Page 36 of Fairest of Heart

“It was in Eulogy.”

“Eulogy! Of course.” Her charm thickened. “Sweet little town by the river. I remember now.”

Titus didn’t return her smile. “He had a costly stickpin go missing sometime after attending your performance.”

“How dreadful.” Madame shook her head. “You don’t think one of my troupe members had anything to do with . . . You do.” A fierce look crossed her face. “I can assure you that this troupe is comprised of hardworking, honest people. If anyone had found such a valuable piece of jewelry, they would have turned it in. I’m sure of it.” A small frown puckered her brow. “I can see you are less than convinced. If you like, I can ask our manager, Alfred Billings, to do a search.” She turned toward the stage and waved her hand. “Freddie, darling,” she trilled. “Come here, please.”

Billings handed something over to one of the stagehands, then made his way down the aisle.

“Before he joins us, Madame, I need to ask a personal question. Did you spend the night in the company of Hubert Hathaway after your performance in Eulogy?”

A quiet gasp echoed in the air around them. “How dare you insinuate such a thing, Mr. Kingsley. Ranger or not, you have no right to smear a lady’s reputation. Just because I am an actress does not mean that I am a woman of loose morals.”

Heat crept up the back of his neck, but he held his ground. “Please answer the question, miss.”

“Of course I did not spend the night with him.” She drew herself up, indignant. “Did he say otherwise? If he did, I’ll be bringing charges against him for defamation.”

“He claimed to have spent the evening with a woman from this company, but he did not mention anyone by name. He did mention the woman was exceptionally beautiful, though, and you seem to fit that description.”

She raised a brow. “While I’m flattered you find me attractive, I think it prudent to mention that many of the women in our company fit that description.” Her attention shifted to the manager, who had just reached them. “Isn’t that right, Alfred? We have several beautiful women in this troupe.”

Billings shot her an odd look but readily agreed. “That’s right. Sarah and Peony, our other actresses, are quite lovely girls.” His face brightened. “Oh, and then there was Miss Snow. I hadn’t noticed her until a couple weeks ago. In a proper dress, that girl could bring down the house. I wanted her to train as Narci’s understudy, but she balked at the idea. Ran off that night, as I recall.”

“Ran off?”

“Yes, the ungrateful tart.” Madame LaBelle shot a peeved look at Billings before catching herself and smoothing her features as she turned back to Titus. “She was my personal maid. Ran off without a word and left me completely in a lurch. It’s been a trial trying to replace her.”

Madame drew in a breath, then stopped. Her eyes lit as if she just remembered something.

“I hired her in Chicago at the start of my tour. I felt sorry for the poor dear.” She leaned closer to Titus and lowered her voice. “She was escaping a scandal from what I understood. Something between her and the eldest son of a wealthy family where she worked.” She lowered her lashes in a way that made her insinuation clear. “Carlisle was the name, in case you want to look into that. She couldn’t get work in town, and I needed someone willing to leave for an extended period, so I took her on. Perhaps that was my mistake.” She raised her chin. “If you’re looking for someone with a penchant for getting tangled up in trouble with wealthy men, Penelope Snow is the one you should find.”

Doubts pummeled Titus’s gut. Scandal? Wealthy men? Had she really duped him so thoroughly?

“I’ll be sure to look into Miss Snow,” he said, his voice tight. “In fact, when Mr. Billings and I conduct our search, we’ll start with any belongings Miss Snow might have left behind.”

Perhaps he’d find a clue to what had really happened to her. She hadn’t simply run away as Madame claimed. She’d been abducted and tied to a tree. He needed to determine whether that circumstance was a result of her own criminal actions or the actions of another.

“Excellent notion, Mr. Kingsley.”

A shiver of revulsion snaked down his neck when she winked at him. Madame LaBelle was self-absorbed and conniving, but was she a thief? Hard to tell. He’d search her quarters with extra thoroughness.

“If I can be of any assistance,” she practically purred, “do let me know.” Madame LaBelle stretched her neck and smiled like a pampered feline as she sauntered away, not a shade of worry in her dark eyes.

Titus clenched his jaw, wishing he had a dog around to watch his back.

16

Let go of that rope, you mangy mutt!” Jeb’s cantankerous tone carried across the yard to where Penelope was taking clean sheets down from the line. “It ain’t a toy.”

Pausing in her work, Penelope twisted toward the barn to find Jeb and Lucky engaged in a tug-of-war battle in front of the corral.

“Never shoulda helped Doc save your ungrateful hide.” Jeb’s frown held enough vinegar to pickle a bushel of cucumbers. “Drop it!”

Lucky wagged his head, his jaw clamped tight.

Oh dear.

Penelope quickly replaced the clothespins on the flapping sheet she’d been taking down, then hurried to intercept the rope duel. “Lucky,” she called in a singsong voice. “Come here, boy.”