by Dilly Court
‘It’s your imagination. If I appear unwilling to talk about them it’s because I despise the way they live and what they stand for. I hate everything to do with the Paxman gang. They’re educated men and they ought to know better.’ She stood up, turning away from Rose in case she betrayed her innermost feelings. She thought she had conquered what must surely be a girlish crush on Rogue Paxman, but in her heart she knew that it was not so. She had read somewhere that women were always attracted to bad men, but she was determined to ignore the tender emotions he aroused in her breast. ‘I’m going to make some more cocoa,’ she said abruptly. ‘Would you like some, Rose?’
The kitchen seemed oddly quiet and deserted as Phoebe set about her task. The long pine table where everyone ate their meals was scrubbed clean, and even in the light of a single candle it gleamed silvery-white like animal bones washed up on the Thames foreshore after a particularly high tide. The empty chairs seemed oddly creepy, as if occupied by invisible spirits of long deceased inhabitants of the house that came out only at night to reclaim their old home. Phoebe shivered despite the fact that it was a warm night and there was heat radiating from the range. She poured hot milk onto the cocoa powder that she had already mixed to a paste and added a spoonful of sugar to each cup. She was about to carry them through to the parlour when the sound of someone tapping on the window made her spin round. She could just make out the shape of a male figure peering in from the side street. He rapped on the windowpane again, and with a cry of fright she dropped the mugs. They shattered into shards on the tiled floor.
Chapter Eighteen
FOR A MOMENT she felt as though her heart had stopped beating. Her first instinct was to panic and scream for help, but there was something familiar about the shape of the man’s head, and whoever it was had his finger to his lips as if begging her to remain silent. Stepping over the spreading pool of dark chocolate she moved closer to the window as if drawn by an invisible thread. This time her heart gave an uncomfortable jolt against her ribs, and her breath hitched in her throat. She raced through the scullery to open the back door. It led into a tiny back yard surrounded by a six foot brick wall. The moon had suddenly vanished behind a bank of clouds, and in her hurry to reach the side gate she stumbled over unseen objects left carelessly on the ground. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the latch and opened it a crack. ‘Who’s there?’
‘It’s Roger Paxman. Let me in, Phoebe.’
All thoughts of him as the enemy were dispelled by the sound of his voice. She wrenched the door open and stood aside to let him in. ‘What d’you want?’ She spoke brusquely in order to disguise the ridiculous sense of relief that threatened to overcome her, together with a guilty pleasure on seeing him again. ‘How did you know where to find me?’
He entered the yard, closing the gate behind him. ‘I need to talk to you urgently.’
His tone was harsh, and although she thought that she detected a note of anxiety in his voice, there was nothing about his manner to make her suppose that he was pleased to see her. She was both ashamed and embarrassed by her instinctive reaction. ‘Come inside.’ She led him into the scullery. Once indoors with the back door securely fastened, she felt much safer. ‘Well, what is it you have to say to me?’
He glanced round at the whitewashed walls and the stone sink with its wooden draining board. The smell of rancid cooking fat mingled with the faint odour of mouse droppings. ‘Might we go somewhere a little more comfortable?’
‘I was just making some cocoa.’ As soon as the words left her lips she realised that it was a rather silly thing to say to someone who might be about to kidnap her brother, but she was at a loss as to how to handle her unexpected visitor. She was not thinking clearly. Her pulses were racing and she could hear the blood drumming in her ears. She hurried into the kitchen, but his close proximity in the semi-darkness almost took her breath away.
In an attempt to cover her confusion she busied herself picking up the broken china and mopping the sticky mess off the floor. ‘Judy hates a mess,’ she said breathlessly. ‘She’s my cousin and she owns this house.’
Rogue took the mop from her and set it aside. ‘Never mind that now. I’m sure it can wait until morning.’
She shivered as their hands touched briefly. ‘Judy is very particular.’ She knew she was talking nonsense but his sudden appearance had completely thrown her. ‘Why are you here, Rogue?’
‘Who else is in the house?’
‘Everyone is out except Dolly and my friend Rose.’
‘Can they be trusted?’
‘Of course, but what’s this all about?’
‘You’re in great danger. I came to warn you.’ He pulled out a chair. ‘Please sit down and listen to what I have to say.’
