Don't Look Back (11 page)

"I am not overbearing," he said through his teeth.

"Yes, you are. Indeed, it is no doubt such a natural condition for you that you do not even notice when you slip into that mode."

"I am merely attempting to instill some common sense into this situation."

"You are attempting to give me orders and I do not like it. Hear me well, sir." She leaned forward a little, putting her face close to his. "We are either equal partners in this venture or else I shall solve the case on my own. The choice is yours."

"You are, without a doubt, the most infuriatingly stubborn, willful woman I have ever met."

"And you, sir, are the most arrogant, dictatorial man of my acquaintance."

They glared at each other across the width of the desk for a long moment.

"Hell's teeth." Tobias straightened abruptly. An edgy expression simmered in his eyes. "You leave me no alternative. I am not about to let you take this case on your own."

She concealed a small sigh of relief. The unfortunate truth was that she had had only limited experience investigating murder. One case of it, to be precise, hardly sufficient to make her an authority in the field. She had a great deal yet to learn about her new profession, and Tobias was the only one who could instruct her in the fine points.

"It is settled, then," she said. "We are agreed that we will be partners in this affair."

"Yes."

"Excellent." She sat down quickly. "I believe the first step is to make a plan, is it not? As I recall, you are very fond of plans."

He did not move. "I am. I only wish that I had a plan that enabled me to deal more effectively with you, Lavinia."

She gave him a cool smile. "My, my. And here it was not long ago that you were holding me up as a paragon of female behavior suitable for Emeline to emulate."

"I cannot think what made me say such a thing. I must have taken temporary leave of my senses." He shoved a hand through his hair. "I find that happens frequently when I am in your vicinity."

She chose to ignore that. "About our plan, sir. It occurs to me that we must approach this puzzle from several different angles."

He rubbed his jaw, thinking. "You are right. There is the antiquity itself to be investigated. We must also try to discover the identity of the owner, the person from whom it was stolen."

"I have had some experience with the antiquities trade. I am acquainted with a number of persons who deal in relics. Rumors of the theft of an item as unusual as the Blue Medusa will no doubt be rampant by now. Why don't I make the inquiries in that direction?"

"Very well. You see to the legitimate shops and dealers. I will deal with the other sort." He started to pace. "Smiling Jack has any number of contacts among the criminal class. He will likely know this mysterious person who calls himself Mr. Nightingale. I shall ask him to arrange a meeting."

This was, she decided, the perfect opportunity to bring up a matter that she had been mulling over for several days. She cleared her throat delicately.

"Now that you raise the subject of your criminal connections," she murmured, "I may as well tell you that I have decided that it would be very helpful for me to become acquainted with your friend Smiling Jack."

"Out of the question. One does not take a lady into the Gryphon."

She had anticipated resistance, she reminded herself. "I could go in disguise, as you do, sir."

"And just how do you plan to disguise yourself?" His mouth curved grimly. "As a tavern wench?"

"Why not?"

"Absolutely not." He stopped smiling and gave her a narrow-eyed look. "I have absolutely no intention of introducing you to Smiling Jack."

"But I might need his connections myself one day. Only consider how efficient it would be if we were both able to contact him. It would not be necessary for you to be inconvenienced whenever the need to consult with him arose."

"Save your breath, Lavinia. There will be no introductions." He must have noticed her mouth opening again to further her argument, because he immediately raised his hand for silence. "I suggest we get back to business. If you are determined to pursue this new venture, we don't have time for one of our more spirited discussions."

"You are attempting to change the subject, sir."

"Not attempting, madam, I
am
changing it."

Much as she disliked admitting it, he was right. They did not have time for a quarrel. She subsided reluctantly, propped her elbows on the desk, and rested her chin on the heels of her palms.

"We could use some assistance," she mused. "I hesitate to say this, but I feel obliged to point out that this case provides both of us with an ideal opportunity to give our would-be apprentices a taste of this work."

