These Vicious Masks: A Swoon Novel(49)

But she stepped forward, glanced them over, and shook her head. “No, I only heard them mentioned in Dr. Beck’s conversations. I’m sorry.”

I closed the diary. “No more apologies, Miss Grey. This is a very promising start,” I said. “I’m sure Mr. Kent and Mr.—will recognize a name, and we will find her soon.”

She smiled and looked like she was starting to believe me. “What happened to that cynical pupil of mine?”

“Oh, don’t worry, she’s usually here.”

“Well, you’ve grown since I last saw you—” Miss Grey broke off with a yawn. “Oh, dear. I’m terribly sorry!”

“No, no, you’ve had a long day,” I said. “We will continue tomorrow.”

With evening fast approaching and the many stresses, memories of horrors, and guilt pressing on her, Miss Grey needed her rest. She gave me her lodging information, and a footman escorted her to a cab. As I waved good-bye, I couldn’t help but wish, despite all she had gone through, that she might continue searching in her dreams.

I had three wonderful seconds to myself before Laura leaped out from around a corner. “Evelyn!”

My heart stopped. An embarrassing scare, considering everything. “Heavens, don’t frighten me like that.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “You promised this morning we would talk! Who was the woman who came to visit? I thought of eavesdropping, but the last time I tried was positively dreadful. I got trapped in a cupboard for hours!”

“My former governess. She heard I was visiting London, and she wished to see me. Not worth getting trapped over,” I said, unable to imagine Laura sitting still for minutes, much less hours.

She bounced across the entrance hall and to the next subject. “And what happened last night at the . . .” She trailed off, coyly lifting her shoulders and pouting awkwardly, which I could only take as the universal sign for brothel.

“It wasn’t Rose who was there,” I said and gave her the abridged version of the tale as we climbed the stairs to my room.

“You’ll find her soon! I’m sure of it,” she said with an optimism she must have learned from her stepbrother. “But there must be something more! You spent an entire night there! Was anyone’s virtue . . . compromised?”

I shook my head, feeling a faint envy for Laura’s boredom. Between the horrors befalling Rose, Mr. Braddock, and Miss Grey, there seemed to be merit to the comfortable tedium of my life a week ago. “The Argyll Rooms were much like a ball or dance,” I said gently, slipping behind the dressing screen to begin removing my attire. “Nothing terribly special.”

“Oh! Oh! What about Mr. Braddock? Was he still dark and mysterious and far less charming than my brother?” I gave her a harsh look over the screen as she squinted her blue eyes and sucked in her cheeks to remind me what dark and mysterious men look like. Like fish or Miss Verinder, apparently.

“Mr. Braddock is a reprehensible man, and we will not talk of him again.”

She must have sensed something in my tone, because she immediately pounced on the idea and my bed. “Oh, Evelyn! Don’t tell me you are in love with him! Oh, you are! Look at how red you are, Evelyn! My poor brother. You love him!”

“Goodness, I’m in love with no one, least of all him. He has done horrible things, and he’s dishonest and dangerous, and, well, he has many awful qualities. Not that I ever think about him anyway—no, no, Mr. Braddock is nothing to me. Nothing at all! In fact—” I could hear myself rambling, and a certain quote about protesting too much flitted through my head.

Judging by her subject change, Laura still seemed to think I was putting on an act. “Well, since you won’t admit to anything, I have exciting news about our theater outing for tonight!”

“The Lyceum . . .” I sighed. I didn’t quite miss society yet.

“I know, they are performing some ancient play, but more important, Mr. Edwards will be in attendance! Sadly, he was not able to join our party because the family already had a commitment, but we will surely see him during intermission!”

“How lovely,” I lied. “Did you say our party?”

“Yes! We have a box, remember? It will be us, the Verinders, and of course my brother!” Oh hell. Could I fall sick again?

She sighed and fell back down, staring at the canopy over my bed in utter contentment. “Oh, Evelyn! I don’t think Nick would have come if it weren’t for you! What it must be like to have two men in love with you!”





THE LYCEUM THEATRE might have been a magnificent sight, had the night’s plans not been so unappealing. Six gigantic Grecian columns planted by the curb created a portico that loomed over the sidewalk, like a monstrous mouth threatening to devour the entire street. Arched doorways led into a vestibule that opened on a large, warmly lit lobby decorated in dark shades of purple, green, and elegant glints of gold. Thick hangings and portieres were serenely draped about the room, interrupted only by the wide staircase at the center, leading up to the box tier.

Waiting by this staircase was Mr. Kent, who managed to both grimace at his stepmother and smile brightly at Laura. I received a knowing nod and a quick smile as he met us with bows. I gave him a curious look in return, wondering whether he had news and whether he’d have the opportunity to tell me. We should have arranged a secret code beforehand.