Clearly, she was no better at lying than Fancy was.
“I…see,” Knight said, giving her a strange look.
Luckily, the other husbands materialized at their wives’ sides, providing a welcome distraction. Ransom, a dashing fellow with a short beard and mustache, apologized to the group, saying that he had a dancing emergency…and whisked his duchess off to the dance floor.
“I saw you ladies laughing uproariously,” Mr. Kent said to Tessa. “Care to share, sprite?”
“We were just gossiping, that’s all,” Tessa said blithely.
“I thought you were talking about puppies?” Knight lifted his brows.
“Amongst other topics, none of which were of consequence,” Tessa evaded deftly. “Gentlemen, now that we have you here, how goes the investigation of Fancy’s origins?”
Fancy had to hand it to Tessa: the lady knew how to take a situation in hand.
Mr. Garrity spoke first. “My men have located three Charleys who worked the streets of St. James’s. One recalled that a child went missing from a well-to-do merchant around the time in question, but the child was a boy.”
“We’ve had disappointing results in St. George Hanover Square,” Mr. Kent said, his bespectacled gaze somber. “Finding those Charleys takes leg work. When we do find them, I cannot tell if their reporting is reliable or if they are making up a story to get some coin.”
“That is because you’re honest, darling,” his wife said. “I can always tell when someone is lying.”
“Takes one to know one?” Mr. Kent said dryly. “Should I be worried?”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “I would never lie to you, of course.”
Fancy had to giggle at Mr. Kent’s long-suffering look.
Lips twitching, Knight said, “The Charleys we located in Piccadilly didn’t recall anything useful either. On the bright side, my guards have been keeping a close watch, and they’ve seen nothing suspicious and no signs of threat to Fancy.”
“That is good news,” Mr. Kent said. “And I also spoke with my brother Ambrose. He’s consulting with his Bow Street Runner contacts, and I should hear back from him soon.”
“Maggie told us her gardener identified the flower on Fancy’s christening gown,” Tessa said. “He thinks it is a species of rhododendron, due to the shape of the petals and number of stamen.”
“Interesting, but not enough to lead us anywhere,” Mr. Garrity said. “We’ll keep interrogating the Charleys. At present, however, I believe I will claim my wife for this waltz.”
He held his arm out to Gabby, who gazed dreamily at him as they headed to the dance floor.
“Chérie?”Knight’s eyes smiled at Fancy, and he was so handsome that her heart hurt. “May I have the pleasure of a second waltz?”
She nodded mutely and took his arm.
Behind her, she heard Mr. Kent say, “Well, my dear, if you can’t beat them…”
“Let’s join them,” his wife replied with a laugh.
31
LeavingMaggie and Ransom’s ball that night, Fancy felt like she was floating on air. The waltz still played in her head, and she hummed along as they exited the gracious townhouse with Jonas, Cecily, and Aunt Esther.
“Did you enjoy the evening, sweeting?” Knight asked.
“I did,” she said. “Especially dancing with you.”
“The pleasure was mine.” His eyes soft as smoke, he said, “Wait here. I’ll see where our carriage is.”
Leaving her and their family in the care of guards, he headed out into the foggy cobblestone street crammed with vehicles.
“That went passably well I thought,” Aunt Esther remarked.
