Page 16 of Beyond the Grave
She shrugged. "Toffs only see what they want to see. Miss D.D. wore a blonde wig and painted her lips. She also put on a hat when she were out on the promenade, something with feathers or veils to cover her face. No one knew her real name, not even us, but I learned it after I saw her likeness in the papers when she married Lord Harcourt."
That did explain the anonymity. It would be inconceivable to the society matrons that a dancer could elevate herself to a baron's wife, so they'd never suspect. "It was good of you not to reveal her secret."
She humphed. "Mr. Golightly pretended the new Lady Harcourt in the papers weren't our Miss D.D. but a lookalike. Then he threatened to dismiss anyone who breathed a word, which only told us shewereMiss D.D." She laughed a brittle cackle that made me feel even more sorry for Lady Harcourt. Her secret hung by a tenuous thread that was in very real danger of snapping one day. "I suspect he got paid handsomely, and still does, to keep mum. Now, Miss Holloway, if you will answer something for me."
I backed a little toward the door. "If I can."
"Who really wants to know about Lady Harcourt's past? The newspapers?"
"I told you, Lord Harcourt's family."
"I doubt that." Her eyes flashed as she stepped toward me. "You're too young and the wrong sex to be a private inquiry agent, and I happen to know that Lord Harcourt's family are already aware of his widow's past."
I halted my retreat. "They are?"
She nodded. "At least one member, anyway."
"Her stepson," I said on a breath. "Andrew Buchanan."
She seemed surprised that I'd guessed. "You know how he knows about her then?"
"Not quite."
"What I'm about to tell you will come as quite a shock. You must prepare yourself, Miss Holloway, as your fiancé has a past as colorful as his stepmother's."
My eyes almost popped out of my head. "My what?"
"You're hoping to marry him, aren't you?"
"Uh, yes. How did you know?"
"I see you're from good family." She fingered my velvet cloak. It almost completely hid my maid's uniform except for the bottom half of the skirt. "You're young and pretty, just the sort he likes." Her finger brushed the underside of my jaw. "And all these questions can only mean you're trying to solve a puzzle about your intended's family. Perhaps your own parents have voiced concerns about Lady Harcourt's origins, so you took it upon yourself to learn more. Did Mr. Buchanan hint about The Alhambra so you decided to start here?"
"You are very perceptive, Miss Redding. I admire your powers of deduction immensely."
She smiled a genuine smile. "I hear he's very eligible, and I know him to be handsome."
"He comes here?"
"Not anymore." She sighed. "Such a pity, but after she broke his heart, he hasn't set foot in The Al."
"She?"
"Oh, I am sorry." Her hand fluttered at her chest as she gave me a pitying look. "I see that I have shocked you, and you don't even know the worst of it yet. Yes, your fiancé used to spend many an evening in the promenade with us dancing girls. He was very well liked for his generosity and his charming manner. He could have had his pick. But I'm sure you know how he is. You can't blame a fellow for cutting his teeth here when he were but a mere lad."
"How long ago was this?"
She counted on her fingers. "Four or five years ago."
"He would have been quite young." I didn't know Andrew Buchanan's exact age, but I didn't think he was more than twenty-two or twenty-three.
"He just started university, I believe. He would come here on holidays, sneaking out of the house when his father thought he was asleep." She merely shrugged one shoulder, as if it were not unusual. "As I said, I am sorry to be the one to tell you about his past, but you cannot be surprised." She didn't look sorry. From the cruel twist of her mouth and the spark in her eyes, I'd say she was enjoying every moment. Perhaps it wasn't just Lady Harcourt's good fortune she resented, but Buchanan's rejection of her, if she was one of the dancers who had admired him.
"That would have been during the time Lady Harcourt performed here," I said. "So he must have seen her."
"Oh yes, he saw her. He also fell in love with her."
Chapter 4
