“I would hazard to guess they won’t be back anytime soon,” Judith said before she settled a frown on Arthur. “Your brother has adopted the look I’m trying to achieve with you. If you could muster up the same look, I’d appreciate it.”
Arthur shot a look to Chase, knowing he’d never in his entire life had such a pleasant, and yes, slightly dreamy expression on his face. “Perhaps you should concentrate on Chase’s face for now.”
To his relief, Judith turned her full attention to his brother and began sketching as Lloyd directed a determined eye Judith’s way.
“When you say they won’t be back anytime soon,” Lloyd began, “does that mean they won’t be returning until later this afternoon, or did you mean they might not return today at all?”
A grunt was her only reply to that.
Lloyd’s brows drew together, probably because he wasn’t accustomed to ladies grunting at him. He squared his shoulders and turned to Elsy. “I must thank you again for your wonderful advice regarding the widows. And because it does seem prudent for me to escape the city soon, I wonder if you could at least give me a time frame on when Mrs. Henderson or Mrs. Holbrooke may be returning to the agency.”
Elsy rubbed a forehead that had apparently begun to ache, and no wonder. Being the object of gentlemen intent on answers had to be somewhat taxing on a person. “I have no idea when Eunice will return because she’s working on a case. As for Daphne, she’s currently under the weather, so it’s questionable as to when she’ll be returning as well.”
Lloyd began tsking under his breath. “I’m very sorry to hear that Mrs. Henderson is under the weather. It’s been my experience that ladies enjoy being taken soup when they’re in that condition. I imagine she would appreciate the soup my daughter’s cook makes. It’s chicken based but not too heavy, and I swear it’s made me feel right as rain after eating a bowl or two of it.”
Elsy stopped rubbing her forehead. “You’re a very charminggentleman, Mr. Brevoorts—perhaps too charming—and that was a lovely offer. However, I wouldn’t encourage getting within a mile of Daphne right now. She was tossing up her accounts yesterday morning in a manner that suggests she’s probably not feeling up to visitors yet.”
“She also isn’t in town because her husband insisted they travel to their Hudson estate so that Daphne wouldn’t be tempted to join Eunice on her undercover mission,” Judith added, looking up from her sketchpad and blinking somewhat owlishly at Elsy when that lady let out a snort.
“I believe your two minutes are up, Judith,” Elsy said with a less-than-discreet nod toward the door. “You did mention you were concerned about the paints you left out, so...?”
Judith gave Chase’s face a final lingering look before she shut her sketchpad and sighed. “I suppose you’re right, so off to the boardinghouse I go. If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen?”
Arthur rose from the chair and offered Judith a hand up from the floor. “I’d be more than happy to return tomorrow to sit for you again, as would Chase.”
Judith’s eyes began to gleam, but before she could agree to his offer, Elsy had her by the arm again. “You told me you have an art class tomorrow, the one you’re looking forward to because the topic centers around abstract portraits.” Elsy gestured to the Etta painting hanging behind them. “I’m certain you’d miss having an opportunity to discuss abstract artists with your artist friends.”
Judith gave a rather reluctant nod before she frowned. “I almost forgot. I was going to take that painting with me tomorrow.” She turned to Arthur. “Would you mind being a dear and taking it down for me? I only recently brought that painting from the boardinghouse to hang here as a source of inspiration for me when I attend to the receiving room. I hung it higher than I normally would so I could see it to advantage, but I’m afraid I’m not tall enough to get it off the wall without a ladder.”
Wanting to keep in Judith’s good graces for as long as possible, Arthur moved to the painting, considering it for a moment as hedecided how best to get it off the wall without damaging it. A second later, and from out of nowhere, an image of another painting flashed to mind, done in the same abstract fashion.
Pieces of the puzzle regarding the odd behavior he’d received from the ladies of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency began falling into place.
He turned and arched a brow at Judith and Elsy. “Before I take my leave or take this painting from the wall, I’d like to know how your agency has possession of a painting done by an artist whose work I’ve just now recalled was hanging in a house in Montana—Eugenia Howland’s house, to be exact.”
Elsy blinked. “How extraordinary that an Etta painting would also be hanging in Eugenia Howland’s house.”
“And far too coincidental, if you ask me.” Arthur returned his gaze to the painting as another thought began forming in his mind, one he’d not contemplated until just then and certainly couldn’t ignore. He turned to Lloyd. “I’m afraid I may be a complete idiot because—”
The rest of his sentence was interrupted when a lady barreled into the receiving room, her hat askew and her cloak buttoned improperly.
“I’ve come for an update,” the lady declared, stopping when her attention settled on Arthur. “Oh, it’s you. Are you here for an update on your case as well?”
“Mrs. Eastman,” he said, presenting her with a bow. “How lovely to see you again, and no, I’m not here for an update, not exactly.”
“Then you won’t mind if I ask these ladies for a report before you finish whatever business you have here, will you? I fear I’ve been in a dither all morning wondering if any progress has been made with locating my sister.”
Arthur frowned. “The agency took on your case?”
“Indeed, and Mrs. Holbrooke is personally seeing to the matter.” Mrs. Eastman turned to Elsy. “Have you had any word from her yet? Was she able to gain entrance to Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum?”
As Elsy began looking horrified again, Arthur couldn’t hold back a smile since the perfect solution to his problem had presented itself in the form of Mrs. Eastman.
He inclined his head to Elsy and Judith. “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure, but now I believe it’s time for us to take our leave.”
“But we don’t have any answers to the questions we’ve asked,” Lloyd said.
“True, but what we do have is Eunice Holbrooke’s location, and I’ve just had a revelation that might explain everything. But I can only prove my revelation is correct by running Eunice Holbrooke to ground.”
