where she’s meeting Matthew Winthrop. But if I go alone, she’ll likely think very little of it.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” he said. “It may be dangerous.”
“I think I could best Miss Abbot in a fight if it came to it.” I was joking, but I’d grown up holding my own against Colm and Toby. If it came to it, I’d have her down in ten seconds flat.
For the briefest of moments, amusement flickered in his eyes, and then he was back to business. “It’s out of the question.”
“I’ve done things far more dangerous than this,” I said. It was true. Even before I’d met him, I’d been breaking into houses in the dead of night. It wasn’t exactly as though I was a shrinking violet. “Besides, all I have to do is observe the transfer of documents taking place, correct? Where’s the danger in that?”
He seemed to consider it. That was all the space I needed to move ahead.
“We don’t have time for anything else.” Before he could reply, I began to move past him, stepping out of the alcove and onto the pavement. “I’m going.”
I half expected him to grab my arm, but he surprised me.
“All right,” he said.
I tried not to let him see how triumphant I felt, but he seemed to realize it because he added: “But you’re not to approach her.”
“It will look strange if I don’t say hello when we’ve just met.”
“Then just pretend you haven’t noticed her.”
I gave him a short nod and began walking away before he could issue any more commands.
I went into the tearoom and was greeted by the waitress, who began to show me to my table. As luck would have it, she led me right pass Miss Abbot.
Major Ramsey had told me to ignore her, but he ought to have known by this point how I felt about orders.
“Oh, hello, Miss Abbot,” I said just as we were passing her table.
I’m a competent actress, if I say so myself. I suppose it comes with a profession where deception is a necessity. Whatever the case, I knew I looked mildly surprised to encounter Jocelyn Abbot in this place I had followed her to.
“Hello, Miss Donaldson,” she said. She didn’t seem particularly glad to see me, but I could tell that she thought it nothing more than a coincidence. It didn’t occur to her to be suspicious of me.
“Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She didn’t want to talk to me, which was fine because, under other circumstances, I wouldn’t have wanted to talk to her either. And the major wouldn’t approve, of course, but he wasn’t here, was he?
I didn’t know what my plan was, exactly, but I thought it would be good to get her talking. Perhaps she would reveal something without meaning to.
Looking at her, in a smart dark blue suit and a netted hat, her hair and makeup perfectly done, it was hard to imagine that she was involved in the murder of Thomas Harden and the unfortunate waiter. But it seemed there was no other explanation.
I decided to throw the first punch.
“I didn’t make the connection, when we were talking at the party, that your fiancé is Barnaby Ellhurst.”
I expected her features to close down at this invasion of her privacy, but I was good at reading faces and I didn’t miss the sharpness that crossed her eyes before she shuttered them. A flash of something wary and canny.
“Yes,” she said, her posture stiffening.
“I knew you looked familiar, but it didn’t occur to me until later that I’ve seen your photos in the society columns,” I went on. “I was so sorry to hear … that is, I hope that … I’m sure he will return safely.” I didn’t have to try hard to find awkward, inadequate words to reassure her that someone she supposedly loved would escape the death grip of war. I’d heard them often enough from all the people who found out Toby was missing.
She looked up at me and gave a tight smile. “Thank you.” She was still guarded, but there was something strange that flashed in her eyes, something a bit vulnerable. It surprised me. There was something in it that was not at all in keeping with her role as a murderous spy.
“Well, nice to see you again,” I said.
She didn’t bother returning the lie but gave me a tight-lipped smile before the waiter led me to my nearby table and handed me a menu. I began