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Westfield explained "The tenant you know as Mrs Vanessa Pennington is, in truth, Miss Vanessa Chilcott Bond suspected Miss Chilcott of intending to use her business relationship with you to create a financial liability on your part"
Eliza felt oddly still inside, her thoughts strangely quiet She wondered if it was shock she felt or sination The nature of the Chilcott brood ell-known to her, but she’d thought herself beyond their avarice since her
"Such as a fire on the property," she said without inflection "If I was neglectful as a landlord or deliberately failed to address a safety issue in the building, she ht have a claiht pay a handsos out of the courts"
A cold fury er be likely to occur once I marry Hence the need for her to act before the vows are spoken"
As they neared Peony Way, they found the street blocked off by wagons set perpendicular to the flow of traffic Thick, black smoke mushroomed into the air and burned her airways Eliza withdrew a kerchief froainst the lower half of her face
They alighted froe at the makeshift barrier and traversed the rest of the distance on foot, pushing their way through crowds of onlookers who fought tenaciously to retain their vantages Westfield led the hile Aaron brought up the rear, bothonly moderately successful
When they neared the charred storefront, they found their way i on behalf of Eliza’s insurance coe She explained who she was, her eyes on the building’s façade Allowed to pass through, she searched the sea of people clogging the immediate area and spotted Jasper’s tall frame
"There" She pointed
Westfield caught her elbow and shepherded her closer When they were only a few feet away, the crowd parted and a cleared path appeared, revealing Jasper standing by Mrs Penning--Miss Chilcott The woed and covered in ash Her blond hair was darkened by soot, as was her face, which had a swelling bruise around her left eye The resemblance to Eliza’s stepfather was so obvious, it would be i attention, which Eliza hadn’t been when they’dspent with Jasper in the close confines of his carriage, followed by his entrance into the Pennington shop so swiftly on the heels of her own had kept her too preoccupied to pay any mind to the other woman
It was a testa in her disheveled condition Westfield faltered slightly when she turned toward thes in an audible rush
"Eliza" Jasper did not appear to be overly surprised to see her "Why did I know you wouldn’t heed caution and stay hons of injury He was dirty with ash and soot, as if he’d been in the building as well, but he didn’t appear to be hurt
She turned her attention to the wo beside him "Miss Chilcott"
Vanessa Chilcott’s blue eyes were red-rimmed and somewhat vacant She replied in a painfully hoarse voice "Miss Martin"
"What happened here?"
Jasper had begun to reply when a fireman approached
"The fire is contained," the man said "We found the body and a can of paraffin oil, just as Mrs Pennington described"
"Body?" Eliza felt ill "Dear God…Soht in the fire?"