Page 40 of The Locked Room

‘He didn’t say,’ Beth replied. ‘But he seemed to know all the ins and outs, including the plan to run away to Gretna Green.’

Harry groaned. If Percy knew everything then it seemed likely other clients of the Hot Spot did too, and there had been any number of ferocious gossipmongers present on the night she’d visited. They would have no compunction in spreading the news of a scandalous elopement the moment it happened. She had to find a way to persuade Rufus that his plan could only lead to disaster.

‘And then he said he might be able to help,’ Beth went on, watching Harry over the rim of her cup. ‘If you wanted him to.’

‘What?’ Harry stared at her. ‘How?’

Beth shrugged. ‘He said she’s got a secret, and that he’d be happy to share it with you. But only you. And only if you meet him in person.’ She paused to fix Harry with a meaningful look. ‘Tonight.’

‘Tonight?’ Harry echoed, with a dismayed look at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘But it’s very nearly one in the morning. What could be so urgent that it can’t wait until a more respectable hour?’

Beth’s smile was humourless. ‘I think that might be the point. I’ve got no idea whether this secret he claims to know is going to be useful or not. But he wants you to come alone. No Mr Fortescue or me. Just you.’

‘Why?’ Harry asked. ‘If he really wants to help, why can’t he tell Seb, or Lawrence, for that matter?’

‘Because I don’t imagine he’s romantically interested in either of them,’ Beth said patiently. She rose and took something from her bag. ‘Perhaps this will explain. He asked me to give it to you.’

The letter was written on plain, inexpensive notepaper, but the handwriting was swift and assured.

My dear Miss White,

I have spent a delightful evening in the company of your friend, Miss Lizzie Devine, who informs me you are still struggling with the matter of your brother’s entanglement with a young lady of uncertain prospects. If you are able to meet me at the corner of Mason’s Yard at two o’clock this morning, we may be able to uncover vital information regarding Miss Eccleston that will prove most beneficial to your family. Time is of the essence as I believe the couple intend to depart for Scotland in secret on Tuesday morning.

Naturally, I make this offer in the strictest confidence, to you and you alone. It does not extend to the steadfast Mr Fortescue, who I fear would only jeopardise our mission. You may rest assured that both your safety and your reputation will emerge unscathed.

Yours in good faith,

Percy Finchem

Harry read it twice, frowning over the address. Mason’s Yard was an old mews not far from the London Library, where Harry frequently went to consult the newspaper archives. The entrance was on Duke Street, a mere stone’s throw from Quaglino’s, and the alleyway where she and Oliver had found themselves the night before. ‘I don’t understand. Why does Percy want me to meet him there? Do you think that’s where Serafina lives?’

‘In Mayfair?’ Beth snorted. ‘Not on the money she takes home from the Hot Spot. But I daresay there may be other nightclubs nearby. Maybe he’s expecting to run into her in one of them.’

It was possible, Harry supposed. Mason’s Yard was a quiet backwater compared to the more fashionable streets that surrounded it, but the Hot Spot hid behind an ordinary front door in Soho. Wasn’t it likely that other illegal clubs did the same? She covered her mouth as a sudden yawn overcame her. ‘I’m too tired for this. I wish he’d just tell me what he knows, instead of hinting at it.’

‘Perhaps it’s something you need to see, rather than hear about,’ Beth said. ‘Or maybe it’s an excuse to get you alone. It might even be both. Are you going to go?’

Harry sighed. ‘I’m not sure I have any choice. Serafina herself doesn’t think she’ll need her job any more and if what Percy says is true, then she and Rufus will be married by the middle of next week. I need to uncover the truth before that happens.’

Beth stirred her tea in silence for a moment. ‘How much do you trust Percy?’

It was a valid question, Harry thought. Percy had never been anything other than charming towards her, and he came from an impeccable family. Despite the cryptic warning whispered to her by Louisa that night at the Hot Spot, Harry had no evidence to suggest she should distrust Percy, or the information he claimed they might uncover. Whether she could trust herself was another matter. ‘Oliver has a poor opinion of him.’

‘I imagine he does,’ Beth said, with a smirk that caused Harry to wonder what exactly she thought their relationship was. ‘But you’re right – you don’t really have a choice. Not unless you plan to keep Rufus locked up for the rest of his life.’

That clinched it for Harry. For as much as her little brother could be careless, self-centred and entitled, he was also clever, determined and resourceful. If he had set his heart on marrying Serafina, he would find a way to do it. The only way to be certain whether the marriage would be a mistake was by finding out everything it was possible to know about her, and it seemed help on that score had arrived in the unlikely form of Percy Finchem.

Swallowing a sigh, she put down her cup. ‘Come on, then,’ she said to Beth, hoping the fatigue in her bones would pass with the application of eau de parfum. ‘You can help me find something to wear.’

13

Hamilton Square was deserted when Harry slipped past the door of her apartment block and made for Piccadilly. She did not linger to admire the windows of Fortnum and Mason – a freezing fog had descended that did not encourage dawdling – but hurried on, head down, across Jermyn Street towards Mason’s Yard. As she neared the entrance, she made out the fuzzy silhouette of a lone figure sheltering in the lee of the building. ‘Percy?’ she called in a low voice. ‘Is that you?’

The glow of a lit cigarette flared in the moist air as the figure stepped out and she was relieved to see it was indeed Percy Finchem. ‘Miss White,’ he said, flashing her a welcoming smile that the greyness did nothing to dim. ‘How splendid of you to come. Isn’t it a perfect night for a clandestine encounter?’

Harry glanced up at the moonless sky, the stars shrouded by a blanket of featureless cloud. She shivered as the chill pervaded her coat. ‘It’s a little cold for my liking,’ she said. ‘I hope we don’t have far to go.’

‘Not far at all,’ Percy said, and extended his arm for her to take. ‘Shall we?’