Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (62 page)

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Witherspoon smirked and held it up to the light, appreciating the jewellery. 'Yes, it is, isn't it? I had it commissioned for our wedding anniversary. You might try the same for your first anniversary,' he offered pompously.

Brandon fought the urge to punch the condescending tone right out of the lout's mouth. 'Did your men discover how the necklace got to the pawn shop?'

'That's the best part, Stockport.' Witherspoon replaced the necklace carelessly in his outer coat pocket. 'A woman dressed in a gaudy print gown and wearing spectacles brought the necklace in. My men can testify they saw a woman matching the description of Eleanor Habersham enter the shop late this morning. They sent for me right away.'

Miss Habersham's name on the ticket?' Brandon asked, casting a sidelong look at Nora. He didn't need further evidence to know where she'd gone and what she'd done when she'd said she had shopping to do. Damn her, she How could he protect her when she refused to be protected?

'No, of course her name isn't on the ticket, although my men did look,' Witherspoon said in a condescending tone that suggested he found the Earl to be soft noodled. 'She was clever enough to use an alias. It would be foolhardy to pawn stolen merchandise under one's real name, don't you agree?' Witherspoon paused

and then went on to outline his own thoughts on the matter. 'I wouldn't have been suspicious if it hadn't been a necklace I personally knew. After all, the sham woman hasn't a penny to her name and she has to live on something,' he said callously, maligning the poor spinster with the implication that she was disgracefully selling off family heirlooms.

Brandon's fist clenched. If Eleanor Habersham had been real, he would have called the man out for abusing the woman with his aspersions on her finances.

Unaware of Brandon's growing agitation, Witherspoon

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droned on. 'I did some

I stopped at the Grange on

my way home from Manchester. Do you know what I found?'

Witherspoon was delighting in the telling.

'I cannot possibly guess,' Brandon said in a tone he hoped conveyed interest, although he already to some extent what

Witherspoon had found. Eleanor Habersham wasn't in residence.

'Her man of all work told me Miss Habersham had left a week ago to visit an old aunt in Yorkshire. There's a rat here, Stockport. How could she be in Yorkshire when she's pawning stolen goods in Manchester pawn shops, I ask you?'

'What exactly are you implying?' Brandon asked, feeling heartsick at the man's discoveries.

'That Eleanor Habersham is The Cat. It fits with the timing and my discovery that The Cat is a woman,' he said grandly.

Egad, the arrogant man was making himself out to be Chris-topher Columbus. 'That's quite a hypothesis. You've done a lot of work,' Brandon said.

It became apparent the conversation was going no further.

Witherspoon rose awkwardly. 'I thought you should know, as the area's magistrate and as the head of our little investment group.' There was coldness in his tone that implied he thought Brandon was lax in his duties.

Brandon rose with him. 'I appreciate your assistance. I am sure this matter will be brought to a close very soon. I believe The Cat has not struck anywhere since the dinner party. I am hoping that the raids have stopped and that Eleanor had some other reason to be in possession of the necklace. I would not like to taint her name with any unnecessary scandal.'

'We'll see,' Witherspoon said tersely, patting the pocket containing the necklace.

'Are you certain it is your wife's necklace?' Nora asked innocently, entering the discussion for the first time. 'After all, I am sure there's more than one ruby necklace in the world. Are there any markings or special engravings?'

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Witherspoon growled at her. 'It was commissioned specially for her. I have the jeweller's papers and original design to prove the necklace is hers.'

Nora appeared to brighten and Brandon was instantly alert.

'How lovely for her that you've retrieved it, then. And how important that necklace will be as a proof should there be a trial.

I'd keep it under lock and key. It would be a shame to lose it again

'Yes, quite,' Witherspoon said, a bit nonplussed.

walk with you to the hall,' Nora offered.

Brandon sat down and waited. He and Nora would have a grand discussion when she returned. If she thought she was going after the necklace, she thought wrong. After today's he wasn't letting her out of his sight for a moment.

Nora came back in, a look of contrition on her face. At least she had the good grace to feel guilty over being caught in her little deception. He wanted her to feel guilty for more than that, though. Brandon wanted her penitent for have perpetrated the deceit in the first place, not simply for having been found out.

'You are not going after the necklace,' Brandon began. 'If you think

let you so much as leave the house unescorted, you're dead wrong. Look at the bumblebroth you caused today.'

'You're absolutely right. I won't leave the house,' Nora agreed readily, far too repentant for his taste. Something was wrong. She hadn't

him. He hadn't thought he would

get through the first line of his planned scolding. Now that he had, he couldn't think of anything else to say.

'Do I have your word on that?' Brandon asked warily.

'Yes, Brandon. I give you my word. I won't leave the house to go after the necklace,' Nora pledged solemnly.

Something definitely wasn't right. Her compliance had been too easily won. Not that her word meant anything after her latest exploit. She had already broken one promise. Still, she wouldn't promise away her permission to leave the house.

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Unless she didn't need it.
The inspiration struck Brandon all at once. He grinned in spite of himself. 'You already have the necklace, don't you?'

Nora held up the item in question, dangling it from her fingers and laughed. 'He was far too careless with it. I am sure it would have fallen out of his coat pocket on the ride home. It could be laying anywhere on the ground between Stockport Hall and Cheetham Hill.'

Brandon couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud, finding an outlet for his tension after the last two interviews. Witherspoon would be mightily surprised to find his pocket empty when he returned home.

Goodness, he loved his pickpocket Countess. He pulled Nora to him and

her hard on the mouth. 'Life with you, Nora, is never dull.' He reached beyond her shoulder for the bell pull, suddenly finding he had a penchant for scones and a pot of jam.