Queen of Hearts (Royal Spyness Mysteries) by Rhys Bowen Page B

America,” Darcy said. “He’ll probably bring about another Wall Street crash.” He stopped talking and gazed at me, smiling. “It is so good to be here with you, if only for a few moments. What are you going to be doing in America? I had no idea. I thought you were still at Kingsdowne when last I heard.”
    “I’m traveling with my mother. This is strictly hush-hush, but she’s trying to get a divorce and now it appears she’s going to be making a film with Cy Goldman and Stella Brightwell.”
    “Is she, by George? So she sees herself as a film star now. What happened to the German?”
    “He wants to marry her, and I don’t know how he’ll feel about his future wife on the sliver screen. But I don’t think she could resist the chance to be famous and adored again. Mummy does love being adored.”
    “Don’t we all.” He took my face in his hands, drew me toward him and kissed me. Then somehow we fell back together onto my bed and it was more than kissing. It was almost as if I was in a dream, a small voice somewhere in the background whispering that I should stop now before it was too late and yet knowing I didn’t want to.
    Suddenly a great shaft of light fell onto us and a big black shadow stepped into the room.
    “I came to see whether you wanted undressing, miss,” said Queenie in a peeved voice, “but I can see you’re already undressed.”

Chapter 9
    A T SEA ON THE
B
ERENGARIA
    M ORNING OF S UNDAY , J ULY 15, 1934
    When the steward came into my cabin the next morning he acted as if nothing was amiss. I don’t mean about Darcy and me. Darcy had left reluctantly but in haste after Queenie’s arrival, warning her not to say a word about his presence on board or I would sack her on the spot. I had fallen asleep with a smile on my face, knowing that he was close by, on the ship with me.
    “Good morning, my lady,” the steward said. “Another beautiful day. We are having a most fortunate crossing this time.”
    Most fortunate? Not for some unlucky person, I thought and wondered if anyone had been reported missing by now. I was just finishing my tea and biscuits when Queenie appeared, looking bleary-eyed.
    “The one time I manage to stay awake is the one time you don’t want me around,” she said, glaring at me with hands on her broad hips. “I said to myself, ‘She’ll never be able to get out of that blinking cat suit without help so I’d better make sure I don’t nod off.’ So I sat up on me bunk until I heard the last waltz played. And then when I came in I saw you’d got the cat suit off very nicely by yourself. Or with a little help from the gentleman, maybe.” She gave me a knowing look as she came across the room and picked up the cat costume that was lying on the floor. “Who’d have thought he was on board with us? That’s a turnup for the books, ain’t it? Or did you know and weren’t saying nothing?”
    “I didn’t know, Queenie, and you mustn’t mention it to anyone. Mr. O’Mara is on some kind of secret mission.”
    “Cor blimey,” she said. “He don’t half lead an exciting life, don’t he?”
    “Doesn’t he, Queenie,” I corrected.
    “Well, he do, don’t he?”
    I sighed. She was never going to learn.
    “Shall I run your bath then?” she asked. “And what do you want to wear?”
    “I think the navy blue linen trousers and a white blouse, please.”
    She went across to the closet. “’Ere, I’m sorry about barging in on you last night when you were in the middle of a bit of the old how’s yer father.”
    “Yes, I was sorry too,” I said.
    “You should let me know in future when I’m not to bother you. Tie a ribbon on the door or something.”
    “Queenie, I wasn’t exactly planning something like that.”
    “Nobody ever is,” she said. “At least that’s what my old mum tells me. She said she’d been to the pictures with my dad and they took the long way home by the canal and next thing she knew she was expecting me and they had to get