“Oh, how sweet,” Suzette said pausing before her father and hugging him, which seemed to leave the man a little startled. Apparently, he hadn’t expected a warm greeting from her, but she said, “I am sorry I was so angry when we arrived in London, Father. You didn’t deserve it.” She pulled back and added, “Chrissy says the men think Dicky drugged you and just made you think you’d gambled the money away. It was all a trick to try to get our dowers.”

When Lord Madison glanced his way in question, Richard nodded solemnly and said, “There are rumors that I, or Dicky really, had become quite chummy with the owner of a gaming hell famous for the trick.”

Lord Madison sagged with relief and nodded. “I had begun to suspect as much. I have no recollection of gambling at all , and what recollections I do have of the gaming hell are quite fuzzy flashes of being led through it, people talking and laughing, being told to sign something . . .” He grimaced and shook his head. “I have never cared for gambling and don’t even know how to play the games of chance in those places. Yet there was the marker with my signature on it.”

Suzette patted his back and hugged him again.

“Well, now that that is all straightened out, why do we not sit down and hear what everyone has learned?” Daniel suggested, moving to Suzette’s other side so that she stood between the two men.

Richard managed to restrain the grin of amusement that wanted to claim his lips. He knew Daniel ’s main concern was changing the subject before anyone could mention that Lord Madison had sold his townhouse to gain the money to pay off his debt without the need for Suzette’s dower. The man was going to be itching to get Suzette to Gretna Green before someone spilled the beans. It seemed he’d definitely settled on the woman to wife, but wasn’t sure she would willingly wed him in return were it not for the circumstances she had found herself in. Richard wasn’t so sure Daniel had anything to worry about though. He had noted the way Suzette seemed always to track him with her eyes, and the way she tended to stick close to him. And then there was the scene he’d walked in on that morning after leaving Christiana to straighten her clothes. By his guess the pair had been a heartbeat away from anticipating their vows. He suspected Suzette’s feelings for his friend were much deeper than anyone suspected.

“Yes, let’s move into the parlor,” Richard suggested and then glanced to Suzette to ask, “Where is Christiana?”

“Oh.” She frowned and glanced along the hall . “I was just going in search of her. She was going to have Haversham fetch Freddy to us to interview, but has taken an awfully long time so I thought I’d best check on her.”

“George’s valet, Freddy?” Richard asked with a frown. Freddy had been his brother’s valet for twenty years and, like Robbie, wouldn’t have been fooled into believing George was Richard. The man must have known all along.