“Lucas!” She pulled away, outrage creeping up from her toes. “If you’re thinking thatanyonewithin my little circle of friends and co-workers couldpossiblybe involved in this sort of bank fraud, inanyway, then allow me to correct you.”
“I...”
“Mrs Tabitha Monroe has been by my side for several years now. She has two children and lost her husband when they were still toddlers. I needed help at that time. I knew what I wanted to do, and pretty much how to do it, but I simply couldn’t manage alone. I met Tabby at one charity meeting, and instantly we knew we were thinking along the same lines. She is invaluable, her children are now in school and doing well, and they live in one of the apartments we refurbished early on. She’s as trustworthy as they come, would never think of filtering off money for herself, and above all...she’s myfriend.”
“I...”
Astounded to find that her hands were gripping Lucas’s lapels, she released him. “Then there’s Lady Beatrice. We met last year, and she and her husband have been extremely helpful at just about every event I’ve held since. They ask for no financial remuneration, in fact they usually provide all the flowersgratis. I value their contributions enormously.”
“Verity.” He finally managed to get a word in edgewise. “I was not accusing anyone. If you’d let me finish, I would have added that the first place we would look at is your charityaccounts, and who at the bank might be managing them.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “Um...”
He shook his head, grinned, and kissed her. Hard. “I must go. But I will, most probably, see you later.”
Shivering from that kiss, and with her heart beating a little too fast, all she could do was nod.
Five minutes after he left, there was a knock at her door.
“My Lady, you have guests. Mrs Monroe and Lady Beatrice Lockwood are inquiring whether you have a moment? I believe the subject of Mr de Montclair’s art exhibition will be the topic of their conversation.” Her tickerkin stood quietly by the door.
Verity took a deep breath, adjusted her corset, and nodded. “Show them in, Sprocket. Wait...” She glanced in the mirror. “Do I look all right? Normal? I mean...”
Sprocket’s eyes twinkled. “You are, if I may be allowed to say so,glowing, my Lady.”
“Oh dear.” Verity closed her eyes for a moment and gave her body strict instructions to stop glowing.
Chapter Sixteen
“You’re looking exceptionally lovely, my dear.”
Lady Beatrice Lockwood smiled widely as she grasped Verity’s hands and placed air kisses on both cheeks.
“You always do,” sighed Tabby, repeating Beatrice’s gesture. “I don’t know how you manage it, though.”
“I don’t have two adorable children for a start,” Verity led them both inside. “They’d wear me out in a puff of steam.”
“I agree with you there,” laughed Beatrice. “Henry and I weren’t blessed with a family, as you know, but we both have relatives who bred in abundance. We do visit them, of course—but not often.”
The three women shared a laugh at that, and Verity led them into her drawing room. It was a little more formal than her parlour, and the perfect spot for making plans, discussing ideas, and sharing tea. Also, truth to tell, a little gossip crept in, now and again, but Verity excused that on the grounds that putting three such different women in the same room was bound to createinterestingtopics of conversation.
“So” she said, as her guests settled themselves. “Albermarle de Montclair.” She paused. “I must ask. Is thatreallyhis name or did he make it up to sound a lot more grandiose than he is?”
“You haven’t met him yet then?” asked Tabby.
Verity shook her head. “No, not yet. Out Beatrice, bless her, took care of his contribution to the charity, and now you’re involved with the art show?” She glanced at her friend. “So I suppose I really shouldn’t mock him because of his name. He was very generous, and I told him so when I wrote the thank you note.”
Beatrice waved that aside. “He is...how to describe him? Hmm. Well, he isunique. I’ll say that without hesitation. He has a tendency toward the dramatic—not unusual in those with artistic tendencies, I understand.”
“I’d guess he has the heart of a showman,” offered Tabby. “I could see him in front of a huge tent proclaiming the amazingly astonishing sights waiting within.”
“Exactly,” laughed Beatrice. “You’re exactly right. He was born for that particular role.”
“So how did he end up as an artist?”
“I have no idea,” Tabby raised her palms. “Not a single clue.” She turned to Beatrice. “Any idea?”
“No, not a one.” She thought for a moment. “Henry and I ran into him some time ago, when we were travelling. We’d gone up past the Holdings, into the mountains and on the other side were smaller villages. It was, I must say, exceptionally lovely. The airships don’t fly over to that side, I was told, because there were very few places they could berth. But oh my goodness, the Holdings? When those massive ships are side by side at the Air Brigade Command Headquarters? It’s a sight to take your breath away.”
