Page 98 of Ghost in the Garden
She was at the foot of the stairs before she realized Silver and Grey were following her.
“Seeing me off the premises?” she said bitterly.
“Making sure you get there in one piece,” Silver said. “Only fair when you did the same for us. There’s a lot of ill feeling over what happened in St. Giles. Some will regard your donation as blood money.”
“That lot ain’t innocent,” Angela said with contempt.
“Some of them are undoubtedly two-faced, as no one knows better than I, but they don’t get to dictate the building work either.”
Angela regarded her with growing rancor. “I trusted you, and you stabbed me in the back.”
“I almost trustedyou,” Silver said sadly. “But you were manipulating us all the time. You wanted to lower Caleb’s hold over his people and gain their support for your leadership with the discovery of his sneaking, squalid affair with Iris under your roof, despite his show of respect to you. You might even have had your ownwill no one rid me of this turbulent priest?moment. Did you hint to Ida Feathers?”
It was the only way to hurt her. “You’ll never know, will you? Enjoy your respectability, Silver. It’ll drown you in the end.”
As a closing line, Angela rather liked it, but Silver ruined it with a spurt of laughter. “Respectability? Angela, I am the madam of a very fine brothel.”
Constance Silver…At last Angela recognized the name. Without meaning to, she swiveled her gaze to Solomon Grey.
“Oh, he is respectable,” Silver assured her. “One of the richest men you’ll ever meet, but he can’t resist a puzzle.”
“Or a dance,” Grey said, as the footman opened the front door. “Goodbye, Mrs. Lambert.”
*
Constance did notturn away until the door clicked shut behind Angela Lambert.
“I suppose you are sorry for her,” Solomon said quietly, without accusation.
“Actually, I’m not. She didn’t take the money back. Itisblood money, and you can’t buy redemption, but in her mind, I think it’s as close as she’ll come. She knows the doors are closed to her and she’ll probably turn her attention now to Caleb’s other businesses.”
“And she knows she is under scrutiny for the things she doesn’t want to be remembered for.”
A bit like my mother!Laughter caught in her throat. “Oh, the devil. Solomon, dance with me since I’m here, just once, and then I shall unburden poor Lady Swan of my embarrassing presence.”
“Actually, people seem more intrigued than embarrassed by you. You might be the most spectacular of the charity’s supporters, but you are far from the only oddity present.”
“Oddity?” she repeated. “I have a good mind to take my womanly wiles elsewhere.”
“You can’t,” he said. “I’ve invited you and you’re mine.”
Stupidly, her heart gave a wild little bound, preventing the smart riposte that hovered on her lips.
In the drawing room, though the walls were lined with people gossiping over the exciting encounter with Lambert’s wife, the first waltz was already underway. Lady Griz was sawing away at her violin, and the dance floor whirled with color and glitter.
A few men whispered and giggled behind their hands at the sight of Constance, but not too loudly, for their wives and mothers were present too. No one stalked out at seeing her, no doubt because they would then have to explain to said wives and mothers precisely how they knew who she was. The same kind of reasoning kept the respectable but knowing ladies in the room.
It amused Constance, but it didn’t matter to her, not when she strolled athisside.
For this dance, I am his.
And God help her, it was sweet to be taken in his strong arms, to be held and twirled in the exhilarating Viennese manner. The man had grace and charisma and a light, guiding touch. She felt as if she were spinning off the tension of the case, which was closed, at last, as successfully as they could do within the law. They had solved another case by an incredible piece of good fortune, and were embarking upon two more. Everything was right with the world, and she gave herself leave to enjoy these moments in Solomon’s arms. He would never know how intensely.
They waltzed without words, letting their bodies speak. Solomon’s beautiful, dark eyes never left her.My friend, my partner…
Because she was so absorbed in her own foolish bliss, it was some time before she realized the most astounding thing of all.
Solomon was happy.
