‘And, speaking of ladies — where is your own beautiful new wife?’
‘You are acquainted with Zinia?’
‘No, I haven’t yet had the honour, but I read the society pages of the Tatler,’ Joe said happily. ‘May we expect her to join us?’ He leaned towards Lily and remarked: ‘I think you’d admire her, Lily. I hear she is a dark-haired beauty with a profile to give Cleopatra a run for her money. I’ve been looking out for her all evening without a single sighting.’
‘Zinia has retreated to the powder room to perform some small task — she caught the hem of her dress on a heel, I believe.’
Lily tried not to jump to her feet too eagerly. ‘But she’s missing the fun! I shall go and find her. Perhaps I can be of assistance. I’m a jolly good needlewoman … though there’s usually a woman in attendance down there with needle and thread.’ She tilted her head to the guests and made off before anyone could call her back, glad to escape the demands of her assumed role for a few minutes.
The prince — her prince — was surely safe enough guarded by Sandilands and Rupert. But what of the assas-sin’s wife? Was she another weapon in Gustavus’s armoury? Lily reversed her thinking. Was Gustavus a weapon in the armoury of the mysterious dark lady skulking down below away from public view? Lily didn’t believe she’d caught sight of any such woman since she’d entered the hotel. Could anyone possibly be hiding in the cloakroom all this time? Ladies’ cloakrooms, she remembered from her briefing, were her responsibility. Sandilands would expect her to take action.
Lily found there were two vast and ornate powder rooms in the basement. She was directed away from the farther one by the attendant, who seemed, Lily thought, rather distraught.
‘Can you help me?’ Lily asked her. ‘I’m looking for a friend of mine who came down here some time ago. She’s having problems with the hem of her dress.’
The attendant’s relief was instant. ‘Oh, thank goodness someone’s come for her. She’s in a right state. I’ve offered her assistance but she just screams and yells at me to leave her in peace. I didn’t know who to call for. She’s commandeered a whole room for herself. What am I meant to do, miss, when the after-supper surge comes down? She’s in there.’
Lily went through the padded door into a lavender-scented space lit by discreet electric light bulbs. ‘Zinia? Are you there?’