‘What?’ I almost choked into my coffee. ‘I am a police officer, for goodness sake.’
At least I had the satisfaction of seeing My Lord Poker-Face with a dropped jaw. ‘Police officer?’
‘Special Constable Lawrence,’ I said. ‘And I know that London doesn’t have a police force yet, other than the River Police, and the Bow Street Runners, but Glasgow does and – ’ I could go on at length because I had become interested after an introductory training lecture and had read my way through the booklist, but he was staring at me as though I had two heads.
‘But you are a woman.’
‘When I am from we have had two female Prime Ministers, women attend university and we go out to work and earn our own living,’ I threw at him before I remembered my resolution not to mention facts about the future.
He shook his head as though to clear it. ‘Prime Ministers… You said you were a linguist.’
‘I work as a translator. I volunteer as a Special Constable in my spare time. Your egg is congealing,’ I added helpfully and reached for the toast.
To be fair to him the moan was hardly audible and certainly not quite a whimper. Lucian picked up his cutlery again and attacked the food, not speaking until his plate was cleared.
‘The sister of Viscount Cottingham has vanished under highly suspicious and mystifying circumstances.’ He pushed the plate away and picked up his cup. ‘Her brother is beside himself with worry and is accusing my close friend Sir Clement Selbourne of abducting her. Not that he has an iota of proof and Selbourne is in Town and carrying on as usual. I cannot believe that if Clem had done this he would not either be with his bride or would have brought her to London openly. He would want to re-establish her position in Society with some urgency. Besides, he is my friend and I trust him.’
‘So how are you involved?’ I slathered what looked like homemade marmalade on a slice of toast and bit into it. Bliss. Of course it was homemade, I reminded myself, there weren’t any jam factories yet. ‘Why should you be attacked?’ I added after I swallowed.
‘I have had some experience in the past with puzzling situations, minor mysteries. Whoever is behind this may be aware of that and have concerns about my interference. Selbourne needs my help or Cottingham is going to end up having him arrested. But I have no idea what, if anything, I am getting close to that would provoke last night’s attack. It may simply be that I am showing an interest, not that I am close to a solution.’
‘So who are the suspects? Beyond her brother and Sir Clement?’
‘Her brother?’
‘Of course. In cases of murder the family are first in the frame, the most likely suspects.’
‘This is not a murder.’ Lucian poured more coffee.
‘Well, I hope not, but how do you know? Tell me the circumstances.’
‘Miss Trenton – Arabella – is the only sibling. She lives at home and she is just eighteen. She came out this Season.’
‘Has she been a success?’ I knew about the Season, the aim of which was to launch well-bred young ladies into the Marriage Mart to catch a wealthy, titled husband.
‘Certainly, which is only to be expected as she is a delightful young lady. Blonde, blue-eyed, petite and elegant in her deportment. She is also a very pleasant person and has been popular with the other young ladies and the chaperones.’
‘A paragon, in other words.’
‘I believe so.’ He sounded uninterested in Miss Trenton’s charms. ‘She appears to be just what is wanted in a young lady making her come-out.’
How old was he? I gave him a quick, assessing glance. Twenty eight or nine, perhaps? Just a little older than my twenty six. And not married yet? On the other hand he was reacting to me as a heterosexual male would, unless I very much mistook the way he looked at me. Hopefully the way I was reacting to him was not written all over my face.
‘My friend Selbourne wants to fix his interest with her, but her brother will not countenance it. He says he does not want her to commit herself in any way at all this Season, that she is too young.’ He shrugged. ‘I assume he is holding out for something higher than a baronet for the chit because there is no other reason why he should object to Clem. Cottingham warned him off in no uncertain terms ten days ago, before he even had an opportunity to ask for her hand.’
‘But she favoured Sir Clement? And no doubt her brother’s opposition would harden her resolve to have him.’
‘No doubt – if she were not such a well-behaved young lady.’ He pretended to ignore my eye-roll. ‘At any rate, a week ago her room was found empty and her maid in a drugged stupor. The staff raised the alarm when the maid did not appear at the usual time to fetch hot water and to order her mistress’s breakfast. The woman slept in the dressing room and she was still in her bed when they broke in.’
‘Broke in? Then the door was locked?’
‘And the key was on the inside.’
‘Was there any sign of a struggle? Or a note?’
‘Nothing.’
‘How was the door locked on the inside? Is she supposed to have been magicked out of the room?’