“What a rude woman,” I said. “Do you have to put up with that sort of thing all the time?”

Belinda nodded. “It’s the price one pays,” she said. “But honestly, Georgie—who else but you would have tried to cram yourself into one trouser leg?”

“I had no time,” I said. “And I warned you I was accident-prone.”

She started to laugh. “You did, and you are. Oh, my poor sweet, take a look at yourself. I must say you look absolutely ridiculous.”

I laughed for the first time in days.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Belinda Warburton-Stoke’s shop
Mayfair
London
Saturday, April 30, 1932

It took quite a while to extract me from the trouser leg without ripping the seams.

“She’d have looked stupid in it anyway,” Belinda said, glancing in the direction of the door. “Too old and too short.”

“Who was she anyway?” I asked.

“The name’s Simpson, I believe.”

“Mrs. Simpson?”

“You know her?”

“My dear, she’s the Prince of Wales’s latest flame, the one I have to spy on at the house party next weekend.”

“Spy? For whom?”

“The queen. She thinks David is becoming too interested in this Simpson person.”

“Is she divorced, then? I gathered there was still a husband in tow.”

“There is. Poor chap is dragged around for respectability’s sake.”

“I must say your family does exhibit awful taste in women,” she commented. “Look at the old king and then your mother probably wasn’t a suitable choice either.”

“My mother was a darned sight more suitable than that woman,” I said. “I nearly burst out from behind the curtains and bopped her when she started insulting the family.” I glanced up at the clock across the street. “Oh, Lord, is that the time? I have to go to the station to meet Binky. I want to make sure I speak to him before the police quiz him.”

“All right then, off you go,” Belinda said. “I’ll tidy up in here, then I’ve another party tonight. I presume you’d like to stay with me again?”

“It’s very kind of you. But if Binky wants to stay at the house and we are allowed to, I should keep him company there. I don’t want him to feel all alone.”

We parted ways. I paused for a cup of tea and a toasted tea cake, then had to fight the rush hour traffic when I made my way to King’s Cross in time to meet Binky’s train. I came out of the tube to hear the newsboys shouting, “Read all about it. Body in duke’s bath.”