Beau eyed her carefully. “What things?”
She inclined her head to one side. “Well, I’d certainly hate to have to inform Miss Wharton, but I saw the baron coming out of a maid’s room at Lord Clayton’s house party quite early one morning and in…ahem…a disheveled state of dress.”
Beau’s brows shot up. “Did you? Whose room?”
“That’s what I went to check. When I asked Mrs. Cotswold at Clayton’s estate, she told me it was the room of a maid named Albina. Tonight, I went to see if the Winfields were staying overnight.”
“‘Albina’?” Beau echoed. “I’ve heard that name before —seems Kendall mentioned it was the name of Frances’s lady’s maid.”
Marianne nodded. “Well, that would explain how Albina and Baron Winfield know each other.”
Beau plucked at his lip. “It would, indeed. But why do you think Baron Winfield and Albina have anything to do with the Bidassoa traitor?”
Marianne cocked her head to the side again. “When I was watching the ballroom earlier, I wasn’t only watching Lord Cunningham.”
Beau narrowed his eyes on her. “Who were you watching?”
“When I noticed Baron Winfield, I began watching him,” Marianne replied.
“And?”
“And he nodded his head toward Lord Cunningham three times in a row,” Marianne continued. “Lord Cunningham nodded back.”
Beau bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t evenseenBaron Winfield until Marianne had pointed him out. Beau had been too busy watching Lord Hightower and the other two men. “Did you already suspect Baron Winfield for some reason before the party?”
“No. But tonight I remembered seeing him on the fourth floor at Lord Clayton’s house, and I inquired about who he was. The truth is… I’ve suspected Albina. I had an…encounter with her at Lord Clayton’s party, and she seemed a bit…odd. I can’t say exactly how.”
Beau nodded slowly. “I know precisely what you mean. I’ve had that same feeling about many people, time and again. In our line of work, it’s important to follow such instincts.”
“I agree, which is why I wanted to learn Baron Winfield’s identity.”
“You think Albina and Baron Winfield are involved?”
“I think it’s possible. And I suppose you never suspected a woman being involved, either, did you?”
Beau arched a brow. “Why do you say that?”
“Because since I’m a woman, you never suspected me of being a spy. You seem to have a problem with women, Agent B.”
Beau put his hands on his hips. “I suspected you once. I even looked for your handwriting.”
She covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loud. “You didn’t?”
“Of course I did.”
“Well, I suspected you too, so we’re even.”
“Of course you did.” He scrubbed his hand through his hair again. “Albina. Damn it. You’re right. I never suspected her or Baron Winfield.”
“Perhaps it takes a woman to watch a woman,” Marianne replied, grinning at him wickedly.
“Perhaps.” Beau returned her smile before he tugged at his bottom lip again. “Now that you mention it, Kendall did write and tell me that Winfield was desperate for coin. The baron has even sold his London town house. As his future son-in-law, Kendall is giving Winfield an allowance—but also mentioned that he’s doling out the money carefully, which means Winfield is hardly wealthy.”
“That makes sense, because I was able to confirm that both Albina and Winfield are staying here overnight. In fact, I just saw her leave her room down the hall as the clock struck midnight. Care to follow her with me?”
Beau’s shrewd gaze caught hers. “You think she’s going to meet up with Winfield?”
“Yes —apparently, his wife and he are not sharing a bedchamber, and I just so happen to know which room is his. I asked about that downstairs, too.”
