To err on the side of caution, Camilla didn’t want Adelaide participating in any society events until their grand reveal of the new and improved Adelaide at the first official ball of the Season, that being the Patriarch Ball held during the first week of January. However, she wanted Adelaide’s name on the lips of society members often, which is why she’d been bustling around the city, injecting Adelaide into conversations whenever she could, mentioning things about how delightful and refreshing Adelaide’s unusual attitude toward life was, as well as referring to Adelaide as her “darling Adelaide” or her “very dearest of friends.”
According to Camilla, society was not unreceptive to listening about Adelaide. In fact, they seemed intrigued by the notion that an upper-crust leader was becoming intimate friends with a lady they’d only recently thought of expelling from their midst once and for all.
Oddly enough, instead of receiving satisfaction from Camilla’s early success, Gideon found himself somewhat disheartenedbecause ... he was becoming accustomed to spending a few hours with Adelaide most every evening at Camilla’s home on Fifth Avenue. During that time, they strategized, practiced their dancing, and once even convinced Adelaide to sing for everyone, something Camilla put a rapid end to after Adelaide’s singing set Gladys, Camilla’s dog, to howling. That had been telling in and of itself since Gladys never bothered to exercise her voice, what with how she evidently found that to be far too bothersome.
His amusing evenings with Adelaide would be limited, though, if she found herself in high demand during the rapidly approaching Season, a depressing notion if there ever was one, which was curious since it had been his idea to encourage society to embrace her in the first place.
“I’m afraid Sophia Campanini reallyishiding something from us, especially when the girl she recently solicited us to find, one Lottie McBriar, seems to be working for Frank Fitzsimmons.”
Gideon pulled his gaze from the hansom cab they were currently tailing and turned toward Roland Kelly, the man who’d once been his bodyguard and mentor, and who was now his business partner.
“Sophia hasn’t been upfront with us ever since I told her Frank tried to kill me in the Nelsons’ library,” Gideon said. “Frankly, I was surprised she reached out to us again, considering Sophia seems to have taken pains to avoid me whenever I’ve gone to the opera. With that said, I knew almost immediately when I answered her summons yesterday that she wasn’t telling me the truth about why she needed me to find Lottie McBriar—who Sophia knows by the name of Jane Smith—a girl she just happened to hire as one of her dressers two days after the incident with Frank on the Hudson.
“Sophia’s never shown an interest in her staff before,” Gideon continued, “and yet she wanted me to believe she was concernedabout Lottie’s disappearance after Lottie told her she needed to tend to a dying mother and never returned to the theater to continue dressing Sophia. Sophia actually managed to squeeze out a few tears as she begged me to find Lottie, claiming she was worried the girl may have contracted whatever dire illness her mother supposedly had.”
Gideon caught Roland’s eye. “It’s more likely that Sophia realized the significance of when she hired Lottie and might very well have concluded that Lottie left her service not because of a dying mother but because she’d completed whatever task she’d been sent by Frank to accomplish.”
“One would think,” Roland began, “given Sophia’s slightly conniving nature, that she’d have realized that something wasn’t exactly aboveboard the moment Lottie introduced herself as Jane Smith.”
“I doubt Sophia even caught Lottie’s name. From what I’ve been told, Sophia has a difficult time retaining staff and was probably desperate for a dresser when Lottie showed up.” Gideon looked out the window again. “I found it rather telling that it didn’t take much for us to uncover Lottie’s true identity after three employees from the Metropolitan Opera House told us they knew Jane Smith was actually Lottie McBriar from Five Points. It speaks volumes that not one of those people shared that information with Sophia during the time Lottie was working for her.”
“It’ll be interesting to see if Sophia is more forthcoming with any theories she may have about what Frank Fitzsimmons wants with her, especially after we tell her Lottie was undoubtedly sent to secure a position with her on Frank’s orders, done so after he was unsuccessful in meeting with her at the Nelson dinner party.”
“Sophia will only share her thoughts about Frank if she decides he’s a true threat to her,” Gideon returned. “Hopefully after we shadow Lottie today, we’ll have more of an idea ofwhat she may be up to, although I have an obligation I can’t neglect this evening, which means my time’s limited out on the streets today.”
“May I assume this obligation revolves around Miss Adelaide Duveen and Miss Camilla Pierpont?” Roland asked.
Gideon smiled. “Of course. Camilla is determined to turn Adelaide into the premier talk of the upcoming Season, and not the sort of talk that usually surrounds Adelaide. That’s why I’ve been spending so many evenings at Camilla’s, squiring Adelaide around the ballroom as Camilla’s aunt Edna accompanies us on the piano.”
“I wouldn’t think a Duveen would need dance lessons.”
“Adelaide has a history of trampling more than her fair share of feet over the years. Camilla’s decided Adelaide’s occasional clumsiness is a direct result of nerves. She wants us to become comfortable dancing with each other so we won’t stumble about during the opening dance at the Patriarch Ball.”
“How’s that going, the becoming-comfortable business?”
“Hard to say for sure since my feet have been thoroughly abused of late, but unlike Camilla, I don’t think it’s Adelaide’s nerves. I believe it’s more a case of her being distracted.”
“Distracted by...?”
“Badgering me. She’s determined to become involved with the accounting firm and seems to have difficulty badgering and dancing at the same time.”
Roland settled back against the seat. “Adelaide Duveen wants to come work for us?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Why?”
“I suppose after having pored over countless spy novels throughout the years and then enjoying what can only be considered uncanny success with the Fitzsimmons debacle, she’s come to the conclusion she could be an invaluable asset to us.”
“She might actually have a point. She did, after all, help getyou extracted from a situation that could have seen society learning your secret.”
“True, but Adelaide is a magnet for trouble. The last thing I want to be responsible for is placing her in precarious situations. Unfortunately, she ignores what I consider sound reasoning on my part and insists on debating the topic with me every time we take to the floor.”
“Perhaps you should consider scheduling time with Adelaide outside the evenings you spend at Camilla’s to spare the state of your feet. That might allow her to concentrate on her steps.”
“I don’t think it would be in my best interest to encourage additional badgering time. Doesn’t seem like that would be all that enjoyable for me, although Adelaide would relish it because she’s convinced she’ll wear me down in the end. Besides that, though, Camilla wants me to restrict the time I spend in Adelaide’s company and not have us be seen out and about in public until the Patriarch Ball.”
“I thought Camilla wanted you to show Adelaide particular attention.”
