“The ladies’ retiring room,” the maid replied. “Lady Fiona is performing after Miss Compton, and she’s just discovered that the trimming on her sleeve has come loose.”

“An emergency to be sure.” Effie mounted the stairs. “Don’t let me keep you.”

The maid flashed a desperate look toward the ladies’ retiring room as she followed in Effie’s wake. “Do you need help with something?”

“Nothing to trouble you.” Effie glanced back with a smile of explanation. “I believe I may have left my jeweled hairpin in Miss Compton’s room.”

“Shall I send Miss Meacham to assist you? She’s in the retiring room, but—”

“No, indeed. I can retrieve it easily enough myself.” Effie paused. “Providing you remind me which door it is?”

The maid’s brow puckered. “Fourth from the right, miss.”

“Thank you.” Effie affected a look of relief as she entered the upstairs hall. “I thought I’d recognize it myself, but you know how it is in a house of this size. All the doors look alike.” She again smiled back at the maid. “I shouldn’t like to wander into his lordship’s room by mistake.”

The maid gave a weak smile in return. “No danger of that, miss. The master’s room is at the end of the hall.” She hovered at the top of the steps. “Are you certain you don’t need—”

“Never mind me,” Effie said. “Hadn’t you best make haste to Lady Fiona? She’d never forgive either of us if she was obliged to perform with a loose piece of trimming.”

Relief washed over the maid’s worried face. She bobbed a curtsy. “Thank you, miss,” she said gratefully, and turning, she dashed back down the steps with her sewing box clasped in front of her.

Effie waited until the maid was gone from sight before continuing down the hall. If Lord Compton’s private study was adjacent to his bedchamber, the door to that chamber was the obvious point of access. She headed for it with single-minded intent. It was a large door. One that rather put her in mind of the door to Bluebeard’s chamber.

And well it should.

Herein slept the man who had stolen Miss Corvus’s fortune. Who had tricked her and betrayed her, and who—if permitted to—might use his position to affect the safety and security of all women. Effie had her own private reasons for wishing his destruction, but she was still keenly sensitive to the larger picture.

She stopped at the door and listened, one hand resting lightly on the doorknob. There was no sound from within. If Parker or his lordship’s valet were inside, they were taking pains to disguise their presence, and Effie knew of no reason why they should.

Steeling herself, she opened the door to Compton’s room and entered.

10