“Searching for a missing friend, I became something of an expert on the various places France interned British officers,” Kirkland said slowly. “Have you had a chance to investigate your cousin’s disappearance more thoroughly?”
“No, I’ve been busy on the Peninsula until quite recently.” Trying not to hope, Simon asked, “Did you find your missing friend?”
“Yes, in a rather unexpected place. If you’re interested, we can discuss the material I collected while searching for Wyndham.”
Be damned to reason; it was impossible not to feel a small flare of hope. “I’d like that very much.”
“We’ll talk later,” Kirkland promised.
Simon nodded his thanks, then asked, “Four out of five of us are here and looking reasonably fit and happy. Has there been any news of Chantry?”
“I met him in Constantinople,” Hawkins said. “He was a sort of special projects aide to the British ambassador, meaning he spoke Turkish like a native and had many interesting local connections. He was invaluable in our rescue of Rory, her cousin, and Suzanne. At his request, I deposited a letter confirming his whereabouts at Hatchards. Gordon, you’ll be pleased to learn that his real name is Ramsay.”
“Good! At least one of us was suitably sneaky,” Gordon said with a grin.
Across the room, a footman entered and murmured something to Lady Kirkland. She nodded and rose, saying in a soft but clear voice that reached everyone in the room, “Dinner is ready, so I suggest we continue these interesting conversations in the dining room.” She smiled. “Seating will be informal, so you may sit beside your favorite person.”
Better and better. Simon stood and made his way to Suzanne. She looked younger and happier, like the girl he’d met all those years ago.
She rose and took his arm, her green eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. He smiled back, thinking how much he liked her. “You enjoyed your gathering?”
“Indeed I did! They’re a very diverse group of women and much friendlier than the aristocratic émigrés who scorned me.”
That was enough to make Simon like the other women, even the ones he hadn’t properly met. “I look forward to conversing with them. The only one I know is Athena Masterson, whom I met in San Gabriel shortly after the emperor abdicated.”
“I’d never heard of that country till tonight,” Suzanne said. “There is so much news of Europe that I missed while I was in Constantinople! I was intrigued to learn that you were made a member of the Order of Saint Deolinda and you have a great gaudy medallion to prove it. Would it really stop bullets?”
“I wouldn’t stake my life on that,” Simon chuckled. “But it is impressive. Athena and Will both have the medals as well and deserve them more than I do. She’s probably too modest to tell you her story, but I will if you’re interested.”
“I am very interested.” Suzanne’s hand tightened on his arm. “None of them flinched when I spoke of my background. It was very refreshing.”
“You told them?” he said, a little surprised.
“I thought if we were to be friends, I must be honest.” Her mouth twisted. “And if they despised me, no more time would be wasted.”
“That’s a very pragmatic approach,” he said, impressed by her courage.
“Living in a harem will remove one’s illusions.” She gave Simon a slanting glance. “The whole discussion was very frank. I think it would have sent you gentlemen fleeing if you’d heard. But we found that we had much common ground. For example, Callie, the beauty with the rose-gold hair? She also had to earn her living with her needle. I look forward to talking more with her.”
Callie, who looked like the most delicate of aristocrats, had been a seamstress? “She must also have interesting stories.”
Suzanne nodded. “How did your gentlemanly discussion go? You said that shared danger didn’t mean you would necessarily become friends.”
“True, but as it turns out, we get along very well, being rogues working toward redemption.” He realized that they’d been talking while the other couples had moved past them to the dining room so both resumed walking.
“Doing dangerous, necessary work doesn’t make you a rogue,” Suzanne said as they entered the dining room. “Foolhardy, maybe, but not a rogue.”
“Perhaps not, but staying alive while one does such work can be very ungentlemanly.” He pulled out her chair. Since they were the last to enter the dining room, there were only two seats left and they were opposite Hawkins and Lady Rory. All the couples had chosen to sit together, and he was pleased to see that the table was narrow enough to converse across. He liked the way the Kirklands entertained.
“As an expert in the pragmatic art of survival, I’m in no position to criticize,” she said with a touch of dryness.
“I’d say something we all have in common is being survivors,” Simon said thoughtfully. “Hawkins, would you agree?”
“Without question,” the other man said. “I’ve had more close calls than I care to count! Rory has had her share as well.”
“I’m going to take notes on all these narrow escapes,” Rory said, a gleam in her eyes. “They’d make wonderful episodes in outrageous Gothic novels!”
Suzanne chuckled. “As long as the details are changed to protect the guilty!”
