“Hullo, Jennie. I suspect this is not a social call.”
“I’m afraid it is not.” Her sister’s eyes narrowed as she took note of Alex’s cloak. “You were going somewhere?”
“I have…an errand I must attend to.”
Jennie cocked a brow. “An errand?”
“Yes.” Alex swallowed hard. Evasion did not come easily. “Might we postpone this conversation until later, perhaps this evening?”
“I don’t believe that would be advisable.”
“Jennie, if this is about what happened last night, I assure you that Benedict—Lord Marlsbrook—and Matthew had the situation well in hand. The criminal they apprehended should pose no further threat.”
“Benedict, is it?” Jennie slanted the housekeeper a glance, then settled her gaze back on Alex. “Might we talk privately?”
Alex held back a sigh. It wasn’t like Jennie to cluck over her like a mother hen. She’d best humor her, at least for a few minutes, to reassure her. It went without saying that she’d save any mention of the professor’s letter for later, when there was more time for discussion.
“Of course.”
Alex turned, leading her sister to her study. “Shall I ask Mrs. Thomas to bring you a cup of tea?”
“No, thank you.” Jennie took a seat in an overstuffed chair. “Alex, I understand Lord Marlsbrook has requested that you join him in Egypt. He’s gone so far as to secure your passage.”
“That was indeed a bold move on his part. He wishes me to consult with him…on a rather specialized endeavor,” Alex said, sitting across from her sister.
An inverted vee etched itself between Jennie’s brows. “Anendeavor. That’s one way of putting it.”
“Jennie, if you’ve come here to stop me from leaving with him, you’ve no worries. I have no intention of tossing aside my obligations to venture on a journey with him, now or ever.”
“Did Marlsbrook tell you why he is here…in London?”
“Yes,” Alex said. “Given what happened last night, I suspect you already know the gist of it.”
“He claims he came here to protect you.”
“Hedidcome to my defense, making short work of a brute who had the brazen nerve to attack me. In my own residence, no less.”
“Did he tell you how he knew you would be facing a threat?”
Alex considered her words carefully. She’d no desire to alarm her sister. “Professor Stockwell was concerned for my safety. He asked Benedict to ensure I was not in danger.”
“Are you aware… Did he tell you the man is now deceased?”
Hearing the words again seemed a fresh dagger strike to her heart. Gulping a breath, Alex steadied herself against the rush of pain. “He did bring that horrible news.”
“What did he tell you of Stockwell’s death?” Jennie pressed on.
“Only that he’d been killed in the field. I do not believe Benedict was aware of the full circumstances.”
“My, that is convenient.” Jennie folded her hands primly in her lap. “Did he mention that the professor was killed the night before Marlsbrook left Egypt?”
“The night before…” The revelation crashed into Alex like a rogue wave. What in heaven was Jennie implying?
“Stockwell was found within his tent quarters when he failed to meet the members of the expedition the next morning. At first glance, it appeared he’d choked on a bite of food, but suspicious marks on his body point to suffocation.”
“Oh, dear. Benedict indicated he’d followed that horrible man who attacked me—Rooney—from Cairo. Is it possible that brute might be the killer?”
Jennie slowly shook her head. “Our sources indicate that Rooney was not in Egypt that night. He was well on his way to England. Alex, are you aware that five men have been killed in the last nine weeks? All were connected in some way to Stockwell’s expeditions.”
