busy shoveling in her supper when I breezed out. She only gave me a nod and wink, thinking she knew where I was going.
Her guess would have been wrong. I paused on the street to give the beggars there some scraps, then I walked to Regent Street and Mr. Thanos’s flat.
Mr. Thanos was home, but not in bed. He opened his door himself, dressed in a comfortable jacket and slippers, indicating he’d intended to spend the evening indoors.
“Mrs. Holloway!” He beamed in genuine delight. “How wonderful to see you. Is, er . . .” He peered past me. “That is, are you alone?”
“Lady Cynthia did not accompany me, no.” I moved past him into the front room. “I hope you are not too disappointed.”
“Not at all. That is . . . I am always glad to see you, Mrs. Holloway.”
I chuckled and set the basket on his table. “I quite understand, Mr. Thanos. You are a man with a warm heart. Lady Cynthia has sought refuge with Lady Roberta and Miss Townsend this evening after spending a meal with her family. She was understandably upset by the conversations you had with the Woolners yesterday.”
Mr. Thanos lost his smile. “They were horrible people. I wrote a letter to the governors of the Foundling Hospital about them, begging them to refuse to admit them again. I told McAdam of this, and he went straight to the police.”
“Good.” I relaxed. While I’d planned to speak to Inspector McGregor myself, he’d pay more attention to Daniel than to me. “But we are no closer to finding the children.”
“But if the Woolners know others like themselves . . .”
“Indeed. I hope Inspector McGregor interrogates them. He is very good at interrogation.”
“Their actions will have to be proved,” Mr. Thanos warned. “Even for McGregor to question them, there must be some evidence.”
“Yes, but it is a beginning. Inspector McGregor follows the rules, but he is not intimidated by them. And Daniel follows no rules but his own.”
“That is true, very true. It gives me hope.”
I unpacked the basket for him, and Mr. Thanos exuded gratitude. I suddenly wished I could cook for him always—he was so pleased with my efforts and also interested in the contents and preparation of each dish.
He invited me to join him, as I had brought plenty, but I was not much hungry tonight, and let Mr. Thanos indulge. He praised the cauliflower with mushrooms and dill, and I explained how Miss Townsend had gifted me with a box of herbs. I’d make plenty of sauces with them before they wilted, and then I’d dry the remainder, keeping me well stocked into summer.
As Mr. Thanos ate, I asked about his new position at the Polytechnic.
“It’s rather strange,” he said, enjoying the last bites of apple tart. “The Polytechnic, as it had been, is dissolved. Funds depleted. A pity, because so much was developed there. Photography came into its own through the Poly. And many prominent scientists have gone through its doors. But it is difficult to make people understand the importance of science, especially for practical purposes.”
“I suppose that is true,” I conceded. “If it has dissolved, then how are you to teach?”
“Well, another man, a chap called Quentin Hogg, has bought the building, and intends to start things up again. He’s a philanthropist and wants to provide education for poor young men with good minds. I’ve never met him, but the fellow who recruited me, Sir Arthur Maddox, is quite rich. I will begin teaching sometime next year, I believe.”
“Meanwhile, they’ll put you up here?”
“Indeed.”
Very generous. And slightly odd, but Mr. Thanos, who believed in the good in everyone, likely hadn’t questioned his fortune. This flat was much more elegant and comfortable than the one he’d inhabited near the British Museum, from what James had told me, and I too would have been loath to turn down fine new lodgings.
I was packing the basket and preparing to leave when a knock came at the door.
“I am popular this evening,” Mr. Thanos said. “Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear.”
The visitor was Daniel. Behind him came Mr. Fielding. Neither man looked happy. Though they tried to tame their expressions when they beheld me, I could see that an eruption was imminent.
18
Kat.” Daniel stopped in his tracks, clearly taken aback to find me here.
“Mrs. Holloway,” Mr. Fielding said in a more deferential tone. “What a pleasant happenstance.”
Mr. Fielding tonight did not wear his clergyman’s collar. His suit was what I’d call