Alea iacta est.The die is cast. Or rather, the cards had been dealt. She must gather her wits and play what Fate had tossed her way.
“Since truth and honor go hand in hand,” she said, breaking the electric silence between the other two, “let us not waste our breath in cat-and-mouse conversations. Did you kill Lord Chittenden, Lady Cordelia?”
If Cordelia was shocked by the question, she hid it well and answered calmly, “I did not.”
“What about Benjamin Westmorly?”
A hesitation, and then a curt laugh. “Had the thought occurred to me, I might have been tempted. But, no, again I must assert my innocence.” Cordelia frowned. “Wait—I thought the newspapers reported it as self-murder, triggered by despair over the fact that his cheating at cards was about to be made public.”
“It was made to look like that,” replied Charlotte. “The authorities are keeping the truth a secret so as not to alert the killer that the ruse didn’t work.”
“And how, may I ask, do you know that?” asked Cordelia.
“I have my sources.”
“Which include me,” interjected Sheffield. “Wrexford and I discovered the body . . .” A quick glance at Charlotte. “Along with another friend, whose identity I’m not at liberty to reveal.”
“Hmmph.” Looking pensive, Cordelia returned to her seat on the sofa. “My own eccentricities appear to have drawn me into a circle of equally unorthodox individuals.” Her lips twitched. “Tell me, is Lady Peake also a sleuth?”
“She would be extremely good at it,” murmured Charlotte.
“A frightening thought.”
Their eyes met and they both smiled.
Sheffield cleared his throat with a cough. Or perhaps it was a chuckle. “Indeed. You ladies havenoidea how terrifying it is for us gentlemen to encounter a female who uses her head for anything other than a perch for her bonnet.”
“But my Wellington looks so very fetching,” murmured Cordelia. She was still holding the hat, and with a flourish, she put it on and pulled the brim down to a jaunty angle.
Charlotte was suddenly aware that the tiny hairs at the back of her neck were standing on end.
No, no, no . . .
“Very fetching,” she agreed, taking great care to mask her reaction.
Sheffield, however, must have noted something in her face, for his eyes flickered in question.
Charlotte pretended not to see it. “It’s an excellent choice for a lady. It’s tall enough to hide the upswept knot of feminine tresses, but not so towering as to draw attention to the more delicate contours of a female face.”
“Precisely,” said Cordelia. “I see you do have an artist’s perception for detail. It must prove very useful in sleuthing.”
A casual shrug. “The devil is in the details,” she said, catching the glint of a silver ornament. “Indeed, I see yours has a nice decorative touch on the grosgrain band.”
“All of the hats made by Tobias and Company have such a button.” Cordelia took off her Wellington and set it aside. “Speaking of details . . .” She looked down at the exotic Indian cards. “You think I may be able to help you learn where Lucifer is lurking by solving this puzzle?”
“Yes.” Charlotte let a moment of silence slide by. It now seemed a pointless exercise, but she didn’t wish to reveal her thoughts. “That is, if you’re willing.”
“You’ve probably guessed that I like challenges.” Cordelia gathered up the cards. “If it were merely mathematics, I wouldfeel confident of success. But the arcane instructions on how to interpret the numbers make it a far more complex problem. Nonetheless, I will set to work on it and see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” Anxious to take her leave, Charlotte inclined a nod. “As time is of the essence, we should leave you in peace.”
Sheffield looked about to protest, then appeared to change his mind. He inclined a graceful bow, and echoed Charlotte’s sentiments. “Yes, we’re very grateful for your help, Lady Cordelia. Given time is of the essence, I shall forgo the rest of my lesson and leave you to work on it.”
“Save your thanks until I actually accomplish something,” she said dryly as she rang a bell to summon the butler. “I can’t make any promises.”
“Whether or not the conundrum is solved, it’s exceedingly open-minded of you to trust in virtual strangers,” he replied.
Charlotte didn’t miss the undertone of reproach directed at her.
