Greyson turned and went back into the room without waiting for a response. Richard hesitated a moment before following his friend. There were two other occupants, Nathaniel and another man, neither looking at ease. Nathaniel waited in the back of the room, warily eyeing the other man.
"Greyson, could you join me in the other office?" Richard asked in a casual tone.
Greyson opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded. There was no doubt he didn't wish to comply, but he followed Richard regardless. Once they were closed in the office, Richard turned to his friend.
"What is going on?" Richard asked again.
"The man you saw in the other room is a former employee named Martin. He was one of the men involved with the break-in."
"Are you sure? How did you find him?"
"I put the word out that I was looking to purchase our type of brandy without using the proper channels. He contacted me through my man, and once I was sure the bottle once belonged to us, it didn't take much to get him to confess."
"You didn't think to include anyone else in your plan? Jonathan or I would have been more than willing to help."
"I didn't want to involve you until I had something to report. The chances of success were slim, for I didn't expect to hear a response, especially so soon."
"That does not matter. You should have told us."
"This is my problem to fix," Greyson spat bitterly.
"How is this your problem alone? As I recall, you only own one third of the club, and therefore one third of the difficulties."
"I solely took on the responsibility to hire the staff. They were all approved by me, making the fault mine. It's only natural for the resolution to fall to me as well."
"That is nonsense, Greyson, and you know it. No one is to blame, and we will all do our parts to discover the culprit. Agreed?"
Greyson wordlessly stared at Richard. His cold emotionless eyes told Richard his friend didn't hear one word uttered. Greyson's stubbornness and self-reliance had gotten him far, but Richard would not sit back and allow his friend to drive himself mad over this.
"What is the next step?" Richard demanded.
"There isn't one," Greyson countered with narrowed eyes. "Nathaniel and I have questioned Martin thoroughly, and we have nothing. Whoever hired him was smart and used a middleman."
"Then we take Martin back to the place he met the middleman. Once we have an identification, we can take it from there. We will receive answers from someone higher up."
"I'm not certain Martin would recognize him." Greyson walked over to the cabinet and poured himself a glass of brandy. He raised his eyebrows in question, but Richard declined. He had consumed enough today.
"Why not?"
"Martin continually insisted it was dark. The only knowledge we ascertained was the middleman did not appear to be a typical thief. Martin claimed the man acted uncomfortably in the surroundings, and his clothing had a finer quality than you would expect in such an establishment."
"Do you think he is under Kirkwood's employ?" Richard's hands involuntarily made fists at the reminder of the insults he suffered only moments before.
"I would say it's a likely possibility, but, as I discovered, it's not easy to prove."
"Then we let Martin loose and see where he goes. If he is lying, he will immediately report to his boss. If not, he is useless, and we let him go."
"That sounds reasonable," Greyson agreed, sounding more like himself.
"Now that this is settled for the moment, you need to go home and get some rest."
"Why? I have been perfectly comfortable sleeping here."
"There is no reason for you to do so. Anyway, I would like you well rested because you and I are attending Lady Laramie's ball tomorrow night."
Brianna gazed out the window of the drawing room. Such a lovely day, and she hated being forced inside for so much of it. The medicine Madam Hershal gave her worked wonderfully, and she longed to enjoy her new pain-free days. Martha also remarked on how improved Brianna had become, and her worry appeared to be satisfied. Brianna still didn't know how or when to tell Richard of the baby, but she knew the time quickly approached.
Peering at the clock, she was happy to see their obligatory time for the At Home would soon be passing. With the lack of activity, Brianna looked around at the faces expecting to see her boredom mirrored, but she was wrong. Her mother calmly sewed, and Elizabeth had her eyes fastened to the door. She was smiling and fidgeting in a nervous manner. There was no doubt in Brianna's mind Richard's sister expected someone and, from her behavior, it was not a lady.
Allowing curiosity to propel her, Brianna stood and crossed the room to sit beside Elizabeth.
"I simply hate these things. What about you?" Brianna inquired.
"I don't mind them." Elizabeth cast her eyes downward.
"Since we have yet to have visitors, would you care to see if Mother would allow us to leave early? I long for some sunshine."
"No," Elizabeth proclaimed before Brianna had a chance to close her mouth. Then she seemed to calm herself. "As lovely as that sounds, it would not be proper for us to leave too soon."
"Are you expecting someone?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened as she lightly bit her lower lip. Pleased she had guessed right, Brianna sat back and studied her friend's reaction. Knowing how badly Elizabeth wanted to be in London for the Season, Brianna was pleased the girl made progress in her husband search. A pang of guilt assaulted her as she thought about how her own problems prevented her from being a good companion.
"What makes you believe that?" Elizabeth asked as her eyes rounded in innocence.
"Your preoccupation with the door as well as your uneasiness is a clear indication. Now, tell me. Which gentleman has earned your favor?"
Elizabeth's gaze shot around the room before she leaned forward to whisper. "I would prefer your mother not know in case he does not appear. His name is Lord John Knox, Viscount Winsler. We shared several dances over the past week, and he asked to call upon me today. I'm feeling more apprehensive at each passing minute. I fear he will not come."
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure he has only been momentarily detained."
"I do hope you are correct. I would enjoy seeing him again."
"He sure made quite an impression on you with only a few dances," Brianna remarked, tilting her head slightly. "Is there something more you have not shared?"
"We did take a walk through the garden at Lord Gremish's ball. It was very lovely."
"Did he kiss you?"
"Brianna!" Elizabeth gasped. "Your mother will hear you."
"Our voices are too low. In addition, she isn't paying us any mind. If you don't tell me, I'll only assume your blush means it was much more than a simple kiss."
Elizabeth's quick intake of breath coupled with her hand flying to her chest nearly made Brianna laugh out loud. Considering her reaction, Brianna wondered what Elizabeth would think about her first meeting with Richard. She imagined the girl would faint from shock.
"Lord Winsler is a perfect gentleman and would never take any liberties with my person," Elizabeth declared.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Elizabeth sighed and then pressed her lips together as she averted her gaze. Brianna suspected her friend agreed with her.
Suddenly Elizabeth's head whipped back to her, cocked to one side. "Does Richard not act with gentlemanly manners?"
"Yes, he does." Brianna attempted to put the correct amount of regret in her voice. The urge to place her hand over the living proof that Richard didn't always act as a perfect gentleman engulfed her. Once again, the vision of a perfect baby boy identical to his father filled her mind. Would Richard be pleased or angry? Knowing his response would make telling him much easier.
"If Lord Winsler feels a portion of what I suspect Richard feels for you, I would be content."
Before Brianna could respond, the butler entered and announced the arrival of Lord Winsler. Elizabeth's face lit up, and Brianna hoped her friend found what she was looking for with Lord Winsler.
The jovial conversation swirled around her, but she was not paying much attention. She could not stop hearing Elizabeth's words. Surely the girl was mistaken. Richard didn't harbor feelings for her. His marriage proposal had been nothing more than an obligatory response brought on by their lust-filled encounter. If he felt more, he would have used it in a way to further encourage his suit.
Shaking her head from the thought, she reflected on the discussion she would soon have with him. She hated the idea of accepting his forced marriage proposal, but the other options were decidedly unpleasant. In order to prepare herself for her new life, she would have to start thinking of herself as a marchioness. Then perhaps one day she could imagine herself happy.