A Dangerous Madness Read Online Free PDF Page A

immediately. “What it means, I don’t know. And why I was given it at all is an interesting puzzle in itself.”
    “You don’t trust it?” Aldridge was watching him again. He had been an officer in the Peninsula Campaign, before his brother died and he inherited the family title. A man of action and intelligence. There was a challenge in his stare, as if waiting for James to prove himself, one way or the other.
    Or it may be because Aldridge’s betrothed had been to visit James just two days ago. Or rather, James’s chef, but she always came and said hello to James as well while she was there.
    James didn’t blame Aldridge for his annoyance. He wouldn’t like his future wife visiting a duke of ill-repute on a regular basis either. He was simply glad Giselle Barrington had the strength of personality to insist on visiting whomever she chose, and Aldridge for respecting her enough to say nothing about it.
    James raised his brows. “I don’t know that I don’t trust it. But it felt too easy. Too pat.”
    “Who is it, first of all?” Dervish sat straighter.
    “Lord Sheldrake.” He watched their reactions and gave a nod of acknowledgement. “I see you share my misgivings. I was being as subtle as I could be in a crowd of drunken gamblers with half-dressed women squirming on their laps, fishing for anything I could get on anti-Perceval sentiment. Sheldrake’s name came up. I challenged it, because the few times I’ve run into Sheldrake he’s never said a word about politics.”
    “I don’t think he’s ever set foot in the House of Lords,” Durnham said, his mouth twisting up in a wry grin. “Don’t know much about him.”
    “He was engaged to a Miss Hillier.” James didn’t know why he was suddenly uncomfortable—the broken betrothal would no doubt be common knowledge soon enough and Miss Hillier had not sworn him to secrecy—but he felt oddly reluctant to talk about her.
    “Was?” Aldridge asked.
    “Yes. Broke it off with her on Sunday evening, and took off for the Continent via Dover. Debt dodging.”
    “Miss Hillier?” Dervish tapped his lips. “Daughter of Sir Blanbury, although he’s passed on. I seem to remember she’s extremely well-off. If he was engaged to her, surely Sheldrake could have invoked his upcoming wedding as surety against any claim?”
    “I wondered that, too. She claims he told her the debts couldn’t wait, and he couldn’t delay payment any longer.”
    “Why didn’t he ask her for a loan?” Durnham’s tone said more than words could how distasteful such an occurrence would be, but he was right to ask it. James hadn’t thought of it.
    “Perhaps her money is in trust?” That was more likely. It could well be Miss Hillier couldn’t have lent him the money, because she personally didn’t control it.
    “You said ‘she claims’. You don’t think she’s telling the truth?” Aldridge propped his elbows on his thighs and steepled his fingers.
    “No. She’s hiding something. But aside from that, it’s interesting that the one name I was given was for a man who’s run for the coast and a fast ship.”
    “You think he’s been set up to take the blame, whether he’s involved or not?”
    “Well, it would be convenient if the only suspect was no longer in the country.”
    “And suspect, how, exactly?” Dervish shook his head. “What was Sheldrake supposed to have done? Paid Bellingham to assassinate Perceval? I struggle to imagine Sheldrake stirring himself to something like that. And his family fortune is long gone. He wasn’t being ruined by the government. There was nothing left to ruin.”
    James leaned back in his chair and kept his face impassive, although he sensed he was on the trail of something that was worth following and didn’t want Dervish to rein him in. “You’re right, which only makes his name coming up more interesting. What I’d like to do is interview Bellingham. See what he has to say.”
    Dervish met his gaze. “You and almost