Page 17 of An Artful Dodge
Of course he would. James still had plenty of friends in Elephant and Castle.
“Are Castle men doing this? Hitting homes in the West End?”
His fork and knife paused over the plate as he gave me a look. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no.
It called to mind the evasive look on Sarah’s face the previous night, and trying to sift the truth, I retraced the steps of our conversation: her insistence that the Willits sons had done nothing wrong, which I believed; her explanation about the chimney sweep and the silver polishing, which felt true but shuffling, as if she was buying time before she had to lie to me; and her assurance that she’d tell me if something frightened her at the Willitses’ house, which now struck me as a carefully narrow promise.
She didn’t say she would tell me if something frightened her nearby.
“Damn,” escaped under my breath.
James’s brow furrowed. “What’s the matter?”
“Sarah was odd last night. She was late, so I went to meet her, and when I found her on the bridge she seemed ... upset. And when I asked why, she said she hadn’t wanted to walk home in the rain because she was afraid of getting sick and losing her position.” I bit my lip.
“You think she was lying to you?” He looked dubious.
“Well, no. I think it was true.” I hated the thought of Sarah lying outright. “But it may also have been a shell for something else.”
He rested his fork and knife on the edge of the plate. “Do you think she might know something about this? Could she have seen something as she walked past the Fairleigh house? Or someone?”
The way he’d arrived so easily at a similar conclusion meant I wasn’t over-worrying. I was likely worrying just enough. “It’s possible, isn’t it?”
He put up two hands to caution me that it wasn’t the only explanation. “Whatever she was hiding from you—if shewashiding anything—it might have nothing to do with this.”
I snicked my tongue in frustration. “If the article had given the address, I’d at least know if it was on her way home.”
James’s silence made my gaze return to him. His hazel eyes were on mine, watchful. “Almost seems that if Sarahdidsee someone, it would have to be someone she knew, wouldn’t it?”
“For her to bother taking notice of him?”
“For her to bother hiding it from you,” he corrected me.
A spike of fear ran down my spine. “You mean she might’ve seen someone she recognized. A Castle man in Mayfair. And she’d know he didn’t belong.”
“Can you ask her outright?” he asked. “If she did see someone, it’s likely eating at her. She’d probably be relieved to tell you.”
I looked at the mantel clock. “Not tonight. It’s too late. But I could try tomorrow. Though if I cause trouble for her by going to the house, she’ll be furious.”
We were silent for a long minute. At last, he pointed his chin toward my supper. “Are you not hungry?”
I looked down at my plate.
James folded his napkin and set it aside. “Then I’ll take you home.”
The very absence of resentment threw a wave of regret over me. He’d spent his hard-earned money to bring me to a nice restaurant, with music and a fine meal. It should have been a lovely time. But I couldn’t think of what to say about it. I couldn’t apologize for my fears.
He held my coat so I could slide my arms in, donned his own, bid his friends good night, and followed me out into the street. At the corner, he raised his hand for a cab, helped me in, and got in afterward.
I sat staring out the window, desperate to see Sarah for just thirty seconds, long enough to ask one question, though logically it made no difference if I saw her tonight or early tomorrow. She was safe in her bed in a West End house with other people and a servants’ door with a metal bolt.
James let me be as we rolled toward Elephant and Castle. Perhaps he sensed the wave of anger rising inside me, anger toward myself for having let Sarah convince me nothing was wrong. A groan escaped me. Every time I loosened my grip on the reins of my worry, something bad happened.
“What?” he asked.
“I wish I had enough money she didn’t have to go to work,” I muttered.
“Wouldn’t keep her safe.”