Tobias came to a halt in front of her desk and met her eyes. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but she was quite certain she knew precisely what he was thinking. This deep sense of responsibility they had each assumed for the younger people who had been left in their care was something they had in common, she thought.

She smiled wryly. "You are no more eager to teach Anthony your trade than I am to instruct Emeline in the business, are you?"

He exhaled deeply. "This is not the career Ann would have chosen for him."

"But it was never Ann's decision to make, was it?" she said gently. "It is Anthony's choice."

"The same can be said of you and Emeline. Her choice of a profession is not yours to make."

"I know. It is just that I had hoped to establish her in the sort of life her parents wanted her to have. They naturally wished to see her safely and securely wed." She frowned. "Although I must admit that the sight of Oscar Pelling on the street the other day was a sad reminder that marriage is not always a safe, secure institution for a woman."

Tobias fixed her with a steady look. He said nothing.

His unwavering gaze made her uncomfortable for some reason. "Well, that is neither here nor there, is it?" She sat forward determinedly and pushed aside the piece of paper on which she had been making notes for the advertisement she planned to write. She reached for a pen and a fresh sheet of foolscap. "Please sit down, sir. It will be helpful if we outline our plan, will it not?"

"Perhaps." He sat down across from her. "In addition to determining the identity of the bracelet's owner, we need to learn more about Celeste Hudson."

She tapped the tip of the quill against the inkwell. "We can ask Howard some questions."

"No offense, Lavinia, but I'm not at all certain one could rely upon his answers."

"Are you implying that he would lie about her? Why would he do that?"

"If he is not a murderer, as you insist, then the best that can be said is that he was blind to his wife's true nature."

"You may be right on that last point," she said, "but he would certainly not be unique, would he?"

"No," Tobias admitted. "I doubt if most of the men in the ton know their wives any better. And vice versa."

"How do you propose to learn more about Celeste, in that case?"

He smiled thinly. "I shall do precisely what you suggested one ought to do when one sets about selecting a competent mesmerist or investigator. I shall consult her references."

"What references?" She suddenly recalled the conversation in the street two days earlier. "Oh, you mean the ones she mentioned in Bath? Lord Gunning and Lord Northampton?"

"Yes."

"Are you acquainted with them?"

"No. But Crackenburne will no doubt be familiar with them. If he is not, he will know someone who is acquainted with them."

"That reminds me. You have mentioned Lord Crackenburne on several occasions. He seems to be very useful to you."

"He knows virtually every gentleman in Society and a sizable number of those who hang around the fringes."

"I should like to make his acquaintance." She gave him her sweetest smile. "Surely you can have no objection to introducing me to him. As you just pointed out, he is a gentleman."

"I have no objection," Tobias said. "But it is unlikely to happen."

She stopped smiling. "Why not?"

"Since the death of his wife, Crackenburne hardly ever leaves his club. Which is what makes him so useful, of course. He hears rumors and gossip before anyone else does."

She glared. "He must go home sometime."

"Not that I've noticed."

"Really, Tobias, a man cannot
live
at his club."

"He can if he wishes. A club is a gentleman's home away from home."

"But—"

He glanced pointedly at the tall clock. "I do not believe that we have time for any more digressions, do you?"

She felt her jaw tighten but she knew that he was right. Reluctantly, she returned her attention to the piece of paper in front of her.

"Very well, sir," she said. "If you insist upon being rude."

"Of course I insist upon being rude. I have a talent for it." He sat forward and glanced absently at one of the papers she had moved aside. His eyes narrowed in a faintly puzzled expression.

"What's this?" he said, reading aloud.
"Superior and exclusive services provided to persons of quality who wish to commission private inquiries}"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I believe I mentioned that I intend to put a notice of my professional services into the papers. I am making a list of striking words and phrases that appear in advertisements." She reached for the sheet of paper he was examining. "That reminds me, there was a particularly effective bit of writing in this morning's paper. I had best jot it down before I forget it."

