Joan’s ballroom glowed with the massed lights of three huge chandeliers. The gowns of the ladies were sprinkled about in the crowd like so many brilliant jewels. Musicians situated on the gilded balcony that surrounded the interior of the chamber poured music down on the scene.
He caught sight of Emeline on the dance floor. She was in the arms of a young man he did not recognize. Anthony would not be pleased.
That observation made him wonder where Anthony was at that moment. Fetching lemonade, no doubt.
“Our hostess is waiting for us.” Vale looked toward the foot of the gilded staircase, where Joan waited to receive her guests. “Shall we go down?”
Tobias glanced at Joan. It struck him that there was something different about her tonight. Before he could decide what it was that seemed out of the ordinary, he heard his name called softly behind him.
“Tobias.”
He turned and saw Anthony hurrying toward him along the balcony.
“Tobias, wait, I must speak with you.”
Vale cocked an inquiring brow.
“Go down,” Tobias said. “Joan is waiting. I will join you later.”
Vale nodded and slowly descended the staircase, never looking away from Joan.
Anthony arrived at Tobias’s side. He was properly attired for the ball, but he had a rushed air about him. His hair was damp from the fog. Excitement glittered in his eyes.
“Are you just now arriving?” Tobias frowned. “Thought you planned to come early in order to intimidate as many of Emeline’s admirers as possible.”
“I found her,” Anthony said, excitement and triumph reverberating in the words.
“I just saw her myself, a moment ago. She is on the dance floor. Anthony, is there something odd about Mrs. Dove tonight?”
Anthony looked briefly distracted. “In what way?”
“I’m not certain. She appears different to me for some reason.”
Anthony glanced past him to the foot of the steps. “She is wearing a blue gown.”
“Yes, I can see that. What does that have to do with my question?”
Anthony grinned. “This is the first time she has not appeared in mourning.”
“Ah, yes. Vale looks quite pleased, does he not?” He turned around. “What was it you were saying?”
“The streetwalker. The one Pelling has been amusing himself with here in Town. I found her.”
“Why the devil didn’t you say so?” Tobias felt all his senses sharpen. “Did you speak with her?”
“No. I was just about to leave my club to come here tonight when I found a boy waiting for me in the street. He had a message from one of the prostitutes I questioned. I’m late because I had a hard time finding her.”
“On a night like this the women don’t like to be out on the street unless they have no choice.”
“She met me in a tavern. Said the name of the woman we’re looking for is Maggie, and she gave me an address.” Anthony grimaced. “For a price, of course.”
“Where does Maggie live?”
“She has a room in Cutt Lane. Do you know it?”
“I know it.” Tobias could feel the old, familiar sense of certainty running through him, a pulse of energy just beneath the surface. He clapped Anthony’s shoulder. “Well done. Enjoy yourself with Miss Emeline. I’m off.”
Some of Anthony’s enthusiasm dimmed. “You’re going to talk to the woman now?”
“Yes.”
“Can’t you wait until later?” Anthony started to look uneasy. “Mrs. Lake is expecting you to put in an appearance here at Mrs. Dove’s ball. When she sees me, she will ask about you. What do you suggest I tell her?”
“Tell her that I was delayed at my club.”
“But-”
“Don’t worry,” Tobias said. “She will not question you. Being delayed at one’s club is a gentleman’s universal excuse. It is appropriate to all occasions and all circumstances.”
“I’m not sure Mrs. Lake will agree.”
“You fret too much.”
Tobias turned and made for the door before Anthony could come up with more objections.
Outside, he discovered that the fog was thickening rapidly. The heavy stuff seemed to absorb the bright lights of the house and reflect them back in an impenetrable wall of glowing mist. He could no longer make out the small park in the square.
A line of hackneys waited at the end of the row of expensive private carriages, the drivers hopeful of picking up stray business. He chose one and gave the coachman instructions to take him to Cutt Lane as quickly as possible.
His leg protested sharply when he got into the carriage. The damp night was taking its usual toll, he reflected. He dropped down onto the seat, closed the door, and absently rubbed his aching thigh.
Annoyed that the coach was not yet in motion, he reached up to rap on the roof to signal his impatience.
The vehicle’s door slammed open without warning. He looked down and saw Lavinia, dressed in a deeply cut purple gown. She looked like an avenging goddess. His own personal Nemesis, he thought.
“Hand me up, if you please, March. Wherever you are going, rest assured that you are not going there alone. You seem to make a habit of forgetting that we are partners.”
Chapter Twenty-six
She could see at once that he was not pleased, but she chose to ignore his opinions. She was not in the best of moods herself.
She sat down and watched him shut the carriage door. The vehicle rumbled forward. Tobias unfolded the blanket that lay on the seat and tossed it to her.
“You’d better use this to keep warm,” he muttered. “That gown was obviously not designed to be worn outside an overheated ballroom.”
“If you had not been in such a hurry, I would have taken a moment to fetch my cloak.”
She was relieved to discover that the blanket was relatively clean. Quickly, she pulled it around her shoulders and was immediately grateful for the warmth. Tobias lounged in the corner, watching her with narrowed eyes.
“I was waiting for you on the balcony,” she said in response to his unspoken question. “I saw you and Vale enter and then I saw Anthony stop you. A moment later you turned and left. I knew at once that you were leaving to follow some clue. Where are we going?”
“I am on my way to meet a streetwalker named Maggie,” he said without inflection. “For your information, she has nothing whatsoever to do with the Medusa affair.”
“Rubbish. Do not expect me to believe that bit of nonsense. Why else would you go chasing off on a night like this to talk to a streetwalker, if not to pursue-”
She broke off abruptly, her jaw dropping in shock when it occurred to her that there certainly was a reason why a gentleman might take a hackney to visit a prostitute. A terrible pain uncurled like a serpent deep inside her. It was followed by a hollow, utterly numb sensation. She sat there, staring at Tobias, unable to speak.
“No, my sweet, that is not why I am off to visit the light-skirts. Surely you know me well enough by now to be certain of that much, at least.”
Relief flooded through her. Of course Tobias would not resort to a prostitute. He would not betray her. What was the matter with her? She reined in her scattered senses with an effort of will. Still feeling flustered, she tightened her grip on the blanket.
“Tell me what this is about, Tobias. I have every right to know.”
He contemplated her in silence for such a long time that she began to think he might not answer her.
“You are correct,” he said at last. “You do have a right to know. The long and the short of it is that I have been told that this woman named Maggie has been entertaining Pelling during his stay here in Town.”
She was so surprised she could only look at him rather blankly. Not an attractive expression, she reminded herself.