Harold had served as Adam's man of business for more than six years. He could keep a secret.
"I received your message and came immediately, sir," Harold said.
"I appreciate your punctuality, as always. Please sit down."
Harold lowered himself into the chair directly across from the desk, adjusted his glasses and took out a small notebook and pencil.
"You said the matter was urgent, sir?" he prompted.
"I want you to leave immediately for Bath." Adam clasped his hands on the desk. 'There you will make some extremely discreet inquiries concerning a certain scandal that took place there some three years past."
Harold made notes. "These inquiries concern a business venture, I assume?"
"No, they are of a more personal and private nature. I want you to discover whatever you can about a lady named Caroline Fordyce."
"Mrs. Fordyce?" Harold's head came up swiftly. "Would that by any chance be the author, sir? The Mrs. Fordyce whose novels are serialized in the Flying Intelligencer?"
A sense of resignation settled on Adam. "I appear to be the only person in all of London who was not familiar with her work until quite recently."
"Very exciting stuff," Harold enthused. "Certainly keeps one guessing. Her latest is her most thrilling yet, as far as I am concerned. It is called The Mysterious Gentleman."
"Yes, I know." Adam flexed his hands and deliberately relinked his fingers. "I believe the villain's name is Edmund Drake"
"Ah, I see you are following the story, sir. We haven't seen much of Edmund Drake yet but it's plain that he's a very menacing sort. Safe to say that he'll come to a nasty end, just like Mrs. Fordyce's other villains."
Adam tried and failed to suppress his morbid curiosity. "Doesn't the fact that you already know the identity of the villain and that he will meet with an unpleasant fate take all of the surprise and astonishment out of the story? What is the purpose of reading a novel if one knows the ending be-fore one turns the first page?"
Harold regarded him with acute bewilderment. Then Adam saw the light of comprehension strike.
"I take it you are not a great reader of novels, sir," Harold said, sympathy as thick as cream in every word.
"No." Adam sat back in his chair and gripped the arms. "I do not count novel reading among my vices."
"Allow me to explain, if I may. Of course one knows that in a sensation novel, the villain will pay for his villainy, just as one knows that the hero and heroine will be rewarded for their good hearts and noble actions. Those things are givens, as it were. They are not the point of the business"
"Indeed? Well, what in blazes is the point?"
"Why, it is seeing how the characters arrive at their various fates that compels our attention." Harold spread his broad hands wide. "It is the series of startling incidents in the various chapters that entertains and amazes, all the twists and turns and emotional sensations. That is why one reads a novel, sir. Not to discover how it ends, but to enjoy the strange and exotic scenery along the way"
"I shall bear that in mind if I find myself tempted to read any more of Mrs. Fordyce's work." Adam narrowed his eyes. "Meanwhile, speaking of strange and exotic scenery, I think you had best go directly home and pack your bags. I want you on your way to Bath as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir." Harold got to his feet.
"Keep me advised of your progress by telegram."
THIRTEEN
"I fear this may become a dangerous business for Caroline." Emma propped her slipper-clad feet on the small hassock in front of the reading chair and contemplated the cheery blaze that warmed the small parlor.
Milly lowered her book and removed her reading glasses. She was well aware that her companion had been brooding on recent events for hours. After all these years together, she had learned that she had to allow Emma time to digest things.
"I do not think you need to be overly concerned about Caroline's safety." She put her glasses on the table. "I am quite certain that Mr. Hardesty will take excellent care of her."
"But who will protect Caroline from Mr. Hardesty?" Emma asked in foreboding tones.
Milly opened her mouth to reply and then found herself hesitating. Her usual inclination was to take the most optimistic view of a situation. Emma, of course, could be counted on to take the opposite approach. In most cases they balanced each other very well.
Her first instinct was to defend Hardesty. She had respected him on sight and her intuition told her that he could be trusted. But what did she really know about him? She was forced to admit that Emma was right to be concerned. There were risks.
"Caroline is old enough and wise enough to deal with the likes of Adam Hardesty," she said, trying to sound assured. "It is not as if she is unaware of the dangers. After what happened three years ago, she knows she must be cautious."
"I'm not so certain of that. Did you see the way those two looked at each other this afternoon?"
Milly sighed. "Yes, I did."
'There was so much electrical energy swirling between them that it was a wonder we did not have a miniature thunderstorm right here in the middle of the parlor."
"Indeed"
Emma looked at her. "You know as well as I do that an intimate connection with a gentleman such as Mr. Hardesty can only end in misery for Caroline. Men of power and property marry for purposes of acquiring more power and property. Hardesty can look much higher than Caroline when he selects a wife, and he will most certainly do so. The most she can expect from him is a discreet affair."
Milly pondered her response very carefully. This was, after all, thorny ground.
"Would that be such a terrible fate?" she ventured finally. Emma's face went taut. "How can you even ask such a question? It would be a disaster."
"You are thinking of your sister," Milly said gently. "But let us speak plainly here. Caroline is not her mother. Her temperament is quite different. We have both known her since she was in the cradle. Surely you do not imagine for a moment that she is the sort who would take her own life merely because a lover tossed her aside."
Emma closed her eyes. "I do not want to see Caroline hurt."
"We cannot protect her from that kind of pain. Sooner or later every woman must learn to deal with it. That is the way of the world."
"I know. Nevertheless—"
"Hear me out." Milly rose from the sofa and went to stand beside Emma's chair. She put her hand on her companion's shoulder. "When we took on the task of raising Caroline after your sister died, we vowed that we would teach her to be a strong and independent woman. To that end we gave her a fine education. We have taught her to think and reason logically and to manage her finances. We have made certain that she understands that she need not wed unless it pleases her to do so. Indeed, she has had at least two offers that we know of and she let them both go past."
"Because she was not in love," Emma burst out. She clasped her hands very tightly together on her lap. "That is the point, Milly. What if this time she loses her heart to a man who will never offer marriage?"
"She is no longer a girl. She has not been one for some time. She can look after herself. Only consider what she has accomplished. In spite of the dreadful setback three years ago, she has succeeded in crafting a profitable career for herself. She would prefer to deal with the difficulties of making her own way in the world rather than be miserable in a loveless marriage. Any woman capable of arriving at that decision can certainly decide for herself whether or not to take the risk of having an affair with a man who is unlikely to marry her."