Page 55 of In the Midnight Hour

“I’ll take your word for it.” She looked uneasy again.

North turned to find his brother. “Harry, were you invited to this affair?” he asked sarcastically.

“I came to pay my respects.” Harry rarely bothered to respond to North’s jests, especially if he was in the midst of official business. He looked about the room briefly. “And perhaps take stock.”

“If you’re inclined, I’d be happy to share what Lady Cartwright and I have unearthed in our investigation,” North offered genially.

Harry turned to face him, his eyes narrowing. “Investigation? What are you playing at?”

“I’m not ‘playing at’ anything,” North replied with a touch of sharpness. “I’m trying to discover what happened to Sir Radnor. Lady Cartwright and I interviewed several members of Sir Radnor’s household last night⁠—”

“You did what?” Harry came just shy of gaping at him.

“There’s no crime in us asking questions,” North said, trying not to grow thoroughly cross. “Do you want to hear this very helpful information or not?”

Harry exhaled then pressed his lips together. “Yes.”

North twitched his shoulder with a beat of satisfaction. He told Harry about the missing dressing gown and Hypatia’s theory that Sir Radnor may have left his chamber.

After listening intently, Harry thought for a moment before responding. “Do you think he was killed elsewhere, then returned to his room where he was made to look as though he’d fallen and struck his head?”

“That’s not impossible to believe.”

“No, it’s not,” Harry said. “Whilst I’m interested in pursuing this theory, you must understand that Drummond will still question Lady Cartwright,” Harry said. “Tomorrow, I’m sure.”

It was too much to hope that all attention would be diverted from her.

Movement at the doorway caught North’s eye. It was Hypatia waving at him, trying to gain his attention. He looked back to Harry. “Pardon me for a moment.”

North made his way to the doorway and stepped into the wide gallery. Hypatia had moved away and stood near the staircase leading to the second floor. He hurried to her. “What’s going on?”

“I wanted to go upstairs and investigate Sir Radnor’s room, but I saw Miss Claverton at the top of the stairs.”

“You didn’t go up to see what she was doing?” North was already on the stairs.

Hypatia followed him as they ascended. “I went to get your attention instead. If you hadn’t looked my way, I planned to just dash upstairs myself.”

They reached the second floor, and North looked toward Sir Radnor’s bedchamber. His door was ajar. He glanced at Hypatia, then went to push open the door. The room was empty.

The sound of something falling onto the floor came from the dressing chamber. North and Hypatia rushed to the adjoining room.

There, kneeling on the floor next to an open wooden case with keepsakes spilled about on the carpet was Augusta Claverton. And beside her lay a walking stick with an eagle’s head.

Chapter 13

Hypatia gasped.

Northwood moved farther into the room to stand over Miss Claverton.

Caught, the woman looked up, her face flushing scarlet. She held a snuffbox and a necklace. With the walking stick next to her, she truly could not have looked more guilty.

“What are you doing, Miss Claverton?” North asked darkly. “Returning the items you stole?”

“How can I steal things that have been left to me and my brother?” she asked in a shrill tone.

Northwood put his hands on his hips. “If they belong to you, I’ll ask you again: what are you doing?”

“You need to fetch your brother,” Hypatia said to Northwood.