“A brocade waistcoat,” Hestony said swiftly. “In bright colors.”
Raymonde stared in surprise. “I should have noticed if he had such a thing.”
“Please, can you check for us?” Hestony asked. “It’ll only take a moment. And it’s important.”
“As you wish. Brownley?” Lady Raymonde summoned the butler. “Please call Mr. Leeson to me?”
As the butler left, Hal turned to Hestony. His heart was thudding with tension. “Do you think this will work?” he whispered as Lady Raymonde turned her back on them, conversing with Mr. Leeson. “I mean, why wouldn’t they just say he doesn’t have one, and…”
“Trust me,” Hestony whispered.
“I’ve sent the servant to check for it,” Lady Raymonde said. “Would you care for some tea? Perhaps you can tell me what this is about.”
“Your brother is implicated in a theft,” Hestony said bluntly. Hal stared at her, shocked. His lips were framing an urgent denial, terrified that Lady Raymonde would immediately have them thrown out, or worse, when, to his surprise, she smiled. The expression in her eyes was cold, though.
“I’m not surprised,” Lady Raymonde mused. “I’m just surprised you know about it.”
“Will you help us?” Hestony asked softly.
“If I can. You know what he’s like. I can’t…I can barely…speak in front of him,” Lady Raymonde said, and the bitterness in her voice cut Hal’s heart. She looked at the ground, and he saw she was blinking back tears.
“You could come to Westmore,” Hestony said gently.
“Let’s see what Leeson will find.”
Hal waited, feeling nervous and utterly mystified, until Leeson appeared. He stared at the bundle he held.
“Is this it?”
“I don’t know. Hestony?” Lady Raymonde asked. “Is this…what you seek?”
Hal stared. It was an embroidered brocade waistcoat. In gold, with white and small touches of brown. It was loud and eye-catching with gilded buttons and a diamond stud in the collar. It was completely unlike anything Lord Osburne usually wore.
“Yes,” Hestony said firmly. “That’s it. Thank you, Lady Raymonde.”
Lady Raymonde looked at Hestony and Hal could see the worry in her eyes. “What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Nothing, given that he confesses.” Hestony shook her head. “We don’t wish to make a case. Only for him to know we are aware.”
“Yes,” Hal agreed. A return of the money would be nice, he thought fleetingly, though not essential. It would be enough to threaten the gentleman sufficiently to make him leave them be.
Lady Raymonde shrugged. “Well then,” she said. Hal thought he could see some glimmer of hope in her eyes, and realized that she would not be sorry to see her hard, cold older brother suffer just a little. “I suggest you take that away, and be quick. He’s out at cards and he always comes back at six.”
“Thank you,” Hestony nodded. “We’ll go now.”
“Good evening,” Lady Raymonde said, curtseying quickly. Hal noticed how nervous she looked, and when he checked his watch, he understood it. The time was two minutes to six. They’d have to hurry.
“Madam?” Mr. Leeson called as they hurried down the steps. “Is this it?”
Hestony looked up. He was holding a brocade waistcoat, but it was a modest blue one, almost black. It certainly wasn’t what they sought.
“No,” Hal said instantly. “Thank you. We should go…”
He went briskly down the stairs beside Hestony, and as they reached the front door, it opened. Lord Osburne stood on the steps.
“You!” He hissed, seeing Hal. “What are you doing here? And her…”
As he turned to Hestony, Hal put himself between them. He looked up into Lord Osburne’s face.
“We’re here because we know what you did,” he said.
“You stole my money, Lord Osburne,” Hestony said quietly. “So that I would have to wed you.”
“Preposterous!” Lord Osburne laughed, though his eyes were tight at the corners. “What evidence have you?”
“We have your waistcoat,” Hal said. Hestony held up the bundle. Lord Osburne’s eyes narrowed and he went pale.
“How did you get that?” he asked.
“We took it,” Hestony said quickly. Hal realized what danger they’d placed Lady Raymonde in when he saw Osburne turn, swearing, and march towards the door. He instinctively placed himself between Osburne and the steps.
“You don’t deny you did it?” Hal asked quietly.
“I demand that you get out of my bloody way,” Lord Osburne snarled. He tried to push past Hal, but he stepped aside and then went sharply right, grabbing Lord Osburne’s arm. The gentleman’s eyes were murderous as he glared at him.
“Take your hand off me, you devil. Or I’ll call my men and…”
“Have them thrown out?” A voice said from above them, startling them. “I’m afraid not, brother. They were just leaving. And you left me in charge of the house in your absence.”
“You pathetic, useless…” Lord Osburne hissed. “What do you think you’re going to do, to stop me? Get inside!”
“Leave her alone,” Hal said. He was standing between Lord Osburne and Lady Raymonde, who had gone white. A single tear traced down her cheek. Hal’s fists clenched. “If you touch her, I’ll break your hand.”
“You?” Lord Osburne sneered. “You’re not much of a fighter, are you? Not from what I saw…”
“You don’t deny then, that it was you?” Hestony said from behind him, making him spin round to face her. “You set the gang on my husband?”
“He had it coming, the miserable…” Lord Osburne began, rounding on Hal and swinging a fist at his chest. Hal tried to sidestep, but the punch landed squarely in his ribs, close to a bruise from the night before. He gasped, suddenly having difficulty breathing.
“Leeson?” Lady Raymonde shouted urgently though the front door. “Come and fetch his lordship. He needs to lie down.”
“I’ll bloody teach you,” Lord Osburne snarled, but to get at Lady Raymonde, he had to knock Hal out of the way. Hal bunched up a fist and slammed it into his gut. Lord Osburne gasped and then swung a punch at his head. At that moment, the front door shot open.