Garden of Lies(50)

“I have never encountered it, either.”

“One way or another, we must consider the stuff to be dangerous. Rosemont was willing to commit murder and destroy his own laboratory to protect his secrets. If you don’t mind, I’ll take the sample to a botanist I know. He was a friend of my father’s. Perhaps he will recognize the leaves.”

“I suppose I could ask Lady Fulbrook about the herb.”

“No,” Slater said. “We don’t know what is going on in the Fulbrook household. You must not tell Lady Fulbrook or anyone else what happened to you today. Above all, you must not let on that you discovered these leaves.”

“Very well.”

“We need more information,” Slater said.

“About the plant, do you mean?”

“That, too. But I want details of the goings-on at the Olympus Club.”

“I thought that was why we were trying to arrange an interview with the brothel madam, Mrs. Wyatt.”

“I don’t think that we can count on obtaining a great deal of information from her—not if she is involved in this drug business. She will have her own interests to protect.”

“Will you talk to one of the members of the club?” Ursula asked.

“That would be the best approach. Unfortunately, there is a problem. I am not a member of the club, and due to the fact that I have been out of the country for the greater part of the past decade, I lack the social connections I need to convince a member to confide in me. But there are other ways to gather information.”

Ursula was silent for a little too long.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’m thinking that your partner, Lord Torrence, might be able to assist you,” Ursula said.

“You refer to my former partner who evidently detests the sight of me.”

“I told you, I don’t think Torrence hates you. I believe he is afraid of you.”

“I think you’re wrong but even if you’re correct, it comes to the same thing. He won’t help me.”

“It will be your task to convince him to change his mind. Meanwhile, it occurs to me that whoever was supplying the herbs to Rosemont must be a very expert gardener. It might be interesting to take a closer look at the contents of Lady Fulbrook’s conservatory tomorrow.”

Ghostly fingers touched Slater’s neck. “I don’t think you should return to that house.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.” Ursula smiled reassuringly. “After all, Griffith will be out front in the street the whole time I am inside.”





TWENTY-FIVE




Matty looked up from her typing when Ursula opened the door of the office.

“Good morning,” Matty said. “You’re late. I was starting to wonder if you were not feeling well.”

Ursula unpinned her hat and tossed it onto a table. “Once and for all, I am not ill.” She flung her gloves after the hat.

Matty blinked a few times and then she smiled. “No, you are not. In fact, you are positively glowing with good health this morning.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Matty said. “Just that I have the impression that you will not need to make an appointment with Dr. Ludlow for the treatment of congestion and hysteria.”

Ursula sighed and sank down into her chair. “Is it that obvious?”

“That you and Mr. Roxton have become very, very good friends?” Matty chuckled. “Yes it is and I congratulate you.”

“I’m not sure congratulations are in order.”

“Nonsense. We are both well past the age when we need concern ourselves with our reputations. So long as we are discreet, there is no reason why we should not enjoy the few benefits available to widows and spinsters.”

Ursula had been about to open a desk drawer. She paused.

“We?” she repeated.

Matty smiled serenely and looked at the flowers on her desk.

“Mr. Griffith stopped in to see me first thing this morning,” she said.

“Griffith brought you flowers?”

“Pretty, aren’t they?”

It was Ursula’s turn to smile. “Yes, they are.”

“Mr. Griffith is a very impressive man,” Matty said. “He spent years touring the country and America with a theatrical group.”

“I had heard that.” Ursula paused. “He is a very large man.”

“Yes, he is.” Matty looked pleased. “I believe it is all muscle.”

“No doubt.” Ursula clasped her hands on her desk. “Do you remember Anne’s satchel?”

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“I woke up during the night and remembered that it was not among her things. If you will recall, we packed all of her possessions and clothes into two trunks. I went through both this morning. Her satchel was not in either trunk.”

Matty raised her brows. “It was a very nice satchel. Remember how she showed it off to us the day she bought it? I wonder if her landlady pinched it.”

“I found Anne’s jewelry behind the water closet but there wasn’t room to conceal a large leather satchel there.” Ursula surveyed the office. “Where would you hide a satchel?”