Fiona’s heart clenched. As a girl, she’d overheard her father saying the same thing about her.
“We must curb Fiona’s willfulness,”Papa had said to Mama.“She is a handful. While that may be charming now, when she is older such pertinacity will lead to trouble. She will run roughshod over others. When she is of age to marry, men will be afraid to take her on.”
Fi shut out the painful memory, which was further associated with a terrifying incident that she did not like to think about. Instead, she focused on Lillian, the empathy she felt for this girl who marched to the beat of her own drum.
“I tried to keep in touch with Lillian through letters. Since she was always sporadic about responding, I didn’t think much of it when I didn’t hear back from her. Then I had the chance to visit London this week, and so I came, hoping to surprise her. I went to her boarding house on Golden Lane; to my shock, Mrs. Bridges, the proprietress, told me Lillian had left six months ago. She’d kept the letters I sent in case Lillian came back for them. But she never did, and Mrs. Bridges has no idea where she went.”
Charlie was discreetly jotting into a notebook with a silver pen. “Have you spoken to anyone else who knows Lillian?”
“My daughter never had many friends. Growing up, she did not fit in with her peers; she was too independent and ambitious for her own good. The other girls made fun of her, calling her ‘Miss Siddons’ because Lillian dreamed of being as successful as the legendary actress Sarah Siddons.” Mrs. O’Malley dabbed at her eyes with a worn handkerchief. “It is my fault for overindulging Lillian. For not curbing her wildness.”
Glancing at Livy and Glory, Fiona saw the empathy on their faces. Back in their schoolgirl days, the three of them had been dubbed “the Willflowers” by their peers because of their unconventional ways. At least they’d had each other to count on; Lillian, it seemed, had no one.
“Do you have the letters Lillian sent you?” Charlie inquired. “They might contain clues to her current whereabouts. A likeness of her would also aid our search.”
“I have both.” Mrs. O’Malley withdrew some letters and a small frame from her satchel, sliding them across the desk. “The baroness paid to have a daguerreotype taken of Lillian so that I could take it with me to Yorkshire.”
Charlie studied the image. “Your daughter is beautiful, Mrs. O’Malley.”
“She is, and it adds to my worries.” Mrs. O’Malley gripped her bag tightly. “Lillian exudes charm and confidence, which makes her a magnet for ne’er-do-wells. Before I moved to Yorkshire, I kept a strict eye on her and kept her away from bad influences. My daughter is innocent in the ways of the world; her heart is far too idealistic and trusting. My fear is that she got involved with the wrong man”—the housekeeper’s voice hitched—“and she is avoiding me out of shame. But nothing she has done could change the love of a mother for her only child.”
“I understand,” Charlie said quietly.
“Will you please find Lillian for me, Lady Fayne? When I went to the police, the inspector said that since Lillian is an adult and there is no sign of foul play, they could not waste resources looking for her. Then I went to a private investigator. He said Lillian was just a ‘silly girl’ who would likely return on her own. He said he would look for her, but his retainer fee alone was beyond my means.” Leaning forward, Mrs. O’Malley said, “I don’t have much, but I will gladly give you all my savings—”
“Money is not an issue. We will look into the matter for you, Mrs. O’Malley.”
“Oh,thank you.My prayers have been answered.” The housekeeper clasped her hands to her bosom. “God bless you, my lady.”
After Charlie finished conducting the interview, Fi and the other Angels trooped into the study.
Charlie tossed her pen into a filigree tray. “Well, Angels? What do you think?”
“We must help Mrs. O’Malley,” Livy said determinedly.
“And Lillian,” Fi said.
She studied the daguerreotype on the desk. Lillian was indeed beautiful, with dark hair and expressive eyes. She had a waifish figure, her features bordering on ethereal.
“If the poor girl did get entangled with the wrong sort of man, she will need our help,” Glory agreed.
After the encounter with the thief, Fi understood the temptations posed by a debonair rogue. Luckily, she was sensible enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality and had the protection of friends and family. Alone in the world, Lillian might easily fall prey to a bad decision.
Charlie steepled her fingers. “It is possible that Lillian does not want our help. Or her mother’s interference.”
“But what if Mrs. O’Malley is right?” Glory argued. “What if something terrible has befallen Lillian?”
“We cannot stand by and do nothing,” Fi insisted.
Charlie smiled, as if she’d been expecting their responses. “Then what is your plan, Angels?”
“We can start by talking to the others at Lillian’s boarding house,” Livy suggested. “Perhaps someone there knows something.”
Fi glanced at the clock on Charlie’s desk. Squeezing in a bit of sleuthing before the Harteford party would make the evening more tolerable.
“A splendid idea,” she said. “Shall we go now?”
Four
