“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“While I was on the grounds of the club last night I had occasion to speak to one of the women who works for the brothel. She calls herself Evangeline.”
Ursula glanced at him very quickly. “What do you mean shecallsherself Evangeline?”
“I doubt that’s her real name. She’s a professional courtesan, Ursula. By definition, she is playing a role.”
“Yes, of course, I see what you mean.”
Just as I am playing a role,she thought.I am not the woman you believe me to be.Would Slater care if he knew the truth about her? There was no way to be certain how he would take the news of her past. Most gentlemen would be scandalized, of course. But Slater was different. Nevertheless, to tell him the full story would be to risk the total destruction of their fragile relationship.
She reminded herself that she had a plan to take care of the problem that had arisen during the night.
“Evangeline told me that the club dispenses a drug they call ambrosia to its members. It affects different people in different ways,” Slater continued. “It induces pleasurable fantasies and visions in most of the men but some turn violent under the influence. She said that the newest version of the drug seems to be more powerful. She is convinced that recently one of the women from the Pavilion was murdered by a club man who was using the ambrosia.”
“Good heavens.”
“The women of the Pavilion were told that their colleague—Nicole—jumped off a bridge but they don’t believe it.”
Ursula considered that for a moment. “That is interesting but what does it have to do with Anne’s death?”
“Perhaps nothing. But Fulbrook is a member of the Olympus Club. Presumably he uses the drug. At least one woman who earned her living providing sexual favors for the members of the club is dead in recent weeks. Anne worked in the Fulbrook household and now she is dead. Those facts may be links in a pattern.”
“Anne certainly was not beaten to death. There were no marks on her body. I checked. If she was murdered it was most likely by poison. Perhaps the drug can kill in large doses?”
“It’s possible. Do you think that Fulbrook might have lured her into working as one of the courtesans at the club?”
“No,” Ursula said. “Absolutely not.”
“I mean no disrespect to your friend, but you did say that she possessed a rather adventurous temperament. You indicated that she might have been involved in a romantic liaison.”
“Exactly—a liaison,” Ursula said. “She was not working as a prostitute.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Ursula moved one hand to sweep the issue aside. “Among other things, she lacked the wardrobe for that sort of career.”
That stopped Slater cold.
“Huh,” he said. “Never considered that aspect of the situation.”
“No doubt because you are a man. You said the woman you met last night—Evangeline—and the other prostitutes on the grounds of the club were dressed as fashionable ladies at a ball.”
“Right. I’m no judge of fashion but it was obvious that Evangeline’s gown was expensive. She also had some long gold earrings set with crystals.”
“I can assure you that Anne did not own any ball gowns, expensive or otherwise. She possessed some jewelry but it wasn’t the sort a woman would wear to a soiree. Her pieces were of a more practical nature—the kind of items a woman can wear to go out shopping or to tea with friends. There is a pretty little watch that could be pinned to a coat. A cameo. A locket. Her most expensive piece was a lovely chatelaine with a little silver notebook and pencil attached. A former client gave it to her. She loved that piece. But none of her jewelry was suited to a ballroom and neither were any of her gowns. Trust me when I tell you that if she had owned any items that fashionable or expensive she would have been unable to resist showing them to the rest of us at the office.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” Ursula said.
“Nevertheless, it strikes me as more than a coincidence that two women who are at least remotely linked to either Fulbrook or his club are dead. I think we should arrange to speak with Mrs. Wyatt, the proprietor of the brothel.”
“If she is making a great deal of money supplying prostitutes to the men who belong to the Olympus Club it is unlikely she will discuss her business affairs with us.”
“I’m hoping Lilly can persuade Mrs. Wyatt to talk to us.”
“Your mother is acquainted with her?”
