He cursed again, found his shirt, then quick-stepped barefoot across the cold floor into the adjoining office as I buried my head into the warm covers.
I made out enough words to know that he was speaking with my great aunt.
It seems that she was out and about Sussex Square, performing her morning routine of briskly walking about thegardens—part of her new routine to ward off the infirmities of old age and build her stamina. And before first light! It had to be against some law or rule.
She had spoken of a trip to Switzerland the coming year and was preparing to hike the Alps, something I hoped to persuade her against. All things considered I was not prepared to send her off in that longboat any time soon.
Brodie appeared at the doorway. “Her ladyship has some information.”
Since I had only limited items of clothing at the flat, I wrapped the top blanket around myself and dragged it with me as I went to his desk.
“There you are, dear,” Aunt Antonia greeted me. “Do forgive the early hour of the morning. I hope that I was not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all,” I assured her as Brodie returned and took the chair across. He now wore his trousers and an irresistible frown.
“I spoke with Edward last night, that is Sir Laughton,” she began.
I knew Sir Laughton, her attorney, quite well. He had assisted Brodie and I in past matters. He had a thorough experience with the law and was held in high esteem by his peers, as well as my great aunt.
He had represented her in various legal matters including the appropriate documents for her to purchase the building on The Strand that she had then signed over to Brodie. She had declared, at the time, that she needed to do it before it slipped her mind or she took that final voyage in that Viking longboat.
However, it was the first time she referred to her attorney asEdward.It did seem as though there might be something there.
“I gave him the details of the situation,” she continued. “He is quite well acquainted with Lord Salisbery and Sir Huntingdon and suggested that a formal note might be helpful. Especiallyregarding a legal aspect to do with obstructing an investigation or something like that, along with a directive that you are to be contacted immediately.
“Not to mention the gossip any reluctance on his part would cause. He thought that might take care of the matter and promised to dash off that formal request first thing this morning and have it delivered to you.”
Her voice grew faint, and I thought we might have lost the connection amid much background noise.
“Lily has asked if she might join you when you make your observations of the body. Now, I must return to my hiking. Do say hello to Brodie.”
And in keeping with her habit of simply leaving the call, I heard the clunk of the earpiece as she walked away.
“Mikaela?”
I recognized Lily’s voice.
“I would like very much to join ye and Mr. Brodie when ye go to inspect the body.” She waited expectantly before continuing.
“I have seen bodies before, and I’m no sissy pants to faint away at a little blood and a few bruises.”
“I know you are not,” I replied. “It’s only that a mortuary is hardly the place for a young lady.”
“Nor an older one?” she retorted.
I tried once more to dissuade her. “It can be quite gruesome.”
“Loss of a limb? Worse? It’s not as if I haven’t seen that sort of thing before.” She argued. “Ye see a lot of that on the streets.”
She had me there.
The call ended with Lily demanding a promise from me that we would let her accompany us to the mortuary where young Huntingdon’s body had been taken.
“Congratulations, most commendable, Miss Forsythe,” Brodie commented. “I expect to find her on our doorstep before mid-morning.”
It was actually much closer to noon when Lily appeared on the landing to the office. She had dressed appropriately for the visit that had been arranged after Sir Laughton’s note was sent to Sir Robert Huntingdon.
“You have today,” the note we received said. “The lying-in period at the Huntingdon residence is to begin tomorrow,” Sir Laughton had informed us less than an hour earlier.
