part0027

“ L et me guess, we cannot possibly travel in these clothes,” Tom said under his breath in response to Evie’s insistence they drive back to the Mayfair house.

When they arrived, Evie assured him, “It shouldn’t take as long this time. I’ll only be changing back into my traveling clothes. In any case, if we’re to make it back in time for dinner we should hurry and catch the next train.” As she strode into the house, she asked, “What will you do about your new motor car?”

“Edgar can take care of it.”

Could he, indeed? Striding up the stairs, Evie wondered what had been going on right under her nose. The thought kept her mind engaged throughout the half hour it took her to change into her traveling clothes.

“You’re very quiet,” Tom remarked as they made their way to the train station in a taxi.

“Oh, yes… I’ve been wondering about the stables we had converted for the motor car.”

“What about it?”

“Well, I wonder how many cars I would find there. You see, I’ve never set foot inside the stables.” For all she knew, Tom might be keeping a collection of cars and clothes for every occasion.

“King’s Cross Station,” the taxi driver announced.

Evie took care of the payment and Tom held the door open for her. She stepped out and looked up only to gasp. Grabbing hold of Tom’s sleeve, she said to the taxi driver, “One moment, please.”

She shoved Tom back inside the taxi and said, “Driver, follow that car.”

Tom looked around him and asked, “What? Who?”

Still holding on to his sleeve, Evie said, “I just saw Penelope emerging from a car.” With her free hand, she pointed ahead. “That one there.”

“We’ll miss our train,” Tom said under his breath.

“Never mind that. ”

“What do you base your hasty decision on?” Tom whispered.

“Penelope supposedly came to town to sort out her wardrobe. Yet, here she was being dropped off in a private car.”

Frowning, Tom asked, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to approach her on the train and ask her?”

“Oh, I suppose so.” Grinning, Evie added, “But this is more fun.” She tapped the front seat. “Driver, it’s making a turn. Don’t let it get away.”

“Anyone would think you’re reluctant to return to Yarborough,” Tom mused. “Are you afraid of upsetting Bicky with the bad news?”

“He can’t be upset by something he already knows. I suspect Penelope has also been made aware of the situation. Don’t worry, we’ll catch the next train. That car appears to be headed toward…” She looked around. “Driver, where are we now?”

“Knightsbridge.”

Evie tapped the driver’s seat again. “It’s slowing down. Now it’s turning.”

The taxi driver followed at a discreet distance. “You seem to have done this before,” Evie remarked.

“I’ve had some strange requests,” he agreed. He brought the taxi to a stop and pointed at the side of a house. “It’s going in there, into the carriage house. What would you like me to do? ”

Evie sat back. They needed to find out who lived in that house attached to the carriage house.

Sighing, Tom eased the door open. “The chauffeur is coming out to have a cigarette. I’ll go see if I can engage him in conversation.”

Evie watched him cross the street and approach the driver. “When he returns,” Evie told the driver, “drive half way down the street so the chauffeur doesn’t see him climbing into the taxi.”

Evie had never been a nail biter. Yet, she found herself nibbling the tip of her finger. The area of Knightsbridge remained exclusive to those who could afford to live there. It stood to reason, the owner would have to be someone of note.

Seeing Tom striding away from the chauffeur, Evie tapped the taxi driver on the shoulder. “You can move along a bit, just enough so the chauffeur doesn’t see us.” They wouldn’t want to make him suspicious in case he mentioned something to his employer…

When Tom climbed in, the taxi driver turned, his eyes brightening with interest.

“Drive on, please,” Evie said. “We need to head back to King’s Cross Station.” And she would have to practice some patience.

Evie fiddled with her small handbag. She opened it and closed it several times. Finally, she drew out a small book .

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tom leaning in and trying to read the title on the cover.

“It’s a new book… by a new author.” She showed him the cover. “F. Scott Fitzgerald. I picked it up before we left New York.” She settled down to read. Ten minutes later, she remained on the same page. Her eyes drifted to the top of the page. She must have read the name Amory Blaine a dozen times and each time she forgot she’d read it and every time she read it, she whispered, “Who is Amory Blaine?”

Finally, the taxi stopped outside the station.

“I’ll check the times for the next train,” Tom said, sounding almost relieved as he hurried on ahead.

Evie followed him at a sedate pace and met him at the station entrance.

“We’re in luck. We only have ten minutes to wait until the next train.”

“Meanwhile, you can tell me what you found out from the chauffeur.” She watched him chew the inside of his lip. Evie tilted her head. “Tom, does my small talk bother you?”

He shoved his hands inside his pockets. “Not exactly.”

“So, it does… somewhat.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.”

“Would you say you find it annoying?”

“No. It’s… quaint. But, since you mention it, when you whisper something, do you ac tually require a response? Because, if you do, I have no idea who Amory Blaine is.”

“Oh, that… No, I don’t require a response.” Evie perked up. “Now, can you tell me what you found out from the chauffeur?”

Tom raked his fingers through his hair.

“Yes, I feel I should apologize. Sometimes, my mind wanders and… Well, I do go off topic a bit. I wonder if I picked the trait up from Charlotte?” Seeing him frowning, she smiled. “I did it again. Please continue.”

“Alexander Fleshling.”

Evie gasped. “No! Bicky’s heir?”

“Yes. It’s his London house.”

“What could Penelope have been doing there?” she asked as they reached the platform. Half an hour later, as the train rocked and started on its journey, Evie still hadn’t managed to answer the question. “I fear the worst,” Evie said.

“And what might that be?” Tom asked.

“I always try to see the best side of people, but in order to make sense of this situation, I might have to abandon the practice and start thinking the worst.”

