Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick Read Free Book Online Page B

madam." The butler bowed curtly "Do come in, Mrs. Lake. Pray be seated." The words were spoken in a cool, refined voice, but Lavinia could hear the tension in them. This woman had been living under a great deal of strain.
    Lavinia sat down in one of the striped gilded armchairs and tried to look as if she were accustomed to holding conversations in the midst of such fine furnishings. She was very much afraid that her plain muslin gown, once a vivid, reddish brown but now closer to the shade of weak tea, betrayed her. The recent attempt to dye the fabric back to its original hue had not been entirely successful. "Thank you for seeing me, Mrs. Dove," Lavinia said. "How could I refuse after you presented such an intriguing card?" Joan Dove raised her elegantly arched brows. "May I ask how it is that you are acquainted with my name when I am well aware we have never met?" "There is no great secret to that. I simply asked one of the nannies in the park. I was informed that you are a widow who lives here with your daughter." " Yes, of course, " Joan murmured. " People will talk. "In the course of my new career,, I frequently rely on that particular tendency" Joan tapped the little card absently against the arm of the sofa. "What, precisely, is the nature of your career, Mrs. Lake?" "I shall explain later, if you are still interested. First, allow me to tell you the reason for my visit here today. I believe we have, or rather I should say, had, a mutual acquaintance, Mrs. Dove." "Who would that be?" "His name was Holton Felix." Joan's brows drew together in a frown of polite bewilderment. She shook her head. "I am not acquainted with anyone by that name." "Really? I found your address in a book that he kept next to his bed." She saw that she had Joan's full and unwavering attention. She was not certain that was a good thing. But she was committed now, Lavinia told herself. There was no turning back. A woman in her profession had to be prepared to take the bold course. "In a book next to his bed, you say?" Joan sat very still on the sofa, her gaze unwavering. "How very odd." "Actually, that is not nearly so odd as his profession. He was a blackmailer." There was a beat of silence. "Was?" Mrs. Dove repeated with subtle emphasis. "When I made the acquaintance of Mr. Felix last night, he was dead. Murdered, to be precise." At that, Joan stiffened ever so slightly. The reaction amounted to no more than a small, involuntary intake of breath and a faint narrowing of the eyes, but Lavinia knew the other woman had received a shock. Joan recovered quickly, so quickly, in fact, that Lavinia wondered if she had misjudged her reaction to the news of Felix's death. "Murdered, you say," Joan said as though Lavinia had made a passing remark on the weather. "Yes." "You're quite certain?" "Absolutely certain. It is not the sort of thing that is easily mistaken for other conditions." Lavinia folded her gloved hands together. "Mrs. Dove, I will be frank. I know very little about Holton Felix, but what I do know does his memory no credit. He attempted to blackmail me. I came here today to ask if you were also among his victims." "What a perfectly outrageous question," Joan said swiftly. "As if I would pay blackmail." Lavinia inclined her head slightly in polite agreement. "I was equally repelled by the attempt at extortion. In fact, it was because I was so incensed that I took the trouble to discover Mr. Felix's address. It is why I went to his lodgings last night. I was careful to choose a time in the evening when I had every expectation that he would not be at home." Joan looked unwillingly fascinated. "Why on earth did you do such a thing?" Lavinia gave a small shrug. "I went there with the intention of retrieving a certain diary Mr. Felix claimed to possess. It transpired that he was at home for the evening, after all. But by the time I arrived, someone else had already paid him a visit." "The murderer?" "Yes." There was another short, tense silence