She could tell by his expression and his tone that he was in deadly earnest, and she sank down on the hard wooden seat. ‘What’s happened? Why have you come here? You still haven’t told me how you knew where to find me.’
‘I had you followed.’
‘You what?’
‘I did some checking on Collins. Believe it or not, I have friends in the police force. Although we operate on different sides of the law, sometimes it suits us both to cooperate, especially when it comes to the more dangerous members of the high mob.’
‘You spied on Caspar?’
‘I didn’t need to. He’s quite well known in police circles, but not by the name of Collins. He’s used several aliases in the past when his crimes were petty, but everything has changed now, which is why I travelled from London to warn you.’
‘Warn me about what?’
He took her hand in his. ‘He’s wanted for murder. His assistant died on stage last night when part of their act went disastrously wrong.’
Phoebe wrenched her hand free to smother a cry of distress. ‘No. I can’t believe it. He was meticulous in planning everything down to the last detail. It must have been an accident.’
‘Maybe, but the police don’t seem to think so, and Collins has disappeared.’
‘How did she die?’ She hugged her arms around her body in an effort to stop herself trembling as she recalled part of their act which had involved a cabinet lined with metal spikes. ‘Was it the iron maiden?’
He nodded. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Not really. But we performed that trick night after night. All I had to do was step inside and press a button which made the spikes retract as the door closed. It was foolproof.’
‘Not last night. Someone had apparently tampered with the mechanism and the girl received multiple stab wounds. She died almost instantly, and now Collins is on the run. I was afraid he would come here.’
Phoebe’s head was reeling. She knew that Caspar was ruthless but she could not believe that he would kill an innocent girl. ‘Why would he do such a dreadful thing?’
‘Who knows? I wouldn’t pretend to know what went through a cold-blooded murderer’s mind, but I suspect it had something to do with you.’
‘No. Don’t say things like that. It can’t be true.’
‘Phoebe. What’s going on? Who is this?’ Rose had entered the kitchen unnoticed. She rushed to Phoebe’s side. ‘You look as though you’ve seen a ghost. What has he said to you? What’s wrong?’
‘You must be Rose,’ Rogue said calmly. ‘Phoebe needs a friend right now.’
‘And you must be one of the Paxman brothers.’ Rose slipped her arm around Phoebe’s shoulders. ‘What have you said to upset her so?’
Phoebe shook her head, attempting a smile. ‘It’s all right, Rose. This is Roger Paxman, better known as Rogue. He came to warn me about Caspar. He’s wanted for murder.’
Rose sank down on the chair next to her. ‘My God. Who did he kill?’ She looked up at Rogue. ‘What has this to do with Phoebe?’
‘I think the man is mad. Phoebe refused his advances and he’s obsessed with her. Perhaps he thought she would take pity on him if his assistant died as a result of a terrible accident, but he reckoned withou
t the theatre manager being well versed in magic tricks. He suspected foul play the moment he inspected the cabinet.’
Rose seized Phoebe’s hand and held it to her cheek. ‘My poor dear. It could have been you.’
‘And might still be,’ Rogue said drily. ‘I’ve come to take you away from here, Phoebe. You’re in danger every minute that he remains at large.’
‘She’s safe here with us,’ Rose said fiercely. ‘She doesn’t need you or your criminal gang to protect her.’
‘I’m afraid she does. Collins could be in Brighton now, just waiting his chance to get to Phoebe. Who knows what’s going on in his sick mind?’
‘And you might be making all this up so that you can kidnap her brother. Phoebe’s told me all about you Paxmans. This could be a ploy to get to Teddy.’
Rogue went down on his knees beside Phoebe. ‘Listen to me, I beg you. I’m not here to take the boy. I’ve tried to reason with Ned and make him see that Teddy is best left with you, but I’m here to see that you get to a place of safety. I have a house in the country just outside Dover and I want you to stay there until Collins is behind bars. There’s no doubt the man will hang. He has nothing to lose and he’s desperate. He won’t rest until he has you in his power, and I’m begging you to think this through. We need to leave immediately.’
Phoebe stared at him in disbelief. ‘Do you really expect me to abandon my friends and go with you?’
A grim smile curved his lips and he rose to his feet. ‘It does sound odd, I grant you, but that’s exactly what I’m saying. I’ll take you to a place I know where you can stay until Collins is caught and arrested.’
