“What? Oh …” She looked as if she were determining whether she should snub Saffron or actually go to fix her hair. Vanity won out. “Yes, I suppose, Miss …?”
“Everleigh, Saffron Everleigh. We met at the Leisters’ dinner.” Saffron showed her into the ladies’ room. “I was justcoming in for a meeting when the rain caught me off guard. Do you have a meeting too?” It was a clumsy attempt, but Miss Ermine didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m meeting with a few of the Committee members, but they’ll have to wait,” Miss Ermine said. She immediately went to the mirror over the sink, where she removed her damp hat and patted her frizzing hair with annoyance.
“Have you heard anything about the condition of Mrs. Henry? I was so shocked by the whole affair, I’ve been thinking about it all week.”
Miss Ermine shrugged. “No, I haven’t. Lady Agatha called the next day to apologize for all the commotion, especially when I’m assisting my father during his illness.” She sighed and pulled at a hairpin. “I suppose she’s still in hospital.”
“Have you been to visit her?” Saffron asked.
Miss Ermine let out an inelegant laugh. “Good Lord, no. Why would I go to see her?”
Saffron removed the pin attaching her own hat. “I thought that you were friends with the Henrys.”
“Nother. Dr. Henry has long been a friend of my father’s. My father has funded his last two expeditions. Lawrence visits him often with artifacts.”
“You must know him quite well,” Saffron said, taking on the attitude of a chatting girlfriend. She leaned closer and added in a gushing voice, “You’re so lucky.”
Miss Ermine smirked and opened a tube of lipstick, her hair repaired. “Yes, I know himverywell. He’s a fascinating man. So … experienced in the world. He’s been all over.” Her eyes grew wide with what Saffron imagined were lascivious thoughts as she swiped color over her lips.
Saffron affected a little giggle. “Oh my! I can’t imagine the sorts of things he’s seen and done! Does he have many fascinating stories?”
“You can’t imagine!” Miss Ermine said, smacking her lips together. “He’s shown me some incredible things.”
Saffron wanted confirmation of what she was hinting at. “But isn’t his tiresome wife rather annoyed with him sharing hisadventureswith you?”
Miss Ermine’s tone turned venomous. “Given howshecarries on, I’m surprised she cares at all. Although”—she pouted into the mirror—“she was in a terrible state at the party. She cornered me and prattled on and on. Terribly embarrassing for her. Lucky for her, no one was around to hear her pathetic braying.” Miss Ermine touched a puff of powder onto her already white nose, and her eyes narrowed at her reflection. “Hypocritical bitch.”
Now that was interesting. “Oh my, how dreadful! She was angry with you?”
“Oh yes, she was quite offended that I took an interest in her husband’s work.” Saffron rather thought it wasn’t the interest in her husband’s work Mrs. Henry objected to. “She’s never complained about him spending time with dear old Daddy, who used to navigate the boat of cash. Now I’m in charge.” She snapped her compact shut with a satisfied smile.
“Really! You’re the one who made the Amazonian expedition possible, then?”
“Oh yes,” Miss Ermine said, eyeing her reflection with pleasure. “Without me, it wouldn’t be happening. Lawrence nearly fell over himself to get to me. I’m going to make all his plans possible.”
Miss Ermine turned away from the mirror. As she opened the door to the lavatory, she said breezily, “See you later, Miss Eversby.”
Saffron, not the least offended, was pleased at least one of her theories was confirmed. When she returned to the lobby, the sky beyond was once more heavy and dark. What excuse didshe have to try to speak with Blake anyway? She could come up with one once she’d thought over Miss Ermine’s comments.
Saffron climbed the stairs to the Flaxman Gallery and continued across the span of the Wilkins Building into the North Wing, jostled in the overcrowded halls by students avoiding the inclement weather. Saffron could believe that Miss Ermine and Mrs. Henry had argued. Did she believe that Mrs. Henry had confronted Miss Ermine out of jealousy? Or had Miss Ermine instigated the argument? It was highly doubtful that the younger woman was giving a complete impression of what had actually happened.
And what had Miss Ermine told Inspector Green? Saffron thought it probable that she wouldn’t have been forthcoming about her relationship with Dr. Henry, nor the events of the party. After all, arguing with the victim before her collapse was suspicious.
Not for the first time, Saffron wished she knew more about the evidence Inspector Green had found. Was Miss Ermine even one of his suspects? Miss Ermine’s likelihood of having access to a mysterious toxin was slim. Miss Ermine in combination with Dr. Henry, though—that was possible.
If Miss Ermine was to be believed, she could have been having an affair with Dr. Henry. That would resolve the problem of access to a poison and the issue of Dr. Henry not being the poisoning type. Saffron wondered just how much of her claims about her relationship with Dr. Henry were invented or exaggerated.
The storm finally thinned into a sad drizzle. Saffron stood behind Dr. Maxwell’s desk, gazing through the window overlooking the Quad. She’d spent the last hour sketching out all the clues she knew of, every theory she’d come up with. Her headhurt. She was used to solving puzzles; indeed, it was the goal of every scientist to find answers and explanations. But with such insufficient information, there was only so much she could do.
She traced rain droplets on the window idly, allowing her mind to wander. Everything looked more alive and fresh after the rain. On the fringes of the concrete lay little sections of grass and garden. Red and purple tulips bowed toward the ground alongside the drooping yellow crowns of daffodils. Most botanists she knew sneered at the local, common flowers as being uninteresting. Saffron loved any flower she came across, just like her father had. They’d spent hours on long walks, quizzing each other on wildflowers. She remembered learning to cut roses with her mother; her parents weeding the garden bed together; laughing as her father teased her mother with a dirt-covered worm.
It was an unfair turn of fate that they had been taken away from each other before their time. They could have continued on so happily together. Not like Dr. Henry and his wife. Why should they remain together if they were so unhappy?
But she supposed they weren’t really together anymore, anyway. Dr. Henry was cavorting with who knew how many women. It was very possible Mrs. Henry also had taken up a lover. Eris Ermine certainly had made it clear she believed that the wife was no more loyal than the husband.
In her mind’s eye, Saffron saw the glittering dinner table, Mrs. Henry casting dark looks at her husband and Miss Ermine. And looking down the table, at Mr. Blake, with … interest. There had certainly been something between them, both at the dinner table and when Blake handed Mrs. Henry the champagne. Richard Blake was angry with Dr. Henry for stepping on his toes about the funding, and Mrs. Henry was embarrassed by his flaunting his relationships with other women. Was it possible that they were involved with each other?
