Page 13 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke
The duke nodded. “I came through the servants’ entrance.”
Jane blinked. “Youwhat?”
“No one important saw me.”
She almost smiled despite herself. “That’s hardly reassuring.”
The duke spoke quietly. “I was discreet.”
She pursed her lips. “I imagine every man caught sneaking into a lady’s house claims the same.”
That earned the faintest twitch of his mouth.
Jane studied him. “What exactly makes you believe our brothers’ disappearances are connected?”
The duke leaned back slightly. “Lord Wynten and my brother were well acquainted.”
Jane snorted softly. “That’s a generous way to describe it.”
The duke’s gaze sharpened. “They argued.”
“Frequently,” Jane said.
“They disliked one another.”
Jane nodded. “Exactly.”
The duke remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “I want to know about your brother.”
Jane frowned. “What about him?”
“His routine.”
The question caught her off guard. “His routine?”
“Where he went. What he did. Who he met. That sort of thing,” the duke said. “What time does your brother rise in the morning? Does he frequently leave London? Who handles estate matters?”
“That’s quite a lot that you are enquiring about, Your Grace,” Jane said.
The duke didn’t seem to hear her, for he continued, “Does your brother have any gambling debts? Mistresses? Business partners? Any secret investments that he might have confided to you?”
The duke leaned forward. “Does he keep personal ledgers?”
Jane’s patience snapped slightly. “Of course.”
“I should like to see them.”
She stared. “You would like towhat?”
“The ledgers.”
The audacity of the request left her speechless. “I’ve already given those to the authorities.”
His jaw tightened. “I see.”
“And even if I hadn’t… Pardon me, Your Grace, but they are not yours to inspect.”
The duke regarded her steadily. “Was there anything unusual in them?”
