I couldn’t carry out my investigation if I were sent back to London in disgrace, but he definitely didn’t sound like my anonymous letter writer.
Wonderful. That meant two people in this investigation had figured out I was trying to deceive them. And I didn’t know the identity of one of them.
“Besides,” he added, “what I’ll have you do will be easy enough for your tender sensibilities.”
His scornful tone on “tender sensibilities” told me he didn’t see me as a lady. I was only middle-class, but I was still insulted. “Did you put in motion the events that led to Mrs. Gattenger’s death?”
The smile crumbled from his face, replaced by anger blazing from his eyes. “I’m deeply sorry about Mrs. Gattenger. She was your cousin, wasn’t she? But Ken Gattenger lost his nerve when I asked him about the blueprints and said I’d go to the Admiralty Board.”
“What do you think happened?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Gattenger had doubts. He panicked and, in a fit of anger or cowardice, threw the plans in the fire. Probably planned to claim a burglar took them. Buy himself more time to correct his calculations while the hunt was on for his mythical burglar. Clara saw what he was doing and tried to stop him. What came next was a terrible accident.”
I raised my eyebrows. “‘Clara’?”
Sir Henry lowered his voice. “We were friends for many years. Clara was the kindest, brightest lady of my acquaintance. A true beauty. Her death is a great loss.”
The expression on his face told me everything I needed to know. “You were in love with her.”
He took a step away from me. “I admired her. She was married. There’s nothing else to say.” Sir Henry stomped to the other side of the railroad carriage.
She’d only been married for the past year. What had happened between Clara and Sir Henry in the many years before her wedding?
I walked over to where the baron was pouring himself a cup of coffee into a delicate china cup from a silver urn. “Ah, Mrs. Monthalf. I see you’ve suffered no adverse effects from stopping a robbery.”
“None, thank you. My cousin and I appreciated your taking us home in your carriage. That was very kind.”
“Not at all.”
“Have your guests departed?”
“My guests?”
“The Duchess of Bad Ramshed and her daughter.”
He gave one deep chuckle. “They weren’t my guests. Because they’re relatives of the kaiser’s wife, the embassy has a duty to smooth their journey. In the ambassador’s absence, it becomes my responsibility.”
“Does the duchess often need to have her journeys smoothed?”
“Did you meet her?”
“Yes. At Lady Bennett’s.”
He gave a wry smile as his diplomatic reply.
“Lady Bennett seemed to get along well with her.”
“Lady Bennett loves royalty.”
“She must be very useful when you have work to do and guests at the embassy.”
“She is indeed. Now, if you’ll excuse me?” He walked off with his coffee cup, leaving me to wonder how I’d be able to question someone who, as a diplomat, was so practiced at saying nothing.
The rail carriage began to shake and I took the chair next to Phyllida. “I’m sure in a little while the ride will be much smoother.”
“How long is this trip?”
Blackford crouched down facing her, keeping good balance despite the jolts that whipped through the carriage. “Two hours or a little more. Is there anything you require, Lady Phyllida?”
“Distraction.”
He smiled. “Are you familiar with the entire party who’ll be at Harwin’s estate?”
“Besides those in this carriage? No.”
“There’ll be a friend or two of the Harwins’ son from Oxford, one or two young ladies the same age as Harwin’s daughter, who was presented at court this past spring, and I imagine a few others. A bishop and his wife, perhaps, to keep us all on good behavior.”
“It sounds jolly. How close is the Marquis of Tewes’s estate?” Phyllida asked, holding the arms of her chair in a death grip as we rounded a bend in the tracks.
Blackford rested one hand on a chair arm to keep his crouched balance. “I believe the estates are adjoining. Have you been holding out on me, Lady Monthalf? You know more about where we’re going than I do.”
“Lady Ormond mentioned she was going there and that we’d be neighbors.”
“Is this also jolly?” the duke asked.
“Not if you’re visiting the marquis. Lady Ormond is an awful gossip.”
Blackford patted her hand. “Thanks for the warning. Ah, we seem to be running smoothly now. If you’ll excuse me?”
He rose and walked off with a grace I couldn’t help but watch. Phyllida cleared her throat.
I turned my attention to her. “Are you doing all right?”
“Yes, thank you. Lady Bennett has been watching you watch the duke. The evidence of your liaison is obvious.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one could mistake your gaze. Well done.”
I hadn’t been acting, but I wouldn’t tell Phyllida that. “Good,” I said with finality.
In a little while, Phyllida felt comfortable enough with the rocking of the train that I could walk over to sit on the couch with Rosamond Peters. “I feel cooler already,” she told me.
“I’ve come to love London, but it will be nice to spend a little time in the country. Is it always so hot this time of year?” Georgia Fenchurch knew it wasn’t, but this was just the sort of question Georgina Monthalf would ask.
“No. This heat wave has been far different from our weather the last few years. Tell me, where did you get the courage to chase after a robber? I’ve heard he knocked over your maid and stole some of your purchases, and you stopped him and had everything returned.”
I laughed. “Where did you hear that?”
“Lady Bennett.”
“Who heard it from the baron. He’s the real hero of the story. He came to Phyllida’s aid and gave us a ride home in his carriage once the excitement had passed.” I looked over to see the baron in close conversation with Sir Henry while Lady Bennett flirted outrageously with the duke. Could the baron and Sir Henry be taking this opportunity to discuss terms for Sir Henry to sell Germany the blueprints?
I mistrusted every conversation I couldn’t hear between our suspects. Finally, I turned back to Lady Peters.
She was saying, “But you chased down a robber? You ladies from the Far East are very brave.”
“I only had to chase him a few steps. He ran into a dead-end alley. All I had to do was stop him until the bobby came, and my maid did most of that.”
“How clever to have a useful maid. Minette would have expected me to save her.”
“You have a French maid? However did you manage that?” French maids were favored over English ones by anyone who could afford a lady’s maid.
“I have family who helped me arrange it.”
“Do you speak French?”
“Of course. Just as you must have learned to speak French in school. And now I guess you speak Chinese or some other Far Eastern tongue.”
I shook my head. No sense in getting caught in a lie over that. “I never managed to learn a word. I’m a dunce at languages.” Wanting to change the topic, I said, “You were carrying a hatbox when we saw you. It was a lucky thing you weren’t the one the robber attacked. You were on your own, having sent your maid back. You could have been hurt.”
“Do you think he was after hatboxes? How very odd.” Rosamond Peters studied the thick blue carpet at her feet as she spoke.
“I know he was. He said he was hired to steal hatboxes.”
She looked at me with a half smile. “Probably a rival milliner. They can be ruthless competitors.”
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.”
Rosamond Peters laughed at me. “Georgina, you are such a mistrustful soul.”