Many sides to the same story

A note slipped under the door to her suite led Melisandre to Lady Anastasia's Millinery. She was met at the door by Lady Anastasia herself and invited to view the new season's selections.

Familiarize yourself with the situation before taking action.

How may I serve Madame today? purred Lady A.

Melisandre produced the note.

Lady A slapped the closed sign on the door, drew down the shades, and said in a voice dripping with honey-coated venom,” you can't trust that snake Twitchy Smith. He'd sell his mother down the pike for a tenner and throw in her poodle for free.”

Several cups of tea, and a few stronger beverages later, a more complete picture emerged. Lady Anastasia (because the punters won't pay any kind of money for hats made by someone named Annie Blockton) had seen Rosa Maria Di Fiorini, had, in fact, waited on her the morning of the night she decamped from the old port town.

“Before you send anyone off in pursuit, let me tell you something: she was happy, I tell you, happy. No one's ever been really sure about that Archibald, but if anyone will be the making of such a man, it'll be one like your girl” Anastasia insisted.

By dinner time, Mary Rose (for whom her niece was named, Melisandre being a reinvention like Anastasia) and Annie were co-conspirators in keeping the whereabouts and destiny of the lovers a secret, just one more mystery to circulate in the old port town.