Mrs. Noone's head leaned forward, birdlike. Her hair was white and well-groomed, and she was wearing a Japanese dressing gown. She smiled at Cole and Annabel and said, "This lovely young woman is your wife, I take it?"
"Ah, no," Cole said. "This is Miss Annabel Lowell. She's a good friend, and it's on her behalf that we've come here today. I understand that you rent rooms?"
Mrs. Noone nodded. "That is correct. I'm afraid my late husband did not leave me as well-off as everyone supposed. As a matter of fact, he frittered away most of the fortune he made from his silver mines on cheap rotgut whiskey and even cheaper women."
Cole and Annabel exchanged a glance, and Cole said, "I'm . . . ah . . . sorry to hear that."
Mrs. Noone fluttered a gnarled hand as she said, "It was my own fault for allowing it. Several people tried to warn me that he was a wastrel, including your own father. Thomas was just trying to be kind, but I didn't believe him at the time." She sighed. "I'm afraid it ruined our friendship. And a fine friendship it was. Did you know that he kissed me one day?"
"My . . . my father? You're speaking of Thomas Brady?"
"Yes, and you must forgive me for speaking so bluntly. When one reaches my advanced age, one knows that there is nothing to be gained by obfuscation. Plain speaking is best." Mrs. Noone turned to look at Annabel. "Are you young Mr. Brady's mistress, my dear?"
"Blast it!" Annabel burst out before Cole could stop her. "Why does everybody think that? Do I have a sign on my back that says Slut?"
Cole caught hold of her hand and squeezed it hard, trying to calm her down. "I'm sure no one thinks any such thing—," he began.
He realized that Frances Noone was laughing. "Oh, my dear," the elderly woman said. "You are a feisty one, aren't you? I can see now that you would never be any man's plaything. Good for you!"
Annabel nodded and muttered, "That's right."
Cole sat there and wondered exactly when it was that all control of the situation had slipped away from him.
"You see, I'm new here in San Francisco," Annabel said as she leaned forward on the divan, "and Mr. Brady has been kind enough to help me out after I found myself stranded with no money and no baggage. But I intend to pay him back for every cent that he spends on my behalf."
"Good for you, dear," Mrs. Noone said again. "I've been making my own way in the world for fifteen years now, ever since my late husband passed on, and I can tell you that there's not a thing wrong with a woman doing for herself."
Annabel cast a triumphant glance at Cole. He didn't rise to the bait. Instead he settled back on the divan and let Annabel do the talking, since she was hitting it off so well with Mrs. Noone.
"I need a place to stay and a job," she said, "and Cole thought this might take care of the problem of a room. You have a lovely house."
"Thank you. Good luck and the Comstock Lode built it."
"You've kept it up splendidly."
"With the help of my good friend Lucius."
As if hearing his name, the butler came sweeping into the parlor carrying a silver tea set. He put the tray on a sideboard and began filling the delicate china cups from a silver teapot. He brought the cups to Cole, Annabel, and Mrs. Noone, then stepped back and asked, "Will there be anything else, madam?"
"Not at the moment, thank you, Lucius."
He bowed from the waist and then backed out of the parlor, disappearing into the hall.
"He's so devoted," Mrs. Noone said. "He was a slave, you know. My late husband owned him, back in Louisiana before he came west after the war."
"And he still works for you?" Annabel sounded as if she found that difficult to believe.
"Of course. Why wouldn't he?"
Annabel just shook her head and changed the subject by asking, "Do you have a room for rent right now, Mrs. Noone?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Would you care to see it?"
"I'd like that very much," Annabel said with a smile.
"I'll have Lucius show you." Mrs. Noone picked up a small silver bell from a table beside her chair and rang it. No more than two seconds later, the butler reappeared in the doorway.
"Show Miss Lowell the vacant room on the third floor," Mrs. Noone said, and Lucius nodded.
Cole started to get up, but Mrs. Noone motioned for him to sit down. Annabel said to him, "I'll be right back," then followed the butler out of the parlor.
Cole frowned as he listened to Annabel and Lucius climbing the stairs toward the upper floors. He was all too aware of the intense gaze Frances Noone turned on him as he sipped his tea.
"Your father was a good man," she said. "A bit stiff, but still a good man. He would never have taken advantage of a young girl." Mrs. Noone sighed a little. "Even when she perhaps wouldn't have minded . . . but that's neither here nor there. What I want to know, Mr. Brady, is what your intentions are toward Miss Lowell."
"Why, I . . . I don't have any," Cole said. "I only met her yesterday. I'm just trying to be a gentleman and help her."
"Are you certain that's all it is?"
"Yes, of course," he answered without hesitation, but the words sounded a little hollow even to himself.