“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, darling boy. I haven’t had this much excitement since I had to flee from Poland with just the clothes on my back.” She put her hand on his arm. “So come on. Buck up. Drive me to this hotel then I’ll telephone Roddy and tell him to get a move on and find us the best barrister in Ireland.”

“Zou Zou, we’ll have to find out first whether my father’s solicitor has already engaged the services of a barrister.”

“Oh, so there already is a legal team working for your father? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

Darcy grimaced. “Because it is Leach and Leach, the family solicitors, and I don’t expect they are much use. They are fine with wills and conveyances, but I’d like to bet that they have never tackled a murder case before.”

“Then let’s go and visit them and tell them not to bother, that we have everything under control and have the top barrister in Ireland representing your father.”

He had to smile at this. “Zou Zou, you make it all sound so simple, don’t you? Everything under control. I wish it were.”

Chapter 23

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

IN DUBLIN.

So relieved to find Darcy thinks the princess is an added complication too!

My opinion of Dublin as a city rose considerably as we followed the Liffey to the city center where elegant sandstone buildings replaced brick factories and row houses, and spires and domes replaced factory chimneys. Darcy had been right. It was an attractive city and one that he would be proud to show me someday. We passed the lovely yellow stone buildings of Trinity College where students swarmed across the lawns, looking like flocks of bats in their gowns. The Shelbourne Hotel, facing a garden called St. Stephen’s Green, looked as elegant as any of the public buildings, with its glass portico and sculptures. I was just thinking that it looked horribly expensive when Zou Zou exclaimed, “Oh, I think this will do nicely.” How lovely to have money!

She was welcomed with suitable decorum. A room was found for her and she was escorted up to it, leaving Darcy and me standing in the lobby.

“Oh God, Georgie,” he said, leaning closer to me. “I really wish she hadn’t come. I mean, she’s absolutely adorable and so generous and all that, but life is a big game to her. I rather fear she’ll be an infernal nuisance. And draw unwanted attention to us.”

“I don’t think you’ll manage to get rid of her that easily,” I said. “Not unless you can find her something to do that will require flying around in her aeroplane, or something that has to be done back in London.”

He had to laugh at this. “Flying around in her aeroplane. Maybe we should have her fly low looking for Peabody.”