I poured tea for them and waited while they took sandwiches and slices of cake from the platters. “My shopping expedition went nicely, although I met a woman who may become a nuisance. Her name is Ermintrude de Vere Smith. She’s the author of those silly novels about a sheikh who keeps rescuing hapless maidens from whatever calamitous circumstances they happen to be in. They all fall madly in love with him, but he is a gentleman above reproach. Unbeknownst to them, he is the younger son of a baron who was cast out of his home upon the death of his father. His brother, a scoundrel and a womanizer, framed him for the murder of a beautiful young parlor maid who—”

“Shall I tell you where we went this afternoon?” Ramses said, unable to bear my cheerful prattle. It is a trait (or a weakness) inherited from his father. I have been known to take advantage of it when warranted.

“If you must,” I said in a pained voice.

“Well done, Aunt Amelia,” murmured David.

“Hmph,” Ramses said. “We decided to find out if the German embassy might have knowledge of Morgenstern’s lodgings. An attaché claimed not.”

“There was something odd about him,” added David. He repeated Helmut Gunter’s response. “We lingered in the area until half an hour ago. I watched the entrance and Ramses concealed himself in the alley behind the grounds. The only person to visit was a white-haired man with a briefcase. He arrived by carriage and had not emerged by the time we left.”

Ramses swallowed the last bite of cake. “If Gunter has access to a copy of Burke’s Peerage, he may be suspicious. The current Lord Cavendish is elderly, but he does have two sons. There are also other families in the peerage with the same name.”

“You told him you were Lord Cavendish?” I asked, appalled.

David laughed. “You should have heard his performance as an utter twit. I’m beginning to wonder where he learned the nuances . . .”

“If I may continue,” Ramses said, “we suspect Gunter knows where Morgenstern is hiding. If we’re lucky, tonight he’ll either go to Morgenstern or send a message telling him to come to the embassy.”

“And you intend to be there,” I said. “You are aware you can’t seize him, I assume. There is no proof that he committed a crime. Harun did not specify that Herr Morgenstern brought him the statue, which has disappeared, along with Harun. We have no witness, no evidence.”

“If he approaches the embassy, we will persuade him to accompany us,” Ramses said. “This may require deception. You are not opposed to deception, are you, Mother? I seem to recall that you have availed yourself of it in the past.” He raised an eyebrow as he gazed at me across the brim of his teacup.