemed lonely. Frightened. It wasn’t hard to see something was wrong.”
“Did she tell you what was bothering her?”