The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds: A Casebook of Barnaby Adair Short Novel (The Casebook of Barnaby Adair) (20 page)
Authors: Stephanie Laurens
Tags: #Historical Romance
Barnaby stared at her while the picture she was painting took shape in his mind.
“I had hoped,” she said; the light glinted off her spectacles as she glanced down and smoothed her gloves, “that you might agree to look into this latest disappearance, seeing as Dick was whisked away only this morning. I do realize that you generally investigate crimes involving the ton, but I wondered, as it is November and most of us have upped stakes for the country, whether you might have time to consider our problem.” Looking up, she met his gaze; there was nothing remotely diffident in her eyes. “I could, of course, pursue the matter myself—”
Barnaby only just stopped himself from reacting.
“But I thought enlisting someone with more experience in such matters might lead to a more rapid resolution.”
Penelope held his gaze and hoped he was as quick-witted as he was purported to be. Then again, in her experience, it rarely hurt to be blatant. “To be perfectly clear, Mr. Adair, I am here seeking aid in pursuing our lost charges, rather than wishing to merely inform someone of these incidents and thereafter wash my hands of them. I fully intend to search for Dick and the other three boys until I find them. Not being a simpleton, I would prefer to have beside me someone with experience of crime and the necessary investigative methods. Also, while through our work we naturally have contacts in the East End, few if any of those move among the criminal elements, so my ability to gain information in that arena is limited.”
Halting, she searched his face. His expression gave little away; his broad brow, straight brown brows, the strong, well-delineated cheekbones, the clean, rather austere lines of cheek and jaw, remained set and unrevealing.
She spread her hands before her. “I’ve described our situation—will you help us?”
To her irritation, he didn’t immediately reply. Didn’t leap in, goaded to action by the notion of her tramping through the East End by herself.
He didn’t, however, refuse. For a long moment, he studied her, his expression unreadable—long enough for her to wonder if he’d seen through her ploy—then he shifted, resettling his shoulders against the chair, and gestured to her in invitation. “How do you imagine our investigation would proceed?”
She smiled. “I thought, if you were free, you might visit the Foundling House tomorrow, to get some idea of the way we work and the type of children we take in. Then…”
Barnaby listened as she outlined an eminently rational strategy that would expose him to the basic facts, enough to ascertain where an investigation might lead, and how best to subsequently proceed.
Watching the sensible, logical words fall from her ruby lips—still lush and ripe, still distracting—only confirmed that Penelope Ashford was dangerous. Every bit as dangerous as her reputation suggested, possibly more.
In his case undoubtedly more, given his fascination with her lips.
In addition, she was offering him something no other young lady had ever thought to wave before his nose.
A case. Just when he was in dire need of one.
“Once we’ve talked to the neighbors who saw Dick taken away, I’m hoping you’ll be able to see some way forward from there.”
Her lips stopped moving. He raised his gaze to her eyes. “Indeed.” He hesitated; it was patently obvious that she had every intention of playing an active role in the ensuing investigation. Given he knew her family, he was unquestionably honor-bound to dissuade her from such a reckless endeavor, yet equally unquestionably any suggestion she retreat to the hearth and leave him to chase the villains would meet stiff opposition. He inclined his head. “As it happens I’m free tomorrow. Perhaps I could meet you at the Foundling House in the morning?”
He’d steer her out of the investigation after he had all the facts, after he’d learned everything she knew about this strange business.
She smiled brilliantly, once again disrupting his thoughts.
“Excellent!” Penelope gathered her gloves and muff, and stood. She’d gained what she wanted; it was time to go. Before he could say anything she didn’t want to hear. Best not to get into any argument now. Not yet.
He got to his feet and waved her to the door. She led the way, pulling on her gloves. He had the loveliest hands she’d ever seen on a man, long-fingered, elegant and utterly distracting. She’d remembered them from before, which was why she hadn’t offered to shake his hand.
He walked beside her across his front hall. “Is your carriage outside?”
“Yes.” Halting before the front door, she glanced up at him. “It’s waiting outside the house next door.”
His lips twitched. “I see.” His man was hovering; he waved him back and reached for the doorknob. “I’ll hand you up.”
She nodded. When he opened the door, she walked out onto the narrow front porch. She wasn’t at all sure what she felt as he joined her; large and rather overpoweringly male, he escorted her down the three steps to the pavement, then along to where her brother’s town carriage stood, the coachman patient and resigned on the box.
Adair reached for the carriage door, opened it, and offered his hand. Holding her breath, she gave him her fingers—and tried hard not to register the sensation of her slender digits being enveloped by his much larger ones, tried not to notice the warmth of his firm clasp as he helped her up into the carriage.
