“With a friend?”
“But wouldn’t Lord Rumford have been informed by that friend?”
“A friend to her, but not to him, perhaps.”
That was certainly a possibility, although it seemed odd that no one seemed toknowwhere to find her. “If she was staying with a friend, wouldn’t she have caught up with other friends while in London? So far, we only have the occasional secretive sighting, which is causing everyone to gossip.”
He steepled his fingers and tapped his thumbs together. “There’s one other possibility. Something that, if true, means she doesn’t want her friends to know she’s here.”
“Because she came to London to commit murder.” I sat forward. “Go on.”
“She could be staying at a hotel under an assumed name.”
“I suppose she could. If she came here with the intention of killing Pearl, she wouldn’t check in using her own name. That’s a brilliant deduction, Mr. Armitage.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
I looked up. “Why?”
“If she killed Pearl, she’d be foolish not to leave London immediately. But even more importantly, what does she gain by killing her?”
“The removal of her rival for her husband’s love, of course.”
Hehumphed.
“What’s so amusing?” I asked, defensive.
“You. I hadn’t pegged you as a romantic.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant it as an offense or not, so I remained silent.
“You said there were two things you wanted to discuss with me,” he went on. “What’s the second?”
I told him what I’d seen and heard on the stairs and in the hotel foyer last night. He listened attentively, a smallcrease forming across his forehead. But not for the reason I suspected.
“Why are you here, Miss Fox?” he asked when I finished.
I blinked. “To tell you about the man who appeared to be paying Mr. Hirst and the night porter.”
“You have no evidence of any wrongdoing, just suspicions and speculation. Added to which, you could have taken your suspicions and speculation to my uncle.”
I bristled. “Next time, I will. I just thought you would be interested in investigating it further. I see I’m wrong. And anyway, my other reason for coming was to ask your opinion about Lady Rumford. You were actually quite helpful in that regard.”
“You would have worked that out yourself. Or, again, talked it through with my uncle. He has more experience when it comes to hotel guests than me.” He sat forward and crossed his arms on the desk. His smile was positively wicked.
Something inside me flipped. He’d managed to unnerve me with one little smile. I wasn’t sure I liked it.
“So why did you come here, Miss Fox?”
“I’m no longer sure.”
He laughed softly.
“Are you making fun of me?”
He put up his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare.”
I stood. “Good day, Mr. Armitage. Thank you for your assistance.” I turned and walked out.
