Sybil stared at the calendar with frustration. “I wish there was some possibility of poking around.”
Lady Eunice set down her glass of Madeira. “I can get us in.”
Chapter 4
Lady Eunice’s carriage drew up outside the Vanewrights’ Mayfair home at a quarter till three the following afternoon. Philippa was off with the Wynchesters, but Lady Eunice had managed to obtain an invitation to tea for herself and two of her friends: Sybil and Damaris.
Sybil tried hard to calm her nerves. Not only did Mme. Blanchet’s case possibly ride on her performance this afternoon, but also it was one of the rare times Sybil had entered an aristocrat’s home. Usually, her social calls were to other members of her reading circle.
Five years ago, she had met Florentia whilst browsing books at a lending library. Florentia had immediately invited her to join Philippa’s reading circle, which had changed Sybil’s life overnight. The other bluestockings felt like sisters, and their new entanglement with the Wynchesters only deepened their bond and increased their sense of purpose.
Today, Sybil was to get a good look at the Vanewright residence. If the missing Vauxhall dresses hadn’t been abandoned or destroyed, they should be somewhere under this roof. Sybil was counting on the creations being of too fine a quality to ruin. With luck, they were simply hidden somewhere on these premises—where Sybil could find them.
Presuming the Vanewrights were indeed the perpetrators, there was no way to know whether it was the mother or the daughter who had orchestrated the theft. Likely a hireling or two had been sent to do the actual deed.
They would have to search every room. Fortunately, twenty-five dresses took up significantly more space than an earring or a hairpin. There would be a limited number of places to hide contraband of that volume. She had made several lists of possible hiding spots, sorted by location and probability.
“Lady Eunice!” The viscountess kissed the air beside each of Lady Eunice’s cheeks. “Aren’t you looking splendid? And this is the brilliant Miss Urqhart. Well done with deciphering that code, darling.”
Damaris and Lady Eunice murmured their thanks.
Lady Vanewright turned to Sybil.
Sybil straightened her shoulders automatically and curtseyed in anticipation of a similar compliment. She was wearing one of her most flattering gowns: a neat, clean, perfectly cut, pale lavender round dress of thin jaconet muslin over a sarcenet underdress dyed a rich, deep violet. Though several years old, this gorgeous walking dress never failed to make Sybil feel beautiful, too.
The viscountess merely arched a thin brow, made a thin-lipped smile that was more of a grimace, and turned away. “This way to tea, then. Follow me, if you would.”
Sybil’s spirits fell. She had been dismissed after little more than a glance, just as she feared would happen at the Vauxhall ball, no matter how fine a dress Mlle. LaChapelle made for her. Sybil kept her eyes down so as not to see the sympathy and indignation in the eyes of her friends.
When they turned away, she swallowed hard and hurried to keep pace.
Soon, she was settled on a violet padded armchair around a square table near a big, bright window. Everything in the room was larger than necessary. A tall-case clock loomed against the far wall. High walls stretched up to a ceiling painted with an enormous fresco of chubby angels cavorting on fluffy clouds. The sofa was large enough to double as a bed. Even the cushions were so fat as to be almost unusable.
“…my kitten Athena is reliably discerning,” Lady Vanewright was saying. She lifted her eyebrows at Sybil. “I hope you won’t take it personally if she claws holes in your stockings.”
Sybil was wearing her stockings. Was she not supposed to take it personally if the viscountess allowed her cat to scoop holes in Sybil’s shins?
But Lady Vanewright was already onto a different topic, her attention having disappeared from Sybil like a drop of water on a frying pan.
Had the viscountess ever seen a frying pan? Or the inside of her own kitchen?
Sybil smoothed the fabric covering her lap and tried to hide her nervousness. Lady Vanewright’s opinions did not matter. Sybil hadn’t come here to chat. She’d come to search the premises. If there was reason for her to be anxious, it should be about that. What was Sybil supposed to do when she did find the hidden cache of clothing? Stuff them under her skirts? Toss them out a window? She had a list of potential escape routes for herself, but fleeing whilst laden down with dozens of dresses was another thing entirely.
Once she found the gowns, she’d wait for the Wynchesters to retrieve them, she decided. They always had a method for conducting heists of that nature… and a dozen contingency plans besides.
Now that Chloe had married a duke, the siblings’ new leader was their elder brother, the dashing Graham Wynchester. Graham was a talented acrobat who controlled spies in every corner of London. Tommy Wynchester was the cartographer of the family, and a master of disguise. Marjorie Wynchester was the artist. She could forge anything, and remember every detail of a room or an object by glancing at it once.
If trouble arose, Jacob Wynchester would use one—or dozens—of the trained animals in his eclectic menagerie to send messages or cause a distraction. Elizabeth Wynchester threw her voice and made eerily accurate impressions. The walking stick she carried held a sword inside, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.
It was no wonder people who had exhausted all other avenues for justice called upon the Wynchesters when they needed a miracle.
Philippa had said they were deuced busy at the moment, but once the Heist Club determined the location of the stolen frocks, the Wynchesters could steal them back in the blink of an eye.
Sybil need not be an accomplished thief to aid Mme. Blanchet. She simply needed to perform reconnaissance.
With her history of list-compiling and schedule-making, it felt as though Sybil had been training for this moment her entire life. Observing important details and making careful note of them were her two greatest talents.
Not that she could begin whilst under Lady Vanewright’s careful watch.
