Lost Cause (A Daisy Dunlop Mystery ~ Book 1)

Chapter Eight

"But not you?"

Belinda shook her head. "Not at first. Not really. My feelings were more lust than love. I wanted a good time, and Tobias knew the in and outs."

Daisy chuckled. "I bet he did."

"I had no plans to marry into the landed gentry, even though Mummy would love to hobnob with the real upper crust. I think that's probably why Tobias and I lasted as long as we did. He knew I wasn't into him for his title, and he was happy to have a girl who would sleep with him despite who he was, not because of it. Tobias had a great sense of humor and appeared a little wayward, but I prefer my men rough around the edges. More like Mr. Dangerous."

The news that Solomon had declared his disinterest in women in general, and the blonde florist in particular, would be a disappointment to Belinda. However, Daisy would keep that information to herself, for now. No point in interrupting Belinda's walk down memory lane, or put her off track by telling her the bit of rough she had her eye on wasn't looking for some upmarket totty.

"Toby?" Daisy nudged.

Belinda sighed. "He turned out to be a little more than I expected."

"Really? What? In the trouser department?"

Belinda's coffee sloshed dangerously close to the edge of her cup as her body shook with laughter. Daisy rescued the cup and placed it back on the desk before she was called upon to perform an emergency clean-up of Belinda's pristine white pants.

The poor girl wiped her eyes and sucked in some air. "Criminy, you are so funny, Daisy."

"I am?" As far as Daisy was concerned she was just doing her job, asking questions.

"You are. Anyway, back to Tobias. I had no complaints about him in the trouser department, as you so eloquently put it, however, the brash, confident womanizer turned out to be something else altogether."

"What?" Daisy was on the edge of her seat.

"He was a very deep-feeling soul. His heritage hung around his neck like a millstone. The thought that someday he might inherit the family heap, as he called it, along with the responsibilities of being the Duke of Mardon depressed him deeply. He wanted to surf the beaches of Australia, trek through the Andes, drive the length of Route 66. He wanted to be free of the weight of his family's past."

"Why would he become the duke? What about Elliott?"

Belinda shrugged. "He never said anything more."

"So if he found out he was the rightful heir to the family throne do you think he would have run off to escape the whole thing?"

"I've got no idea. I only saw him once after he went up to Oxford. I met him for the day. He was busking in Leicester Square. It was during the summer holidays. He was dressed like a hobo and living in a squat, but he said he had never been happier. I took him back to my hotel room, and we ordered room service."

"And?"

"He was talking about dropping out. He'd got into a lot of causes like animal rights and gay rights. I think he saw himself as a modern-day hippie. I told him he was mad, but he said as long as he had his Strat he would always be happy."

"Strat?"

"Guitar. It was a white vintage guitar rumored to have been owned by Jimi Hendrix and autographed by Keith Richards. Probably worth a fortune, but life was never about money for Tobias."

"I guess when you've got plenty of money you can afford to be blasé about it."

Belinda smiled. "You think people born with silver spoons in their mouths don't worry about money?"