He frowned. “Held? What do you mean?”
“Was she arrested?” She dropped her gaze as though unable to hold his for another moment. “I only ask because she did not come home last night, and she’s been known to protest for women’s suffrage. She was arrested once before.”
When he only stared at her, agape at the thought of holding a countess’s sister in one of his cells, she cleared her throat and tried again.
“I’m terribly worried about her, and I’d like to bail her out and take her home, no matter what she’s done.”
He vaguely remembered a mousy blonde who’d been at her side during the wedding. A bluestocking, he’d been told. But he was still a bit flabbergasted at the thought of someone such as Lady Evelyn Lindsay being arrested. They did occasionally round up suffragettes, but he was fairly certain there had never been a lady among them. He hated to admit it, but if there had been, she probably would have been treated with kid gloves, not thrown into the holding cells with the rest.
“I’m sorry,” he said, realizing he’d let his silence stretch far too long. “I’m afraid we don’t have your sister in our custody.”
She let out a sigh, but he couldn't be certain whether it was relief or despair. “I know I have no right to ask this of you; we hardly know each other. But is there a way you can find out if she’s being held somewhere? I need to find her.”
As he stared into her entreating eyes, something shifted deep within him. Until the moment she’d stepped into his office, he’d have sworn he couldn’t be swayed by a lovely face, but he suddenly wanted to slay dragons for her. Or, at the very least, find her bluestocking sister.
“Of course,” he said gruffly. “If you’ll wait here for a moment, I’ll have my sergeant telephone around and see what he can find out.”
This time, there was no mistaking her relief. “Thank you so much, Inspector.”
Nodding, he stood and exited his office, giving the sergeant his orders and then flagging down Constable Pond. “Will you find some tea and biscuits for the lady in my office?”
“Biscuits?” Pond asked, his eyes widening. “Tea, I can manage. But I don’t think we have any biscuits.”
“Go to the café across the street,” Sebastian growled, tossing him a few coins.
“Yes, sir.”
Feeling a fool, wondering why he cared whether Lady Aston had a biscuit, he marched back to his office. “My sergeant is working on it,” he told her, resuming his seat. “And Constable Pond will be bringing you some tea and biscuits shortly.”
She gave him a gentle smile, but he could tell she was still worried. “Thank you.”
“Anything else I can get for you while we wait?” He couldn’t help it. She just looked so lost and afraid that he wanted to make things better for her.
“No, thank you. You’re doing more than enough already.” She gave a small, embarrassed laugh. “I suppose you don’t often have someone like me in here looking to bail someone out.”
“No. In fact, I’m almost certain you’re the first lady I’ve ever had in my office.” He held her gaze. “Why did you come here instead of one of the other precincts?”
She flushed a bit again. “Well, I didn’t know where to start. And you were very kind at the wedding breakfast. I thought you might be able to help.”
Her words warmed him, even though he knew they shouldn’t. She’d just admitted that she’d come here with the express purpose of presuming upon their acquaintance. But he was surprised that she’d remembered him at all. Women like her usually seemed to look right through him.
“Well, I hope that I can,” he said truthfully. “Hopefully, we’ll find out where your sister is, and then you can take her home.”
“I know you must think I should put a stop to her suffrage activities,” she said in a rush. “But it’s easier said than done. She’s a grown woman, and she’s very passionate about her cause. Besides, I don’t know that I’d stop her if I could.”
Sebastian sat back in his chair, surprised that she was being so open with him. He hadn’t asked her for any information, and he could only surmise that she was babbling in a fit of nerves and embarrassment.
“You’re her sister, not her keeper,” Sebastian reassured her. “I think it’s admirable that you’re here, willing to bail her out of whatever scrape she’s gotten herself into. And I certainly don’t fault her for wanting to fight for women’s right to vote.”
“You don’t?” she asked, sounding surprised.
He laughed dryly. “Of course not. I’ve seen far too much injustice in the world. I commend anyone willing to combat that.”
“You spent some time in the army, didn’t you?” she mused.
He wouldn’t have thought she’d know even that much. Had she asked their mutual friends about him? The thought pleased him for some reason.
“Six years,” he answered, wishing he could forget that time of his life. “I’ve been with the police for six years now as well. And I’m not certain which line of work has shown me the most ugliness.”