Page 62 of The Duke of Pain

“Your Grace,” Eleanora nodded.

“Your Grace,” Gideon replied. “Watford is fine, or even better, please call me Gideon. I thank you both for your promptness. My steward, Mr. Chapman, will be attending our meeting and taking notes.”

Miss Althea took out her notebook, and they sat in the chairs provided by another of his aunt’s footmen.

“Thank you, Gideon. And you may call us by our first names as well. Christian speaks highly of you. I would like to think of you as part of our circle of friends.”

“I am humbled,” Gideon murmured. “And grateful for the offer of friendship. I accept it gladly.”

“Good,” Eleanora nodded. “Now, what can we do for you?”

“My stepfather is the Duke of Whinstone. I need any information you can gather on the man as swiftly as possible. Presently, he is at my country seat in Essex. I’ve given him notice to vacate in three days. His dukedom is impoverished and has been as long as I have known him. He has no money or property of his own, as far as I am aware. I need to know the particulars. The gossip. Anything of his dealings. He has been adept at playing his cards close to the vest.”

“We may need Allenby’s assistance, Sister,” Althea murmured.

“Would you object to Christian joining this investigation?” Eleanora asked.

“Not at all. As you say, Christian is a friend.”

How surprising. Because a few weeks ago, Gideon would not have referred to Christian as such.

“Would you like an immediate surveillance on Whinstone?” Althea asked. “We can send along a couple of associates within the hour. They will report his movements, any visitors, and other comings and goings. We can also take photographs of anyone around the place and any suspicious activity.”

Gideon’s eyebrow arched. “And how is that possible? The photographs, I mean.”

“Well,” Althea enthused. “We have acquired an American Eastman-Kodak folding pocket camera with celluloid roll film. Thanks to Christian. They sell out as soon as they arrive, so we were lucky to snag one. We have our associates act as amateur photographers, and viola, we have pictures of places and people for our varied investigations.”

Gideon was suitably impressed. “I had no idea about a pocket camera. Fascinating.”

“A recent invention. And Archie Fitzgerald, one of our associates, has learned to develop photographic film. We have set up a darkroom, as it is called, for that very thing.” Althea smiled. “Oh, you must come by someday to see the setup and the camera.”

“I will, Althea. Thank you.”

“We will start our inquires immediately,” Eleanora assured him. “Where can we contact you?”

He gave his address and any relatable information, like the location of Foxmont, and Whinstone’s mistress, Annabella, a baronet’s daughter.

“Essex, that is about an hour by train?” Eleanora asked as Althea scribbled.

“Yes.”

“We will have to arrange overnight accommodations for Archie; make a note, Althea,” Eleanora instructed.

Althea mentioned the fee, which would include not only the investigation itself but for incidentals such as accommodations, train fare, cost of film, meals, and whatnot. No matter the final bill, Gideon could well afford it. Practically speaking, he should have investigated his stepfather long before now.

After this meeting, it was home to Olivia. At last.

Gideon couldn’t wait.

Gideon entered the townhouse calling Olivia’s name. He’d stopped at a street vendor before going to Aunt Mirella’s and bought flowers for his aunt, and for Olivia. He had chosen red roses for Olivia. The seller informed him that red roses spoke of a declaration of love.

What did he know of such things?

He had never courted or wooed a woman before. He dropped his overnight bag in the front hall and headed toward the stairs.

“Your Pardon, Your Grace, but Miss Durham is not here.”

Gideon turned to face Hobson. “What do you mean. She went out?”