‘And you have an extraordinary way of purloining my attention.’ She sent him a weary look. ‘Very well, Matthew, what’s so important?’
‘I don’t like to think of you being lonely, and I blame myself for not noticing.’ He squatted in front of her and grasped one of her hands. She snatched it back again.
‘I have already told you. I am no longer lonely. Besides, when did you ever think of anyone’s comforts other than you own?’
‘You don’t have a very high opinion of me, it seems, but I really am a fine chap.’
‘I expect you believe what you say.’
‘But you do not.’
Miranda couldn’t let this embarrassing debacle continue, or develop into the proposal she sensed he was working up to making. Procrastinate, or take the offensive?
‘I realise that you could talk about yourself all night, Matthew, but the subject bores me.’ She stood, and since he was still squatting in front of her, she managed to loom over him. He looked astounded when she turned towards the door. He presumably thought that she sensed his proposal and was being coy. She very much doubted if he believed her indifference was genuine. ‘I will take my book upstairs where I can read undisturbed. Good night.’
She left him still squatting in front of her vacated chair with his mouth hanging open and swept from the room.
Chapter Eleven
Charlie caught an early train into London the following morning. With Miranda’s authorisation nestled in his inside pocket, he settled into a first-class compartment. Unwilling to risk becoming engaged in conversation with fellow passengers, he hid behind the day’s newspaper. Dominated by the latest reports from the Anglo-Afghan war and the usual political squabbling, Charlie quickly lost interest in current affairs. He put the paper aside and stared out the window at the passing scenery, his thoughts dwelling upon the day he had spent with Miranda.
He felt great sympathy for her situation as a neighbour and increasing awareness of her attributes as a woman. Coming from a close and affectionate family, Charlie found it hard to imagine her sense of isolation as a motherless only child, although it certainly helped to explain her generosity towards Christina and the Coopers. Still a child when Christina entered her life, instead of resenting the fact that Defoe’s new wife detracted parental attention from his daughter, Miranda’s generous heart had found space in it for Christina. Charlie scowled when he recalled how shamelessly Christina had exploited Miranda’s vulnerability and vowed to ensure that she would not get away with it.
That was one thing that he could and would do for his sister’s friend. For the lady who occupied a growing space in his thoughts. Beyond that, he didn’t care to speculate.
Luke had told him of his conversation with Flora and her belief that arsenic poisoning could easily have done for Defoe without necessarily raising any warning flags. He shuddered at the thought of similar treatment being administered to Miranda if she declined to fall in with Philip’s plans for her. He shared Luke’s opinion that Philip and Matthew Cooper, with Christina as a willing accomplice, were plausible yet ruthless individuals who would stop at nothing to achieve their objectives.
Such gloomy thoughts occupied his mind until the train reached London. He took a cab to Aldwych and found the premises of Fenchurch, Scott and Talbert without difficulty. Having sent a telegram the night before, requesting an appointment with Fenchurch to discuss a delicate situation, he had no sooner left his card with a clerk than he was ushered into a spacious office occupied by the senior partner. Fenchurch, a man of advancing years with an upright bearing and thinning grey hair, stood from behind an oak desk and extended a hand to Charlie.
‘A great honour, Mr Beranger,’ he said with a half-bow. ‘Please take a seat and tell me how I may be of service to you.’
A man who got straight down to business. Charlie liked that. ‘I come at your goddaughter’s behest,’ Charlie replied, watching Fenchurch carefully to gauge his reaction.
‘Miranda?’ He beamed, dispelling any lingering doubts in Charlie’s mind about his loyalties. ‘She has returned to England? I was not aware. She is, of course, a neighbour of yours. Did she ask you to call upon me? I hope my desire to protect her interests has not been found wanting.’
‘Quite the opposite, I can assure you.’ Charlie produced the authority that she had signed and handed it to Fenchurch. The solicitor balanced a pair of glasses on the end of his long nose and studied it briefly. ‘She has questions, I would imagine. I wondered how long it would take her to become curious. Part of me hoped that day would never dawn, whilst the rest…’ He spread his hands and allowed his words to trail off.
