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“ K eeping secrets does more harm than good,” I told Uncle Ronald. “Secrets have a way of exploding at the worst possible time, causing havoc.”

We sat in his office in the late afternoon. Clouds had crowded into the sky and darkened the room. He worked by strong lamplight that fell across his face, creating shadows below the bulges and making him look exhausted. Perhaps he was exhausted. Aunt Lilian’s health must be weighing on his mind.

He’d greeted me amiably, if somewhat cautiously, knowing I’d just come from Hambledon Hall. He must be expecting me to announce I’d found the killer. He must also be worried the killer was one of Lord Kershaw’s family.

“Mrs. Short’s new rule of no fraternizing is forcing the staff to conduct their relationships in secret,” I went on. “It has done nothing to stop them.”

He stared at me, frowning. “I am aware of that.”

“Nor do I think we should try to stop them,” I went on. “For one thing, it’s not our place to interfere in the staff’s private lives. They’re all adults, after all, and some of those relationships are genuine. For another, by dismissing those who are caught breaking the rule, we dismiss perfectly good employees. Also, Mrs. Short claims her rule is protecting the maids, but it isn’t. If one of the male staff is taking advantage of a maid, dismissing them may not stop him. It would simply stop it from happening at the hotel or residence hall. All her rule does is remove the problem from being her responsibility.”

“Cleopatra—"

“If the rule is going to be applied at all, then is should be on a case-by-case basis, not with an indiscriminate sweep. For example, was Mary’s footman taking advantage of her? Was he going to abandon her? We simply don’t know. What if their relationship was genuine? What if they were going to marry? We have just taken away the livelihoods of both, making the start of their life together very difficult. We ought to be ashamed, Uncle. We’re forcing the couples to become secretive and, as I said, no good comes from secrets.”

I was well aware how hypocritical I was being, after promising to keep Lady Elizabeth’s secret and planning on keeping a rather large one of my own, at least for a while. Even so, I felt keenly about getting my point across.

“Cleopatra,” Uncle Ronald boomed. Realizing I wasn’t going to talk over him, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Cleopatra, there’s no need to concern yourself about Mrs. Short’s rule. It’s no more.”

“You overturned it?”

“She came to see me today and revoked it herself, using the same arguments you just laid out so concisely for me. She has also re-employed Mary and the footman.”

“I didn’t think she was capable of seeing a different point of view, but I’m glad she has.”

His chins wobbled with his throaty chuckle. “I’m reasonably sure Hobart pointed it out to her, although neither has admitted it to me.”

I started to laugh. Mr. Hobart told me he’d reminded Mrs. Short that he was her superior. It was his way of laying the groundwork before he tackled her over her new rule. A rule he couldn’t personally support. He’d not gone over her head to Uncle Ronald, but he’d subtly reminded the housekeeper that he could. It allowed her to retract the rule without losing too much respect with her employer.

Well played, Mr. Hobart.

I stood and made to leave.

“Cleopatra, one moment. I have something to ask you.”

“You don’t have to worry, Uncle. My investigation into the gamekeeper’s murder has come to an end. There’ll be no arrest.”

“I’m glad to hear it, but it’s not about that.” He leaned forward and clasped his hands on the desk surface in front of him. “It’s about your acquaintance with Harry Armitage.”

Oh no. It would seem I was going to be forced to reveal my secret sooner than I expected.

“Do you think you could use your influence with him to gauge whether he would return to the hotel?” When I didn’t respond, he added, “As manager-in-waiting. Hobart can’t last forever, sadly, and Peter Leyland isn’t up to it yet. A new role could be made for Armitage, something between Hobart and Leyland, so that Hobart could move into semi-retirement, if he felt so inclined.”

“I don’t think he does feel that way inclined.”

“Even so, it’s best to be prepared. Could you sound out Armitage?”

“No, I won’t. I don’t think he would return to work here under any circumstances. You weren’t fair to him when you dismissed him. Anyway, his business is doing too well for him to consider walking away from it.”

