Page 13 of A Swirl of Shadows

Gathering her skirts, Sophia crouched down, too, and retrieved the reticule. “You think she may be involved in some sort of intrigue?”

Arianna put aside the jewelry box and began examining some of the other items that had been spilled on the floor. “We ought not jump to conclusions, but the circumstances . . .”

She stopped short. A faint crackling suddenly sounded as Sophia finished checking inside the reticle and began running her fingers over the fabric to see if anything was sewn inside it.

“I think there’s a hidden pocket in the lining,” said her friend, sliding her hand back into the bag. A moment later, she withdrew a small folded piece of paper and handed it over.

Arianna opened it—and blinked in surprise. There were just two lineswritten in pencil . . .

“What?”

She passed it back to Sophia.

“W-Why would the baroness have your name and location on Berkeley Square tucked away in her reticule?” asked her friend.

“I’ve no idea.” But it raised a number of speculations.

None of them good.

“We ought not linger here any longer.” Arianna rose. “Sandro needs to know of this right away, so he can alert the authorities. I imagine he’ll want to have a look around himself, and then have the body taken to Baz’s surgery.”

Sophia nodded, and then gently closed the baroness’s eyelids before getting to her feet.

“I’ll send our footman up to guard the room and make sure nothing is disturbed,” added Arianna, after taking a quick look around.

“Well, as Henning is very fond of saying . . .” Sophia blew out her breath. “You and Saybrook may not go looking for Trouble, but Trouble seems to take a pernicious delight in shadowing your steps.”

Chapter5

Saybrook didn’t return homeuntil late, and by the unpleasant smells clinging to his well-tailored coat, Arianna guessed that he had stopped off at Henning’s surgery to check on whether the baroness’s corpse had revealed any clues as to her killer.

“Alas, no,” he said in answer to Arianna’s query on the subject. “Other than the fact that it was a perfectly struck stab, cutting straight between the ribs and piercing the heart.”

“A professional?” she murmured.

“I would assume so.” He made a face as he went to pour himself a brandy. “Though I do wonder why he didn’t take the lady’s jewelry. Making it look like a robbery might very well have raised no questions about the real motive of the crime.”

“The same thought occurred to me,” she admitted. “Which could lead one to believe—”

“That the dastards behind the crime are throwing down a gauntlet, so to speak.”

Arianna didn’t bother replying.

“Clearly they don’t believe we will walk away from the taunt,” he continued.

“And clearly we won’t walk away,” she replied.

He released an exasperated sigh. “Doing something unexpected could throw them off balance. A surprise move sometimes forces an enemy to make a mistake.”

“No,” she said softly. “I won’t be reasoned out of my decision.”

“Even if common sense tells you that you’re being lured into a trap?”

She looked away to the hearth, where tongues of fire were dancing up from the coals.Wagging in silent laughter?

“I’m not sure it’s that simple—”

“Nothing ever is when it comes to the Russians,” muttered Saybrook.