A Study In Scarlet Women (34 page)

Charlotte's heart stopped momentarily—thank goodness he'd said no to her idea of writing to Lady Somersby and having her identify Mrs. Marbleton.

“And this reminds me, Holmes,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Bancroft asked me to give this to you.”

Her heart thudded—she'd feared he would never call her Holmes again.

“Hmm,
he
is not in need of a mistress, is he?” she murmured, just to see Lord Ingram roll his eyes.

The note read,

Dear Mr. Holmes,

I have watched your consulting service with great interest and would like to call on you tomorrow morning at ten to discuss a matter of great delicacy and importance. Should you choose to accept the commission, it would require you to work closely with my brother, Lord Ingram Ashburton.

I hope I will be able to secure your assistance.

Yours truly,
Bancroft Ashburton

Trust Lord Bancroft to know how to set a lure.

She burned the note—because that was what Lord Ingram had told her one did with any communication from his brother. Then
she said to Lord Ingram, “Tell Lord Bancroft that he had better keep his promise. And that I will see him not at ten, but at eleven.”

He shook his head, but his expression was gentle, almost affectionate. “I was always afraid this day would come. That Bancroft would discover you for your mind.”

“When did
you
discover me for my mind, Ash?” she asked impulsively.

He already had one hand on the door. Looking back at her, he said, “From the beginning, Holmes. The very
beginning.”

Don't miss the next exciting book in the Lady Sherlock series, coming from Berkley in Fall 2017!

USA Today
bestseller
Sherry Thomas
is one of the most acclaimed historical romance authors writing today, winning the RITA Award two years running and appearing on innumerable “Best of the Year” lists, including those of
Publishers Weekly
,
Kirkus Reviews
,
Library Journal
, Dear Author, and All About Romance. Her novels include
My Beautiful Enemy
and
The Luckiest Lady in London. A Study in Scarlet Women
is the first in the Lady Sherlock Series.

She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and sons. Visit her website at sherrythomas.com.