Page 105 of His Improper Lady

“Brock’s not a gambler—he owns gambling clubs,” Desiree corrected. “But I’m not talking about him. I mean my twin, Wells. You met him the day you were at my house.”

A little to Desiree’s surprise, she saw a twitch of amusement at the corner of Gregory’s mouth. “That’s a diplomatic way to describe it. I don’t understand. How can he help?”

“He knows people who can have things handled quietly.”

“You mean criminals?”

Desiree chuckled. “No. People who are with the government. Although perhaps the two aren’t so different.”

Gregory flushed. “I didn’t mean, that is...”

Desiree took pity on his floundering. “Lord Moreland, I am aware that you don’t know us and are inclined to think that the Malones are a bad lot and out to hurt you. It’s true that we are illegitimate, and we come from the sort of people you would normally have nothing to do with. I’ll admit that we appear odd to just about every layer of society. But we aren’t sinister. And we have no desire to hurt you or the Moreland family.”

“Again, I must beg your pardon,” he replied stiffly. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I just don’t know—well, at the moment, I don’t know much of anything. If your brother is willing to help, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.” He started to rise, but Desiree tugged at the sleeve of his jacket.

“No. Sit down. I have something else to tell you.”

“Very well.” Gregory looked at her warily.

“I don’t have this will that everyone has been talking about,” Desiree told him.

“It never arrived at our office,” Tom added. “Or anywhere else that we can find. We don’t know where it is.”

“But if it turns up someday, I will give it to you,” Desiree promised. “You needn’t fear we’re going to create trouble for you. We don’t care about Alistair Moreland’s estate. We have ample money. We have no interest in causing scandal. And we’re quite happy to be merely Malones.”

Gregory nodded and thanked her, sat for another awkward moment, then took his leave. Desiree, watching him walk off, said, “Do you think he believed me?”

“Who knows? It’s hard to believe he’s actually a Moreland.”

“Well, you have to consider who his mother was,” Desiree pointed out. “You and I know what it’s like to not have a mother. But it might be even worse to have the wrong mother.”

When Desiree and Tom arrived at the Moreland house that evening, they found not only all the Morelands awaiting them but also Desiree’s brothers and Sid Upton. Desiree went immediately to Sid, taking his hand in hers and saying, “I’m so glad to see you here.”

“Nothing could have stopped me,” the old man said with a grin. “I’ve been waiting twenty-eight years to find out what happened.”

“It’s not a happy tale,” Desiree said, sorrow in her voice.

“I thought as much. But, still, it’s good to know.”

Desiree turned to her brothers, standing beside Sid. “I’m surprised to see you here, Brock. Did Wells have to drag you?”

“As if he could,” Brock retorted. “No. I came because I wanted to hear what happened.”

“Plus, it’s rather difficult to tell the duchess no,” Wells added with a grin.

“She invited you in person?” Desiree asked.

Brock nodded. “She came right into the casino this morning. Said she’d always wanted to see the inside of one.”

The duchess herself swept up to them at that point and demonstrated her persuasiveness by pulling Desiree and Tom to the center to tell their story.

Everyone knew how things began, having heard it the other night at dinner, so Desiree and Tom had only to relate the events of the day before. There was a moment of stunned silence when they finished.

“Well,” the duchess said finally. “I never liked Tabitha, but I would never have thought she was a murderer.”

“I understand why Tabitha killed Stella, then had to get rid of Alistair when he interfered,” Con said. “Falk was blackmailing her, so she killed him, too. But I don’t understand why she pretended that her husband had run off with his mistress. I mean, that created the sort of scandal she wanted to avoid.”

“I don’t think she intended to reveal all that at first,” Tom told him. “She planned to make Stella disappear, and she figured no one would look for Stella, let alone suspect Tabitha. But when she had to kill Alistair as well, she had to somehow explain his absence. There weren’t many options.”