Della put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder and squeezed. “He’s never been so close, he certainly hasn’t answered all those letters we’ve sent. This is the best opportunity we might ever have to being able to find out for certain.” She took a breath. “In fact, I went and found this Griffin person, though I didn’t get a chance to ask him about Mr. Wattings’s whereabouts.”

“Griffith Davies, Viscount Stanbury,” Sarah corrected in a soft, faltering voice as she stared down at the paper.

“Viscount Whateverhisnameis,” Della said firmly. Captain Enormous. “The point is I saw him. And I’ll do whatever it takes to speak with him, to find out what happened to Henry.”

When she was able to talk her way past the Navy Police desk officer. And persuade the rakish captain to hold off on flirting so he could actually assist her.

Only a minor impediment.

“Della,” Sarah began, her voice even softer. She stared up at Della, her eyes wide. “I’d nearly given up hope. If you can find out what happened, that would be . . .” she continued, her gaze unfocused, and then she swayed in her chair and slumped to the side, avoiding falling completely out of her chair because of Della’s hand on her shoulder.

Of course Della should have anticipated that Sarah would be overwhelmed by the shock.

She took Sarah’s deadweight into her arms, gently sliding her onto the carpet. It had happened before, so it wasn’t a complete surprise, but Della felt her heart thudding in her chest. If anything were to happen to Sarah . . .

“Damn it, Della,” she said to herself, “you are far too abrupt.” Not many people were as resilient as Della was, a fact she frequently forgot.

She settled Sarah on the floor, then rang the bell on the table before plucking Sarah’s napkin from the floor and fanning her friend with it.

“You rang, my lady?” Mrs. Borens said a few minutes later as she entered the room. “Oh my lord, Mrs. Wattings,” she said, bustling over to kneel at Sarah’s feet.

Sarah uttered a moan, and Della leaned into her friend’s face, watching anxiously as Sarah’s eyes fluttered open.

“Sarah? Are you all right?” Della asked. Her heart was beating so hard and so fast it felt as though it might just emerge from her chest. “I didn’t mean to upset you with the news, I just—” She shook her head. “I just got excited.”

“You always do,” Sarah replied with a slight tilt to her mouth.

Della exhaled and leaned back on her heels, relief coursing through her at her friend’s familiar joking tone. Mrs. Borens patted Sarah’s ankle, took the napkin from Della’s hand, and folded it instinctively.