brother. Someone out there in San Francisco knew more than she did, and Thalia vowed she would find the truth.
Somehow, Thalia was going to get her questions answered. All her questions.
When Thalia returned to the parlor, she found Nell there, examining the sheet of newsprint with interest. “This woman is a relation of yours, isn’t she? She has your nose and chin exactly.” Nell folded the paper.
With a silent nod for his sister and a smile for Thalia, Nathaniel Ryker joined them and sat across from Nell. Even though she had to take long pauses to get through it without giving in to her various emotions, Thalia explained the whole thing to both of them.
“What a weasel Von Faber was.” Nell passed the page of newspaper to her brother. “I don’t see how he could blackmail you with it though.”
Thalia folded her hands and waited as patiently as she could until he handed the newspaper page back to her. “I know the envelope says Cutler, but I think that must refer to my father, not to me.”
“Von Faber might have planned to blackmail your mother. The day we met, he spoke of her with most unbecoming familiarity. He hadn’t seen you since you were a child.” Ryker dropped his voice to a mutter. “Which only makes his subsequent behavior worse.”
“It must have been ghastly. I am so sorry I missed it.” Struck by a new thought, Nell added, “Nat, I’m going to Sylvie’s for the afternoon. She’s planning a party. The entertainment will be staging a reading of Twelfth Night with Reggie and Bill and some of the others. She wants me to help her plan it.”
“Indeed.” Ryker’s eyebrows climbed. “What’s happened to your lessons in stage magic?”
Nell gave them both an apologetic smile and a little shrug. “I’m free now. I want to enjoy it for a bit.” To Thalia, she added, “Since I’ve canceled it at such short notice, I’ll pay you for today’s lesson, of course.”
“Certainly not.” Despite everything, Thalia couldn’t help smiling back at Nell. “I owe you my life, both of you. I can’t possibly accept payment for anything.”
“It was lovely, being your assistant,” Nell said. “Now I can truly say I’ve appeared on the stage.”
“Oh, yes. We still need to discuss that, you and I,” Nat said to his sister. “I know it is too much to expect that you should ask me before endangering yourself that way, but do you think you might ever consider telling me your plans first?”
“You wound me.” Nell’s pose was indeed that of the injured innocent, graceful hand on heart, reproachful eyes turned heavenward. “I’ve just finished telling you my plans for the rest of the day. You never listen.”
Ryker uttered a martyred sigh. Before he could reply, Nell sprang up and headed for the door. “I might not be home in time for dinner. I’ll make Sylvie feed me there. Don’t worry.”
“On the contrary,” Ryker began, “you will be home in time—” He broke off. Nell had already left them alone in the parlor.
Thalia said, “I’ll be home for dinner.”
Ryker’s expression cleared. “I’m going to let Nell do as she pleases. Shakespeare plays, stage magic, whatever she wants. As usual. But there’s no reason to wait dinner for her. Let’s go somewhere. Let’s do something. You need a distraction. Let’s go out to a restaurant. Miss Cutler, will you do me the honor of being my guest for dinner?”
Thalia welcomed the thought. Her first impulse was to accept, but she checked herself. How could she consider going out to enjoy herself with Ryker? She had letters to write. She had things she must do. The thought of how much she had to do caught up with her, followed by a burning wish to put it all aside for now. Fatigue swept over her. The desire for distraction won out. It was all too much for her to deal with now. She would lay her plans later. “I would be pleased to accept that invitation, Mr. Ryker.”
“Where shall we go? Oh, wait. I know.” Ryker’s smile flickered back in its brightest form.
They spoke in delighted unison. “Delmonico’s.”
“It’s ages until dinnertime,” Ryker continued. “What would you like to do with the rest of this afternoon?”
Thalia yielded completely to her wish to be distracted. “Now that I can do it safely, I would like to go outdoors. I would like to Trade and go for a flight—and a swim—in the Hudson.”
“What a good idea. When we’re not under siege by