Page 35 of The Paid Companion

“I would also like to remind you that my grandmother was a professional actress.”

He poured two measures of brandy and nodded solemnly. “Yes, you have mentioned your grandmother on several occasions.”

“The thing is, it may be that I got more of her thespian abilities than I had realized, if you see what I mean.” She gestured widely with her fan. “That would account for the degree of drama in my, uh, performance. I assure you it took me every bit as much by surprise as it did you.”

“Is that so?” He handed her a glass of brandy and then propped himself on the corner of his desk. He swirled the contents of his glass and regarded her with a brooding expression.

“Yes.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “In future, I shall try to moderate my talents in that area.”

“We will return to the subject of your acting talents in a moment. First I want to finish the discussion we were engaged in when we were interrupted by that pair of rumormongers in the gardens.”

“Oh.” She looked down at the glass he had given her and concluded that she needed something to fortify herself.

She took a healthy swallow of the fiery spirits and nearly stopped breathing altogether when the stuff hit the back of her throat. It was as if she had swallowed the sun.

Arthur evidently noticed something was amiss because he raised his brows.

“Perhaps you should sit down, Miss Lodge.”

She dropped like a stone onto the sofa and breathed deeply.

“This is very strong brandy,” she wheezed.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed, raising his own glass to his mouth. “It is also very expensive. I find that it is best sipped rather than gulped.”

“I shall remember that in future.”

He nodded. “Now then, I told you that I had uncovered the name of a gentleman who may know something concerning the snuffboxes. I plan to talk to him. I would appreciate any notions you might have on the question of locating my great-uncle’s assistant, John Watt, however.”

“The man who disappeared the night of the murder?”

“Yes. I have spent the past three days going about his old haunts, the coffee houses and taverns he favored, the neighborhood where he grew up, that sort of thing. But thus far I have discovered no trace of him. It is as if he simply vanished.”

Elenora thought about that. “Have you talked to the members of his family?”

“Watt was an orphan. He had no family.”

“And you’re quite certain he is not the killer?”

Arthur started to shake his head, but he paused and then opened one powerful hand, palm up. “When it comes to human nature, anything is possible, but I do not believe that Watt is the villain of this piece. I have known him for years. He is honest and hardworking. Furthermore, he was devoted to my great-uncle, who trusted him and paid him well. I cannot envision Watt turning on him.”

“He stole nothing that night? None of the silver was missing?”

“No.”

“Then perhaps you looked in the wrong places when you went to the coffeehouses and taverns where Watt was accustomed to meeting his friends,” Elenora said slowly.

“Where would you look?” he queried.

“It is none of my business,” Elenora said carefully. “And heaven knows I have had no experience whatsoever in solving crimes. But it seems to me that an honest, hardworking man who fled in fear of his life but who also neglected to take any valuables to help pay for his food and lodging would have only one thing on his mind.”

“And that would be?”

“Finding employment as quickly as possible.”

Arthur did not move. Comprehension gleamed in his eyes. “Of course,” he said very softly. “I have overlooked the obvious. But that still leaves a great deal of territory to be covered. How does one go about finding a single man in this city?”

“Are you certain that he was single?”

---