“Can’t you guess? I told Lady Fontaine I knew a medium who’d done wonders for my last lady. Can speak to the dead and everything. That medium will be you.” Hannah finished this astonishing statement and plopped her biscuit into her mouth.
“No,” I said immediately. “As much as I wish to look about that house, I refuse to do anything so silly. If Lady Fontaine is an avid spiritualist, she will know immediately that I am a fraud. I’m not even certain what mediums do.”
Hannah noisily swallowed the biscuit. “They pretend to go into a trance and let the dead talk through them, so you only need to roll your eyes a bit and speak in a mysterious way. Mediums are the best confidence people I know—they take money for telling their dim clients something vague that their late relatives want to impart. Though, most people try to ask the dear departed things like who they really wanted the silver tea service to go to, or where is that extra hundred pounds they’d hidden a few years back.”
“My dear friend,” I said when Hannah paused for breath. “I could not possibly. Why don’t you do it? I’m sure you’d fool them beautifully.”
“Would if they didn’t already know me. But I’m a respectable maid trying to help her ladyship find a bit of peace. Imade out that I don’t really believe in spiritualism, but my former employer seemed to draw comfort from it. If I suddenly declared I could sense Lord Peyton’s ghost and he had a message for Lady Fontaine, she’d smell a rat. Much more believable if I bring in a stranger I pretend to barely know. They’ve never seen you or know anything about you.”
I regarded her in consternation. “Good heavens, you mean for me to do this.”
“Why not? You’ll get into the house and have a look around when you say you need to take in the atmosphere. Walk where the dead man walked, sit where he sat. I can’t think of a better opportunity. Besides, she’ll pay you ten guineas.”
“Ten guineas?” My voice rose enough to attract the attention of the other tea drinkers and the waitress. I cleared my throat and sipped tea until they looked away.
“That’s what I told her your fee was,” Hannah said. “She said she could scrounge it up from the money her brother left lying about. If nothing else, you’ll have a bit of extra cash for all this worrying you’ve been doing.”
Ten guineas was a lot of money. With it, I could purchase the fine fabric for the new gown I needed, plus something nice for Grace and have plenty left over to tuck into my building-society fund.
“Charlatans truly charge that much?” I asked in astonishment. “Perhaps I ought to reconsider how I make my living.”
Hannah’s dimples showed again. “Now you’re seeing wisdom. Don’t sound so daft now, does it?”
I tamped down my eagerness. “I could not in good conscience take money for fooling people. Although…”
“Although what? You’re liking the idea. I see it in your eyes.”
“If I do discover what happened to Lord Peyton—throughmeans that involvethisplane of existence—then I won’t really be fooling her. Will I?”
Hannah’s laughter filled our corner. “This is why I love ya, Katie, me darling. You come over all scrupulous, but you’re willing to overlook a little deception in the name of practicality. Like not peaching on a maid filching money from a mistress’s desk to feed her poor little boy.”
My eyes narrowed. “Your son isn’t old enough for you to have been stealing for him the night I caught you.”
Hannah shrugged. “I had other reasons, I’m sure.”
“What is his name?” I asked in curiosity. “He told me it was Adam.”
“It never is, the little imp. It’s Sean. That’s Scottish. Or Irish. I don’t know. I just liked the name.”
Was it perhaps his father’s name? I wondered, but decided not to ask. “Where does Sean live, with you gone from home now? If I’d known you had a lad, I wouldn’t have asked you to be a live-in maid.”
“He stays at my place,” Hannah said over the rim of her teacup. “Where’d ye think?”
“He was wandering about very late last night.”
Hannah’s amusement faded into annoyance. “He’s a sturdy tyke and can take care of himself.”
“I apologize,” I said. “I wasn’t implying you were lacking as a mum. I’m merely worried for the boy. I can find someone to look in on him if you wish.”
“No.” The word was sharp. “I let him run about and do as he likes, because if I’m too strict with him, he’ll leg it, and I know it. He’s already gone off a few times when I tried to put me foot down. I don’t mind giving him his freedom, Kat. He’s all I’ve got.”
The fact that she addressed me by my correct name whileher eyes moistened told me she was sincere. I made a soothing gesture.
“I would never interfere,” I told her. “But if you ever need help, you come to me. All right?”
“Cease being so bleedin’ kind. You’ll turn on the waterworks.” Hannah wiped her eyes. “Can I tell her ladyship you’ll be there to ask the spirits what became of her brother?”
I debated another moment then heaved a sigh. “Yes, I will do it. I can come on Thursday afternoon, no sooner.”
