Dangerous in Diamonds - Madeline Hunter [38]
“We are honored. Celia would receive you too, but she insists she is not dressed well enough. I said you would not mind, but you know how women can be.” Albrighton gestured to a chair, by way of invitation. “May I offer you some brandy? Whiskey?”
“I think not, although I probably should. I have been busy of late, and more sober than is healthy, I think.”
Albrighton laughed in that almost silent style he had.
“It was not a jest, Albrighton. Sobriety is playing games with my mind. That servant here, with the red hair, for example. I wonder if I know her, but have no idea why I think I do. It is like a damned itch that can’t be reached.”
Albrighton thought before speaking. He always did that. It usually left Castleford wondering what was not being said. “It is possible you have met her before.”
“That is unlikely. I have not ‘met’ more than a dozen servants in my entire life.”
“She was not always a servant. She used to live in Covent Garden.” Albrighton looked over placidly. Meaningfully.
“Ah.”
“She fears you recognized her. She is being comforted by Celia, who has assured her you are too drunk ever to remember anything when you go whoring.”
“That is not true. I remember almost everything.”
Albrighton just looked at him.
“But not this time. Just her face, vaguely. Nothing specific otherwise.”
“Good.”
“Although it does occur to me that she may have been the one with—” He noticed Albrighton’s eyelids lower. “No, surely not. Try as I might, the details are completely lost. Most likely she was just a friend of some woman I knew much better.”
Albrighton acknowledged the effort with his damned vague smile, then turned the topic neatly. “As I said, you honor us with this call. Is there a reason for it?”
“Does there have to be a reason?”
“For most friends, no. However, you are not known to make calls even on the best people, let alone go out of your way like this.” He said nothing more. He just waited.
That was the problem with Albrighton. He made one show one’s hand in order to get anything out of him. His years employed by the Home Office, his role to ferret out information, no doubt accounted for that. “I merely found myself passing by. However, your mention of your wife does bring to mind my recent acquaintance of Mrs. Joyes. If I remember correctly, your wife lived with her for some time.”
“For five years, until she inherited this house upon her mother’s death.”
Castleford waited for Albrighton to offer something more. Anything. However, unlike with Hawkeswell, conversation, let alone gossip, did not flow freely with this man.
“She mentioned in passing that she sends flowers and plants to a friend in London to distribute. I immediately thought that friend must be Mrs. Albrighton. I don’t know why the notion came to me.”
“It was a logical deduction, I suppose. It was unlikely Mrs. Joyes had Lady Sebastian or Lady Hawkeswell as a partner. That is why Celia is not running above to dress better, to receive you. She expects that wagon from The Rarest Blooms today.”
“Soon? I hope that I have not intruded at an inconvenient time.”
“Not too soon.” Albrighton cocked his head, as if listening for sounds from the back of the house. “Let us take a turn in the park, however, so we are not a nuisance when it comes.”
Castleford agreed that was a fine idea. Albrighton looked like a man who wanted a private word, for one thing. For another, with any luck that wagon would have come by the time their walk was completed.
They walked all the way to Bedford Square before Albrighton spoke again. “I thought perhaps you had sought me out for a different reason besides your curiosity regarding Mrs. Joyes.”
“I am not curious. It was merely small talk. Everyone in the world except you engages in it. If you are going to have any chance in society, you must learn to bore people with insignificant chatter too.”
Humor showed