Uncle Ronald’s lips flattened. “No, I doubt that’s it. Perhaps his relationship is holding him back.”

My mouth went dry. “His relationship?”

He stroked his moustache. “What’s her name again? Miss Morris, I think. Yes, that’s it. Miss Morris.”

I blew out a long, measured breath. This was one secret it was time to end. “Harry and Miss Morris have ended their relationship.”

Slowly, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. “Then I’m afraid I have to forbid you from seeing him anymore, Cleopatra. Without another woman in the picture, your acquaintance sends the wrong message.”

I squared up to him and lifted my chin. “I am sorry to go against your wishes, but I will see Harry again. Speaking of your wishes, it was you who wanted me to investigate the murder of Esmond Shepherd.”

He sniffed, as if trying to sniff out the meaning behind my sudden reminder. “What of it?”

“He was shot by a member of Lord Kershaw’s family. I’d rather not say who or why they shot him, but I will if you force my hand.”

Uncle Ronald leaned his fists on the desk and lowered his head. “I see. Well. You are more ruthless than I’ve given you credit for, Cleopatra.”

“I wish it weren’t necessary.”

He straightened, but still did not look at me. He concentrated on some papers on his desk, or pretended to. He seemed to be moving them about with no real purpose. “You may see Armitage for the purposes of your mutual interest in criminal investigation. That’s all.”

I left his office without responding. Having him agree that I could see Harry after he’d learned that Miss Morris was no longer Harry’s sweetheart was a good first step. More steps were still required, but they would be made when the time was right. Now was not that time.

I was passing my aunt and uncle’s suite when the door opened and Aunt Lilian emerged. “Cleopatra. I was just on my way to speak to you. May I have a word?”

Blackmailing my uncle into letting me continue to see Harry was nowhere near as anxiety-inducing as facing my aunt again. I steeled myself. “Is there something you need, Aunt?”

“Yes.” Her voice quavered and her lip quivered. “I need to apologize to you.”

I took her hands in mine. They were ice-cold and trembling. “It’s all right.”

“It’s not. I was beastly. Please forgive me, dearest girl.”

“There’s nothing to forgive because it wasn’t you who said it. It was the cocaine’s effects.”

She flinched before giving the smallest nod, as if a larger movement would pain her. “You’re right. I haven’t been myself. I am not this person.” Her face crumpled. “I don’t want to be this person. But I don’t know how to stop.”

“I know, Aunt. I know.”

“I want to stop. I want to be myself again.”

It was the most heartening thing to hear. I squeezed her hands and smiled in encouragement. “I am here. You are not alone.”

For the first time in a long time, she smiled. “I will need your help. I don’t know how to begin, or where.”

“The first step is to throw away your tonic.”

“I tipped it out this morning.”

That was an encouraging sign that she genuinely wanted to get better and wasn’t simply saying what she knew I wanted to hear. “Good. The second step is finding a new doctor. I’ll do that for you. We can visit him together.”

She drew me into another hug with more force than I expected from her frail figure. I hugged her, too, squeezing a little too hard, perhaps, out of sheer relief and joy at having my sweet aunt back.

The following morning, Harmony was full of questions at breakfast. Not a single one of them was about the murder, after I told her I knew who committed it but couldn’t tell her any more.

“So? How did it happen? Did you spontaneously kiss in the heat of the moment or was it a decision you took with a clear head?”

“I see Victor has told you.”

“As much as he knows, which is not enough.” She tapped my arm. “Go on. Tell me how it happened.”

“We kissed on the threshold of his flat.”

“His flat!” Her eyes flashed with mischief. “I never thought you’d be that unconventional and daring.”

“It was a kiss, Harmony, nothing more. But it was a very good kiss. Wonderful, in fact.” I clutched my coffee cup to my chest and smiled. “So good that I lost track of time.”

