The duchess lifted her chin, her eyes chilling. “I have done nothing wrong.”
Oliver gently took the book from Louisa’s clenched fingers. “This ledger says otherwise.”
The woman lifted her chin. “That is not mine.”
“We found it in your chamber!” Louisa snapped with indignation.
“Then someone must have placed it there to frame me,” the duchess argued.
Oliver wasn’t about to let her off. “It’s a simple matter of comparing your handwriting to another source, Your Grace.”
“Hah! If you think—”
“Camilla,” Talbot said in a warning voice, “it’s over. I’ve suspected you were up to something for a while now, ever since Havendish got foxed and blabbered about some silk. He rambled on about his wife’s intelligence and how the two of you made such a splendid pair. It didn’t take long to find more clues, inconsistencies.”
Oliver did not expect that.
“Then why didn’t you do something about it?” Louisa demanded.
Oliver had to wonder the same thing.
“And what would you have me do?” Talbot countered. “I had to think of a way to deal with the matter without damaging our name,yourname, your brother’s name.” A glare fell on Oliver. “That is not up for debate anymore, is it?”
“Do not look at him, Papa!” Louisa suddenly exclaimed. “Isay that it is not up for debate anymore, and if you ask Leo, he will agree!”
“Your brother is only ten years old!”
“And yet he knows right from wrong better than you do!”
“James,” the duchess started, “you must know I’m innocent of whatever they think—whateveryouthink—I’ve done. I have nothing to do with criminals or these crimes they’ve mentioned.”
“We will talk about it later, Camilla.”
The room fell into sudden silence after that last, darkly-uttered statement. All the occupants were in a strange, tense standoff. Oliver wanted to object, but he was in no position to drag the woman away. Her title, her position in society, made this an annoyingly delicate matter to navigate.
After a moment, Talbot inhaled a deep breath and directed at his daughter, “I did what I thought best at the time, which is a moot point at the moment. But what are you doing with Mortimer here?”
“Helping him find evidence against your wife.”
“Louisa!” He swallowed whatever outburst might have followed, to say lowly, “And how did you know to help him find evidence? Did he approach you?” Talbot’s dark gaze landed on him.
Oliver didn’t dare interject and speak for Louisa. He would follow her direction. Unfortunately for them both, a little Leo darted into the room at that moment. “Papa!” His gaze fell on them. “Louisa? What are you and the gardener doing here?” His eyes widened. “I mean, I mean the Bow Street Runner!”
Oliver sighed. His explanation would be required after all, it seemed. “Would you believe me if I said I had no ill—”
“I will not!” Talbot interrupted, his glare turning wrathful. “This won’t be the end of it. Now get the hell out of my house.”
“What?” Louisa exclaimed and pointed at the duchess. “What about her? She is the real culprit here!”
“This is a family matter and will be treated as such.”
“You cannot be serious!”
“I shall not forgive her for bringing shame to this family, Louisa. What would you have me do?”
“Have her arrested and account for what she’s done!” Louisa didn’t stop there but continued with a threat. “I shall never forgive you if you let her off, Papa!”
“And what about my forgiveness?” Talbot demanded. “My daughter is consorting with the enemy! I knew something was afoot when you arrived at the Havendish estate and the next day their house was turned inside out looking for a book, which just happened to coincide with your sudden disappearance. Then I return home to find you with a bloody Cavanagh?”
