“Of course it will. I am your brother, not your enemy. I seek only your happiness.”
Whatever Thea intended to say was not spoken, though her mouth opened. A knock at the dining room door halted her, and Mr. O’Bannon jerked his head at Liam to answer it. Obedient, Liam walked in his sedate, footman’s walk to the door and opened it. Lord Willowdale’s steward, Mr. Noonan, stood on the far side.
“I wish to see Lord Willowdale,” he said. “It is important.”
Liam nodded. Without opening the door any further, he announced, “Your steward, Mr. Charles Noonan, wishes to speak with you, My Lord.”
Lord Willowdale gestured with his free hand as he forked potatoes and eggs into his mouth with the other. “Send him in, please.”
Bowing, Liam opened the door wider, stepping aside as the steward entered, and also bowed to the lord and lady of the manor. “I would not trouble you at breakfast, My Lord, but I thought you would wish to hear this immediately.”
“Of course, Charles,” Lord Willowdale replied, waving to a place at the table. “Join us if you would like.”
“No, My Lord, but thank you. At your request, I wrote to a school friend of mine who is now the butler for His Grace, the Duke of Bradford.”
Liam saw Lord Willowdale’s brow rise. “Indeed? Go on.”
“It would appear that His Grace is in residence at his summer estates, a mere twenty leagues from here at Willowdale.”
Lord Willowdale and Thea exchanged a significant glance. Lord Willowdale nodded slowly. “I have a feeling there is more, Charles?”
“My Lord is most perceptive,” Charles said, nodding. “I am told His Grace, the Duke, is in poor health and in even poorer mental abilities, as it were. He rants excessively about your father, the late Viscount, and also about you, My Lord.”
“Is that right.”
Lord Willowdale paused in his breakfast, gazing down at the table. “Is he capable of hiring someone to murder me?” he asked, finally looking up.
“That is difficult to say, My Lord,” Mr. Noonan replied gravely, “as I have only what little my friend wrote to me. But he does have a grown son, his heir, who also believes your father murdered the courier and stole the millions in diamonds.”
“Freddie,” Thea exclaimed. “Father could never have done that.”
“I know, I know. But obviously, the Bradfords believe it. I expect that the younger Bradford also believes the diamonds are here in this house?”
“I was not offered that information specifically,” Mr. Noonan replied, “but we must presume that he would.”
“Then perhaps we have our culprit,” Lord Willowdale said with a sigh, settling back in his chair. “If the old Duke is not capable, then perhaps the son is.”
“The son carrying on his father’s legacy of hatred and vengeance against the son of his father’s enemy,” Mr. Noonan said in a bland tone. “It is not unheard of.”
“Perhaps I should pay the old Duke a visit,” Lord Willowdale said.
“No,” Thea snapped. “It is too dangerous Freddie. Especially now, when we know the Duke has a son capable of anything.”
“I will not sit and cower, Thea,” Lord Willowdale returned sharply. “If I can end this all with a civilized conversation, then I should try.”
“Not without a suit of armor and a phalanx of spear-carrying soldiers.”
Lord Willowdale suddenly laughed. “Then perhaps I should take you, little sister. They would be civil enough to not harm you, and might be willing to talk if they see I am not trying to be antagonistic.”
“Lord Willowdale has a valid point, Miss Miller,” Mr. Noonan said. “It would appear to be a social call rather than arriving to make accusations.”
“It is not proper to go unannounced,” Thea said, nibbling her lip. “I will send a letter inquiring about paying a call on them. Give them a chance to refuse.”
Lord Willowdale nodded. “I think that would be a good idea. If they refuse, then we have lost nothing, and it may tell us that the Bradfords are indeed behind this debacle.”
“We will take footmen with us,” Thea went on, not looking toward Liam. “Just in case they do get, shall we say, belligerent.”
“I have no doubt the Duke and his son will be exactly that, Thea,” Lord Willowdale told her. “But I will accept having footmen along for protection if they wish to take their aggression out on us.”
