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“Any room in particular?”
The man shrugged, his bony shoulders stark against a thin shirt that had been darned in both elbows. “Does it matter?”
“I’m looking specifically for Harriet.”
“Try the third one along.”
Before Blake could thank him, the man went back to his sweeping. It seemed it wasn’t just Demeter who did not care for his opinion one jot. Just the thought of his cousin staring at her so made his shoulders tense. The more he observed Foster, the more he was convinced there was something not right about the whole situation—and Foster himself. He was beginning to intensely regret ever getting Demeter involved in this. A man who could feign such a bumbling act had to be dangerous, surely?
With any luck, Harriet might have more information on the men his cousin had been seen with. Or Demeter had been right and she’d merely wanted coin from him. Either way, he’d find out for certain and figure out his next step. This investigation could be neglected no longer.
He took the steps two at a time and rapped on the door with his knuckles. He heard footsteps but she took a while to answer the door. She grinned upon seeing him so he had to conclude she either thought him an easy mark for more money or had indeed given him real information.
“Changed your mind?” She gestured him inside the room.
He walked past her, the scent of lavender surrounding him and making his temples pound. He spotted bunches of it in a small glass vase and the remnants of some strewn across a tiny vanity table. Harriet likely used the plant in place of perfume.
The curtains were almost fully drawn and a tallow candle billowed ugly gray smoke in one corner. Many would not believe him, but he’d never actually set foot in a whore’s room before this moment, and he did not regret that decision now.
Harriet shut the door and rested against it, revealing her leg between the slit of a gauzy wrap. She pursed painted lips and looked at him from under her lashes. She was not unattractive with red hair, a sharp jaw, and wide blue eyes, but fatigue painted itself under her eyes and the ridges of her collar bone and chest hinted at many a day with no food.
He stepped back from her when she neared and she huffed, setting her hands to her hips. “Do not be wasting my time, sir.”
“You wasted mine,” he pointed out.
“I would have remembered that.” She flashed a wicked grin.
“The meeting?” he reminded her. “No one was there.”
“Well, that wasn’t my fault.” She tugged on a long curl and twisted it around her finger again and again. “I only told you what I knew.”
“You told me wrong.”
“I’m no liar,” she protested.
“Then tell me what else you know.”
Rolling her eyes, she strolled past him, sank onto the spindly chair in front of the vanity, pulled out a tiny pot of stain and dabbed it upon her cheeks. “If anyone finds out I’m talking to you...”
“You know I can pay well.”
She twisted, hand to the back of the cane chair. “I do.” Gnawing on her bottom lip, she set down the stain and wiped her fingers on the sleeve of her wrap. “I don’t know why no one was there but I do know that Mr. Foster is in trouble with those men. I overheard them talking about what they’d have to do to him and how they would get to him. I think he’d been avoiding them and Newman—the owner— is furious. He must owe them money—more than he already has.”
“Did they say anything else?”
Harriet shrugged. “All I know is that they’ll be getting it back one way or another and Mr. Foster would be a fool not to repay them. Everyone knows how dangerous those men are. Still, he’ll probably have more than enough money to spare soon.”
Blake frowned. His aunt’s inheritance had already been distributed and he couldn’t think where else Foster would get money from or why he didn’t have enough, though a lot of Iris’s wealth would be tied up in investments or belongings. He’d wager Newman wouldn’t care where the money was, so long as he got it.
“How is that?” he pressed.
“Word is, he’s got his eye on some rich, desperate spinster. Once he marries her, he’ll have more than enough money to pay back Newman and his friends.”
A chill swept through his body, freezing his heart solid. It didn’t take a quick mind like Demeter’s to figure out who his cousin was in pursuit of.
“Damn it.”
Before he raced out of the room, Harriet clicked her fingers. “Payment!” she shouted after him. “You owe me.”
