The Unquiet - J. D. Robb [53]
“Mr. Unrow was born a gentleman, but that is his only claim to the honor.” Unrow might have the money to buy Miss Pascal whatever she wanted, but Lydia had no doubt that he had bought Miss Pascal as well.
Ah well, her work was not to judge but to sell whatever she had that they might want to buy. “That’s enough gawking. Back to work, Ida.” Lydia left the window and went behind the counter, wishing a customer would come in so she really would stop thinking about the man outside.
“Yes, Mrs. Chernov, but I can see even from here that he has the devil in his smile.”
Lydia raised her eyes to heaven. Since Ida had found religion among the Presbyterians, it didn’t take much for her to see the devil in anyone. But then, what was the difference between her choice of rogue and Ida’s devil?
“You be careful if he decides to come in here.” Ida’s face reddened at the very idea.
Before Lydia could respond, a carriage pulled up in front of the shop. An outrider jumped down and opened the door just as the carriage came to a complete stop. The steps were lowered and not a minute later Irina Chernov Allerton filled the shop with her scent and her presence.
“Lydia! What happened last night? Why did you cancel your appointment?” As she spoke she gave Lydia a kiss on both cheeks and tossed her cloak to Ida, who let it fall on the counter.
“Take that and hang it on a hook so it does not wrinkle,” Irina ordered.
Ida did as she was told, but Lydia could hear her grumble as she went into the back.
“I’m so sorry I had to cancel our appointment, Irina. Was Mr. Allerton upset?”
“Well, of course he was. He said that no man would have had any hesitation about venturing out. But I told him you were just being polite, that something terrible must have happened. But now I wonder, as you seem quite all right.”
“I am now.” Lydia glanced out the window but the carriage blocked her view of where Mr. Chase had been standing. “Irina, you will not credit it, but someone tried to abduct me last night, or at least he wanted something from me and was willing to abduct me if I would not give it to him.”
“Oh, dear mother of God, what a hideous experience!” Though Irina said the right words, Lydia could see the gleam of excitement in her eyes. Why was it not nearly as endearing as it had been in Grandmama’s? “Who was it and what did he want?”
“It was a man who was working for someone else. A Russian, he said.”
At that Irina straightened, looking alarmed.
“One of Alexei’s cronies, I suspect.”
Irina nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s possible.”
“He said he wanted my most valued possession.” Lydia touched the coin at her throat.
“What do you think he meant?” Irina asked, looking more suspicious than confused.
“Why, the recipe for the purple dye, of course.”
“Oh yes, and he did not know it actually belongs to Grandmama because it must be kept in the family.”
“Yes, but since I am known as Mrs. Chernov, do you not see that he thought it belonged to me?”
“Yes, of course.” Irina was silent a moment, which was so rare that Lydia wondered what had upset her. “How were you able to escape?”
Lydia gave her a much-abbreviated version of her rescue, leaving out the fact that Mr Chase and his fellows even now stood on guard. She did not even consider mentioning how attractive he was.
“Fascinating, Lydia.” Irina seemed content with the story, or at least she had no further questions.
Snapping her fingers at Ida, which meant she wanted her cloak, Irina gathered her reticule. “I will go say hello to Grandmama while I am here.”
“Please do not, Irina. In the time it takes for you to hand your cloak to Delphie, you and Grandmama will be shouting at each other. I promise you that I will arrange for another meeting with Mr. Allerton to discuss our business collaboration. He will have the use of the dye recipe. Even Grandmama agrees to that since you will be the one to inherit it eventually.”
“That’s what you said last week when you made the appointment