Page 24 of The Art of Theft
Especially if Mr. Marbleton went with them.
Mrs. Watson looked beseechingly at Charlotte, who said only, “We will abide by your decisions, ma’am.”
Livia went to Mrs. Watson, sank to her haunches, and took Mrs. Watson’s hands. “Please, ma’am, I shall be extremely unhappy—not to mention tormented by the most terrible thoughts—if I were to stay behind. Please, Mrs. Watson, let me come with you.”
Mrs. Watson shut her eyes tight for a moment, then she pulled Livia to her feet. “Very well, then. Let’s all go together. But you must promise me, Miss Olivia, that your own safety will be your first and foremost concern.”
“I promise. Thank you, ma’am!” Livia cried, smiling hugely. “Thank you! Thank you!”
Her euphoria evaporated somewhat when no one else smiled.
Five
The house near Portman Square had been outfitted some years ago by Lord Bancroft Ashburton, Lord Ingram’s brother, when the latter thought Charlotte would accept his proposal and become his wife. Charlotte, however, hadn’t learned of it until this past summer, after she’d lost her respectability. Livia, by turn, learned even later and still remained unsure that it wasn’t a fable.
A house thatCharlottethought to be “slightly extravagant”? Charlotte, who had never met a garish color combination she didn’t immediately wish to add to her own wardrobe?
Though Livia had prepared herself, the anteroom itself made her jaw drop, with its gilded mirrors and dozens of red-and-white chinoiserie plates set inside a large niche painted a brilliant shade of coral.
“It’s too much! Too much!” she hissed, as soon as the maid who had opened the door for them left to announce the Holmes sisters and Mrs. Watson. “How can you like this house, Charlotte? Are you sure that you are notactuallycolor-blind?”
“I forgot to tell you?” said Charlotte mildly. “After you accused me of being color-blind the first few times, I performed some tests and determined that there is nothing the matter with my sight.”
“But there is already so much red and coral on this side, and thatis all green.” Livia pointed an accusing finger at the opposite wall, behind one large gilded mirror.
“It’s a nice green.”
“It’s a wrong green,” said Livia, half shuddering.
And it was worse, so much worse, beyond the anteroom. By the time they reached the drawing room, which featured enough tassels, fringes, and flounces to outfit every bordello in London, Livia was slack-jawed with dismay. “Charlotte, this is a brothelanda circus.”
“And I am both a woman of ill repute and a conjurer of tricks,” said Charlotte. “My tastes are commensurate with my stature.”
“You had the exact same tastes before you arrived at your current stature,” said Lord Ingram, walking in.
“Ha!” cried Livia.
Mrs. Watson chuckled. Even Charlotte smiled slightly. They exchanged greetings and the maid brought in a large tea tray.
“Well, everyone is here,” said Charlotte.
Livia glanced at her quizzically. “But I thought Mr. Marbleton would be joining us.”
Or did he not get their message, after all? But the small notice from Charlotte was in the papers this morning, and he most certainly paid attention to the small notices.
“Hehasjoined us,” said Charlotte.
Livia looked around the room. Was there a piece of furniture large enough to hide him?
Lord Ingram looked amused. Charlotte was examining the plates of cake that the maid was placing on the table. It was Mrs. Watson whose gaze first settled on the maid.
Surely—
The maid laughed. With Stephen Marbleton’s voice. But in reality he looked nothing like this woman.
“How did you know, Miss Charlotte?” he asked.
“Well, for one thing, I’ve never seen a female servant at this establishment before. The appearance of one now, after a number ofvisits, made me pay closer attention than I otherwise would. Two, I have seen you dressed as a woman before. Even though you’ve made greater changes to your face this time, there is still something familiar about you.
