City of Darkness and Light(19)
“That was Dodo—Mrs. Phillips’s doing,” I said. “She insisted on plying me with her clothing—a little more fancy than I’m used to.”
“It suits you well,” Daniel said. “And Liam is all right?”
“Never been happier. He has a nurse to watch over him and a small playmate.”
“That’s good.” He still looked worried and distracted, running a hand through unruly hair, some of which had been singed by the fire. “I came to tell you that I’ve secured a passage for you on a French ship. She’s called La Lorraine and she sails for Le Havre in a week’s time. I’m afraid the commissioner’s allowance didn’t run to first class, but at least it won’t be steerage and, being French, I’m sure the food will be good. If you’d like to compose a telegram I’ll have a cable sent to your friends in the morning, letting them know when the ship arrives and when you are likely to reach Paris.”
I was on my way over to the desk when a terrible thought struck me. “I don’t know their address, Daniel. The letter burned with everything else.”
He gave a half grin, half grimace. “Actually it didn’t. I went through the house today to see if anything could be saved and there was this letter, a trifle blackened around the edges but lying by the back door.” He rummaged into a pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. It was scorched but still legible.
“How miraculous.” I took it from him, looking at the dear, familiar signature and the address in Paris, written in Sid’s bold black script. I looked up. “So clearly I am meant to go there.”
“I don’t know about miraculous. Fire does strange things. Some of my books are almost untouched while metal candlesticks have melted to a blob.”
“You’ve managed to save some of your books. I’m so glad.”
“I didn’t manage to salvage much else,” he said. “Your teapot. A few items from the kitchen. Some china.”
“My jewelry case?” I didn’t have much jewelry but the few items I had were precious to me.
He shook his head. “Not so far. I’m putting a couple of my men onto a more thorough search when I can spare them. I’m sorry, my darling. I’m really sorry that my actions put you in this danger. That we almost lost—” He broke off and cleared his throat. “Never mind. In a few days you’ll be safely far away.”
“And poor little Aggie? I don’t want her buried in the potter’s field, Daniel. I want her to have a proper funeral.”
“I have someone trying to locate her family,” he said. “If they don’t come to claim the body, I’ll make sure she gets a decent burial.”
“I want to go to her funeral,” I said.
He shook his head. “Out of the question.”
“I want to, Daniel,” I insisted. “It’s important to me. She was important to me. I feel terrible that we let her down.”
“We didn’t let her down, Molly. We didn’t ask anyone to come and bomb our house. You did your best for her. You gave her a home when nobody else would. You gave her a life again.”
“But I have to say good-bye to her.”
“The answer is no, Molly,” he said firmly. “You cannot be seen anywhere near the city. If they find out where you are they could try again. I’m not risking your life for the sake of a dead servant. Now please don’t mention this again.”
This attitude fired my fighting Irish spirit. I opened my mouth to tell him that he couldn’t order me around like this, but then I realized that he could. He was the husband and he had the final say, however unjust that seemed. Also I realized that he was probably right. I couldn’t do anything to risk Liam’s life.
“Now let’s compose that cable, shall we,” Daniel went on in a calm, reasonable voice. “I’m in great need of a bed and sleep.”
We wrote the cable together, asking if I might take up their kind invitation to stay, then composed a second one giving the time and date of the arrival of La Lorraine. A tray of coffee, a cheese board, crackers, and assorted pastries was delivered, and Daniel ate hungrily. Then he stood up. “I really must go. Please thank the Phillipses for me.”
“Have you made any progress in finding out who did this?” I followed him to the door, not wanting him to go. “Are there any suspects?”
He turned back to me. “We’ve rounded up anyone who might have connections to the Cosa Nostra and locked them up in the Tombs. We’ll see if a few nights in a cold cell might persuade one of them to talk, but I doubt it. They fear their gang bosses more than they fear us.”