“Wot might this be?” she asked as she scanned the few entries I had made.
As I watched she seemed to be attempting to figure out what I’d written, and I realized that she had some ability there.
She attempted the Mainwaring name, more or less with some success then looked over at me.
“Wot is that?”
“It’s the name of our client.”
“And this?” she pointed to a note I’d made just below Amelia Mainwaring’s name. “Dead?”
More than a modicum of reading ability, I realized, or at least enough to get her by on the streets of Edinburgh.
I nodded as I settled the bag with our costumes alongside the desk, and then pulled off my gloves. I caught the look Brodie gave me.
“And this word?” she attempted to sound it out. “Mur… der…”
Hmmm. This was going to be a bit more difficult than I originally thought.
“I need to speak with ye,” Brodie said then. He glanced toward the adjacent room as Lily began to chatter about the party that night and the costume that my aunt had provided her.
“I need to be on me way,” Mr. Dooley said and then added a parting message to Brodie. “Be careful, sir. He’s in a bad temper since the second man you questioned told him about it.”
By that description, I had no doubt who he was referring to as I accompanied Brodie into the bedroom. He closed the door.
“Do ye think it wise to bring the lass here?”
“It seemed the better of two possibilities as everyone at Sussex Square had departed for the Grosvenor,” I explained. “I didn’t care for the idea of simply leaving her with the servants. And we did have quite a good time of it with the costumes,” I added.
“Costumes?”
“My aunt’s party tonight at the Grosvenor,” I reminded.
“Party?”
Oh dear. We were down to communicating with one word at a time. I knew what that meant. As I said, I suspected that he would rather take a bullet than attend.
“She is expecting you to attend,” I told him.
“Her ladyship.”
Two words. “Lily is expecting it.”
“I suppose ye promised that I would go.”
“Not precisely.”
He made one of those familiar sounds and I thought it best to move the conversation along.
“I had a very productive afternoon.” It was always best to keep it to the other matter at hand— our client. “What were you able to learn from your conversation with the two constables?”
“I know what ye’re doin’,” he replied.
“Apparently something interesting that has Abberline in a fit?”
“Ye can be the most aggravatin’ woman…”
“I do try,” I then proceeded to tell him what I had learned. As I said, moving the conversation away from any objections about attending the party.