The Great War had shaken everyone’s lives and opened their eyes to the grimmer side of life, but somehow, people had found a way to move on.

Evie liked to think she had been lost in the darkness and now she had found her way to the light again. However, the events of the last couple of days had awoken something inside her. Suddenly, she understood Bicky’s cynicism.

“Someone is being motivated by self-interest,” Evie murmured. “When I first told Bicky about the incident on the road, he asked who stood to inherit. I’ve been so side-tracked I forgot to check up on my young charge.” Then again, he was surrounded by family retainers; with some claiming several generations of faithful service.

“Yes.” Evie held up her hand. “Before you jump to conclusions, I am once again being side-tracked. At the time, I wondered if someone new had come into Seth’s life, someone who might be trying to influence him.”

“Isn’t Seth Halton only seven years old?” Tom asked.

“Yes, and I feel guilty. I should be showing a greater interest in him.” She supposed Elizabeth hadn’t been the only one to go into deep mourning. Tilting her head, she added, “You are clearly well informed. Is there anything you don’t know about me?” Once again, her hand went up. “No, don’t answer that. It might make life awkward between us.”

The edge of Tom’s lip kicked up. “You were saying…? ”

“Oh, yes. Self-interest. Bicky has been on the right track all along. Who stands to benefit? That’s what we should have been asking all along, but the answer might not be as obvious as it seems.”

“If I had to guess, I’d say Penelope, Lady Hammond, stands to benefit the most.”

“Yes, I’d have to agree.”

His jaw muscle twitched. “I took a wild stab but you sound quite sure. Care to share your thoughts?”

“Give me a moment. I need to think about the ideas taking shape in my mind.” Evie closed her eyes…

Her eyes fluttered open and she scrambled to sit up. “I didn’t. Please tell me I didn’t fall asleep.”

“You closed your eyes,” Tom said. “About an hour ago. At first, I didn’t wish to interrupt your thinking process, but then it became obvious you had fallen asleep and it would have been too cruel to wake you up.”

Evie straightened. “Oh, I beg your pardon. I guess all the excitement tired me out.” She looked out the window.

“We’re nearly there,” he said.

Evie’s eyes widened. She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, no. It’s gone. I had a thought.” She tapped her forehead. “It came to me and then I woke up and… Now it’s gone.”

“Don’t worry. It will come to you.”

She sat back and tried to tease her mind into revealing the thoughts that had surged to the surface. “This has nothing to do with what I’m trying to remember.”

“Well, in case I forget, as I’m sure I will. Would you please remind me to check on Seth Halton? He is in safe hands, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. We need to pay him a visit and see how he is getting on. I receive regular reports but when Bicky asked who stood to inherit, I couldn’t help wondering if someone new had come into Seth’s life.”

“Yes, you mentioned that before you trailed off and fell asleep. So, you think someone new has come into his life and might be trying to influence him?” Tom asked.

“Yes, perhaps I should consider spending more time at Woodridge House.” At some point, she would need to realize no amount of time would suffice to make her memories fade.

She felt the train slowing down and saw the station appear. At one end, the station master kept a watchful eye on the platform. Porters hurried about. A chauffeur stood at attention. The times she had traveled to Yarborough by train, she had been met at the station by a Yarborough Manor chauffeur and she’d also had Caro to organize everything for her. Her arrival had always been filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing a friendly face. Now…

“I have the strangest feeling. Almost like the calm before the storm,” she murmured.

To Evie’s surprise, they drove back to Yarborough Manor in silence. However, as they drove through the village, Evie remembered Penelope’s telegram. Would they have discovered anything worth their while?

“Alexander Fleshling must have sent the telegram,” she mused.

“Are you about to suggest we sneak into Lady Hammond’s bedchamber to look for it?”

“Not we. One of us, but not both of us. Someone should make sure she doesn’t go upstairs while the other one searches her room.”

“If he did send the telegram,” Tom said, “I doubt he will have used his real name. Even if we manage to connect her to Alexander, what will that prove?”

“Collusion,” Evie declared. “They’re in on something… together.” She would have to speak with Bicky and tackle the difficult subject of his wife. If Clara had asked him for a divorce, he might have refused…

Evie shook her head. Clara would most definitely have asked for a divorce and he would most certainly have refused and that might have driven Clara to take drastic steps .

Tom cleared his throat. “Earlier, you felt sure Penelope wouldn’t risk anything getting in the way of the title. She must know her husband is having an affair and yet she chooses to turn a blind eye to it.”

“I was just playing around with the idea of Clara pushing for a divorce and taking matters into her own hands.” Evie tapped her chin in thought. “Yes, and that’s why she’s having an affair with Lord Hammond. They are both determined and have decided to kill two birds with one affair.”

Tom turned his focus to the winding road but Evie could sense him tossing the ideas around. When the road straightened, he said, “What would you do in Lady Hammond’s place?”

Evie’s unladylike snort made her laugh. “My apologies. I just entertained two images in my mind and one of them involved tar and feathers. If I had to wear Penelope’s shoes… I would definitely not lower myself to my spouse’s despicable level.”

“So, you would maintain your moral high ground.”

“Absolutely. My reputation would need to remain above reproach. It’s a woman’s lot in life but a necessary one. We always seem to be held to higher accountability.”

“It doesn’t seem to be bothering the Duchess. ”

“You have no idea how much I am struggling to understand her reasoning. She would have, if not killed, then maimed someone in order to win the coveted title. Why would she throw it all away now?”

“Are you thinking out loud or do you wish to hear my opinion?” Tom asked.

“If you have something to share, by all means, share it.”

“As I’ve said before, I am still a wildcatter at heart. The Duchess would put everything on the line only if she had more to gain.”