“Gideon’s not who he claims to be,” Adelaide said.
“And doesn’t that demand a few explanations,” Charles said.
Knowing there was nothing to do but disclose all because Charles was going to be looking after Adelaide, Gideon took the next fifteen minutes to bring Charles up to date. After answering a few of Charles’s questions, he caught Adelaide’s eye. “As an added precaution for your safety, it’ll be best if I take possession of the diary. I have the resources to get the word out on the streets that I now own the diary, and we can hope that word gets into the ears of whoever wants it. That should result with them turning their attention away from you.”
It was not encouraging when Adelaide’s nose shot straightup into the air. “Having you take possession of the diary will only draw suspicion, since you’d have to come up with some convoluted explanation as to why you’ve done that.”
“Some of the cases I’ve worked over the years are incredibly complicated. I’m sure whatever explanation I derive regarding why I’m in possession of the diary won’t draw suspicion from the players in this particular debacle in the least.”
“And I respectfully disagree with that nonsense because there’s absolutely no reason you’d want a moldy old diary, and you know it. Besides, given that I’m apparently going to be guarded around the clock, I highly doubt anyone will chance accosting me again. And, as a last valid point, I can take care of myself.”
“You were set upon by thieves only yesterday.”
“True, which is why I’ve taken measures to ensure I’ll never be robbed again.”
With that, Adelaide rose from the chair, headed across the room, snatched up her reticule, opened the latch, then began to root around the contents.
Apprehension was immediate when she suddenly pulled out a pistol—a shortened black powder Colt revolver from the looks of it, a gun that wasn’t very popular since a person had to stuff cotton, along with a bullet and powder, into a chamber to ready it. They then had to add percussion caps into a special spot at the back of the cylinder, something he got the feeling Adelaide had no idea was actually required to fire it.
Before he could point out anything about the gun, though, she brandished the pistol with a flourish, something that had Charles and Camilla diving to the floor.
“See?” she began as her eyes began twinkling, evidently unaware she’d just scared everyone but him half to death, Camilla even now scooting her way underneath a drop leaf table. “There’s no need to worry I’ll be set upon again, not when one look at this monster will surely have any miscreants fleeing for their very lives.”
Fifteen
“If it makes you feel better, Adelaide, I wouldn’t have known that the black panther Colt revolver needs precision cups to operate,” Edna said as she sat next to Adelaide in the carriage, Camilla and Gideon sitting on the opposite seat, while Charles followed behind them in his carriage, apparently taking his job as one of her protectors seriously since he was sitting beside his driver instead of inside the coach, his pistol at the ready.
Adelaide grinned. “It’s a blackpowderColt revolver, and it apparently needspercussion capsto make it fire, something I had no idea about since the man down by the Battery certainly didn’t explain the operational procedures of the piece when I purchased it.”
The second those words left her mouth, she wanted to call them back because Gideon immediately settled an incredulous gaze on her.
“Dare I hope you were lost and ended up in the Battery by accident?” he asked.
She swallowed. “Am I in for a lecture if I admit I was down there on purpose?”
“Most assuredly.”
“What if I tell you I had a perfectly legitimate reason for being in a somewhat unsavory section of the city, that being Mrs. Cassidy?”
“Unless you were rendering life-saving assistance to this Mrs. Cassidy, prepare yourself for a good old-fashioned reprimand.”
“I’m afraid it wasn’t a matter of life or death,” Adelaide admitted. “Mrs. Cassidy was merely overwhelmed with invading rodents, which obviously required a feline intervention. Mrs. Bainswright told her I was the answer to her problem. Since I’m always trying to find homes for my little darlings, I put Winkie and Bubbles, two proven mousers, into my carriage and off I went to where Mrs. Cassidy rents rooms in a boardinghouse at the end of Bleecker Street.”
“Couldn’t you have dispatched a groomsman to deliver the cats?” Gideon asked.
“Not when I had to make certain Mrs. Cassidy would be compatible with Winkie and Bubbles.” Adelaide smiled. “I’m pleased to report it was mutual love at first sight. But while I was making sure I was leaving my darlings in good hands, Mrs. Cassidy mentioned there was a street market not far from her house, one where many a vendor sold books.”
Gideon sat forward, causing Harvey, who’d been sleeping on his lap, to send him an affronted look before he wiggled around and closed his eyes again. “Dealing with book vendors is a horse of a different color over dealing with a man who peddles weapons.”
“Hewasselling books as well, along with a various assortment of kitchen items.”
“And you chose to purchase a gun from a man who didn’t limit his products to weapons, which should have suggested he might not know that much about the revolver he sold you?”
“It never entered my head there’d be much to learn about a revolver. I thought all I’d need to do was stuff a bullet in itand fire away.” She bit her lip. “Since I didn’t have the revolver handy when I was accosted, though, I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I should have been.”
Gideon gave Harvey’s ears a scratch, earning a purr in return. “Once again I find myself astounded over the fact you’re still alive because there’s always more involved with operating a weapon other than stuffing and firing. I’m also finding it difficult to wrap my mind around the notion you were wandering around the Battery on your own.”
“I wasn’t on my own. I had my driver and two groomsmen with me. Also, I purposefully wore a traveling gown that was three sizes too large and might have been eaten by moths at some point. I didn’t warrant a second glance from anyone, which was my intention all along.” She tapped a finger against her chin. “Now that I consider the matter, my ability to blend into a crowd is a talent I would think you’d want to acquire for some of your covert operations.”
