Malice at the Palace (The Royal Spyness Series Book 9)

 

 

I nodded. Then took a deep breath. “But we’re no nearer to being able to find out who killed her. If he was supplying her with drugs, wouldn’t he want her alive? On the other hand, if she was blackmailing him and had recently threatened to take incriminating evidence to the newspapers . . .”

 

I paused. “She may have become too much of a liability,” Darcy finished for me.

 

“Surely there is more that the police could do,” I said angrily. “I’d be questioning every hobo in Kensington Gardens, any constable who patrols the gardens. Someone must have seen a motorcar driving up to the palace.”

 

“So what? If you’d seen a big motor drive past, wouldn’t you automatically think it was one of the palace occupants returning home? You wouldn’t look twice, would you? And it was unpleasant weather. No late evening strollers. Everyone tucked up at home.”

 

“I hate to think that someone is going to get away with this,” I said.

 

“The problem is the need for secrecy,” he said. “In the case of a normal murder we’d be asking the public to come forward with anything they’d seen. We’d be asking for tips from those involved in the world of drugs. But we can do none of this. Ah well.” He ran his hand through those dark curls. “My money is still on Sir Toby. Maybe he’ll slip up someday. Maybe someone will squeal. In the meantime go back and enjoy your sherry. I can let myself out.”

 

“Why don’t you come have dinner with us,” I said, reaching out to take his hand. “Surely you can’t be too busy on a Saturday evening?”

 

He looked around. “I have a few things that have to be done. But I’m not dressed.”

 

“It’s only Irmtraut and me,” I said. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”

 

He smiled then. “All right. Why not. I’ve no better offer.”

 

“I can tell how very keen you are to be with me,” I said.

 

He laughed and put an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, then. Introduce me to the formidable countess.”

 

I led him through to the sitting room. Irmtraut started, looking as if I’d brought a farm laborer in muddy boots into the place.

 

“Countess, this is my young man, the Honorable Darcy O’Mara, son of Lord Kilhenny,” I said.

 

“How do you do.” She held out a hand, giving him a “we are not amused” stare that would have rivaled one from my great-grandmother.

 

He took the hand and to my amazement brought it to his lips to kiss it. “Enchanté, Countess,” he said.

 

After that he had her eating out of his hand and I could witness the charm that had attracted me to him in the first place. Because the princess wasn’t present, the dinner was solid family food—not as bad as toad in the hole but steak and kidney pie and cabbage followed by spotted dick. Irmtraut poked at it with her fork.

 

“And what is this?” she demanded.

 

“Spotted dick,” I said.

 

She peered at it. “Who or what is a dick and why is he spotted?”

 

Darcy and I stared hard at our plates to stop us from bursting out laughing.

 

“You certainly charmed the countess,” I commented when I escorted him to the front door after coffee.

 

He grinned. “Occasionally I need to prove that I still have what it takes. Perhaps she’ll be nicer to you from now on.”

 

Then he gave me a suitably chaste kiss before departing.

 

“Your young man is charming,” Irmtraut said when I returned to the drawing room. “And he is Irish, did you say?”

 

“Half Irish, half English,” I said.

 

“He is Catholic then?”

 

“Yes, he is.”

 

“But surely you will not be able to marry him, I think. Does the law of England not say that members of the royal family must marry Protestants? Marina told me that she must give up her Greek Orthodox religion and convert to the Church of England when she marries George or the marriage will not be allowed.”

 

“That’s true. But I’m so far from the throne that I’d be willing to renounce my place in the line of succession.”

 

“And if the king will not allow this?”

 

Oh golly. I wish she hadn’t started down that path. “I’m sure he will,” I said with more conviction than I felt.

 

She looked smug and I suspected she was pleased to have thrown another spoke into another wheel. It was probably the highlight of her day.