by C. J. Archer
“I informed you that my husband met with Sir Charles Whittaker in secret in the garden square, and now he’s dead.”
Aunt Letitia gasped. “Lord Coyle is dead?”
Hope clicked her tongue. “No, Sir Charles is. Do keep up.”
“Are you implying you think your husband had something to do with Sir Charles’s death?” Matt asked.
Hope’s fingers entwined together in her lap. “I don’t know. It’s possible. But if you’d done something with the information I’d given you, perhaps he we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
Now I understood why she’d told us about that meeting. We had suspected at the time she had a motive, but couldn’t fathom what it would be. It now seemed she had wanted us to inform Scotland Yard, or perhaps someone higher, and put an end to such meetings. It seemed she knew her husband was up to something with Sir Charles and that worried her.
“You mean the predicament of Sir Charles’s death?” I clarified.
She flicked her wrist, dismissing my suggestion. “I mean the predicament we’re now faced with my husband gaining a position in government. Do you know how powerful that makes him? He was not above the law before, but now he is.”
“No one is above the law,” Matt said.
She scoffed. “Don’t be so naïve. You know better than anyone how the world works, how it favors men like my husband.” She pressed her fingers to her forehead as if trying to suppress a headache. She looked rather pale now that the flush of anger had left her cheeks.
Bristow returned carrying a tray with a cup and saucer. I poured the tea and handed the cup to Hope. She immediately placed it back on the table, untouched.
She fixed a glare onto Matt. “I tried to foil my husband’s plans by telling you about him meeting Sir Charles. Why didn’t you do something with the information?”
“If you wanted me to do something, you should have told me so.”
She made a scoffing sound again.
“What did you want me to do?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Perhaps warn Sir Charles to be careful what information he passed on because my husband cannot be trusted. Or warn the home secretary that one of his spies was not keeping information to himself. If Sir Charles had been dismissed, he would never have given my husband the idea about dropping bombs from flying carpets.”
“Coyle is clever, calculating and forward thinking,” Matt said. “He would have come up with the idea on his own sooner or later.”
Her lips pinched with her refusal to concede the point.
“Why do you want to stop your husband anyway?” I asked. “The more power he has, the more power you have.”
She bristled. “You think I don’t know what my husband is like? You think I am not aware of the way he could abuse his power? Some think I’m entirely avaricious, but I can assure you, riches and respect are enough to satisfy me. Marriage to Coyle has given me both. I don’t want more and I don’t want him becoming more powerful than he already is.”
That was what she meant in the Delanceys antechamber when she said it’s not what she wanted. She didn’t want her husband to become even more powerful. She didn’t want to live a life where she feared him.
I suddenly sat forward. “We’ll protect you, Hope. You don’t have to stay with him. Divorce might be out of the question, but you don’t have to live in that house one moment longer than necessary.”
She shot to her feet and glared at me down the length of her nose. “Don’t be absurd. How will that look?”
Her biting retort rendered me speechless.
Matt, however, remained composed. “Does it matter?” he asked.
“People will think me weak, pathetic. Thank you for your offer, but it’s not one I will accept.”
“Hope is right.” Aunt Letitia surprised us all by speaking. I thought she’d failed to follow the conversation. “She made her bed, now she must lie in it.”
Hope gave her aunt a stiff nod then strode out of the room. I hastily followed to ensure Bristow was there to see her off and, as usual, he was ahead of me and already waiting for her in the entrance hall at the base of the staircase.
I returned to the drawing room and sat with a sigh. “Why do I feel as though I’ve just faced a champion fighter in the ring?”
“Because conversations with Hope are bruising,” Aunt Letitia said. “Particularly of late. I miss the clever but naïve girl she used to be.”
“Marriage to Coyle has forced her to grow up quickly, I suspect.” I turned to Matt, sitting with a thoughtful expression. “Should we be worried about her?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But I’m going to worry regardless.”
Before Detective Inspector Brockwell arrived, I worried that Matt would go in search of him. He was desperate for an update on the investigation, and my attempts to distract him failed miserably. Thankfully Brockwell timed it perfectly, arriving just before the dinner gong sounded.
We all welcomed him into the drawing room with enthusiasm. All except Willie, that is. She didn’t do anything rude, like get up and leave, but she refused to even look at him when he made a particular point of looking at her when he greeted us.
The entire household was there, as well as Lord Farnsworth, Catherine, Chronos, and even Oscar. Brockwell’s arrival made our party feel complete. Everyone had been apprised of the murder, and we’d taken advantage of Aunt Letitia being in her room dressing for dinner to discuss it. All were of the opinion that Lord Coyle was certainly a suspect, and probably the guilty party.
“Will you join us for dinner?” I asked the inspector when he settled in a chair.
“No, thank you, India, I’m just passing by to give you some news about the investigation into Whittaker’s murder. I prefer not to stay, if that’s all right with you.”
“Of course.”
Having no further instruction, Bristow bowed out and closed the door.
“What’s happened?” Matt asked.
