“I’ll get you there,” Benedict said.
He moved through the crowd, an implacable force of nature, drawing her along in his wake. When they reached the far side of the throng, he stopped in front of a discreetly shadowed hallway.
A maid appeared. She bobbed a quick curtsy.
“The ladies’ withdrawing room, please,” Amity said.
“I will escort you, madam.” The maid turned to move down the hall. “This way, please.”
Once again Amity pushed the mask up onto her head and pulled up her hood. She started to follow the maid. Benedict put a hand on her arm.
“I’m coming with you,” he said.
The maid halted and turned quickly. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, no, sir, I’m sorry, sir, but it is the ladies’ room. You cannot go in there.”
“She’s right,” Amity said. “Wait here. I’m sure this won’t take long.” She looked at the maid. “Which door?”
“The one on the right at the end of the hall, madam.” The maid moved forward again.
Amity left Benedict standing in the hall and hurried after the maid. The woman opened the door for her and stood aside.
Amity stepped into an elegantly appointed sitting room. The door closed behind her. She had just concluded that she was alone and was wondering if she had come to the right location for the meeting when the door on the far side of the room opened.
A figure draped in a hooded domino, her face covered with a full mask, stepped out. She had a pistol in one hand.
“Good evening, Leona,” Amity said.
The figure in the domino froze.
“What?” Amity said casually. “You didn’t realize that we knew you were the one who stole the notebook?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Leona pushed back the hood of the domino and removed her mask. “Give me the necklace.”
“Since this place is obviously not the ladies’ room, I’m assuming you paid the maid to bring me here?”
“I told her I wanted to surprise you.” Leona’s hand tightened on the gun. “Where is the necklace?”
“I’m wearing it, of course.”
“Not any longer. It’s mine.”
“Where is the Foxcroft notebook?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? I didn’t bring it with me. I will send word to tell you where to find it after I am safely out of the country.”
“Of course you will.” Amity smiled. “You’re a liar and a thief and quite capable of using your brother’s murderous tendencies for your own benefit. Did you take Virgil with you to Hawthorne Hall so that he could perform the messy work of cutting Mrs. Dunning’s throat? Or did you handle it all yourself?”
Leona raised her brows. “You know about my connection to Virgil? I’m impressed. You have been busy. Yes, I am his long-lost sister. Dear Papa threw me into an orphanage after my mother—his mistress—died giving birth. Mrs. Dunning fired up her blackmail scheme shortly thereafter, but she was content with small payments. I suppose Papa found it easier to pay her than to get rid of her and risk the scandal that might occur if he became involved in a murder investigation.”
“When did you discover the truth about your father?”
“When I turned sixteen. Dunning sent most of the girls away as soon as they were old enough to work as governesses. Except me. She offered me a post as a teacher at the orphanage. I declined. I knew I could do much better out in the world. But her offer made me curious. I went through her records and discovered her blackmail scheme. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover that I had a half brother. I forced Mrs. Dunning to make me a partner in her extortion scheme. The first thing I had her do was raise the price, of course. She was not charging Papa nearly enough for her silence.”
“When did you realize that your half brother was a murderer?”
“Not until his wedding. We had become quite close before that, however, although his mother was not aware of it. I was aware of his various hobbies. Let’s just say that I was not the least bit surprised when his bride suffered a fatal and rather bloody accident on her honeymoon. By then, of course, I had begun my career as an espionage agent. It occurred to me that Virgil might come in handy one day. The problem is that—like a bullet or an arrow—once he had been fired he was rather difficult to control.”