‘She wanted to come herself but I thought you might be more forthcoming if we spoke man to man. I dare say we both want to spare her from the more sordid aspects of this affair.’
‘Quite so. The poor child has suffered quite enough already.’ Fenchurch fixed Charlie with a direct look. ‘What would she like to know? I will do my very best to provide answers that will satisfy her.’
Charlie settled himself into a more comfortable position, suspecting that his conversation with Fenchurch would be of a prolonged nature. ‘Her first question, naturally, is regarding her father’s will.’ He fixed Fenchurch with a long, level stare. He prided himself upon being a good judge of character and would know if Fenchurch attempted to circumvent the truth. But if he answered the question that lay at the heart of the entire affair with straightforward honesty, Charlie would feel reassured to know that he was not the only person with Miranda’s best interests at heart. ‘Why did he leave his widow so poorly provided for?’
‘Because he had obtained irrefutable proof that she had indulged in an extra-marital affair with the man she subsequently married,’ Fenchurch replied, meeting Charlie’s gaze with refreshingly transparent honesty, his lips pursed in disapproval.
‘But he did not confront her with that evidence?’
‘I urged him to. He had more than adequate grounds for divorce, but he decided against heeding my advice.’
Charlie considered that response. ‘He must have loved her very much.’
Fenchurch nodded. ‘At first. I have never seen a man half so smitten; especially someone of his age, who’d had females throwing themselves at him ever since the death of Miranda’s mother. He thought he was awake on all suits but Christina was one step ahead of him the entire way.’ Fenchurch removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose and then replaced them. ‘Frankly, she played him like a Stradivarius. I flatter myself that I saw through her immediately, but my friend was deaf to the voice of reason.’
‘Most men in love tend to think they know best.’
‘Quite so.’ Fenchurch inclined his head, sending wisps of thin grey hair flying across his wrinkled forehead. ‘When he could no longer ignore the evidence that was collected by an investigator at my behest—‘
‘You instigated enquiries?’ Charlie sat a little straighter. ‘Without authority?’
‘I couldn’t abide seeing my friend being cuckolded, or think of Miranda being exposed to that woman’s influence.’ He ran a hand through his sparse hair. ‘Defoe was wealthy beyond most people’s imaginings, but he refused to accept that Christina was attracted to him for that reason.’ He shook his head. ‘For an intelligent man, he could sometimes be remarkably obtuse. So, I took matters into my own hands, but in so doing I only managed to make things worse.’
‘How so?’ Charlie asked, a part of him surprised at Fenchurch’s willingness to speak so candidly of confidential matters. Charlie had Miranda’s authority to ask, but even so…
‘I am getting ahead of myself.’ Fenchurch paused and cleared his throat. ‘I showed Defoe my evidence and he didn’t seem as surprised as I feared.’
‘You think he knew, or suspected?’
‘I do. He told me he’d been a blind fool and must suffer the consequences. He refused to take any action that would risk Miranda’s prospects. In other words, he would wait for her to mak
e a decent marriage that the substantial fortune he had settled upon her would enable, and then instigate divorce proceedings. He argued that she had already lost her mother but had taken a liking to Christina.’ Fenchurch sighed. ‘In other words, he didn’t want to destabilise her life any more than it had already been.’
‘Then why did he change his will? If Christina was proved to be the guilty party when the divorce was heard, she wouldn’t be entitled to a share of his estate anyway.’
‘That was my legal brain at work. I believe in being cautious, which is just as well, as things transpired.’
Charlie frowned as he digested that snippet. ‘Did Christina come to see you after the will had been read, demanding to know why she had been cut out of it?’
‘Oh yes, and I took great pleasure in telling her, which put paid to any attempts on her part to challenge it. However, my victory was hollow since she had guardianship of Miranda and access to Defoe’s wealth through that guardianship, although I do my very best to limit the amounts that make their way directly into her grasping hands.’
