Byron made sure the bedchamber was clear before he went into it. The bedchamber was just as meticulous as the library had been. Not a single thing was left out of place. He sorted through the duke’s things. The only thing of interest he found was a ledger. He took it to the window so he could read the contents in the moonlight. It turned out the duke loved to spend money but didn’t have the funds to pay for everything. He did a lot of gambling. He owed money to quite a few gentlemen.

  Well, it was easy to see why the duke was interested in a marriage to Eleanor. Her father was wealthy. She would come with a good amount of money, especially since she was his only child. But if he could marry her to get the money, why would he seek to harm her? She’d be no good to him dead.

  Frustrated, Byron returned the ledger to the dresser and left the bedchamber. He was close to figuring this case out, and yet, he was unable to fit that final piece of the puzzle into place. Why would he tamper with a carriage wheel or make her fall over the balcony railing at the theatre?

  Eleanor hadn’t received any promising offers, and her father was getting impatient. Byron could warn her father that the Duke of Winnett only wanted her dowry, but he wasn’t sure that would be enough to make her father say no to the marriage. Her father was far more concerned with influence than money.

  What makes you think you would have a chance to marry her if the Duke of Winnett wasn’t interested in her? Her father would never agree to a match between you and Eleanor.

  Byron shoved the thought back into the recesses of his mind. He wasn’t here to dwell on his feelings. He was here to work. Since when did his feelings get tangled up with his job? Perhaps this was his fault. He had suggested her father hire the Duchess of Ashbourne to help Eleanor attract gentlemen, and blast it if the strategy hadn’t inadvertently worked on him.

  But there was more to Eleanor than how she looked, and there was more to her than how much money her father had. Once a person got to know her, it was easy to be drawn to her. She didn’t seek out the attention of people for the sake of influence like her father did. She wanted people she could be herself with. She didn’t like to put on a pretense like so many noble people did. She felt awkward and shy, but she was refreshingly sincere. In some ways, she reminded him of his sister, except he was romantically drawn to her.

  He shook his head. He wished her father hadn’t asked him that question about how desirable Eleanor was. All it’d done was bring up all of the thoughts and feelings he’d been able to force down. He could only guess how long he’d been fighting his attraction for her, but he didn’t want to think about that, either. He had to concentrate on his job. Tonight, he wasn’t going to dance with her. He couldn’t. Anything that was the least bit romantic was going to be his undoing. He was going to spend the entire night to the side of the room, and if Piers gave him grief over it, so be it.

  ***

  Eleanor’s father gestured for her to go over to him when the dance ended. She hid her apprehension and made her way across the room. Had she done something wrong? Was he going to take her to the duchess and demand the money back before the evening was even over?

  “Lady Cadwalader has asked to make your acquaintance,” her father said with an excited smile on his face. “I bet this has something to do with you joining Ladies of Grace. I knew that group was going to be beneficial for us.”

  Relieved she hadn’t done anything wrong, she followed him to a group of chairs that weren’t being used. She gave a quick scan of the ballroom but didn’t see Byron. She did, however, see the Duke of Winnett, and he was looking in their direction. With a shiver, she turned away from him. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t secure another suitor. So much depended on how well she followed the duchess’ instructions tonight.

  Her father gestured to a chair. “After you, my dear.”

  As soon as she sat in the chair, it collapsed under her. She ended up hitting the hard floor. She barely had time to overcome her shock when her father hurried to slip his arm around her and help her stand up.

  She took in the startled glances from the people nearby. Then someone laughed. Then someone else laughed. And from there, others joined in. Her face grew hot with embarrassment.

  “This isn’t funny,” her father snapped at the group before he cupped his hand under her elbow and led her toward the doorway of the ballroom.

  She couldn’t make out what the people around her were saying. It was bad enough everyone was staring at her. She lowered her gaze so she wouldn’t have to see them as her father escorted her out of the townhouse.

  “What happened in there?” Byron called out from behind them.

  Her father waited until they were on the sidewalk to face him. “The chair broke when my daughter sat on it. We’re leaving.” He pulled on her elbow, and she resumed their hurried pace.

  Byron kept up with them. “I’ll go back and see what I can find. Afterwards, I’ll be at your townhouse.”

  Her father nodded but continued to go to their carriage.

  She didn’t look back as Byron returned to the townhouse. She didn’t want to see anyone right now. All she wanted to do was hide in her bed. How was she going to live down the humiliation? Not only had she broken a chair, but there had been a few moments where her gown had been up to her calves. Sure, she had stockings on, but those did little to cover up her legs. This was worse than everyone looking over at her when she almost fell from the balcony at the theatre.

  She brushed back a couple of tears and got into the carriage as soon as the footman opened the door. She put her hand up to her face so that no one could see her in the window.

  Her father waited until the footman shut the door before he said, “I hired Mr. Tumilson to prevent things like this from happening.”

  “This isn’t his fault,” she replied. “It was just an accident.”

  “It’s his job to anticipate these things.”

