“You had no right to do this!” I tried to get past him to the door handle. “Now let me out of here or I’ll scream the place down.”

“I don’t think you’d want to cause any unpleasantness,” he said. “Think of the scandal. Your family wouldn’t approve.”

“This is kidnapping,” I said. “I’ll report you to DCI Pelham. He can add it to your other crimes.”

“I rather think not.” Darcy smiled now. “In fact I’ve been asked to keep an eye on you.”

“DCI Pelham thinks you’re a slippery customer. He told me so.”

“DCI Pelham doesn’t know very much. Luckily someone high up in the Home Office came to my rescue and had me released, or I’d still be in a cell. I couldn’t tell Pelham exactly what I was doing, you see.”

“With Bobo Carrington? I should think that was rather obvious.”

He actually laughed then. “You are adorable, Georgie. Do you know that?”

“No. I’m naïve and stupid,” I said. “I know nothing about drugs or people like Bobo Carrington. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to do my duty and marry a young man of impeccable background and forget all about you.”

“Georgie,” he said softly. “When you asked me if I’d slept with Bobo Carrington, I was caught off guard. I did sleep with her, but that was several years ago. Long before I met you.”

“Several years ago, or one year ago?” I demanded.

He shook his head. “No, I am not the father of her child, if that’s what you’re wondering. I believe we slept together a couple of times when I was newly arrived in London. The way one does.”

The way one does. Those words rattled around in my head. How easy it seemed to be for other people. “But your dressing gown. I saw it behind her door.”

“That’s actually quite simply explained,” he said.

“Really?” I gave him my best sarcastic look.

He nodded. “I need somewhere to stay when I’m in London. Bobo lets me use her flat sometimes, when she’s out of town. I left my dressing gown behind once. She said it was cozier than hers and she was keeping it in payment for using the flat.”

“Oh,” I said. I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Part of me was thinking that this was highly plausible and part was reminding me that Darcy was Irish and had the gift of the gab. I wanted to believe him. I was trying to believe him. “So you are trying to tell me that you haven’t been near her recently?”

“I haven’t been near her recently, at least not in the way you mean.”

“But you were seen at Crockford’s with her.”

“Ah. That’s true. We did bump into each other at Crockford’s.”