see that some of the tension had left him and he was beginning to appreciate the humor of the situation.
“She’s right, of course,” he said, looking at the major. “Ellie usually is.”
“Then perhaps we can go ahead with the planning?” Major Ramsey asked.
Felix waved a hand. “I am at your disposal.”
“Thank you.”
I let out a breath. The rest of the meeting would go well enough now that they’d both had a chance to growl at each other a bit. I was certain that, though they didn’t like each other, they would work well enough together when it came down to it.
“What, exactly, do you want in the forged letter?” Felix asked.
“We won’t be entirely sure until we’ve seen the genuine letter,” the major said.
I frowned. The other letter was in Matthew Winthrop’s possession. “How are we to see the letter, to know what to write, before Felix writes its replacement?”
“We’ve had a man on Mr. Winthrop. He leaves his house in the predawn hours each morning for a walk in the park and then proceeds to his club for breakfast. We’ll have to enter the house then. Mr. Lacey will accompany your uncle and Kimble when they make the switch. He’ll have to write the letter then.” He turned to Felix. “Can you do it quickly?”
“It’s too dangerous for Felix to accompany them,” I cut in. “I thought he was only to write the letter here. If…”
“Ellie…” Felix interrupted.
I turned to look at him, and though his words were gentle, I could sense something a bit firmer behind them. “You don’t have to fight my battles for me, love.”
I flushed. He was right, of course. I had been irritated when he’d tried to argue with the major on my behalf, and now I was doing the same thing to him.
Felix turned to the major. “I can do it, yes. Ideally, of course, I’ll have some time to practice the handwriting in advance. Once I’ve done that, it should be a simple thing for me to write it when the exchange is made.”
“You won’t have any difficulties replicating a woman’s hand?” Major Ramsey asked.
Felix shook his head. “None at all. Provided you have samples of the handwriting.”
I had known somewhere in the back of my mind, of course, that it would be necessary, but I hadn’t stopped to think much about it. If we had only the letter to go on, Felix would have to study her hand when they made the switch. That would lengthen the time they needed to be in the house and increase the possibility they might be caught.
Alternate possibilities fluttered through my mind. It would be possible, I supposed, to write a letter to Miss Abbot and hope for a reply, but any social note she sent was likely to be short and not enough for Felix to work with.
“We could get into her house, I suppose,” I suggested. “I’m sure she has a diary or something lying about.”
“Something like that is liable to be missed,” Felix mused.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Major Ramsey spoke, a strange note in his voice. “I have some samples you might use.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The major excused himself then, and Felix and I were alone in the office.
He cut to the chase right away. “Charming fellow, isn’t he? Did I pass muster, do you think?”
“You did. He wouldn’t have agreed to let you do it if you didn’t.”
“You know him well, it seems.”
I shrugged. “He’s not a difficult man to read. His intentions are generally clear.”
“And what are his intentions toward you?”
I looked sharply at Felix. “What do you mean?”
The corner of his mouth tipped up just a bit. “You needn’t do the innocent eyes and fluttering lashes with me, Ellie McDonnell. You know perfectly well what I mean.”
I knew. But I didn’t want to have this conversation with Felix. Things had been unsettled between the two of us the last few years, and I didn’t know how to respond to his comments about other men. There was certainly nothing formal about our relationship, but nor had I ever really felt that I could move on from him.
Why must everything be so complicated?
“There’s nothing going on between me and Major Ramsey,” I said at last, making my tone as casual as possible.
“‘Major Ramsey,’” he repeated. “Is that what you call him when you’re alone?”
“Of course, it is.” I think the words came out a bit more harshly than I had intended, for Felix’s expression sobered.
“I’m