Page 68 of In the Midnight Hour

He grinned in perhaps the most handsome manner she’d observed yet. The effect made her toes curl. “Because you were absolutely marvelous.”

Chapter 16

When Hypatia walked in, North had wanted to jump up from the chair, which he’d only sat down on a moment before, and sweep her into his arms with pride and joy. But, as luck would have it, Quill had leapt onto his lap right after he’d sat.

Hypatia stared at him in confusion. “How do you know how I was?” Her eyes rounded. “Were you listening?”

“I confess I may have strolled toward the study. I was bored.” He shrugged. “Drummond’s voice carries quite well, as it happens. I could hear what he was saying, but not you, so I edged closer.”

“How close?”

He studied his fingernail briefly. “The grain of the door to your study is quite fine.”

She sighed before dropping into the chair opposite him. “What if Mr. Drummond had caught you eavesdropping?”

“He wasn’t going to. The man moves as loudly as he talks,” he added with a snort. “As you can see, I made it back here and even had a cat on my lap. No one would have suspected me of spying.”

“Are you always this audacious?”

North laughed. Her reaction was delightful. “You’re asking me that? I heard you interrogating Drummond. You were audacious. And bloody brilliant.”

She eyed him skeptically. “How much did you hear?”

“I came toward the door around when he mentioned you were the sole suspect.” He picked up his cup and finished his tea.

“You didn’t miss much then,” she said. “Except the part about Mr. Claverton having an alibi that was too sensitive to repeat for my ears.” She gave him a prim look and batted her lashes.

North laughed again. Delightful and downright wonderful. “If he was gone in the middle of the night, and Drummond refused to tell you where, I think we can assume he was at a bawdy house or perhaps he even has a mistress. Something to that effect.”

“Yes, that is what I surmised.” She speared him with a frank stare. “I’m not an innocent, Lord Northwood.”

No, she was a beautiful widow with a sparkling wit, precisely the kind of woman he would be trying to spend his nights with. Perhaps when they weren’t working to ensure she was not arrested for murder, he might ascertain whether she’d be amenable to a liaison.

Hell, now indecent thoughts were stealing into his mind. This wouldn’t do.

“Of course you aren’t.” He coughed and forced himself not to think of all the ways in which she was decidedly not innocent.

“May we please return to discussing the interview?” Hypatia asked. She didn’t wait for him to respond. “It’s convenient you heard everything, so I needn’t inform you what we discussed. The supposed witness who saw me wasn’t Usher. It was a female. Who do you think it was?”

“It could be any of them, but I think it confirms our suspicions that someone in the household killed him. They’re trying to cover it up. Shall we go and speak with Mrs. Jennings?” She started to rise, and he waved her back down.

“Sit for a moment and drink some tea.” North dumped her cold tea into his cup and poured fresh for her. “I’m afraid I didn’t pay attention to how you take your tea.”

“Just milk,” she said. “My parents did not allow us to use sugar, and I never acquired the taste for it.”

“Ever?” He gaped at her. “Do you not even eat syllabub?”

“I only meant sugar in my tea. Of course I eat syllabub, but I prefer marzipan if I’m going to choose a sweet.”

“So noted.” He poured milk into her cup.

“Thank you.” She took a sip, and he was rewarded with a brief but wholly beautiful smile. “Since you overheard the entire conversation, you likely noticed I didn’t tell Mr. Drummond about Mrs. Jennings.”

“I did. Just as I noticed you didn’t tell him the truth about why you fled through the morning room last Friday.” That had been the most concerning part of the interview. “Why did you lie—again? Drummond is right that it won’t look good if he discovers the truth.”

“How will he? The only people who know what happened are me and you.” She eyed him as she picked up her cup. “I don’t plan to tell him.”

“Nor do I, but I’ve told you that I think you should tell him the truth.”