That was not lost on me, as I had done that very thing, a few years older than Lily, but nevertheless…
“Or?” I inquired, most definitely uneasy about that possibility. Being a guardian most certainly had its drawbacks.
“Or,” he continued, “ye might consider allowing her to pursue one of our cases. She does have a mind for details, good instincts from her own experiences, and spirit.”
I knew that he was right. I could not simply leave Lily at Sussex Square where I knew she was safe and well-cared for, much like a favored pet. She most certainly had a mind of her own and would not hesitate to take herself off on some folly that could cause her harm.
“I will speak with her after our present inquiry, about perhaps assisting us from time to time on some of our simpler cases.”
“She has already assisted us,” he set me to my feet and went to the wall beside the chalkboard where I had tacked up both our drawings of that mark on young Huntingdon’s body.
“It couldna hurt to have her part of it now. If ye were to wait, she might decide to conduct her own investigation and get into some mischief.”
The wisdom of the Inspector of Police that he had once been?
“You are right, of course,” I replied with resignation.
The question was: what might that be.
I frowned. “I’ve been thinking that we do need to speak with the staff at the club where the son of Lord Salisbery was murdered. Someone there might have seen something as he was leaving.”
“Go to White’s? With Lily?”
“We would undoubtedly be refused entrance to the club, considering that it is for gentlemen ‘only,’” I replied. “It could be an important lesson for her regarding some of the aspects of our cases.”
I could see the objection in the way that dark gaze narrowed.
“A perfect suggestion for her to participate,” I decided. “In the meantime, you can make inquiries with the Salisbery’s personal physician who attended the young man before he wastaken to the mortuary at St. James’s.” We had discussed that on our return from that place.
“There might be something the physician noticed about the body that could be helpful,” I went to the wall beside the chalkboard and studied the two drawings.
There was most definitely something peculiar about the marks. They were identical—Lily was the first to notice it. I couldn’t help but think that I had seen something very similar.
We stayed the night at the flat next to the office. We rose early and I made a telephone call to Sussex Square to invite Lily to join me to call on White’s private club. Even though I had little confidence that we would learn anything and might even be turned away. Such was the hallowed domain of gentlemen-only clubs around London.
She was to meet me at the townhouse, and we would continue from there.
Brodie had obtained the name of the physician who had attended to the son of Lord Salisbery when his body was discovered after the brutal murder that had occurred after he left White’s.
Before I departed, Brodie handed me the note we had received from the Prince of Wales, requesting that we make inquiries into the matter with all due haste. It might assist in obtaining entrance into those hallowed walls.
We agreed to meet back at the office after our inquiries.
“Dinna let Lily go off by herself in the place,” he cautioned. “Though I doubt there is anything she might see that would be surprisin’, considerin’ where she lived in Edinburgh. Still, with wot ye’ve taught her, along with her skill with a sword and other weapons, I wouldna want anyone to be run through for an inappropriate gesture.”
Lily arrived promptly at the townhouse. I was somewhat surprised to see that she was accompanied by Munro. It appeared that she was not pleased.
“As if I am a child that needs an escort to make certain that I arrive safely,” she had commented after being safely delivered. “I did not dare tell him where we were going. He would have accompanied us!” she added.
Instead, she “might have mentioned” that we were to go shopping at Harrod’s and then have luncheon. He did look at me with some suspicion.
“He is verra much like an old woman.” She shook her head after he left, that Scots accent from the streets of Edinburgh slipping through as it did when she was upset over something, or someone.
White’s Club was at St. James’s, on the near end of the street from where we were at the mortuary the day before.
It was imposing from the outside, set back from the street, five-stories of white cut stone with a slate roof, and occupied the double address of 37-38 St. James’s Street.
It was an exclusive club for gentlemen of society and rumored to have membership that included several members of Parliament and the Prince of Wales. However, that was not precisely known as that information was not for public knowledge.
