“Yes. Something like that,” she said, burying her nose in her phone.

He chuckled, “Well, I expect in a place as big as that, it could be anywhere.”

She hadn’t spoken to Lily since she’d been forced to hang up on her yesterday afternoon, so she quickly put in a call to her. Lily answered at once, “Thank God! What happened to you?”

“I told you I was fine. Just busy.”

“Why was that man talking about a murder?”

“Oh, he was just using it as a figure of speech. It wasn’t literal.”

There was a pause. “I heard there was a murder at that ball you went to . . . a couple nights ago. Did you know anything about that?”

Diana blinked. So the news had gotten all the way over to America. Wonderful to be involved in an international scandal on her first week out of the country. “I heard about it, yes. Of course. Everyone did.”

“You still haven’t told me anything about what you’ve seen or done,” Lily said with an accusing tone. “Am I going to have to read about it in the book? Or is this the way you’re going to be for the year? Completely too busy to talk to the family that loves you?”

“Now, Lil—”

“I’m really doubting that you’re even going to come back for baby, now. I bet by then we won’t even know where you are!”

“I’m definitely coming back,” she said immediately. “Of course, I’ll drop everything. I promise.”

“Okay,” she said, the doubt still prevalent in her voice.

“How are you feeling?”

“Same as before. Just tired.”

That makes two of us, Diana thought, yawning. She peered out the window just as the gates of Versailles appeared. “I’m heading off. I promise, I’ll call you soon, and I’ll fill you in on everything.”

“Where are you going to now?”

“Oh, um—I’m hoping to get to Notre Dame.” Eventually.

“Okay, Mom. I love you. Be safe.”

“You too, love,” she said, ending the call. The driver was watching her, now just as suspicious as everyone else. Get in line, buddy. Yes, she knew she was acting crazy. But really, if she could just find this mysterious man with the mask, maybe she could put an end to those questioning looks.

Not to mention, it’d really be nice to not be on the hook for the price of that necklace.

Versailles was much busier that morning because the place was finally opening. There were already tour buses and people milling about, lined up at the doors to buy tickets and taking in the gardens. Diana got out of the cab, went across the yard, and walked up to the ticket desk. “Admission for one?” the woman said in French.

Diana shook her head. “No, I am here because I’d like to talk to Monsieur Chevrolet?”

“Who?”

“Chevrolet,” she repeated, louder. “The concierge? I lost something, and he was helping me find it.”

“Ah. One moment,” she said, then stepped away from the box. Meanwhile, behind her, someone in the line cleared his throat, obviously impatient.