Footsteps sounded, running, a moment before Barclay Pearce appeared at her side with an exasperated look. “What in the world do you think you’re doing?”

The urgency didn’t relent, though it felt a bit more optimistic now. “Barclay. Perfect. Once we see where she’s going, you can run back for help while I get the album from her.”

He looked at her as if she were a madwoman. “No, you go back now and tell Hall I’m on her trail—as he told me to be if she showed up. You’ve not been trained for this sort of work.”

“Haven’t I?” She nodded ahead, to where Nadya still had a hand pressed to her stomach. “She’s ill. Likely Evgeni is too, then, and that’s why he’s not shown up again. I can examine him. See if there’s anything I can do to help them.”

Barclay shook his head. But he didn’t make a fuss or try to force her to turn around. “You’re going to get me sacked.”

“Oh, rubbish. Who else would the admiral get to run his ‘errands’?”

“Shh. Here.” He pushed her into an alley a second before Nadya turned partway around. They watched her from their hiding place until she faced forward again and continued on her way.

Thank God He’d sent Barclay to join her. She really wasn’t trained for this.

Together, though, they trailed her to a tube station. Lily wasn’t sure how they’d manage to keep an eye on her on a train without being noticed, but Barclay didn’t seem to recognize this was a problem. He just handed over the fourpence for two tickets and led her into the carriage behind the one Nadya had boarded. The way he kept his face glued to the window told her how he meant to know when she debarked.

Lily didn’t dare say a word to distract him during the twenty-minute ride. She just spent the time praying. Thinking. Focusing. She was ready when Barclay nodded and sprang to her feet.

The blonde didn’t even bother looking over her shoulder again after she got off the train. The coughs Lily heard from people waiting on the platform had her wishing for one of Arabelle’s masks.

The Lord would just have to insulate her for now.

“I hadn’t made it out this far yet,” Barclay muttered as they walked into a tired-looking neighborhood Lily had never visited before. “Not in this direction.”

“I’m sure you would have soon.”

He smiled. “The next day or two. I do know some blokes from this part of the city.”

They’d followed her only a few minutes when she ducked into a building of flats. Lily sucked in a breath. “What do I do? Hurry to catch up?”

“No. Oi! Quigley!”