“There will be none if you answer my questions honestly,” Rebecca told him.
“Anything.” He scurried around the shop and found two chairs. He offered Rebecca one and then one to Adam. Adam declined, and gestured for the older man to sit down instead. “Anything at all.”
“The pocket watch. Do you remember who gave you my name?”
“A woman.”
“Can you describe her?”
Garrick did. “I had no reason to believe she was lying,” he told her. “She presented her card and seemed quite genuine.”
“Do you still have it?”
“I’m sorry. The lady took it back I think.”
Adam caught Rebecca’s eye. “Any shopkeeper might believe she was you if they dressed the part and the shopkeeper did not to dig too deeply.”
“That does not make me feel any better, Rafferty,” she grumbled.
Adam set his hand on her shoulder to soothe her as he addressed the shopkeeper again. “What else do you remember about her? Anything at all is important.”
“Not much really. The woman was elegantly dressed. Softly spoken. I’ve seen them come and go from a neighboring establishment many times now I think about it.”
“Them?”
“Yes, she said she was to be married.” The fellow suddenly grinned. “Would it be better if you could meet them?”
“You can arrange that? You know where they really live?”
The fellow shook his head. “No, I do not have their proper address, unfortunately, but on her last visit to my shop, the lady asked me if I could procure a special item I do not usually carry. A little something to sweeten her husband’s mood, she said. It is for the anniversary of their first meeting I believe. I promised her I could and would have the item tomorrow. I expect her before I close at noon.”
Adam grinned. “That is very good news. We can lie in wait and hopefully identify the woman and then we will follow her back to her own home to meet her husband.”
Rebecca leaned forward. “What is it you were to procure for her?”
“A snuffbox.”
Rebecca visibly flinched.
“Is that important?”
Rebecca said no, but Adam was not convinced it wasn’t. A frown had formed on Rebecca’s face again and she asked to go home.
Adam said their goodbyes and herded Rebecca and the silent maid back to the safety of the carriage. But he watched Rebecca closely the whole way back to Upper Brook Street. When they arrived at her townhouse, Adam was truly worried. “I’ll escort you inside,” he murmured.
Rebecca did not even try to stop him.
Adam handed her out, and she rushed up the stairs ahead of her maid. Once inside Rebecca dismissed her maid and turned to a nearby parlor.
Adam followed Rebecca inside.
“Could you close the door please,” she asked. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Adam did and turned back to find Rebecca flipping through the pages of a small book.
“What are you looking for?”
She held up one hand, continuing to run her finger down each page. “There.”