“Those are the best sort. What happens now?”

“I call on him at his office after breakfast. I need to ask him some medical questions.”

“How romantic,” she said with a laugh.

I giggled, too. Indeed, I couldn’t stop my giggles. Despite knowing there would be headwinds ahead when it came to talking to my family about Harry, I felt utterly, ridiculously happy.

I found Harry drinking coffee and reading the newspaper in the Roma Café. He wasn’t due to open his office for another half hour, but I couldn’t wait. I wanted to see him, and knowing he often stopped at the café, I’d hoped to find him there.

Luigi spotted me entering before Harry did. He greeted me with a nod that wasn’t a simple nod, but more of a knowing one. The two elderly men on the stools at the counter both swiveled to follow the direction of Luigi’s gaze. They broke into twin grins then winked, one after the other.

I peered over Harry’s newspaper. “You told them?”

He looked past me to Luigi and the two regulars. “No. I must have given it away.”

“How?”

“I haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face since you kissed me.”

“ You kissed me .”

“Will you come up to my office so we can…discuss it?”

“All right.”

He didn’t bother to fold the newspaper. He simply left it on the table where it slid onto the floor in a jumble of loose pages. He tossed an apology over his shoulder to Luigi before ushering me out of the café.

Once we were alone in his office, he closed the door. Before I’d had a chance to remove my coat and deposit my umbrella in the stand, he gently pushed me back against the door and kissed me.

I dropped the umbrella and clutched his impressive shoulders, before stroking my hands up the back of his head into his hair. Touching him like that, holding him and being held by him in return, was more thrilling than the first time. More thrilling than I’d expected it to be, and far more satisfying.

When the kiss came to an end, he helped me out of my coat. “Is this business or pleasure?”

“Neither.” I picked up the umbrella and speared it into the stand while he hung up my coat and removed his hat. “I want to ask you if we can call on Dr. Garside as soon as possible. Aunt Lilian is ready to accept help.”

He took my hand and rubbed his thumb along mine. “That’s good news. We can see him this morning. Does this mean you told her about us?”

“Not yet. She’s delicate, and I don’t want to trouble her. Also, my uncle needs careful management if he’s to accept you. Our news has the potential to upset my relationship with them. We need to keep it secret a while longer.” I was well aware that I’d just lectured my uncle on the very topic of keeping secrets. In that case, the secrets would cause an explosion if discovered. This situation was different, however. In our case, it would prevent one.

“Very well, if that’s the way it has to be for now, then so be it.”

Harry was more accepting than I thought he’d be. He must have already come to the same conclusion.

“Thank you. My family is important to me, but not as important as you are. If I have to distance myself from them over this, then I will, without hesitation. But not yet.”

He tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear then traced his thumb along my jaw. “You won’t have to, Cleo. I promise. I’m going to charm Lady Bainbridge into wanting me for her nephew-in-law, and I’m going to manage Sir Ronald with such skill he won’t remember ever having rejected me as your suitor.”

I grinned. “I know you will. Thank you for understanding, Harry.”

He stroked his thumb along my jaw again, all the way to my lower lip. His smoky gaze followed the trail. “As long as this isn’t your way of saying you’ve changed your mind and no longer want to move forward.”

“No! Not at all.”

One of his dimples appeared with his lopsided smile. “Then I accept the delay on one condition.”

“Name it. I’ll even share my next investigation with you.”

The second dimple appeared. “Nothing as drastic as that. My only condition is that I can kiss you in the meantime, when we’re alone.”

“That’s a condition I willingly accept.”

He circled his arms around my waist and proved exactly how much he appreciated our agreement with another heart-pounding, breath-stealing kiss.

Available 2nd December 2025 :

MURDER ON HARLEY STREET

The 11th Cleopatra Fox Mystery

Cleo and Harry investigate the electrocution of a patient by a medical therapy device. Read on for a description of MURDER ON HARLEY STREET by C.J. Archer.