“Gordon, who recommended Manning to me.” Damian’s jaw set, and he looked at Julian. “It has to be Gordon.”
Julian met Damian’s gaze and grimaced. “I’m not so sure of that. I find it difficult to imagine Gordon in the role of X. Gordon’s never struck me as being long headed over anything. He’s not the sort to think of, much less meticulously execute long-range, complicated, and careful plans. X’s game has required all of that plus a cautious yet relentless focus.”
When Melissa, Felix, and Damian continued to frown, Julian asked, “Is there anyone else—someone we’re overlooking entirely—who fits X’s bill?”
They all glanced at him, but no one volunteered any name.
Felix shifted. “Let’s come at X from another angle. He’s someone who wants to see you—and me and most likely now Melissa as well—dead. And ultimately to remove Damian as well. And if we’re entertaining the possibility that, through Mitchell, he arranged for Papa to have his accident and Campbell to hang himself, and there’s now been how many attempts on your life that could have harmed others…well, clearly X isn’t bothered by how many innocents he murders on his way to achieving his goal.”
Julian nodded. “X has a callous disregard for human life—he has no feeling for others. Again, I wouldn’t have said such a description fits Gordon.”
Melissa grimaced. “Even I’m having trouble putting Gordon into X’s shoes.”
“However,” Julian said, “we all know that Gordon’s reckless and easily led. For someone of the ilk of X, manipulating Gordon would be child’s play.”
“And it would be easy enough to engineer an accident to remove Gordon later,” Damian put in. “A carriage accident would be believed without question by everyone.”
Melissa frowned. “But if we’re working on the theory that this is ultimately about the earldom—that somehow seizing the title, the estate, and the Delamere wealth is X’s end goal—then who inherits after Gordon?”
“After Gordon…” Julian frowned, then looked at his brothers. “I’ve no idea who’s next in line.”
Felix grunted. “You’ll have to consult old Hennessy to be sure.”
Julian picked up a pencil and scribbled a note to remind him to write to the family’s solicitor. “I’ll do that, just in case the answer means something to us, but it occurs to me that inheriting the title isn’t necessary to gain access to the estate and the family coffers.” Looking up, he met his brothers’ eyes. “Having an earl who’s a lord in name only—who is nothing more than someone else’s puppet—might be the goal X is aiming for.”
Melissa had been pondering how their hypothesis of X connected with Mitchell and Manning. “I think there’s something we’re overlooking.”
She raised her gaze to find the three brothers gazing questioningly at her. “Given what we now think is X’s goal and his plan to secure it, what is it that’s keeping Mitchell and Manning from speaking of him?” She met Damian’s, then Felix’s and, lastly, Julian’s eyes. “They can’t possibly be imagining they’ll be rescued and pardoned by a new earl. There’s too many of you in line for that to be even remotely feasible. Quite aside from the fact that you’re still alive, they’ll be tried, convicted, and executed long before any new earl could be installed, and regardless, why would the new earl—whichever of you it happens to be—feel moved to pardon them anyway?”
Frowning, she shook her head. “Their refusal to speak makes no sense—not if it derives from hope of rescue and pardon by some future successor.”
“I have to agree.” Julian studied her face. “So…?”
“I think,” she offered, “that their silence must be due to the nature of the hold X has over them. It’s something powerful enough to convince them that, regardless of any punishment, it’s in their best interests not to offer him up.”
“Considering what’s at stake for them,” Felix said, “‘powerful’ is the operative word.”
She looked at Felix and Damian. “You saw them last. How did they seem?”
Felix arched his brows. “In a word? Weary.”
Damian nodded. “Weary. Defeated. And resigned.” He looked at Felix. “Didn’t you get that impression? That they’d accepted their lot and were resigned to their fate?” He swung his gaze to Melissa. “There was no resistance—no fight—in them. They’ve given up.”
Melissa glanced at Julian. “That fits with what I’m thinking—that it’s not that they don’t want to talk but that they believe theycan’t. That they absolutely cannot name X. I don’t think it’s anything to do with loyalty, either.” She spread her hands. “It would be a rare loyalty that stretches to murdering an earl you don’t even know, one you feel no personal animosity toward.”
Julian nodded. “And I’m absolutely certain I’ve never previously crossed paths or had any interaction with either man.”
“Precisely.” She went on. “So X has convinced them of something—who knows what—and whatever it is, it’s powerful enough to ensure their silence, even, it seems, all the way to the gallows.”
After a moment digesting that, Julian said, “That means that no matter what we threaten them with, no matter what approaches or appeals to their better selves I make, nothing’s going to work. They won’t talk—they won’t name X.”
The silence stretched as they contemplated that.
Eventually, Melissa stirred. When Julian glanced at her, she met his gaze, then said, “Setting aside all that, I believe we have another, more immediate concern.”
All three brothers looked at her, brows rising in question.
She drew in a breath and said, “We’ve found two of X’s henchmen. Mitchell’s been here for twenty months, so we have proof of just how long and deep X’s plans run. We now know he doesn’t appear himself but acts through those he’s put in place over time—his pawns, as you called them.” She looked around the circle of faces—Damian’s, Felix’s, and finally, Julian’s. “How do we know he doesn’t have more pawns planted among the staff?”
