Read Online Royal Revels by Joan Smith - Free Book Online Page A

reputation. Such an admission would be more damaging to himself than to her,” he pointed cut.
    “Maybe he was drunk,” Deirdre suggested.
    “Very likely he was, but even so, he’d never blurt out such a thing, and certainly not at a public party. Prinney knows he’s unpopular and walks on eggs when he’s out in society.”
    “What are you going to do about it?” she asked.
    ‘‘I’ll pack Réal off to London to sniff around. He’ll enjoy a nice brisk voyage in the cold and snow. Upper Grosvenor Square she mentioned as Mrs. Lehman’s residence. He’ll speak to Mrs. Lehman and see if there is any five-year-old girl there as well.”
    “I had no idea you were so cynical, Dick,” Deirdre said, unconvinced.
    “A newborn babe would smell a lie there. It has all the earmarks of fiction. The facade of respectability, her being a widow with a chaperone but one who conveniently disappears when required. Haste is another feature; you notice she kept insisting on speed. She’s afraid something will blow up in her face, someone will recognize her, or some such thing. Then the claim of naïveté—that’s another pretty good sign. But she was experienced enough to get something in writing and to hold on to it. And, to cap it all, she comes from Cornwall, the farthest corner of the kingdom, so that checking her story is impossible in the short time she’s allowed us. What does confuse me is all that stuff Prinney gave her. Why the devil did he fill up his carriage with china and silver?” he asked, frowning at his fist.
    “It might have been more private to visit her house than to be seen in public. I wonder what little goodies she has hidden away in the boudoir,” Deirdre said, becoming convinced by Belami’s arguments. She was relieved that the woman’s beauty hadn’t blinded him to her character. If he were falling in love with Lady Gilham, surely he’d be at least a little blind. “I expect if I hadn’t been along you’d have seen the boudoir by now,” she added, with a cunning smile at him from under her lashes.
    “That’s a distinct possibility. I’d have a glass of wine in me, too.”
    “And is that why you were so reluctant for my company, so you could go to her boudoir?” Deirdre asked archly.
    “There will be more opportunities. You notice you were politely invited to refrain from returning, whereas I was asked.”
    “It was all very theatrical, as I consider it. Her pose there in the shaft of sunlight was very melodramatic, too. I wonder how she got a tear to form in only one eye.”
    “Maybe she’s only half a witch,” Belami joked. “Witches can’t cry, according to legend.”
    “I expect you’ll have to be in touch with McMahon,” she mentioned, her fears all assuaged now that she knew Belami had not fallen under Lady Gilham’s spell.
    “I’ll drop him a note. Investigating Mr. Smythe is my real chore. Lady Gilham was only a pretext to let me come down and snoop around. But I will check Gilham out. The real estate offices might be a good start. I’ll find out how long she’s been here and possibly where she comes from. I doubt it was Cornwall.”
    “Poor Lady Gilham doesn’t know she has an expert on her trail,” Deirdre said, not without sympathy. Whatever her true story might be, she was not in a pleasant situation.
    “My duties will keep me pretty busy, darling. I hope you don’t mind that I asked Pronto to take you and your aunt to the library this afternoon. I want to get busy and solve these cases, so we can arrange our wedding.”
    “In that case, how can I object?” she asked, perfectly satisfied. “Besides, I always enjoy Pronto’s company. Did you know he’s half in love with me?” she asked with a pert smile from the corner of her eyes.
    “Only half! I thought he had better taste. I made sure he was totally infatuated,” he joked, and finally took up her fingers in his, to make a little love during the remainder of the trip home. Peace was restored