  “Who could have anticipated me breaking a chair?”

  Her father only let out a frustrated sigh and crossed his arms as the carriage moved forward.

  She wiped her eyes again, but it did no good. The tears refused to stop. All she could do was close her eyes and hope they’d soon be home so she could be alone.

  ***

  By the time Byron made it back to the ballroom, the Duke of Winnett was overseeing the maids as they were removing pieces of the broken chair.

  “Take these other chairs out of here, too,” the duke instructed one of the maids.

  “Mind if I take a look at one of the chairs?” Byron asked without waiting for him to notice him.

  The duke jerked and turned to him. “Pardon?”

  “I happen to know something about making chairs. When I was a lad, I helped my father make furniture,” Byron explained. “I can check the chairs to make sure they are sturdy.”

  The duke frowned. “I don’t need your help.” He paused then added, “Thank you anyway.”

  Interesting. Was there something about the other chairs that the duke didn’t want him to discover? “I meant no harm in the offer. These chairs are obliviously expensive. It would be a shame to get rid of them. If any are in need of repair, I can do it. Most of the time, these things are a simple fix.”

  “The answer is still no. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a ball to host.” He gestured to the room where the guests, for the most part, had gone back to enjoying the evening.

  Byron’s gaze followed the maid as she carried a couple of pieces of the broken chair out of the side exit of the room. It would be difficult to inspect the chairs once they were out of this room, but it wouldn’t be impossible.

  He scanned the room. The chairs on the other side of the room weren’t being removed. That was interesting. Out of curiosity, he went over to one of those chairs and sat on it. Nothing happened. He wiggled, but the chair was sturdy. He tried another chair and noticed the same thing.

  The Duke of Winnett approached him. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m making sure the other chairs are safe for your guests.” He went to another chair and tested it. “These three are fine.”

  “You can’t mean to test all of the chairs in this room.”

  Ignoring the irritation in the gentleman’s voice, Byron asked, “Do you want another person to suffer humiliation here this evening?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then you’ll be happy that I’m willing to make sure another chair doesn’t break tonight.”

  The duke glowered at him. “I don’t find this amusing.”

  “I’m not trying to be amusing.” Byron went to another chair and tested it.

  The duke reached forward and yanked him to his feet. “These are my chairs. Not yours. I don’t want your help.”

  Byron resisted the urge to shove him away. That would only arouse the duke’s suspicions. “Fine.” Byron pulled away from him and straightened his dress coat. “I only wanted to help. If you want me to leave, just say so.”

  “Leave.”

  He put his hands up in the air. “All right, I’m leaving.”

  The duke, most likely, was watching him, so he headed directly to the doorway. He waited until he passed through it before looking back. The duke returned to the section of chairs the maids were taking out of the ballroom. They were only taking six chairs from that side of the room. Byron bet those chairs had been compromised. It was the only reason why the duke would focus on removing those.

  Well, this turn of events was a lot more promising than his search through the townhouse or following the duke around London. He wished he had been watching the duke this evening, but he didn’t think the duke would try to do anything at his very own ball. But then, he did do something at the theatre, didn’t he?

  Quite possibly. He’s still a suspect, Byron. It’s too soon to conclude anything yet. You need proof. Without proof, you can’t convict someone of a crime.

  Byron needed to get his hands on one of those six chairs. Making sure the duke still wasn’t paying attention to him, Byron headed down the hall to see if he could find those chairs.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Mr. Tumilson wants to talk to you, my lady,” the maid said from the closed door of Eleanor’s bedchamber. “He says it’s important.”

  Eleanor picked up the towel and patted the water from her face. She examined her reflection in the mirror. Washing her face had helped to remove some of the evidence that she’d been crying, but it didn’t do a perfect job of it. She didn’t feel up to talking to him right now. She didn’t feel up to talking to anyone right now. She may not want to talk to anyone ever again. At least at the theatre, people had been concerned about her. Tonight, they had been laughing because she was too clumsy to sit in a chair correctly. Only she would break a chair by sitting in it.

  There was a knock at her door. “I have to talk to you,” came Byron’s voice.

  Eleanor jumped. Why was he right outside her bedchamber door?

  “Eleanor?” he asked.

  She released her breath then went to the door and opened it.

  His expression softened. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I would have waited until tomorrow to speak with you and your father, but I’m afraid this can’t wait.”

  Noting that the maid was close by, she refrained from asking if he had come to announce that he had solved the case. She stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her. She wiped the last of her tears away and went to the drawing room with him.

  He gestured to the settee. “Have a seat. Do you want some sherry to calm your nerves?”

  She shook her head but sat down. “Do you know who’s been after me?”

  “I want your father to be here when I discuss that.” He strode to the doorway and peered down the hall. “Where is the Duke of Dormondton?” he asked the butler who was just outside the room.

  “He’s on his way,” the butler replied. “Should I bring something to drink or eat?”

  Byron shook his head. “No. Just tell His Grace that this is important.”

