Princess Elizabeth's Spy(26)

“John Sterling. He’s in the Royal Air Force too,” Maggie told him. “His plane crashed. He is, as they say, ‘missing.’ But I refuse to believe he’s—” The word dead hung in the air between them.

“Then don’t,” Gregory said, his eyes serious. He was about to say more, when the door to the restaurant opened and there was a loud burst of feminine laughter. “Oh, no,” he groaned.

“What?” Maggie said, looking around.

“A gaggle of Ladies-in-Waiting,” he whispered. “I hope you brought cotton for your ears.”

The gaggle in question was three well-dressed and attractive young women. Without preamble, they descended on Maggie and Gregory, who rose to his feet.

“London was absolutely mad,” complained the slender blonde in lilac and black, kissing Gregory on the cheek and taking his seat, while he turned to procure more from another table. She had the profile of a cameo. “Lily,” she said to Maggie by way of an introduction, sticking out her hand. “How do you do?”

Maggie shook the extended hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Barking mad,” amended a ripe raven-haired beauty with glossy scarlet lips and nails.

“That’s Louisa,” Lily said, pointing.

“Hello, there,” said Louisa, already scanning the crowd for the waitress.

“We were bombed out of our hotel,” the short, plump one with pink cheeks said. “Claridge’s! Bombed! Can you believe? It truly is the end of civilization!” Then, to Maggie, “I’m Polly—and you are?” She arched a plucked eyebrow.

“Maggie,” she replied. “Maggie Hope. The Princess’s new maths tutor.”

“A governess?” Louisa rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” said Maggie.

“I loathed my governesses,” she said. “Used to torture them mercilessly.”

“What a lovely dress you have on,” said Polly. “Glad to see you’ve taken ‘make do and mend’ to heart.”

Did she really just say that? Maggie thought. She did! What a—

“Play nicely, ladies,” Gregory warned. “Claws in.”

Maggie realized she was working, and needed to get to know these women. She took a deep breath, then remembered the newspaper article she’d seen at David’s apartment. “Claridge’s? I heard there was a suicide there over the weekend, a young girl?”

“Ugh,” said Lily, pushing back a blond wave, blanching. “There were police officers everywhere. We went to London for some semblance of civility, and what did we find? Air raids, bombing, suicide …”

“And not enough clothing rations to buy anything decent.” Louisa sighed, looking down at her black cashmere cardigan edged in sable. She looked like the wicked queen from Snow White with her white skin, black bobbed hair, and blood-red lipstick. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl.

“So, you’re teaching the Princesses?” Polly asked. She affected the same look as Louisa, but her plump face didn’t have the same angles and planes, her bob was dyed an unflattering black, and the waxy red lipstick she chose only accentuated the sallow color of her skin.

“Oh, the Princesses!” Louisa laughed, leaning over to read the menu and exposing impressive cleavage. “Strange little creatures, aren’t they? For years everyone whispered there was something wrong with Margaret, but it turned out Alah just wouldn’t let her out of the pram.”

“Lilibet’s all right,” Lily said. “But all she talks about are dogs and horses. Horses and dogs. All the livelong day—”

“Well, I think Margaret’s awfully clever,” Polly cut in. “Maybe a bit spoiled, to be sure. But she does liven the place up. Oh, here we are—you!” she snapped to the waitress. “Yes you, girl. I’ll have a shandy and the soup,” she said to the waitress. “I wish they’d get some decent help in this place—appalling is what it is.” As the other two young women ordered, Maggie caught Gregory’s eye. He was smiling in a bemused way.

“How do you know Gregory?” Lily asked, leaning back in her chair. She looked tired now, shadows under her eyes.

“We met today,” Maggie answered. “I was lost—and he was kind enough to help.”

“I’m sure,” Louisa said, with a sideways glance at Gregory.

“Oh, when I first got here I was late for everything,” Polly said. “Where do they have you?”

“Victoria Tower,” Maggie said.

The girls all gave one another quick sideways glances and laughed. It was not a nice laugh.