He was obviously well informed. He smiled not unkindly.
“I have spoken with Inspector Landry of the police. I am sorry that you have been put through such an ordeal.”
Sir Alastair was short in stature, but with a commanding presence, as Lady Montgomery would have described him, obviously quite successful in his profession with the framed certificates and letters on the wall behind him.
He rounded the desk in greeting, greying side-whiskers framing the frown on his mouth and sharp blue eyes that I was certain missed nothing.
“You were not harmed?”
I assured him that I was not.
“Something to be grateful for.” He motioned to the clerk who had escorted me into his office.
“Please have Mrs. Merryweather bring coffee. Or tea?” he said with a look at me.
I assured him that coffee was fine. He motioned to the wing-back chair that sat before his desk as he leaned back against the desk edge.
“I will contact Sir Laughton and assure him that you are safely arrived,” he informed me as a woman, presumably Mrs. Merryweather, arrived with coffee.
She was a small wisp of a woman, with greying hair tucked neatly at the back of her head and a crisp manner as she set the tray with the coffee and cups on Sir Alastair’s desk. She poured two cups of coffee, then turned to leave.
“Yer to ring if ye wish more coffee.” She indicated a button near the telephone on one side of Sir McQuarrie’s desk. “And dinna let him intimidate ye.”
“Ye may go now, Mrs. ‘M,’” he told her. “And do close the door after, if ye please.”
He waited until the door closed behind her.
“Mrs. Merryweather can be most aggravating at times,” then a smile. “I do not know what we would do without her.” He returned to his chair at the desk.
“So verra sad about yer friend. Ye’ll no doubt be wantin’ to return to London now,” he said over his own cup, then set it aside.
“I can have the arrangements made for ye.”
I set my cup aside as well.
“That won’t be necessary. I will be remaining in Edinburgh for a while yet.”
“Sir Laughton informed me of the reason for yer visit. I believe yer friend was helping ye in the matter. But surely now ye do not wish to continue.”
“To the contrary,” I replied. It was necessary to set that aside for now. “I will be remaining in Edinburgh until the person responsible for her murder is found.”
“A difficult task. You must surely know things of this nature often take some time, if it is ever discovered who is responsible...”
“I mean no disrespect,” I replied. “But I will see it done. I owe my friend that much.”
That sharp gaze watched me. “I was told that you have a formidable nature. But to pursue this with no experience...”
I had no way of knowing what Sir Laughton might have shared with him. That before I became the ward of Lady Mikaela Forsythe, I had worked atThe Churchas a maid. That my future might very well have been no different than Dory’s, had it not been for the chance meeting with Mikaela?
Through the night before, unable to sleep, I had thought about this considerably.
“I do not wish to be difficult or ungrateful,” I replied. “But I will not be persuaded against this.”
He continued to watch me with a thoughtful expression.
“Verra well,” he finally replied, as he seemed to have made a decision. “How may I assist you in this, though I will caution you it could be a verra dangerous enterprise.”
I had thought this part through carefully as well.
