Read Online The Counterfeit Lady by Kate Parker - Free Book Online

smile.
    He reached inside his coat pocket for his wallet, his jaw raised pugnaciously. “Twenty-four, ten, and sixpence. That’s my final offer.”
    Since that was ten and sixpence more than I expected, I began to wrap his purchase. At that moment, Sumner came into the shop. After a nod to me, he walked over to wait until Emma was available.
    Emma and I finished with our customers at the same time, and I crossed the shop to talk to Sumner. “What’s happened?” I whispered.
    “I met with Jacob at a pie shop this morning before starting time in the records room. He’s been in the Admiralty records room three days, and already he can eliminate most of his coworkers. There’s one who’s been teased about his sudden financial improvement, but he won’t say where the money came from. Makes a joke about it. Jacob is trying to pin him down, but so far he’s been cagey.
    “Sir Broderick sent me over to fill you in and to ask if you need any help. I’m not to meet with Jacob again until the day after tomorrow.”
    “You’ll have to come to our house in Mayfair. We’ve been summoned to begin that part of the investigation this afternoon,” I told him.
    “What reason do I give for calling at a house in Mayfair?” Sumner asked.
    “Play the role of my gentleman caller,” Emma said. “I think Phyllida and Georgina will be lenient employers, as long as I get my work done.”
    I nodded. “Good idea.”
    Emma and Sumner grinned like a couple of kids given a holiday. Even the scarred side of Sumner’s face showed a hint of a smile.
    The bell over the shop door rang and, seeing Frances was busy, I went to greet our new customer. When I glanced over a few minutes later, Sumner and Emma were carrying on a hushed conversation, using hand gestures for emphasis. I couldn’t tell what they were discussing, but Emma did not look pleased.
    We’d finished with our customers by the time Phyllida reappeared with a holdall. Frances wished us well and told me she could handle the rest of the day in the shop by herself. Emma took Phyllida’s bag and they walked outside. After hurried last-minute instructions to Frances, I followed them and flagged down a hire carriage that looked reputable. The inside had been swept recently and the seats weren’t torn, so we wouldn’t look out of place when we arrived in Mayfair.
    The house the duke and Phyllida had chosen was on a quiet side street, its brick front measuring four windows wide on the floors above the entrance. We walked up the three front steps rising over the kitchen entrance, Emma taking the holdall. The front door was opened by a young man in livery. “Welcome, your ladyship.”
    Phyllida smiled at him. “Thomas, our cousin Mrs. Monthalf has arrived. Georgina, this is our footman, Thomas. You’ll meet the rest of the staff shortly. Emma, if you’ll take the case upstairs to Mrs. Monthalf’s room. Second door on the left. I hope you’ll like it, Georgina.”
    “I’m sure I will. Everything’s been a bit overwhelming since I arrived.”
    “Prepare to be even more overwhelmed. We’re attending Lady Francis’s musical evening tonight, and her entertainments are always inspiring.”
    All this conversation in front of the staff was a trial if you weren’t born to that world, and I wasn’t. At home, I never had to deal with cleaners and tradesmen, because Phyllida handled all that for me while I was in the bookshop. Now we’d have servants around all the time. What did the wealthy do during the day if they weren’t working, while their servants kept busy around them? “May I see the house?”
    “Of course.” Phyllida took me on a guided tour of the ground floor (dining room and morning room) and the first floor (main parlor and back parlor/study), and then we climbed to the second floor. Her bedroom was next door to mine, also facing the street, but smaller. Mine had the dressing room that led to the back room where Emma would sleep. This high up, with all the