‘Were you suspicious about Defoe’s sudden death?’
‘When I heard about it. I was furious not to have been told when it happened. If I had been then perhaps I could have…But, you see, I was unwell myself for several weeks. There was an influenza epidemic. At one stage it looked as though I might not survive. My wife kept any news of an unpleasant nature from my ears for fear of it setting me back. By the time I heard of it, Defoe was buried and there didn’t seem to be anything I could do, other than to watch over Miranda to the best of my ability.’ He removed his glasses and rubbed his hand over his eyes. ‘It was a bad winter. I was lucky. Influenza took a lot of people, even previously strong and healthy ones, so I tried to convince myself that my doubts were unfounded.’
‘But when Christina married Cooper with such indecent haste you had reason to believe otherwise.’
‘I always believed otherwise, but I just wasn’t ready to face facts. It’s a rum affair, Mr Beranger, which is why I am so very pleased to see you here, asking these questions. It is beyond time that someone took a genuine interest in Miranda’s well-being.’
‘If she were to die in an accident—’
‘You think she is in danger?’ Fenchurch asked sharply.
‘The question is hypothetical. Calm yourself, sir. Miranda has friends with influence and no harm will come to her. I merely wish to establish who will inherit in the case of her demise.’
‘Christina,’ Fenchurch said, a sour look on his face. ‘An oversight on my part which I will always regret.’
‘Even though she has remarried? Miranda cannot do anything about that, make her own will leaving it elsewhere…’ Charlie shook his head, aware of the answer to his own question. ‘Not until she comes of age,’ he muttered, frustrated.
‘As I say, a mistake. I should have insisted, but Daniel thought I was being overcautious. He was quite determined to divorce Christina when the time was right, at which point she would have lost any claims upon his estate. Unless, of course, she gave Daniel a son…’
‘Wasn’t he worried that her lover would impregnate and her and that she would pass of his child as Defoe’s?’
‘I believe that by the time he signed the new will, all marital relations between them had ceased.’
‘Christina would have drawn her own conclusions from that,’ Charlie said pensively, ‘and probably knew he was on to her…’
‘Do you think I haven’t thought of that every single day since I heard of the terrible event?’ Fenchurch asked harshly. ‘I beg your pardon, sir.’ He lowered his head. ‘I didn’t mean to bark at you. But, whichever way I look at it, I have to accept that I am to blame for my friend’s death, or even his murder. I have scarce known a carefree moment since that time.’ He sent Charlie a pained look. ‘My penance is that I must live with that knowledge for the rest of my own life.’
‘You are not to blame. Once Christina met Cooper and fell so heavily for him the die was cast. Defoe was always going to meet with an accident of some sort. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it.’
‘You are kind, sir, but with the benefit of hindsight there are dozens of things I could have done. Not least of which would have been to make Christina aware that if anything happened to Daniel, by accident or through apparently natural causes, enquiries would be made, she would become a prime suspect and not benefit from his estate.’
‘Defoe wouldn’t have considered such extreme measures, I am absolutely sure of it. It would have upset the balance of the relationship between Christina and Miranda. I have met the woman. She is besotted with Philip Cooper and will do anything he asks of her, including, if it came to it, alienating rather than cultivating the affections of her step-daughter. If Defoe had laid down ultimatums, I can assure you that she would have found a way to exploit his weakness for Miranda as a means of revenge. As it is, she has treated Miranda well, even if she has ulterior motives for so doing.’
‘What motives?’ Fenchurch asked abruptly.
‘We believe she hopes to entice Miranda into marriage with Matthew Cooper, and thereby—’
‘Thereby placing the Defoe fortune into the Cooper family’s hands.’ Fenchurch threw back his head and sighed. ‘I should have anticipated such a move.’
‘Christina has played the part of the doting step-mother for four years now. No one can accuse her of rushing things, which is probably Cooper’s way of deflecting suspicion following Defoe’s death and their hasty marriage. To the world at large the Coopers are caring guardians who have done their very best to help Miranda adjust to her loss.’