He frowned at what she had written on the sheet of foolscap. "I thought I made it clear that I do not recommend putting an advertisement in the papers. You will likely attract all sorts of odd clients. In our line we are better off relying upon word of mouth."

"You are free to operate your business in an old-fashioned manner if you wish, but I am determined to try a more modern approach to obtaining clients. One must do something to attract attention."

He angled his head to read another line.
"Confidential and effective devices for gentlemen of intrigue}'"

She studied the words with a sense of satisfaction. "I thought it had a very attractive ring to it. I especially like the phrase
gentlemen of intrigue.
It is very... well,
intriguing,
don't you think?"

"Very intriguing, indeed."

"Naturally, I do not wish to imply that I provide services only for gentlemen of intrigue."

"Naturally."

"I want to appeal to ladies also. I am thinking of substituting the phrase
persons of intrigue."
She paused as another notion occurred to her. "How does this sound?
Private and confidential services provided for ladies and gentlemen of intrigue."

There was an acute silence from the other side of the desk. She looked up sharply. The corner of Tobias's mouth was twitching. She knew that twitch, she thought. She did not trust it for a moment.

"Well?" she challenged. "What do you think of it?"

"I believe that I can almost guarantee that any advertisement patterned after the one in the morning paper aimed at
gentlemen of intrigue
will bring an extremely interesting assortment of clients to your doorstep," Tobias said.

"You have seen the notice?"

"Yes, I have, as a matter of fact. I paid close attention to it."

"Which only goes to prove that the wording is quite eye-catching." She hesitated. "Although I must admit that, in spite of the interesting turn of phrase, it is a bit difficult to determine the precise nature of the devices that the firm offers for sale, isn't it?"

"It is an advertisement for condoms, Lavinia."

Lavinia walked into the antiquities shop shortly after two o'clock that afternoon. Emeline was right behind her, brimming with enthusiasm for the task ahead.

Edmund Tredlow, a rumpled little man in wrinkled breeches and a poorly tied, unstarched neckcloth, paused in the act of dusting a statue of a lascivious-looking Pan and peered at them through the lenses of his spectacles.

"Mrs. Lake. Miss Emeline. How nice to see you both." He set aside the duster and hurried forward to bend over Lavinia's gloved hand. When he looked up, squinting slightly, there was a familiar gleam in his eye. Lavinia knew that the expression did not indicate admiration for her person, or even raw lust. It was the possibility of a spirited bout of bargaining that excited Tredlow.

"Good day to you, Mr. Tredlow." Lavinia retrieved her hand. "Emeline and I have stopped in to have a quick word with you, if you have the time."

"Have you got another antiquity to sell, then? I must confess, in spite of my misgivings, I was able to obtain a rather nice price for the Apollo you brought in a few weeks ago. The collector I managed to interest in the statue was extremely pleased with the quality."

"Fortunately, I do not, at present, find it necessary to sell any more of the excellent antiquities we brought back from Italy," Lavinia said smoothly. "But I would be grateful if you could give me the benefit of your considerable professional experience."

Tredlow looked immediately wary. "What, precisely, do you wish to know?"

Emeline gave him a stunningly brilliant smile. "My aunt has told me on several occasions that she is aware of no other dealer of antiquities in all of London who possesses as much knowledge of the market as yourself, sir."

Tredlow turned an odd shade of red. Lavinia's first horrified thought was that he had been struck by a fit of apoplexy. Then she realized that he was
blushing.
She stared in amazement, unable to take her eyes off the extraordinary sight.

"I have been in this line for a good many years," Tredlow stammered. "I like to think that I have learned a few things about the business."

"Indeed, that is obvious." Emeline looked around the shop with an expression of glowing admiration. "Such wonderful pieces you have for sale, sir. I vow, I haven't seen anything as nice as that collection of Greek vases in any other shop in Town."

"Only the finest here at Tredlow's." Tredlow fairly simpered. "I have a reputation to uphold, you know."