The walk to the hotel was brisk, and I was a little out of breath by the time we reached it. But instead of going through the front door, Mr. Armitage merely greeted Frank and kept on walking.
I raced after him. “Where are you going?”
“Down here.” He pointed to the side street. “I prefer to use the staff entrance.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not a hotel guest.”
I followed him when he turned into the side street.
He stopped. “You can’t come this way.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not staff.”
“That’s ridiculous. You once said family can go wherever they wish in the hotel.”
He crossed his arms and arched his brows at me. “The staff will feel uncomfortable if you use their entrance.”
“But the staff like me.” I winced at the whine in my voice.
He gave me a benign smile, as if to say the staff were being polite as their employment depended upon it. I sighed. He was probably right.
“Thank you for your help so far, but this is my investigation now.” He lowered his arms and continued on. “Goodbye, Miss Fox,” he tossed over his shoulder.
I trudged back the way I’d come, entering the hotel through the front door, which Frank held open for me. “You like me, don’t you, Frank?” I asked.
“Of course I do, Miss Fox,” he said smoothly.
“You’re not just saying that because I’m Sir Ronald’s niece.”
“Not at all. You’re one of my favorite people.”
I sighed and headed inside. If Frank had instilled a little more sincerity into his response, I might have believed him.
I paused in the foyer, but decided not to go in search of Mr. Hobart. Mr. Armitage was right and it was his investigation now. I’d done my part.
I went in search of Flossy instead and found her coming out of her parents’ suite. She looked troubled.
“Is something the matter?” I asked.
“My mother’s headache is dreadful today. I knew last night would be too much for her. She shouldn’t have had that second dose of tonic.”
“I don’t understand. Doesn’t the tonic make her feel better, not worse?”
“It does, temporarily, and then the headaches return, crueler than ever.”
She looked so sad. Flossy was such a bright, happy spirit that I hated seeing her like this. I clasped her hand and squeezed. “Is there anything I can do?”
She gave me a weak smile. “No, thank you, Cleo.”
“Perhaps I can sit with her later. We can have a quiet talk while you go out for some air, with a maid as chaperone, of course.”
She nibbled her lower lip and glanced at her mother’s door. “I suppose I could go to the dressmaker’s and milliner’s on Bond Street.”
“I’m sure the air on Bond Street will do you some good.”