‘This could be a pack of lies,’ Rose said anxiously. ‘It might be an excuse to get you and Teddy back to London.’
Rogue put his hand inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a crumpled newspaper. He handed it to Phoebe. ‘It’s headline news.’
She took it from him and her heart sank as she realised that everything he had said was true. The murder of the magician’s assistant was the leading story. There was even a daguerreotype of Caspar dressed in his stage costume. It had been taken some years previously but it was a creditable likeness. Phoebe read the first paragraph and then handed the paper to Rose. ‘He’s not lying. It’s all true.’
Rogue nodded his head. ‘I only want to help. This is the first place that Collins will look when he discovers that you’ve left London. You’re in danger every minute you remain here.’
Rose looked up from reading the horrifying account of the girl’s death. Her face was white and her eyes wide with fear. ‘He’s right, Phoebe. Caspar must have gone mad to do such a wicked thing.’
‘The man is undoubtedly out of his head,’ Rogue said grimly. ‘It’s obvious that he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. If you refuse his advances he might well vent his anger and frustration on you, or Teddy.’
The mention of her brother’s name brought Phoebe quickly back to reality. Looking into Rogue’s eyes, which in the semi-darkness were the colour of jade, she knew instinctively that she could safely put her life in his hands. She nodded slowly. ‘I’ll come with you, but I won’t go without Teddy.’
He shook his head. ‘We can’t travel with an infant. Anyway, he would be safer here with Rose and the rest of your friends. I know that Ivy accompanied you here. She’ll take care of him until you’re able to return.’ He stood up, helping Phoebe to her feet. ‘We must go quickly. I’ve a hired carriage waiting in the side street.’
She drew away from him. ‘I can’t leave Teddy.’
‘It may be for the best,’ Rose said tentatively. ‘He’ll be well looked after here. You know we all love him and Caspar isn’t interested in the child.’
Phoebe shot a sideways glance at Rogue. ‘No, but Ned won’t have changed his mind. How do I know that he won’t come here and take Teddy the moment I leave with his brother? For all I know Ned could be outside waiting to snatch him.’
‘You have to trust me,’ Rogue said firmly. ‘I give you my word that Ned knows nothing of this. I left on the excuse of doing business in Manchester. Come with me, Phoebe. I swear I’ll take good care of you.’
‘I won’t leave without Teddy. I’m supposed to be meeting Gino in Dover quite soon. We’ll be going to Italy where we’ll be far away from Caspar and from Ned. I wouldn’t rest easy if I left Teddy here.’
Rose leapt to her feet. ‘You’re right, Phoebe. But to make sure that he’s telling the truth, I’m coming with you.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ Rogue said angrily. ‘I’m not traipsing about the countryside with three women and a baby. I assume that Ivy would have to come too.’
Phoebe faced him with a determined lift of her chin. ‘I won’t leave without my brother and Ivy.’ She turned to Rose. ‘But you should stay here with your father. I can’t ask you to give everything up just to keep me company for a few days.’
‘You’re not asking me to do anything. I’m coming and that’s that.’ Rose threw her arms around Phoebe and held her tightly. ‘I won’t let you do this thing on your own.’ She shot a sideways glance at Rogue. ‘After all, I know Caspar and I can be with Phoebe night and day, which you can’t.’
Rogue threw up his hands. ‘All right. I can’t fight both of you. Get the boy and his nurse and pack a few necessities for yourselves. I want to leave here as soon as humanly possible.’
‘I haven’t said I’ll go,’ Phoebe said in a low voice. ‘I need time to think, and there’s Dolly to consider. I can’t just abandon her without saying goodbye.’
‘She’ll be better off here with your cousin, and I’m quite prepared to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out to the cab.’ Rogue folded his arms across his chest. ‘Either way, we’re leaving in five minutes.’
Phoebe opened her mouth to argue, but this time it was Rose who shook her head. ‘Don’t waste time, dear. I hate to admit it but I think he’s right. I remember how Caspar treated me when I was foolish enough to go with him that evening. I saw a flash of something in his eyes that frightened me. I think we should go now, before he comes looking for you.’