Fenchurch grunted. ‘Quite so.’
‘They have been travelling abroad for two years. If they wanted rid of Miranda so that Christina could inherit, there must have been dozens of ways it could have been achieved. It would have drawn less attention if it had happened in foreign parts.’
Fenchurch scowled. ‘Philip Cooper is a clever and patient devil, I’ll give him that.’
‘Miranda tells me that she suggested several times that they return to England. After a year she became homesick. But they found ways to persuade her to stay away for a little longer. Fortunately, my sister was recently engaged to be married. Miranda is her closest friend and Emma will not feel properly married if Miranda doesn’t act as her bridesmaid. When Miranda received Emma’s telegram, she insisted upon returning home. This time the Coopers were unable to change her mind.’
‘I see.’ Fenchurch rubbed his whiskered chin. ‘Does Miranda care for Matthew? I wouldn’t mind quite so much if it was a love match, if only on her part.’ He continued, without giving Charlie an opportunity to respond. ‘Well, I suppose she’s been with him constantly these past several years and he will have had plenty of opportunities to create a vulnerable young girl’s dependency. The wretched Cooper clan are leeches, sir! Leeches, I tell you.’
‘Calm yourself, Mr Fenchurch.’ Charlie waved a placating hand. ‘Miranda has more common sense than you give her credit for, and has no romantic interest in Matthew Cooper.’
Fenchurch let out a long breath. ‘I am very pleased to hear you say so.’ He paused to consider. ‘But in that case, will she not be in danger? That is why you asked who would inherit if anything happens to her. Cooper has been content to bide his time, but if he has done so only to have his plans thwarted, there is no telling how he will react.’ He half rose from his chair, looking frantic. ‘We have to do something!’
‘Things are coming to a head, I’ll grant you, which is partly why I am here today. The Coopers have discovered that with maturity Miranda has developed a strong will of her own. She also has friends in this country who can undermine Cooper’s influence over her.’
‘Your family,’ Fenchurch said softly.
‘Quite. We suspect that Matthew will have to propose sooner rather than later, before word of Miranda’s return becomes known and she is overrun with suitors. Our opinion is that he doesn�
��t doubt his ability to win her hand. He’s a handsome dog, popular with the ladies, and arrogant with it. He probably thinks that winning the affections of a girl whom he imagines looks up to him will be the work of a moment.’
‘And when discovers otherwise…?’
‘Quite.’ Charlie sucked air through his teeth, feeling frustrated, impotent. ‘She is spending a great deal of time with my family. She will be at Beranger Court all day today, as a matter of fact.’ Charlie canted his head in a considering fashion. ‘She could, of course, insist that Matthew and Theo Cooper move out of her house, but she can hardly ask Philip to leave since he is married to her guardian. And Philip, as we both know, is the ringleader of this sorry business. How, as a matter of interest, did he meet Christina? Did your investigator discover that much? Were they intimately involved before Christina targeted Defoe?’
‘I believe not. Defoe, as you know, made his fortune in the early days of the railways. He sold out his interests there before meeting Christina and could have led a life of idleness. However, he enjoyed the challenges provided by commerce and became involved in the export business.’
Charlie sat a little straighter. ‘The Cooper family’s business.’
‘Quite. Daniel invested funds in organisations that required start-up capital. He, or rather Miranda, still owns several warehouses on the docks. They are leased and her estate benefits from the rents. Philip Cooper was stubbornly determined to resurrect his father’s failed business. He heard that Defoe was willing to inject capital into worthy causes, and secured an appointment to see him at Ashton Lodge.’
‘Which is where he first saw Christina?’
‘Precisely. That was a little more than a year before Daniel’s death. He turned Cooper down for a loan; that much I do know. He said that the business had failed twice and although Philip impressed him with his drive and determination, he wasn’t willing to take the risk.’
A Sense of Purpose Page 14
