“At the moment,” Lavinia said icily, “we are searching for a killer.”

“Good heavens.” Mrs. Rushton put a hand to her bosom. Her eyes widened. “How very bizarre. I have never heard of ladies pursuing that sort of career.”

“It is rather uncommon,” Lavinia agreed. “But that is neither here nor there. Please allow me to explain our business with you. Mr. March and I have reason to believe that a woman who was murdered recently stole something of considerable value from this household shortly before her death.”

“I beg your pardon?” Mrs. Rushton stared at her. “But that is impossible. I assure you that no one has broken into this house.” She looked around quickly. “See for yourself. The silver is still here. Nothing is missing.”

“The object in question is a very old bracelet,” Tobias said.

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Rushton said with great authority. “I would most certainly have noticed a bracelet missing from my jewelry box.”

“This was an extremely ancient piece of jewelry known among collectors as the Blue Medusa,” Lavinia said. “Do you know it?”

Mrs. Rushton grimaced. “If you refer to that old bracelet that my uncle keeps locked in a chest in his bedchamber, yes, of course I know it. It is really quite unfashionable and certainly not what one would call a particularly interesting antiquity. Found right here in England, I believe. Not as though it came from one of the classical ruins of Greece or Rome, now, is it?”

“Do you know why Banks acquired that particular relic after selling off his collection of antiquities?” Tobias asked.

Mrs. Rushton gave a soft snort. “If you ask me, an unscrupulous dealer took advantage of the fact that my uncle was starting to become quite confused in his thinking a year and a half ago. A result of several fits of apoplexy, I’m afraid.”

“The Blue Medusa is considered quite valuable by some,” Lavinia ventured cautiously.

“I will admit that the gold appears to be of excellent quality and it is rather nicely worked,” Mrs. Rushton said. “But the stone is quite unattractive. I wouldn’t dream of wearing it. I intend to sell the thing as soon as my uncle makes his transition. The doctor does not expect him to survive the month, you know.”

“We have heard of his lordship’s illness,” Lavinia said gently. “Please accept our condolences.”

“He has not been well for some time. It will be a blessing when he finally passes on to the next world.”

A blessing for whom? Lavinia wondered.

“We understand that you moved in here to take care of him,” Tobias said neutrally.

“One must do one’s duty, of course,” Mrs. Rushton said with a martyr’s firm resolve. “There was no one else, you see. I am the last of the line. I have done my best, but I can tell you that the task has not been an easy one. It has put a great strain on my nerves, which, I must tell you, were never very strong.”

“I understand,” Lavinia murmured encouragingly.

“When I was a child my mother warned me that I would need to take care not to expose my delicate nerves to extreme strain. She was right. After the shock of my dear husband’s death three years ago, I discovered that I was prone to female hysteria. It is a very distressing affliction. One which my doctor tells me requires regular treatments.”

“If we might return to the subject of the Medusa,” Tobias said before Lavinia could pursue that line of inquiry, “when was the last time you checked to see that it was secure in Banks’s safe?”

“I beg your pardon? Oh, yes, the relic.” Mrs. Rushton abandoned the topic of her nerves with obvious reluctance. “It has been some time since I opened the safe, but I’m certain everything is in order.”

“I think it would be a good idea to make sure that the Medusa is still there,” Tobias said.

“I don’t see why I should-”

“It would set my mind at ease, Mrs. Rushton,” Tobias said. “And greatly steady my nerves. Mine are a trifle delicate, just as yours are. You know how it is when one becomes anxious.”

“Yes, of course I do.” She rose immediately and went to stand very close to Tobias. She smiled up at him and patted his arm. “I had no notion that you suffered from poor nerves, sir. I understand completely. Indeed, only someone else who is similarly afflicted could possibly comprehend. You have my deepest and most sincere sympathies.”

“Thank you,” Tobias said. “About the bracelet-”

She winked at him. “If you will excuse me for a moment, I will just run upstairs and have a quick look so that I may put your mind at ease.”

She hurried out of the drawing room.

Lavinia looked at Tobias.

“Delicate nerves?” She raised her brows. “You?”

“I’ll wager you never even knew that I suffered from that sort of thing.”

“I never dreamed it. Well, at least you are not likely to succumb to female hysteria.”

“For which I give thanks every day. I wonder if there is a male version.”

She frowned. “This is going to be somewhat awkward if the bracelet is in that safe.”

His mouth twisted. “I very much doubt that it is there. Mr. Nightingale does not strike me as the type to chase after false rumors.”

Mrs. Rushton swept back into the drawing room a short time later. Alarm and bewilderment were etched in her face.

“Good God, the bracelet is gone, just as you said.” She came to a halt in the center of the carpet, clutching the chatelaine. “I don’t understand. I told you, there is no sign that any thief entered this house. There are no broken windows or locks. The housekeeper keeps a very close eye on things. I would have been told if anything of value had gone missing.”

Tobias looked at the key ring in her hand. “Was the safe locked when you went to open it just now?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Rushton stared down at the keys that dangled from the chatelaine. “Just as it should be.”

“Are there any other keys to the safe?” Lavinia asked.

“No, only this one. I took possession of all the keys the day I moved into this household.”

“Well, there you have it, Mrs. Rushton,” Lavinia said. “The bracelet has been stolen. And although you never thought highly of it, I can assure you it is worth a great deal to some people. I assume you want it found?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lavinia summoned up her best professional smile. “In that case, Mr. March and I would be happy to accept a commission from you.”

Mrs. Rushton hesitated, frowning warily. “Commission?”

“To conduct inquiries into the matter,” Tobias explained. “On your behalf.”

“You expect me to pay you a fee if you find the bracelet?”

“That is generally how it works,” Lavinia said.

“I see. I’m not sure about this. It is all rather confusing, to say the least. I believe I can feel my nerves reacting to the strain of this situation already.”

Tobias folded his arms. “Our understanding is that the bracelet constitutes a portion of your inheritance. But I must tell you that it can be extremely difficult for someone who is unfamiliar with the antiquities market to strike an excellent bargain with a dealer. There are any number of frauds and charlatans in the trade, to say nothing of outright criminals who will not hesitate to take advantage.”

“Yes, I have heard that.” Mrs. Rushton was steadier now. “My uncle always maintained that one must be extremely careful in such transactions.”

“He was right,” Tobias said. “But as it happens, Mrs. Lake and I have connections in that market. If we are successful in recovering the Medusa for you, we will be happy to help you make arrangements to sell the thing at a very fine price.”

“For another small fee, of course,” Lavinia put in quickly.

A shrewd look appeared in Mrs. Rushton’s eyes. She sank down slowly onto a chair. “Naturally, I would not have to pay you this second fee until I had received my profits from the sale of the bracelet?”

“Naturally,” Tobias said. “Now, then, do you wish us to pursue the matter for you?”