Page 78 of Sands of Sirocco
Social convention be damned.Lady Hendricks fully intended to ignore Ginger from here on out anyway.
Ginger strode toward the table, her every step bolstered by her fury and indignation from leaving Noah upstairs.Her emotional state wasn’t the best one to approach an important conversation.She had little choice.
She pulled out the empty chair beside Lady Hendricks and sat, gracefully, just as though she was supposed to be there.
Lady Hendricks startled, her gaze ripped from the street down below and settling on Ginger.“Lady Virginia,” she said, working to remove the surprise from her features.
“Good afternoon, Lady Hendricks.I’m sorry to join you uninvited, but I really must insist on speaking to you.”Ginger kept her voice low.The chance of being overheard at Shepheard’s was high.“I’m searching for Freddy Mortimer, and you—”
“Don’t you dare mention that name again.”Lady Hendricks gave her a derisive look, then furrowed her brow.“Why?Did you have an entanglement with him?I’ve heard all about the sordid reputation of the eldest Braddock daughter.”
Ginger leaned back in her seat and smirked.“And I’ve heard all about your entanglement with Mr.Mortimer.Unlike other women in society, I’m not impressed with your money, Lady Hendricks.”
Lady Hendricks blanched, looking shocked that someone might speak to her in such a manner.
Ginger softened her expression.“But neither do I care about your personal affairs.Nor do I judge you for them.I’ve been serving the troops from the beginning of this war and we’re all weary, aren’t we?You’re not the first lonely wife left at home by a husband who she’s probably spent more time waiting for than married to.The letters I read to some of the injured soldiers told a whole other side of this war that’s unspoken.The war at home is no less a struggle.”
The horn of a motorcar drew Lady Hendricks’ gaze away briefly.When she looked back, she’d composed herself.“That’s where you’re wrong about me,” she said tersely.“I don’t love Stewart.I never did.I married for comfort, which I have in spades.It also gives me the ability to not have to deal with the likes of people like you.At my word alone, I could see that you, your sister, and your mother are completely excluded from the events of the winter season.”She leaned forward, over her teacup.“That’s why I married Stewart.Because I enjoy being able to do what I want, however I want, to whomever I want.”
Ginger had thought her a plain woman before, now she saw her as truly ugly.Her visage seemed to take on the blackness of her heart.How could she possibly prevail upon someone so cruel and with so little regard for the feelings of others?“My mother and sister have nothing to do with this, Lady Hendricks.But if you see fit to drive us away, so be it.It so happens that Freddy Mortimer stole something of great value to my family.You can hardly do more to us than he’s already done.”
“Freddy isn’t a thief,” Lady Hendricks said in a flat tone.Her quick defense gave away something more though.She still had feelings for him.
“Then he’ll have to prove it for himself.”Ginger dropped her voice another degree.She only had this one gamble, this one lead.If she cowered now, she would get nowhere.“And you’ll find me to be just as unscrupulous as my reputation.I won’t stop until I find Mr.Mortimer.I will continue my search, regardless of the damage I do to you in trying to find him.I fully intend to direct my next line of questions to your husband.”
Lady Hendricks stared at her, blinking.Then her shoulders shrank, a defeated expression on her face.“I haven’t seen or heard from Freddy in months.”She fidgeted with the serviette in her lap.Then she added, “You know, you aren’t the first to come asking questions about Freddy recently.I had government officials at my door months ago.What is it you think Freddy stole?”
Months ago?
Ginger stared back at her.But Noah had just brought news of the concession recently.Why would government officials have been asking about Freddy Mortimer months earlier?“The deed to a property my father left to me,” Ginger said smoothly.That was as close to the truth as she was willing to admit.She scrutinized Lady Hendricks.“Did you say months ago?”
Lady Hendricks still looked wary but she sipped her tea.“Yes, they came in August.By then I hadn’t seen Freddy for a few months, though.I escorted them to his room here in Shepheard’s, but there was no trace of him.”
Why would they have been asking about Freddy in August?Ginger had assumed that when Osborne had told her they’d tried to find out about him, it had been recently.
Unless they’d known about the concession before Noah found out about it.
“Is there anything about Mr.Mortimer that you didn’t tell them?Anything that might help me find him?”Ginger released a slow, long breath and lifted her chin.“I can’t expect you to understand my situation, Lady Hendricks, but we’re not altogether that dissimilar.I had to sacrifice a life with the man I loved to better my family.And now I’m the only one that can help them try to recover what Mr.Mortimer took from us.Please.My mother counts you among her friends.Will you help me?”
She prayed her lie about Noah would be believable.Lady Hendricks certainly knew about him.Confirming that the rumors about them had been true might help to give her some sense of regained status between them.
Lady Hendricks was silent for what felt like a full minute.Then she set her teacup down with trembling fingers, the cup clattering.
She stared at the amber liquid inside.“His real name was Paul Hanover.Mortimer was just a pseudonym.As far as I know, he never shared that information with anyone else.”Her eyes brimmed with tears.“And he claimed he loved me.”
A pseudonym?
Ginger’s heart beat faster with an excited pulse.This was something she might work with.“Thank you,” Ginger said simply.Then she stood and left Lady Hendricks still staring at her tea.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Noah waited outside the door to his hotel room as the doctor finished her examination of Victoria.He checked his pocket watch.Alastair was late in coming but would hopefully be here soon.Much as Victoria might want to stay with Noah, she couldn’t.Especially not after his argument with Ginger.Alastair could provide Victoria both safety and anonymity in one of his safe houses.
And the sooner she left, the sooner he could try to find help at the CID.This had gone on long enough without involving a higher authority.
The door to the room opened, and Dr.Radford exited.She wore a serious expression.“She’s resting.She’ll need a good deal of rest, I imagine.But, I think she’s fine staying out of the hospital.”
He doubted that Dr.Radford would reveal anything intimate, but he wondered what Victoria had been through at the hands of the Aleaqrab.“Is there anything else I can do for her?”
