Page 39 of A Dangerous Vision

Sir Christopher turned toward her, almost giving Gideon his back, as if he could shield her. He whispered something that Gideon could not hear, kissed her cheek, then faced Gideon again.

“May I trust your discretion, Inspector? What my wife and I divulge to you today are private matters, and I do not wish to see them turned into newspaper fodder.”

“I do not make a practice of speaking to journalists, Sir Christopher, and I understand the topics we will discuss are delicate ones.”

Sir Christopher gave him a long look, as if assessing the veracity of his statement just by studying Gideon’s expression. Whatever he saw seemed to satisfy him, and he dipped his head, then turned again to his wife once more.

“I’ll be in my study. You must not hesitate to send for me if you wish for me to take your place,” Sir Christopher told her, then placed a brief kiss against her temple before releasing her hand and leaving the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Shall we sit together?” Electra asked, and Lady Redmayne’s expression softened as soon as she looked Electra’s way.

“I am so grateful you can be with me.” She reached for Electra’s bare hand—at some point she’d removed the black gloves that she commonly wore both in and out of doors.

She had told him once that they helped to repress her abilities when she placed her hands on a person or object. Gideon tried not to think about what she might be sensing from Lady Redmayne.

He sat in a chair across from them and settled his notepad on his thigh.

Lady Cordelia Redmayne gave him a look of such fearful uncertainty that he felt a rush of sympathy for her. He’d sat with witnesses as they cried, shouted, prevaricated, and confessed their worst deeds. But Lady Redmayne looked suddenly young and vulnerable in a way that he hadn’t anticipated.

“I understand that you met Mr. Pennington last year,” Gideon began.

“Yes, about nine months ago, and we formed a friendship over the next several months, but…we were only truly close for two months before I realized it was all a dreadful mistake.”

“So when did you end your association with Mr. Pennington?”

“I attempted to do so in March.”

“But you continued your acquaintance up until yesterday?” he asked.

She licked her lips, glanced at Electra, and nodded. “I attempted to sever our connection in March, but he persisted in contacting me.”

“So, did you continue to see him, or did he simply make attempts that failed?”

“I did not continue to see him, Inspector. I refused his attempts to persuade me to meet with him, but I relented on two occasions.” Lady Redmayne lowered her head a moment. “The first time was about a month ago, and the last time was yesterday afternoon at half three.”

“How did the meeting come about?”

A shudder seemed to run through the lady at the recollection. “I was visiting a friend and when I stepped out her door, a carriage was there on the street. I saw Percival inside.” For a moment, she seemed to ponder the memory, staring at the far wall before meeting his gaze again. “I should have walked away. Ignored him as Kit asked me to do, but I was foolish. I thought I could reason with him, though why…” A bitter breath of laughter escaped. “He had run roughshod over my wishes for months. But I got into the carriage as he bid me to, and he immediately rapped at the wall for the driver to move on.”

“Where did he take you?”

“Not far. He left the square where my friend resides, and I demanded he stop the carriage soon after. Once I’d climbed inside, he’d begun pleading. But he heeded my wish and signaled for the driver to stop.”

“You say he was pleading. Can you describe more of his demeanor and state of mind yesterday afternoon?”

She looked at Electra again, who merely offered an encouraging nod.

“He was quite cross. Angry and pleading. I told him it was the final time I would ever speak to him. I told him…” Her voice had begun to crack, and she drew in a long breath before continuing. “I told him that if cared for me at all, or ever had, that he would respect my decision.”

“And how did he respond?”

“He reached for me, but I pulled away and got out of the carriage. I walked away.”

It was, more or less, what Electra had described to him.

“I take it you did not hear from him again in the hours after that meeting. He did not try to seek you out again?”

She shook her head. “No, he made no further attempt.” When she looked up and held his gaze, she didn’t look sad or grief-stricken by that admission, and in the next moment, she released a shuddery breath that sounded a great deal like relief.