And failed.
She didn’t breathe—couldn’t breathe—until he released her hand. She dropped onto the leather seat, managed a smile and a crisp nod. “Thank you, Mr. Adair. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Through the enveloping gloom he studied her for a moment, then he raised his hand in salute, and stepped back and closed the door.
The coachman jiggled his reins and the carriage jerked forward, then settled to a steady roll. Penelope sat back, and smiled into the darkness. Satisfied, and a trifle smug. She’d recruited Barnaby Adair to her cause, and despite her unprecedented attack of sensibility, had managed the encounter without revealing her affliction.
All in all, it had been a good night.
Barnaby stood in the street, in the wreathing fog, and watched the carriage roll away. Once the rattle of the wheels had faded, he grinned and turned back to his door.
Climbing his front steps, he realized his mood had lifted. His earlier despondency had vanished, replaced with a keen anticipation for what the morrow would bring.
And for that he had Penelope Ashford to thank.
Not only had she brought him a case, one outside his normal arena and therefore likely to challenge him and expand his knowledge, but even more importantly that case was one not even his mother would disapprove of him pursuing.
Thinking of the letter he would pen to his parent first thing the next morning, he entered his house whistling beneath his breath, and let Mostyn bolt the door behind him.
FURTHER UPCOMING ENTRIES IN THE CASEBOOK OF BARNABY ADAIR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF LADY LATIMER’S SHOES
A Mid Length Novel – June 16, 2014.
LOVING ROSE: THE REDEMPTION OF MALCOLM SINCLAIR
Volume 3: Full Length Novel – July 29, 2014.
Other Titles from Stephanie Laurens
Cynster Series
Cynster Sisters Trilogy
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae
Cynster Sisters Duo
Cynster Special
The Casebook of Barnaby Adair Novels
The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury’s Diamonds
The Masterful Mr. Montague
(upcoming)
The Curious Case of Lady Latimer’s Shoes (upcoming)
Loving Rose: The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair (upcoming)
Bastion Club Series
Captain Jack’s Woman
(Prequel)
Black Cobra Quartet Series
Other Novels
Medieval
Novellas
Melting Ice
– from the anthologies
Rough Around the Edges
and
Scandalous Brides
Rose in Bloom
– from the anthology
Scottish Brides
Scandalous Lord Dere
– from the anthology
Secrets of a Perfect Night
Lost and Found
– from the anthology
Hero, Come Back
The Fall of Rogue Gerrard
– from the anthology
It Happened One Night
The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor
– from the anthology
It Happened One Season
Short Stories
The Wedding Planner
– from the anthology
Royal Weddings
A Return Engagement
– from the anthology
Royal Bridesmaids
UK-Style Regency Romances
Tangled Reins
Four in Hand
Impetuous Innocent
Fair Juno
The Reasons for Marriage
A Lady of Expectations
An Unwilling Conquest
A Comfortable Wife
Table of Contents
THE PECULIAR CASE OF
LORD FINSBURY’S DIAMONDS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
EPILOGUE
Other Titles from Stephanie Laurens
About the Author
About the Author
#1
New York Times
bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing fiction.
All Laurens’s works to date are historical romances ranging from medieval times to the mid-1800s, and her settings range from Scotland to India. The majority of her works are set in the period of the British Regency. Laurens has published 54 works of historical romance, including 30
New York Times
bestsellers, and has sold more than 20 million print, audio, and e-books globally. All her works are continuously available in print and e-book formats in English worldwide, and have been translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other accolades, Laurens has received the Romance Writers of America® prestigious RITA® Award for Best Romance Novella 2008, for
The Fall of Rogue Gerrard
.
Laurens’s continuing novels featuring the Cynster family are widely regarded as classics of the historical romance genre. Other series include the
Bastion Club Novels
, the
Black Cobra Quartet
, and the
Casebook of Barnaby Adair Novels
.
The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury’s Diamonds
is her fifty-fourth published work. All of her previous works remain available in print and all e-book formats.
For information on all published novels, and on upcoming releases and updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanie’s website:
www.stephanielaurens.com
To sign up for Stephanie’s Email Newsletter (a private list) for heads-up alerts as new books are released, exclusive sneak peeks into upcoming books, and exclusive sweepstakes contests, follow the prompts at
Stephanie’s Email Newsletter Sign-up Page
Stephanie lives with her husband and two cats in the hills outside Melbourne, Australia. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’ll be tending her garden.