Bad Miss Bennet by Jean Burnett Page B

for information about the gowns, the jewellery and the general ambience. Miles wanted to hear about the swells who milled around the Prince Regent. I did my best to entertain them while Adelaide’s ears twitched in the background.
    When I reached the part about my escapade in the corridors and the secret passageway to the inn, Selena almost fell off her chair with excitement. Of course, I did not mention my meeting with Jerry. I called to Adelaide and asked her if she had heard the name of Von Mecks mentioned anywhere. She shook her head saying that she had been too occupied with her duties concerning the move to go about the town. Selena frowned in an effort to remember something.
    â€˜I caught a glimpse of a strange looking woman at the inn after you left, Lydia.’ She turned to her husband. ‘Surely you saw her, Miles? The creature had a hoisted up look about her. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips parched. She looked as if her shoes were too tight.’
    Miles seemed doubtful, saying that the description might have applied to him after a night on the town. Selena turned to me impatiently. ‘Miles can never remember anything. The strange thing is that the woman was at the inn one moment and then she disappeared. I am sure she did not leave by the front entrance. She must have gone into the secret room.’
    â€˜One of the prince’s floozies,’ Miles added. I agreed that this was intriguing, if not altogether surprising, given the prince’s known preferences, but it told us nothing about the murder of Von Mecks and my patron’s connection with it.
    â€˜Getheridge is up to something, mark my words.’ Miles tried to look solemn for a moment. ‘Up to his ears in it, that fellow … not a gentleman, if you get my meaning.’
    â€˜But he’s a banker!’ Selena and I chorused. Miles agreed that money counted for a great deal. The prince spent lavishly and his only daughter had just been married with great splendour.
    â€˜They say that Prince Leopold hadn’t a penny when he married Princess Charlotte,’ Miles added. ‘When the Archbishop came to that bit in the marriage service about “For richer, for poorer”, Charlotte laughed out loud.’ Seeing our baffled expressions he added, ‘My point is that money – or the lack of it – is at the root of everything.’
    Selena agreed that it certainly was in his case.
    Adelaide begged leave to speak at this point saying that she knew someone who might ferret out the truth of this matter, ‘Being a lowlife hiself, in a manner of speaking, and acquainted with others of the same ilk.’ She gave me a meaningful look and I blushed furiously. I collected myself sufficiently to mutter an agreement.
    Miles conveniently changed the subject remarking that the house across the Steyne from our own belonged to Mrs Fitzherbert, the prince’s former mistress, the mother of his children – and his real wife, according to gossip.
    â€˜What has she to do with this?’ Selena asked.
    â€˜She receives Getheridge and half the beau monde of Brighton. I saw some of them arriving this morning.’ It was agreed that we would contrive to visit the lady as soon as possible. Adelaide would talk to the staff at the Royal Pavilion.
    At this point Miles, having finished his meat pie, sprang to the window exclaiming that someone should keep watch on the Fitzherbert house.
    â€˜As you are so interested, I can survey the place from here. This window is an excellent vantage point.’
    Selena said she hoped that he would not take to loitering in alleyways. Miles looked aggrieved, saying that he was not some Johnny Raw up from the country. ‘Surveillance was part of my role as a military man, you know.’
    My friend and I immediately decided to leave a card at Mrs Fitzherbert’s home. We put on our bonnets and crossed the Steyne, accompanied by Adelaide. As we mounted the steps