Page 67 of An Honorable Deception
That was it. They didn’t need to chase Babcock or Barremore around, looking for a clue as to where they’d put Samira. They needed to lure them out. Promise them something they wanted. Dangle the carrot, scatter the seed. But how?
“Alethia, dearest, did you see where I left my magazine last night? I can’t seem to—oh!”
Lavinia spun at Lady Barremore’s voice, and the woman laughed when she turned, pressing a hand to her chest.
“Oh, forgive me, dear. I’ve thought it before, but I’ve proven it now, haven’t I? You look so like Alethia from behind.” Her expression twisted, then fell. “If you would be so kind as to refrain from mentioning that I did that. She’ll think I don’t know her as I should.” Rapid blinks. “Perhaps I don’t.”
Lavinia summoned a smile. “Even if that were true, you’re changing it, aren’t you? That’s what matters.” Lavinia motioned toward the house. “Alethia is watching the football match.”
The lady nodded, half turned away, and then gave a wry grin. “Foolish mistake, really. Alethia would never be out herein this breeze without one of those shawls she so loves.” She said as if to say,See? Idoknow her.
A far different meaning unfurled in Lavinia’s mind. She stood there while the wind danced around her and the peacocks squawked over their food, and the plan took shape. Then, once it had, she darted around the house to find the others.
The game was breaking up, and from the looks of it, Yates and Graham had won. All four were sauntering back toward the house, toward the ladies, laughing and poking fun at one another.
She ignored them and dashed straight to the girls. “Alethia. I have a favor to ask.”
Alethia turned from whatever Gemma was saying, a warm smile of greeting on her lips. “There you are! You’ve missed the fun. And you know you can ask anything.”
Her heart was thrumming, and she didn’t think it had anything to do with the run around the house—she wasn’t even out of breath, surprising as that was. “I need to borrow a shawl. And perhaps a pair of your shoes. For a good cause, I promise.”
Questions filled her eyes, but she didn’t ask them. Lavinia suspected that she’d put together that Yates was Mr. A and that, by extension, the rest of them were involved in the Imposters. But if she did, she hadn’t breathed a word about it. She was rather like Xavier in that. “Take anything you like. It’s in the topmost drawer of the wardrobe, help yourself.”
“Thank you. Gemma?” Lavinia motioned her to follow and turned to the door. “I’m about to help you with your column.”
“Oh! Bless you. I’m coming.”
Lavinia didn’t wait for anyone to ask any questions. She hurried inside, up the stairs, and through the open doorwayto Alethia’s guest room. She’d been in here several times over the month of Alethia’s stay, so it didn’t feel dreadfully odd to stride over to the wardrobe and pull out what she needed.
The teal and gold pashmina shawl would pair perfectly with both a day dress and an evening gown that Lavinia had here with her but which she’d never worn in London—and there was a coordinating pair of slippers too. She added a wide bangle, a hammered gold necklace, and was leaving the room again as Gemma huffed her way to the top of the stairs, rubbing at the small of her back.
“I swear there are twins in here. There is no way one child can make it that hard to walk up the stairs.”
Lavinia smiled at her friend’s complaint and motioned her down the corridor. “You should petition Yates to install a lift.”
Gemma snorted. “That’s likely.” She sent Lavinia a pleading look. “Tell me we don’t need to walk to the study.”
It had been her first thought, but Gemma had been working from a sitting room a good deal closer to where they stood now, and it would be no less useful. “Your newly dubbed office will be fine.”
“Good.” Gemma led the way. “Now you can tell me why your robbing Lady Alethia is going to solve my deadline woes.”
“It’s quite simple. Lady Alethia is about to make an appearance back on the London social scene after her trip with her friend from school, and G. M. Parker is going to report on it.”
Gemma turned around to look at her, brows knit. “I thought everyone agreed it was too dangerous for her to be seen anywhere near London.”
“Exactly.” At the blank stare, Lavinia strode ahead into thesitting room, snapped out the shawl, and draped it around her shoulders. She kept her back to the door and asked, “Who do you see when you look in here, Gemma?”
“Ahhh, you’re pulling a page from our book. I ought to have guessed, as often as I’ve stood in for Marigold. Add the right accessories and no one thinks to look past them.” Gemma moved to the small desk against the wall and sat in its matching chair. “Though I assume you have some purpose beyond giving me something to turn in tomorrow?”
“We’ve been looking at the problem all wrong—trying to sort out how to find what they have hidden. What we need to do is give them a glimpse of whattheyhave been watching for. A few supposed Alethia spottings and they’re bound to move. She is still the loose end they must tie up. So if they think she’s back—”
“From?” Gemma was scribbling something upon a sheet of paper.
“The south—somewhere that starts with aB.” She paused while Gemma looked to the ceiling in thought.
“Bournemouth?”
“Hardly matters. You could go with Bath—it sounds as though they’d attribute the inconsistency to Lady Barremore’s supposed lack of geographical acumen.”
