Page 27 of The Missing Maid
Harry was only half listening. ‘Could it be Elephant and Castle Polly comes from?’
Once again, the look Beth fired her way was sharp. ‘Could be. I see you’ve been reading more than just thePositions Wantedcolumn in the newspaper. You think the Forty Elephants are behind that robbery.’
‘It makes sense,’ Harry said. She scanned Beth’s face and decided to take a risk. ‘Think about it. Mrs Haverford finds staff for a lot of wealthy families. What if someone at the agency is part of the gang? They pick a house, put someone on the inside and then set up one of the other domestics to take the blame.’
‘The police would catch on,’ Beth scoffed.
‘Only if they heard about it,’ Harry argued as another thought occurred to her. ‘Jewellery’s not the only thing worth money in houses like that.’
‘Blackmail, you mean?’ Beth considered this fresh suggestion, her eyes never leaving Harry. ‘I go to Mrs Haverford’s,’ she said at length. ‘How do you know I’m not one of them?’
Harry puffed out a long breath. ‘I don’t.’
The other woman lapsed into thoughtful silence. Noticing the full pint on the table in front of her, Harry raised her glass, caught a whiff of it and hastily lowered it again. She had no idea what went into a pint of mild and she had no interest in finding out. Carefully, she glanced around the bar to see if anyone was paying attention but Beth had been true to her word; as far as Harry could tell, no one had even noticed them.
‘You might be right,’ Beth said, stirring to reach for her own drink. ‘There’s a few domestics that get work through the agency that shouldn’t – lazy or downright nasty types you wouldn’t trust with tuppence, let alone the silverware. I’ve always wondered why Mrs Haverford puts up with them but maybe there’s a good reason she does.’
‘Do you know where Polly lives?’ Harry asked, hoping she might be able to track the girl down but Beth shook her head.
‘Can’t help you there,’ she said, and drained her glass with a speed that caused Harry’s jaw to drop. ‘But her surname is Spender.’
It wasn’t much but it was more than she’d known before. ‘Thank you,’ Harry said. ‘I really appreciate you talking to me.’
‘Don’t mention it,’ Beth replied. She eyed Harry’s untouched drink. ‘You going to finish that?’
Harry got to her feet. ‘No. It’s all yours.’
Beth grinned. ‘You can come again, Sarah Smith.’ She slid the drink across the wood until it sat in front of her. ‘A word of warning, though. That toffee-nosed accent of yours creeps through every now and then. You should work on that before you do any more snooping.’
Dismay twisted in Harry’s stomach. ‘I don’t know what you mean. I’m from Poplar.’
‘And I’m from Buckingham Palace,’ Beth said with a cackle. She looked up at Harry and her gaze softened. ‘All I’m saying is have a care for your safety. There are dangerous people around.People who don’t like the kind of questions you’re asking. If you’re going to pretend to be one of us, do it better.’
The words sent a shiver down Harry’s spine. ‘I will. Thanks.’
With a final nod, Beth turned her attention to her drink and Harry knew she was dismissed. Outside the pub, she took a deep breath of the cool night air, blessedly free from cigarette smoke, and reviewed her evening’s work. It had been a risk coming to Camden Town but she was certain it had been worth it. All she had to do now was ensure Oliver never found out.
11
It was with some trepidation that Harry took the train to Abinger Hall on Saturday morning. Her mother had telephoned on Friday to inform her of a dinner party and had made it very clear that it was not a request Harry was expected to decline. ‘Sebastian is coming back, and Lawrence. If they can tear themselves away from London then I’m sure you can too.’
Being summoned home was not the issue, although Harry had planned to spend the weekend considering her next investigative move. Her mother was not, by and large, especially demanding of her children and the truth was it had been some time since Harry, Seb and Lawrence had all been there at the same time. She loved being at home when her brothers were there; it reminded her of the golden summers of their youth when they’d conspired to escape the nanny and play hide-and-seek in the woods around the estate. But there was no getting away now and the mere thought of a dinner party dampened Harry’s spirits.
Children had been banished from dinner parties when she’d been young and she’d loved sneaking out of bed to spy through the bannisters at the glamorous visitors as they arrived. Thatwas when she’d first seen Baroness Campbell von Laurentz, and she’d been astounded to see her driving her very own Rolls-Royce. Today’s guests would have no such appeal. They would probably be friends of her grandfather or father; she would have to make small talk and listen to endless stories about topics she cared nothing about, when what she really wanted to do was catch up with her brothers in the comfort of the library, with a dog on her lap and a glass of really good port in her hand.
But her heart really plummeted when she walked into the vast hallway and learned from her mother who the weekend guests were. ‘Lord and Lady Finchem,’ Evelyn said, in answer to her question. ‘And their sons, of course. I understand from Phyllida that you didn’t meet either of them during your visit to her so now is your chance.’
Beside Harry, Seb covered a smile. ‘Lucky you, Sis.’
Evelyn turned a severe expression upon him. ‘I’ve also invited the Goldsworthys, with their two girls. You could do a lot worse than charm one of them up the aisle.’
Sebastian sighed. ‘I can certainly charm them, Mama, but the chances of me marrying either are slim to none.’
‘Never say never,’ Evelyn said encouragingly. ‘And don’t look like that, Harriet. If either of you showed the least care for your futures, I wouldn’t have to go to all this trouble.’
Harry and Seb exchanged a look. This was a well-worn topic of conversation and neither had any inclination to suffer it again. Thankfully, the sound of an engine outside caught their mother’s attention. ‘Ah, that will be Lawrence and Oliver, I expect.’
Harry froze. ‘Oliver? As in Oliver Fortescue?’
