of jealous women here who’d be only too glad to scratch your eyes out as well.”
“Not really, Miss Masefield. I’m spoken for, you’re not.” She held out her left hand to show off the gold wedding ring, partnered by an engagement ring that featured a large sapphire in a circle of diamonds. “It’s amazing what a difference that makes. But,” she said, folding her hands in her lap, “I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about that. What can I do for you?”
“Actually, I’ve come on behalf of a friend,” said Genevieve. “Mrs. Dalkeith.”
“I don’t believe I know the lady.”
“Your paths did cross yesterday evening. In the ladies’ room.”
Katherine Wymark gave a laugh. “My! This conversation is taking a strange turn,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Who is this friend of yours?”
“Mrs. Dalkeith is an elderly Scots lady. Gray-haired and dignified.”
“Oh, yes. I think I remember her. We exchanged a word or two.”
“Did you happen to notice that she removed her rings and her watch?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because the watch has gone astray,” said Genevieve, “and Mrs. Dalkeith wonders if she simply forgot to put it back on again after she’d washed her hands. She is rather prone to do something like that. But she’s dreadfully upset about the disappearance of the watch, so I offered to try to track it down.” She looked into the green eyes. “Do you recall seeing her leave the room without a gold watch?”
“No, Miss Masefield,” said the other firmly. “If I had, I’d have picked it straight up and gone after her. The truth is that I hardly looked at her. It’s not the kind of thing you do in those circumstances.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Though I do seem to recall someone else in there at the time. A French lady.”
“Madam Coutance. I’ve already spoken to her.”
“You
have
been diligent.”
“I promised to help Mrs. Dalkeith,” said Genevieve. “She’s very distressed.”
“Was this Madame Coutance able to help you?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“And nothing was found in the ladies’ room when it was cleaned?”
“No, Mrs. Wymark. That was the first thing I checked.”
“Then the mystery thickens.” Katherine gave a wry smile. “I stepped in there only to brush my hair. I didn’t realize that I’d get involved in a search for a gold watch. Incidentally,” she wondered, “how did you know that I was even in the room? I didn’t give my name to your friend.”
“Mrs. Dalkeith gave me a clear description of you.”
“Yet she can’t remember if she put her watch back on or not. What a curious thing memory is! Well, Miss Masefield, I’m sorry I can’t help you.” Her eyes twinkled. “And I won’t embarrass you by asking what this ‘clear description’ of me was. Besides, I’m not sure I want to know how I’m viewed by an absentminded elderly Scots lady.”
“Very favorably.”
“I’ll settle for that and ask no more. So where will you go from here?”
Genevieve gave a shrug. “I’m not sure, to be honest.”
“Dozens of women must have been in and out of that room after we left. If the watch was there, any one of them might have picked it up. You could be in for a long search, Miss Masefield.”
“I know.”
“Good luck!”
“Thank you for talking with me, anyway.”
“My pleasure.”
Disappointed that she had made no progress in the search, Genevieve was nevertheless pleased to have met Katherine Wymark. She was an interesting woman, with an easy drawl in her voice and a relaxed manner. There was none of the reserve and formality that might have been encountered in an Englishwoman of the same age. Katherine had a sophistication that made friends like Theodora Belfrage and Susan Faulconbridge seem almost naïve. Even the worldly Ruth Constantine would have looked inexperienced beside her. There was a composure about Katherine Wymark that was formidable. Only one thing was troublesome: The woman was
“Not really, Miss Masefield. I’m spoken for, you’re not.” She held out her left hand to show off the gold wedding ring, partnered by an engagement ring that featured a large sapphire in a circle of diamonds. “It’s amazing what a difference that makes. But,” she said, folding her hands in her lap, “I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about that. What can I do for you?”
“Actually, I’ve come on behalf of a friend,” said Genevieve. “Mrs. Dalkeith.”
“I don’t believe I know the lady.”
“Your paths did cross yesterday evening. In the ladies’ room.”
Katherine Wymark gave a laugh. “My! This conversation is taking a strange turn,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Who is this friend of yours?”
“Mrs. Dalkeith is an elderly Scots lady. Gray-haired and dignified.”
“Oh, yes. I think I remember her. We exchanged a word or two.”
“Did you happen to notice that she removed her rings and her watch?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because the watch has gone astray,” said Genevieve, “and Mrs. Dalkeith wonders if she simply forgot to put it back on again after she’d washed her hands. She is rather prone to do something like that. But she’s dreadfully upset about the disappearance of the watch, so I offered to try to track it down.” She looked into the green eyes. “Do you recall seeing her leave the room without a gold watch?”
“No, Miss Masefield,” said the other firmly. “If I had, I’d have picked it straight up and gone after her. The truth is that I hardly looked at her. It’s not the kind of thing you do in those circumstances.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Though I do seem to recall someone else in there at the time. A French lady.”
“Madam Coutance. I’ve already spoken to her.”
“You
have
been diligent.”
“I promised to help Mrs. Dalkeith,” said Genevieve. “She’s very distressed.”
“Was this Madame Coutance able to help you?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“And nothing was found in the ladies’ room when it was cleaned?”
“No, Mrs. Wymark. That was the first thing I checked.”
“Then the mystery thickens.” Katherine gave a wry smile. “I stepped in there only to brush my hair. I didn’t realize that I’d get involved in a search for a gold watch. Incidentally,” she wondered, “how did you know that I was even in the room? I didn’t give my name to your friend.”
“Mrs. Dalkeith gave me a clear description of you.”
“Yet she can’t remember if she put her watch back on or not. What a curious thing memory is! Well, Miss Masefield, I’m sorry I can’t help you.” Her eyes twinkled. “And I won’t embarrass you by asking what this ‘clear description’ of me was. Besides, I’m not sure I want to know how I’m viewed by an absentminded elderly Scots lady.”
“Very favorably.”
“I’ll settle for that and ask no more. So where will you go from here?”
Genevieve gave a shrug. “I’m not sure, to be honest.”
“Dozens of women must have been in and out of that room after we left. If the watch was there, any one of them might have picked it up. You could be in for a long search, Miss Masefield.”
“I know.”
“Good luck!”
“Thank you for talking with me, anyway.”
“My pleasure.”
Disappointed that she had made no progress in the search, Genevieve was nevertheless pleased to have met Katherine Wymark. She was an interesting woman, with an easy drawl in her voice and a relaxed manner. There was none of the reserve and formality that might have been encountered in an Englishwoman of the same age. Katherine had a sophistication that made friends like Theodora Belfrage and Susan Faulconbridge seem almost naïve. Even the worldly Ruth Constantine would have looked inexperienced beside her. There was a composure about Katherine Wymark that was formidable. Only one thing was troublesome: The woman was
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