The florist’s involvement still didn’t prove anything against Lady Stratham, but Helen’s animosity toward the other woman was so deep and unwavering that he saw no point in saying so. “How is DuPont involved?” he asked instead. “Are the managers getting free flowers, too?”
“Ritz and Escoffier definitely are. Flowers delivered to their homes whenever they like, and they never pay for them. The flower sellers, like the food suppliers, deliver the hotel orders short to make up the revenue.”
“And in exchange for his inability to count how many roses are in a dozen, does Monsieur DuPont enjoy free meals in the restaurant like our head laundress?”
“We don’t know yet. But in auditing the cashiers, the accountants discovered that when DuPont’s daughter was ill, the hotel paid for her to have a very exclusive Harley Street doctor—Lady Stratham’s doctor, as it turns out. The private detectives confirmed that it was the countess herself who made the arrangements. The bill is recorded as a debt from Monsieur DuPont, but it’s been sitting on the books for two years without ever being paid.”
Simon drew a deep breath. “And is there any proof of a quid pro quo between him and Lady Stratham?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure they’ll find it.”
“Will they?” He felt compelled to point out the obvious. “She is a countess, Helen. And quite wealthy in her own right, from what I understand. She can easily afford to buy her own wine and flowers.”
“Ritz is wealthy, too, and it hasn’t stopped him from stealing us blind.”
“No, but—”
“Are youdefendingher?”
“Of course not. But until her guilt is established—”
“How could it be doubted? She feels every bit as entitled and privileged as the rest of them, believe me. And her loyalty to Ritz and her friendship with him are well-known. Thick as thieves can be, those two.” Her eyes narrowed accusingly on him before he could reply. “And why should I even have to remind you of all that? You seemed quite willing to entertain the possibility of her guilt when you first came. What’s changed? Working her wiles on you, is she?”
A picture of midnight-blue eyes and a dazzling dimpled smile came into his mind, and he shoved it out again at once, reminding himself how Delia had tried only an hour ago to do the very thing Helen was accusing her of. But even that was not enough to condemn her as a thief.
“They call her the merry widow, you know,” Helen went on before he could reply. “Black widow is more like it. Three husbands and counting. Someone told me,” she added when he didn’t reply, “that she stole her first husband from another girl. He was engaged, I was told, unofficially, of course, but still…” She paused and sighed. “Once a thief, always a thief, I suppose.”
He set his jaw and met Helen’s eyes with a hard gaze of his own. “Using unrelated gossip to make your point is unworthy of you, Helen.”
She had the grace to look ashamed.
“As for the rest,” he went on when she didn’t reply, “as we discussedonly minutes ago, my own mother was dismissed from her post because of my father’s thefts. I won’t do that very thing to someone else, Helen. Not without proof.”
“Your mother was innocent. You can’t possibly believe the same about Delia Stratham!”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. It only matters what can be proved, particularly in the case of Lady Stratham. She’s quite highly placed in society.”
“So because she is a countess and the cousin of a duke, you think she should be allowed to walk away unscathed?” Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps your recent elevation to the peerage, rather than Lady Stratham’s charms, has influenced your view, then.”
“I don’t give a damn if she’s a cousin of the Queen,” he shot back, stung and almost insulted by the idea that his useless new title and considerations of aristocratic privilege held any sway with him. “As I said, if she’s guilty of embezzlement, I’ll happily vote to fire her. But a criminal prosecution?” He shook his head. “It would be unwise, in my opinion, and I’m not just talking about her, but all of them.”
She sighed, her shoulders sagging a little. “You sound like Richard. He wants them all fired. But he is reluctant to prosecute any of them criminally. He says it would be the deuce of a mess.”
Simon nodded, not surprised by his old friend’s view of the matter. “Ritz is highly respected, even adored, by many influential people. So is Escoffier. The scandal would be enormous. Some of society’s most highly placed people would have to admit they’ve been receiving things for free and giving quid pro quos in exchange, and they’d blame the Savoy for dragging them into it. As gratifying as it might be to prosecute, it’s wiser to just dismiss those involved without any fuss, as we did with Mrs. Alverson and the others we’ve let go, and keep things as quiet as possible. The threat of criminal prosecution and the possibility of public humiliation will be enough to ensuretheir discretion. But,” he felt compelled to add, “in Lady Stratham’s case, the accountants have yet to find the evidence.”
“You took a look at her expense accounts. Was there nothing there to tell against her?”
He shook his head. “Some sloppy bookkeeping, a few questionable expenditures.”
“Nothing that could be considered suspicious?”
“Not really, but then, my examination was cursory. When will the accountants be doing a full audit of her records?”
Helen lifted her hands in a gesture of exasperation, then let them fall into her lap. “They have to finish with Ritz, Escoffier, and Echenard first. They tell me it will be several more weeks, perhaps a month, before they can delve into Lady Stratham’s involvement.”
“A month?” An image of Delia came into his mind again, and a month suddenly seemed like an eternity.
“That is what the auditors are telling me,” Helen said, breaking into his thoughts. “They are too cautious, in my opinion.”
