Chapter 46

“Which means Uncle Jeff deliberately let the British agent seize his gun.” I returned to my bedroom to retrieve my tux jacket.

“Precisely,” Mother said as I rejoined her.

“Why would he do that?”

“Did Bart mention any names?” Mother asked.

“James Trevalyan.” I put on my jacket.

“Ah. That explains it. He was an acquaintance of your uncle’s, and as a matter of fact, he was the one I called when Jefferson went missing that time.”

“Was he a… close acquaintance of Uncle Jeff’s?”

“A lover, do you mean? No. He knew him through Ludovic, who had gone to school with him. From what I was given to understand, James Trevalyan had been involved with his partner since they’d been at university, and although women and men flung themselves at him—and still do, he’s very attractive and well-to-do as well as the possessor of a fairly old title—once he’d met Jeremy Waters, he never looked at anyone else. Of course all this was very hush-hush.”