It was cramped inside the ancient barouche and it lumbered across cobblestones and along country lanes like a rheumaticky old gentleman. The leather squabs were worn and greasy from years of contact with pomaded heads and unwashed hands. It smelt of stale tobacco and bay rum with overtones of the stable. Ominous creaks and grinding noises from beneath the bodywork made Phoebe fear that the whole equipage was going to disintegrate each time the wheels hit a rut. Even so, Teddy slept throughout the long journey, cuddled up in Ivy’s arms. She refused all offers to take him from her and soon both she and Rose were asleep and snoring softly. Rogue had chosen to ride on the box beside the coachman and Phoebe had a whole seat to herself, but she was too anxious to sleep. She had agreed to this mad venture under duress, and then only because she was able to keep Teddy at her side. Rose had finally persuaded her with all the conviction of a convert to the Paxman way of doing things. Without blinking an eyelid, she had written a note to her father explaining why she had decided to accompany Phoebe on her journey, and had stressed the need for secrecy. Phoebe was grateful to her friend, but she suspected that for Rose this journey was a golden chance to get away from her father, if only temporarily. She could only sympathise with her and be grateful for her company.
The carriage rumbled on through the night, stopping several times to change horses, but Rogue would not allow them to alight and take refreshment in the coaching inns along the way. He had tea and cake brought out to them, explaining that he did not want to leave a trail that Collins might follow. On the first of these stops, Phoebe took the opportunity to question him about the house he was said to own near Dover. She was not sure whether or not to believe him, as it seemed an unlikely coincidence, but he told her that he had inherited the property from his mother’s side of the family who had farmed in the area for centuries. He spoke with obvious fondness of his boyhood home, but she found i
t hard to imagine either of the Paxman brothers tilling the soil or rearing livestock. Still slightly sceptical, she supposed that a place in the country would come in quite handy as a means of escaping from the law. In the end she was too tired to think or feel anything, and she must have drifted off to sleep in the early hours, as she was awakened by a sudden jolt as the carriage came to a stop and the door was wrenched open.
Outside the sky was an opalescent shade of green merging with crimson at the horizon as the sun struggled to rise. Rogue put the steps down and helped her to alight. ‘Welcome to Windy Bank Farm,’ he said, grinning.
Phoebe gazed at the black and white half-timbered building with its lattice windows and thatched roof. It must have been built in the time of Good Queen Bess but had been added on to several times. It was not the archetypal farmhouse sitting in a muddy yard and surrounded by tumbledown barns and brick outhouses, but more the residence of a gentleman farmer with a neat garden at the front and possibly at the rear of the house as well; she could not see from this angle. The outbuildings, barns and stables were set back from the road at a respectful distance from the farmhouse, and behind them stretched green fields enclosed by neat hedgerows. Beyond that Phoebe could just make out a glimpse of the sea with a purple line at the horizon.
‘You’d better wake your companions,’ Rogue said softly. ‘I’ll go into the house and warn the Merrydews that we have guests.’
Alarmed, Phoebe caught him by the sleeve. ‘Who are they?’
He smiled. ‘Don’t worry. They’re completely trustworthy. Old Merrydew worked for the family for years, and now he and his wife take care of the place for me. I come down to Kent when the way of life in London gets too much to bear.’
‘Why do you live as you do when you could have all this?’ She encompassed the house and the land with a sweep of her hand.
‘Because my grandfather was tricked into signing away the deeds, and I’ve been buying it back brick by brick and timber by timber. It’s taken me ten years, but after a few more payments the debt will be repaid.’ He smiled. ‘Don’t look so worried. The bailiffs won’t come in and take everything while you’re here.’ He strode off before she could think of a suitable answer, leaving her standing on the road, staring after him. He was a man full surprises and this was perhaps the most astonishing of all. From the beginning she had had him down as a cold-hearted villain, terrorising the weak and exploiting their defencelessness in order to make a huge profit, but she had gradually begun to revise her opinion of him. To see him in a different light, as a man trying to right the wrongs done to his family, was both confusing and strangely endearing. She peered into the carriage, where everyone was still fast asleep. She was tempted to climb back inside and instruct the coachman to drive on. If she could reach Dover before Rogue had a chance to follow them she could book into a small boarding house and lie low until Gino came for her. She hesitated with one foot on the bottom step, but she was tired and at a low ebb. She leaned into the carriage and shook Rose by the arm. ‘Wake up.’
