"I love him too much to take the risk. I do not expect you to comprehend my fear, Marcus. You have never been afraid of anything or anyone in your life. And it's obvious that you have never loved a woman the way I love my husband. If you had ever experienced such great depth of feeling, you would understand."

Marcus wondered if Iphiginia had loved her Richard Hampton with as much intensity and fervor as Hannah loved Sands. He pushed the notion aside. "I shall give you the five thousand pounds, Hannah. Fetch the bracelet from the jeweler's before he resells it."

She sagged back against the seat in relief. "Thank you, Marcus. You are a good friend. I shall pay you back,

swear it." "There is no need. We both know that I shall not miss the money."

She smiled wistfully. "No, but that is hardly the point, is it? There are many people as wealthy as yourself who would not advance a friend so much as a penny."

Marcus paid no attention. "This bloody blackmailer is getting bolder. He must he stopped."

"Have you made any progress toward discovering his identity?"

"Some, not much." Marcus regarded her through narrowed eyes. "I have a question, to ask you."

"What is it?" "I seem to recall that at the time of Spalding's death you had a young woman in your employ. I met her only once or twice, but I believe she had red hair."

"Caroline Baylor." Hannah grimaced in disgust. "What do you know of her?"

"Very little. Spalding would not allow me to go anywhere alone, not even to see my family in Hampshire. He claimed he was protecting me, but the truth was, he suspected that I would run away from him. He feared the scandal."

"Bastard." "When I complained of being confined to the house, he hired Caroline Baylor as a companion for me. I never did care for her. She was very sly. She came from a very respectable agency and had all sorts of references, but to this day, I believe she was actually Spalding's mistress."

It would have been typical of Spalding to install his mistress in his wife's household, Marcus reflected. "Do you know what became of her?"

"She disappeared the morning after I-" Hannah's hands tightened on her reticule. "The morning after I killed Spalding. But she was not in the house that night, Marcus' She had gone out. You know that. You walked in right after I had pulled the trigger. I was alone with Spalding. "

"You said that she came from a respectable agency. Do you recall which one?"

"The Wycherley Agency. It's considered the finest in London."

"Perhaps the owner of the agency will know what became of her."

Hannah's eyes widened. "Surely you do not believe that Caroline Baylor is the blackmailer?"

"Where do you think she went that night?" "I have no notion." Hannah's mouth twisted. "Caroline Baylor was not the usual sort of companion. She came and went as she pleased. Why are you suddenly concerned with finding her?"

It was not easy to juggle so many secrets. Marcus chose his words carefully. "I have formed a theory that the blackmailer may he a paid companion. Someone who would have once been in a position to know the secrets of both your household and that of the other victim."

"And who is now blackmailing her former employers? Good Lord, I never thought of that." Hannah frowned. "I can certainly envision Caroline resorting to blackmail. But why would she wait so long to do it?"

"We do not even know if she is the one behind this. But it's a place to start." Marcus pulled his watch out of his pocket and glanced at the time. It was two-thirty. He had a three o'clock appointment with Iphiginia. "I must be on my way, Hannah. I shall see that you get the five thousand pounds as soon as possible. My man of affairs can arrange to deliver it."

"It is very kind of you to help me again after all these years," Hannah whispered. "I do not know what I would do without you."

"We are friends. There is no need to thank me." Marcus reached out to open the carriage door.

"Marcus, wait." Hannah touched his arm. "Forgive me for asking, but are you on your way to meet Mrs. Bright?"

Marcus paused. "Why do you ask?" "Speaking as your friend, I must tell you that I have been bearing the oddest rumors. Are they true?"

"The rumors concerning me are always odd, Hannah, you know that."

"Yes, but these are different. I have heard that your new mistress is really quite extraordinary."

Marcus fought back a violent desire to tell her that Iphiginia was not his mistress, that she occupied a far more important role in his life. But there was nothing he could say at this point, not even to Hannah.

He retreated behind one of his well-known rules. Never explain.

"Hannah, you know that I never discuss such matters." He smiled humorlessly. "As the one who taught me how to conduct myself in Society, you would he the first to condemn me for ungentlemanly behavior were I to make any comment at all on the subject of my association with Mrs. Bright."

Hannah quickly withdrew her gloved hand from his sleeve. "I taught you how to eat with the proper fork and how to dance the waltz, but I certainly did not teach you how to become a figure of legend. You managed that on your own with your famous rules and your enigmatic ways.

"Do not concern yourself with my affairs, Hannah. I shall take care of myself."

"Yes, of course. I am sorry. I did not mean to pry. You are the best friend I have, Marcus, I cannot help but worry about you."

"It is your husband who should he your best friend now, not I." Marcus opened the door and got out of the carriage.

Adam Manwaring set his papers down, on Iphiginia's library desk and took a scat. He looked intently at Amelia. "Before I give you the results of my inquiries concerning Lady Guthrie's old companion, I should first tell you that I have talked to Mr. Dodgson."

Amelia tensed. "I trust that you informed him that he is not welcome to join the investment pool?"

"I did." Adam's expression was surprisingly grim. "And I told him why."

"Excellent," Iphiginia said. She glanced at Amelia and thought she saw a brief flicker of satisfaction in her cousin's eyes.

"I informed Dodgson that the investment pool is composed primarily of widows and spinsters, many of whom have worked as governesses and companions," Adam said. "I told him he no doubt understood why such ladies would not wish to do business with a man of his unfortunate reputation."

"What did he say?" Iphiginia asked. Adam shrugged. "I-le was incensed naturally. Claimed he had been grossly insulted and insisted on a meeting with the principals so that he could explain the misunderstanding."

Amelia looked down at her folded hands. "What did you tell him?"

"Simply that the principals had no intention of meeting with him," Adam said. "He then said that he had no recollection of any improper incident involving a young female employee in his or anyone else's household."

"Did he say that?" Amelia asked softly. Adam raised his brows. "He then proceeded to undermine his entire defense by flying into an apoplectic rage. He said everyone knew that the sort of females who became governesses were all bent on seducing the gentlemen in the households in which they were employed. He said that they were not to he trusted."

Amelia exchanged a sharp glance with Iphiginia., "He specifically mentioned governesses?"

"Yes," Adam said. "He did." "Then he most certainly does remember," Amelia whispered.

"Obviously." Iphiginia hurried to change the topic. "So much for that issue. Let us get on to the matter of Aunt Zoe's companion."

Adam reluctantly returned his attention to his papers. "As to that, I'm afraid I discovered very little information of a useful nature. Miss Todd died some five years ago."

"She's dead?" Iphiginia sat forward abruptly. She was so intent on Adam's announcement that she barely noticed the sound of a carriage in the street.