Page 74 of A Dangerous Vision

“Yes, as a barrister, I thought he would understand the legalities involved in his decision making, but he tried to persuade me to change my mind. In the beginning, I hoped to persuade him to change his as well. His rash choice to end the engagement was wrong. Far too impetuous.”

“You said ‘in the beginning.’ What changed?” Gideon asked.

“The more I looked into the man's history and personal dealings, I realized he was not a gentleman, but a blackguard guided by impulse and vile predilections.”

Electra knew Beecham referred to Demeter Devlin. A flash of the lady’s face appeared in her mind, not as her own memory, but as if Mr. Beecham’s thought flashed in her head.

“What did you discover about Mr. Pennington that persuaded you of those facts?” Gideon asked.

“I'm assuming the two of you have looked into his history and dealings, Inspector.”

Gideon gave nothing away, but he nodded to agree with Beecham’s assessment.

“Then you likely know he had a penchant for seducing women. Not women of my daughter's caliber, of course. Not ladies appropriate for any kind of respectable connection.” Beecham glanced at Electra with an almost apologetic frown. “Nothing a gentleman of manners would want to speak of publicly or would wish to be known by others.”

Beecham reached for a cup in a saucer and lifted it to take a sip, then winced. “Shall I send for tea? This has gone cold.”

“Not for me,” Electra told him, as he’d directed the question her way.

“Forgive me for what I must say next, Miss Poole.”

“You may speak freely, Mr. Beecham.”

Beecham tipped his head at her. “He was known to frequent a bawdy house called the Rosebud Club. If my sources are accurate, he partook of several ladies associated with the house. And then there was the matter of a more respectable lady. I employed a private inquiry agent. He deduced she was someone who would not wish to be associated with him for the scandal of it.”

Gideon shifted his gaze to hers, and Electra worked to steel herself and give no reaction, despite how much she worried over Cordelia.

“I was informed of the results of the inquest and the list of those who testified. It seems clear that lady was Lady Cordelia Redmayne.”

Gideon did not confirm the man’s supposition. “What of the women from the Rosebud Club? I believe there was one he fixed on for a time. Do you know her name?”

Beecham narrowed his eyes at Gideon. “I cannot determine whether that is a question or a test, Inspector. My investigator did discover several ladies’ names. But one he continued an association with was a widow called Demeter Devlin.”

Beecham clicked his tongue. “A disgrace to see a woman fall so low, desperate for a protector. But as I understand it, Mr. Pennington proved a faithless candidate. He wished to sample while providing very little in return.”

“You met Mrs. Devlin,” Electra couldn’t help but put in. “Did you not?”

“I did, Miss Poole.” He frowned, clearly surprised she knew that detail.

“Why?” she asked.

Gideon remained quiet, tilting his head curiously at the exchange.

“Initially, with my knowledge of her existence and relationship to Pennington, I thought I might employ her to my own ends. As a mean of persuading him to keep his word.”

He had described the man with such loathing. Why not be pleased the man withdrew as his daughter’s suitor?

“Despite your poor opinion of the man, you still wished for him to marry your daughter?” she asked.

Beecham lifted a finger as if to clarify. “I said, 'at first,' but the more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t want to convince him.” He glanced at Gideon. “I wanted to ruin him.” Beecham managed to look slightly chagrined. “I'm not proud of it. My daughter would be appalled to hear me say it. But, again, if you had a daughter, you would understand.”

“And Aurora’s feelings?” Electra realized she’d referred to the young lady too familiarly, but Beecham didn’t seem to notice.

“She has recovered and will tell you that she no longer had feelings for Mr. Pennington, but I know my daughter. She had fallen quite hard and the rejection stung. To be rejected so publicly. No man wants to see their daughter humiliated.”

Gideon squared his notepad on his thigh and tapped his pencil against the page. “So you wished to ruin Pennington?”

“Yes. The prospect of it was quite pleasing.”