Page 16 of The Trick of the Treasure
“Not until about six, when everyone else came down.”
In this case, “everyone” appeared to mean the other servants. “Then none of the family was up and about at that time?”
“Course not,” said Rosie. “Even the master don’t risethatearly.”
“And you used the back stairs to come down to the kitchen?”
“Of course,” Rosie said again, clearly shocked at any other possibility.
Constance smiled. “Even so early when no one would see you? I would be tempted.”
“You,” said Mrs. Smith, “ain’t her. She uses the back stairs, and she’d be dismissed for anything else.”
Constance let it go.
Chapter Four
“Ithink weshould call on my mother,” Constance said, by way of explanation as to why she had instructed her coachman to take them to Covent Garden.
“To see who is likely to fence the treasure?” Solomon said.
“Or if she has heard any rumors. I learned long ago never to discount my mother’s wealth of low knowledge.”
“Will you tell her about our engagement?” he asked.
They were seated side by side, so she had to turn her head to look at him. “I suppose it would kill two birds with one stone.”
“Are you afraid she will make a fuss?” he asked wryly. “Or forbid the banns?”
“I’m afraid she’ll laugh.”
“Am I so laughable?”
“Engaging yourself to me? Of course you are! But it’smeshe will be laughing at.” Constance shifted restlessly. “And no wonder. I don’t know what a wifedoes, Solomon. Except turn a blind eye when a husband visits a woman like me.”
“Constance.” He took her hand, his fingers warm and firm around hers. “There are no other women like you.”
For a second, she clung to his hand, longing for his fidelity. She hated being on that side of the fence. All she knew about marriage was from the unfaithful, and she doubted she could be like these tolerant, ladylike wives. She was more likely to revert to her upbringing and break bottles over his head.
With a breath of laughter, she thrust such personal thoughts aside, withdrew her hand, and said, “Have we learned anything useful?”
Solomon shrugged. “That the servants are well trained and loyal.”
“And tense,” Constance added. “They didn’t strike me as a happy group. They’re much too defensive. Though I suppose they can’t be blamed for that, since servants are always under suspicion whenever anything goes missing.”
“They were unusually obstructive,” Solomon agreed. “And they told us nothing new about the theft. Only Garrick the butler knows where the keys to the strong room are kept at night and when Lloyd is away.”
“And we do know Mrs. Lloyd has entertained several times during her husband’s absence,” Constance added. She had learned that not from the cook but from John the footman. “There have been sizeable dinner parties with old friends and new and frequent morning callers, all Mrs. Lloyd’s acquaintances but some of them Jemimah’s friends and admirers. Like Benjamin Devine.”
She must have been frowning over that, for Solomon said, “You are suspicious of young Devine?”
“No more so than of any of the other visitors to the house, although he does seem to have had carte blanche to wander about the place in search of Jemimah. No, what worries me about Devine is that no one seems to have told Lloyd about his friendship with Jemimah. Apart from her, the whole family was dismayed to some degree by his arrival.”
“Mrs. Lloyd certainly was,” Solomon agreed.
“Like many fathers, I daresay he doesn’t like his daughters growing up. Sydney implied as much. And the transformation apparently happened while they were away.”
“What did you think of Sydney?” Solomon asked.
