Fi’s gaze veered heavenward. “Just refrain from touching things. Recall what happened here the last time.”
“How was I supposed to know that the canon was loaded?” Glory grumbled.
Nonetheless, she left the bottle alone, the rest of them exhaling with relief.
“While we’re waiting,” Livy said, “tell us what you discovered in Hertfordshire, Pippa.”
Pippa summarized the findings with Morton.
“This morning, I showed Charlie the letter Cull found. She confirmed the handwriting matched that of the notes she had from Lady Hastings,” Pippa finished. “So now we know Morton and Lady Hastings were having an affair. While Morton didn’t act like a homicidal villain—”
“Which would make him an excellent homicidal villain,” Fi noted.
“Indeed. That is why Cull has mudlarks monitoring him. If Morton does anything suspicious, we’ll know.”
“The two of you certainly made progress,” Livy said.
In more ways than one,Pippa thought with secret delight.
Only a day had passed, and she already missed Cull. Couldn’t wait until he completed his business and they could be together again. Yet she wouldn’t mope about it; she was busy too.
“Any luck with Ellis?” she asked the other Angels.
“Ellis is as slippery as a greased pig,” Glory replied. “Thus far, we’ve discovered he uses a variety of pseudonyms and has left a trail of wealthy lovers in his wake. Currently, we’ve followed that trail to a Lady Effingworth; from what we’ve gathered, she and her husband are currently at their country seat in Lancashire.”
“If both the Effingworths are there, then it’s unlikely that Ellis is there as well…” Pippa trailed off, seeing her friends exchange glances. “Isn’t it?”
Fiona cleared her throat delicately. “From what we’ve gathered, Vincent Ellis has been a companion to several, ahem, couples.”
Pippa blinked. “Oh.”
Her cheeks rosy, Glory added, “Charlie has sent Mrs. Peabody to Lancashire to investigate.”
Just then, steps sounded, and Mrs. Q descended the stairs. Dressed in a black frock that showcased the simple elegance for which she was known, the modiste came toward them with a smile. She was a handsome and curvaceous woman in her thirties, with light-brown skin and keen, tawny eyes.
She exchanged air kisses with each of them. “Sorry to keep you waiting, my dears.”
“We don’t mind, Mrs. Q,” Pippa said. “We were discussing our current case.”
“Ah, yes. Lady Charlie told me about it.Twomurders, no less.” Mrs. Q shuddered. “It is no wonder she requested that I outfit you with some new designs.”
“May we see them?” Livy’s eyes sparkled with the excitement all the Angels felt.
Shopping at Mrs. Q’s was a guaranteed adventure.
“Indeed. Come this way.”
The modiste led them over to a dressmaker’s form, which displayed a white linen corset shaped like a vest. Embellished with lace and pink ribbon, the undergarment was pretty but unremarkable. Mrs. Q picked a knife up from a table, its sharp blade glinting.
Handing it to Pippa, she instructed, “Stab the corset as hard as you can.”
Pippa grasped the handle and plunged the blade into the corset, tearing the delicate fabric.
“Again, if you please,” Mrs. Q said.
After Pippa stabbed the corset several more times, the modiste halted her and unlaced the garment. Pulling the corset free, Mrs. Q gestured to the wooden dummy.
“What do you see, Angels?”