Brockwell sighed. “The investigation has been closed. I was directed to rule it a suicide. There’ll be no coronial inquest.”
“Who directed you?”
“Commissioner Munro himself.”
Duke swore under his breath. “Matt can speak to him tomorrow and try to get it overturned.”
Brockwell shook his head. “It won’t do any good. I suspect he was following orders given by his superior.” The commissioner’s superior was the home secretary himself. “With a suicide note found at the scene, it’s not an unreasonable conclusion to come to.”
“It is unreasonable when there are doubts,” Oscar said.
“You didn’t let me finish. It’s not an unreasonable conclusion to come to when the two main suspects are an earl who now works for the Home Office, and spy master Le Grand.”
“Blimey,” Lord Farnsworth muttered. “You think the government sanctioned Whittaker’s murder?”
Brockwell shrugged. “We can speculate all we want. The verdict of suicide won’t be altered.”
Matt had remained silent up until now, but he nodded at this. He knew it was hopeless. He’d known all along that Brockwell’s hands would be tied in this investigation and that the truth might be buried. That didn’t mean it couldn’t be dug up, but Scotland Yard wouldn’t be wielding the spade.
While Matt looked somewhat resigned, Brockwell seemed disappointed and frustrated. Poor man. He would have spent most of the day on the investigation only to have it quashed.
“Thank you for coming here to tell us,” I said. “Are you sure you won’t join us for dinner?”
“Do stay,” Lord Farnsworth urged. “After all, we have things to celebrate. Glass’s life is no longer in danger, for one thing.” He clapped lightly in Matt’s direction. When no one else joined in, he added, “Let me see… I know! My horse Midnight Blue is in fine form for the spring races. And there were no protests by the artless today.”
“Yes there were,” Cyclops said.
“Really? Where?”
/> “Lambeth and Islington.”
“I don’t go near either of those places.” He frowned hard as he thought. “Let me see, there must be more good news.” He snapped his fingers. “Willie didn’t get thrown out of White’s last night, despite a rumor that she has breasts.”
Duke laughed. “Who started that rumor?”
Lord Farnsworth deflated beneath Willie’s sharp glare. “I was bored. I wanted to see what would happen,” he muttered.
Brockwell cleared his throat. “I’m very happy for everyone’s good fortune. But I think it’s best that I leave now.”
Lord Farnsworth sighed as he appealed to me. “I tried, India, but it’s hopeless.”
I tugged on the bellpull for Bristow and the butler arrived and saw Brockwell out.
Lord Farnsworth, Duke and Cyclops all turned to Willie with stern glares. She tilted her chin and looked away.
“I have some good news, as it happens,” Catherine announced. “I was going to tell you later, Nate, but I might as well do it now. My mother has asked you to dine with us tomorrow night.”
“I don’t understand,” he said carefully.
She grinned. “She wants to thank you for scaring off that gang that Gareth has been tangled up with.”
“They’re not really a gang. Just a group of youths in high spirits with too much time on their hands.”
“I know, but don’t tell my parents. They’ve been so worried about him these last few weeks. But after Gareth told them how you protected him and threatened those youths if they came near him again, my parents think you’re wonderful.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
Duke clapped Cyclops on the shoulder. “Don’t argue. Accept it. This is what you wanted.”
Cyclops’s smile started slow but quickly widened. “All right. Thank them for the invitation. I accept.”
Later, after dinner had finished and Aunt Letitia retired, I sat alone with Catherine in the drawing room while we waited for the men and Willie to join us. Peter the footman poured each of us a glass of brandy at the drinks trolley. The men couldn’t be allowed to keep all the vices to themselves.
“I feel as though we should be smoking cigars,” Catherine said with a laugh as she accepted the glass from Peter.
“Aunt Letitia would have a fit if you did. She loathes it when someone smokes in here.” I waited for Peter to bow out before turning to my friend. “You colluded with Gareth, didn’t you?”
Catherine fluttered her pale lashes and shrugged a shoulder. “Whatever do you mean, India?”
“Your sly smile is giving you away. I know you orchestrated this gang of youths to bully Gareth then asked Cyclops to step in and diffuse the situation. Gareth was obviously in on it.”
“Don’t tell Nate. He’d be embarrassed.” She settled into the chair and swirled the liquid around her glass. “You’re right in that Gareth helped me with the scheme, as did his friends. I had to pay them, of course, but Gareth did it for free. He can be sweet, sometimes. I know he idolizes Nate, so he wants to see him accepted by our parents too. You should have heard my mother go on and on about how fortunate he was that Nate stepped in, how capable he is, and how he’s got a big future ahead of him in the police force.” Her smiled widened. “My plan worked better than I expected.”
I must have had too much wine at dinner because I giggled at the image of Mrs. Mason now begging Cyclops to marry Catherine. I rarely giggled these days, but I felt at ease now with Matt’s life no longer in danger. And while Sir Charles’s demise was a terrible business, it didn’t directly affect our household. I felt much lighter of heart than I had in some weeks.
Willie entered, only to stop short upon seeing us both giggling. She made a face as if revolted. “I hoped for some civilized conversation in here.”