  The butler nodded and headed down the hall.

  Byron approached her then sat next to her. “What happened this evening?”

  Her face warmed. “Didn’t you see it?”

  “No, unfortunately, I wasn’t in the ballroom when the incident with the chair occurred. I only heard about it after I saw you and your father run out of the townhouse.”

  “What were you doing when you should have been in the ballroom?”

  “Investigating. I didn’t come up with anything useful.” He paused. “So, what happened in the ballroom?”

  “My father told me that Lady Cadwalader wished to make my acquaintance, so we went to a quiet area to sit.”

  “Was Lady Cadwalader there?”

  “No, but we figured that she would be coming soon, so we were going to wait for her. Anyway, I sat in a chair, and it broke.” She forced aside the sting of humiliation then forced out, “I landed on the floor in front of everyone. They all laughed. My father escorted me out of there, and we came home.”

  He put his hand on her elbow. “Not everyone was laughing. It probably only seemed that way because of what happened to you. From what I could tell, most people were sympathetic toward you. You don’t have to worry about your reputation in London. It’s still intact.”

  “I don’t know. The whole thing was awful.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It was worse than that time in the theatre. My gown went up to my knees. Everyone could see a lot of me.” She lowered her voice. “I might as well have been naked.”

  “No, it wasn’t as bad as you being naked, but I can see why you’re embarrassed. Everyone else understands that, too. It would be one thing if you did something on purpose, but you didn’t intend for this to happen.”

  “I’m unlucky. Misfortune seems to follow me wherever I go.”

  “That’s what we’re supposed to believe, but it’s not true.”

  Could that be true? Her eyes met his, and she noticed something in his expression she hadn’t detected before. She didn’t know what it meant, but it made her heart give an unexpected flutter.

  His gaze lingered on hers for a long moment. She sensed he wanted to do something. There was a split second where she thought he was going to kiss her. But he cleared his throat and released her elbow. Then he turned his attention to the doorway.

  That was strange. He hadn’t done anything, and for some reason, she thought it might be nice if he had. She took a deep breath and forced her mind back on what they’d been discussing.

  “Do you really think I can safely show my face in public?” she asked.

  His gaze went back to her. “Yes, you don’t have anything to worry about. This isn’t unlike the time you were at the theatre. You’d be surprised by how sympathetic people can be.”

  “But some were laughing.”

  “Yes, but it was only a few who laughed. Most didn’t.”

  That was something, she supposed, and it did help ease some of her anxiety. “Do you think I can still be a part of Ladies of Grace?”

  “I don’t see why they would remove you from the group for something that wasn’t your fault.”

  She hoped he was right. “Will your sister still talk to me after this?”

  He offered her a reassuring smile. “Of course, she will.”

  She caught sight of her father as he reached the doorway. The butler stopped him to let him know the Duchess of Ashbourne wanted to talk to her.

  Her father shook his head. “Enough has happened tonight. My daughter will not receive any visitors at this time.”

  Byron stood up from the settee as the butler left for the entrance.

  Her father stormed over to Byron. “Where were you this evening? Your job was to watch my daughter and prevent bad things from happening to her.”

  Eleanor blinked at the sharp tone in her father’s voice. Byron, on the other hand, wasn’t bothered by it. He calmly went to the door and shut it.

  Her father plopped down in the chair across from her and crossed his arms. “I hope you have a good explanation for this. I don’t care much for gentlemen who waste my time, much less my money.”

  Byron headed back over to them. Eleanor thought he was going to sit back down, but he remained standing.

  “I didn’t tell you who the suspect was since it’s someone you’re well acquainted with, but I can safely say he is the Duke of Winnett,” Byron said.

  Eleanor knew it! That only proved that the Duke of Winnett was as bad as she feared.

  Her father, however, just snorted in disbelief. “You’ll have to do better than that if you want me to take you seriously.”

  “It’s true,” Byron said. “In fact, I wasn’t in the ballroom when your daughter sat in the broken chair because I was searching his townhouse for clues.”

  Eleanor’s eyes grew wide. He was?

  “What do you mean the chair was broken?” her father asked. “It looked perfectly fine before Eleanor sat in it.”

  “It was supposed to look like it was intact. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sat in it,” Byron replied.

  “That’s absurd. If a chair is broken, one can tell that by looking at it.”

  “Not if someone manipulated the legs or something under the seat.”

  “Do you have proof of this?”

  Byron sighed. “Unfortunately, I don’t. By the time I found the discarded chairs, they were being burned.”

  Eleanor’s father shook his head and rose to his feet. “You’re wasting my time.”

  Byron stopped him before he could leave. “Who told you to go to those chairs? Lady Cadwalader?”

  “No, the Duke of Winnett arranged for us to meet her there. It turns out he recently made Lord Cadwalader’s acquaintance, and he let Lord Cadwalader know that Eleanor is a member of Ladies of Grace. This impressed her, and she asked to meet Eleanor. He reserved that side of the room for us so that no one would interrupt us.”