William had the impression the man didn’t believe him. He felt his cheeks heating up.
What was he thinking, hiring a private detective? Those people were always trouble.
“I believe you want me to find a woman, your Grace?”
Williamdidflinch back at that. “Well, you make it sound terrible!”
“My apologies. My companion was the one who took down your message, and I’m afraid he does tend to miss out important details. I’m glad you came to us, instead of the cheaper hired thugsone can find to carry out just about any nonsense in town.” He shuddered visibly. “Grimy fools with patched coattails, ugh! Do tell me, your Grace, what I can do for you.”
Sighing, William took out the locket, setting it down on the table. Mr. Seeker picked it up in dainty, birdlike fingers, turning it over and over in his hands.
“I met a woman at a party some time ago. She was wearing this locket, and it appears that the clasp broke and it fell. I picked it up but wasn’t able to return it to her. We had had a conversation, but I foolishly hadn’t asked her name, and nobody else seems to recall her. It seems to be a valuable locket, and I would like to return it to her. Of course, I can’t do that unless I find her. I thought you might be able to help.”
Mr. Seeker smiled faintly. “Cinders.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing. I see there is a little miniature of a child here. Hers? Or perhaps her as a youth?”
“Not her, I think. Perhaps the child is hers, or a sibling… I don’t know.”
“The locket does seem valuable,” he mused, bringing it so close to his face that the tip of his pointed nose almost touched it, “But it isn’t aremarkablyvaluable jewel. Carefully cleaned, I see, but not anewstyle of locket. My guess would be that this is a well-loved item. I see evidence where the clasp has broken before and been fixed. And, of course, when coupled with the miniature inside… certainly, the owner of this locket would be glad to see it returned.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“What about the initial?”
William blinked. “What?”
Mr. Seeker carefully angled the back of the locket until William could just about make out the sweep of an engraved initial. He hadn’t noticed it before, since time and smoothing fingers had worn it almost away.
“Is that… is it anL?”
“I believe so, your Grace. It could be a surname, or a Christian name, or anything in between. It is, however,something.”
“Indeed,” William murmured, leaning back.
Mr. Seeker took out a pristine white handkerchief withF.S.embroidered on the corner, and laid the locket on it gently, almost reverently.
“May I take this with me, your Grace?”
William hesitated. He was a little shocked at just how little he wanted to be parted with the locket.
Silly. It’s not even yours.
“Yes,” he answered unwillingly, “If you must, but I’d like to return it personally, you know.”
“Of course. May I ask, your Grace, whether you asked the host or hostess of the party at which you met this lady, about the guest?”
He sighed. “I thought of that, but it’s not really done. At a party of that size, the host might not even know everybody. Ladies request to bring girls they are chaperoning, or a visiting cousin, or an in-law, or so on. It gets complicated.”
“I understand. A description of this woman, then?”
William gave it, as best he could. He felt foolish, sitting seriously in his study, having hired aprivate detectiveof all things to hunt down a woman he’d had one conversation with.
In truth, William had guessed by now that he was spurred on by more than wanting to return the locket. There was curiosity there, something urgent. Something uncomfortable.
Somethingdistracting. The Duke of Dunleigh couldn’t afford distractions.