“Are the men not being civilized?” I asked.
“They keep pestering me about what went wrong between me and Brockwell. Even Matt.”
I patted the cushion beside me on the sofa. Once she was seated, I turned to her. “What did go wrong?”
She shot to her feet again and strode to the door. But I was ready for her attempted escape, and raced past her. I blocked the exit. “I won’t let you pass until you tell me.”
She tilted her head to the side and arched her brows. “You know I can easily move you.”
“I don’t see how. I’m bigger than you and quite possibly stronger.”
She gave a derisive snort.
“I’m sure if you had a weapon, you could threaten me, but you’re unarmed.”
Catherine joined us and placed her arm around Willie’s waist. “Come and sit down and tell us all about it. Perhaps we can help you solve the problem.”
Willie let herself be steered back to the sofa. She sat with Catherine on one side and me on the other. Before she knew what was happening, we’d each grasped one of her hands so she couldn’t easily escape.
She sighed deeply. “Jasper asked me to marry him.”
I stared at her then exchanged glances with Catherine. “And you don’t want to get married,” I said flatly.
“I refused him. I told him I ain’t never marrying, despite what the Romany woman said. I don’t want a man to change me. I don’t want anything to change. I like my life the way it is, without a husband in it.”
“But do you want the inspector in it?” Catherine asked.
Willie looked down at the floor and nodded again.
“Sometimes we have to make sacrifices, or we’ll lose the ones we love.”
Willie pulled a face. “It ain’t love. We’re just good friends.”
“You and Duke are good friends,” I told her firmly. “You and Lord Farnsworth are good friends. You don’t want to be intimate with either of them, do you?” I knew I’d got through to her when she didn’t toss a rude retort back at me. “Let me put it another way. Would you be this upset if Duke decided to return to America without you?”
“I’d be upset, but I’d be happy for him if that’s what he wanted.”
“There, you see? There’s your answer.”
“I don’t remember asking a question.”
“Your question is, what do you do now?” I said. “Do you tell Brockwell you want to be with him but without any change from the status quo, and therefore risk losing him forever because he wants more?”
“Or do you give marriage some serious consideration?” Catherine finished.
Willie searched our faces, perhaps looking for the answer. But it wasn’t something we could decide for her. She had to do it on her own.
“I need another drink,” she said, rising.
The men joined us and Lord Farnsworth headed directly for Willie standing at the drinks trolley. He whispered something in her ear.
“Did you solve her problems?” Matt asked as he sidled up to me.
“Not entirely, but I believe we did a better job at helping her decide what to do than you men.” I leaned into him and rested my head on his shoulder. “What do you think they’re talking about?”
He followed my gaze to Willie and Farnsworth, heads bent together conspiratorially. “They’re probably discussing which gambling den to visit tonight.”
“He’s making her laugh.”
“I think she’s laughing at him, not with him.”
“Either way, he’s good to have around if he can cheer her up.”
Matt nodded at Catherine and Cyclops, talking quietly in the corner. “They look happy. It seems Catherine’s little ruse worked.”
I pulled away to look at him properly. “You know about that?”
“I guessed, as did Cyclops.”
I smiled. “I hope he doesn’t let on that he knows. She’ll be disappointed she didn’t orchestrate a secret coup.”
“She did orchestrate one, and she should be pleased with herself for coming up with the idea. The important thing is, Mr. and Mrs. Mason aren’t aware it was a ruse and they’re now willing to accept Cyclops into their family.”
> “And into their hearts, soon enough. He has a way of winning people over.”
Matt gently touched my chin. “You seem very content tonight, India.”
“That’s because I am. Look around. Except for Willie, everyone is happy, and her situation is not all that dire, really. To have a good man want to marry her is not the end of the world.”
He laughed softly, his breath feathering my hair. “It is to her, but I know what you mean.” He kissed the top of my head. “I hate to dampen your good mood, but what about Charbonneau? You were fond of him.”
“I’m disappointed in him. Deeply so. Angry too. But I won’t think about him anymore. I refuse to dwell on him a moment longer. He doesn’t deserve it.” I touched Matt’s cheek, tracing the divot of his dimple with my fingertip. “He has been stopped, and you are well. That’s all that matters.”
His arm tightened around my waist. “He won’t harm us or our loved ones again. I’ll make sure of it. Coyle too. I promise you.”
He couldn’t make such a promise, but I appreciated it nevertheless.
I looked around at our little group of family and friends. Farnsworth was doing his best to take Willie’s mind off her dilemma, while Duke and Oscar were deep in conversation. Cyclops and Catherine spoke quietly in the corner, their fingers lightly touching, and Chronos had fallen asleep on the sofa, his head tipped back and mouth open. Although Aunt Letitia and Brockwell were absent, they were there in spirit.
I didn’t need anything more than this. With Matt at my side and our friends and family for company, I had more than enough to fill my heart.
Matt must have thought so too, because he kissed me thoroughly without a care that everyone could see.
Available from 1st March 2022:
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The 13th Glass and Steele novel
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