“That is none of your concern. And at least I did not spend my night as you did, drinking in the study.”
“But ‘e weren’t in the study,” said a maid, whose voice Alex recognized from the amorous encounter earlier that evening.
“And how would you know that?” asked Pierce, who suddenly appeared much less inebriated than earlier.
The maid colored. “I was in there….dustin’.”
“So that’s what you’re calling it,” said Pierce, looking the girl up and down. “I am most sorry I missed you.”
“What’s your name, miss?” Fisk asked the girl.
“Susie,” she said with a wink.
“When was the last time any of you saw Tawny?” asked Fisk.
“She wasn’t at supper,” said Havers. “But then, she has a habit of disappearing.”
“But never at meal times,” said Susie.
“True,” said Havers.
“Did she have a sweetheart?” asked Fisk.
Here, most of the staff smirked.
“I am not one to gossip,” said Havers. “But there were rumors that she and the former master were quite fond of each other.”
“That is a lie!” said Emmeline. “My late brother would never have consorted with the staff. It is too common by half.’
Her brother laughed. “Come now, Emmeline. You were recently complaining that the old girl had already collected too much coin from her ‘consorting’ with Clarence.”
“But one does not speak of such things in front of one’s inferiors.”
That comment didn’t sit well with the staff, judging from the mutterings Alex heard. The so-called “inferiors” likely viewed the family as unfavorably as their Mayfair neighbors did. It seemed no one liked people who tried to move up from one class to another.
“Tawny wasn’t that fond of the old master,” said Susie, who continued on as if Mrs. Warren hadn’t spoken. “She used to complain that ‘e talked a good game, but was never able to satisfy ‘er. Spent much of the time talkin’ about Mrs. Pierce – the one as did murder ‘im – and ‘ow ‘e was about to come into a fair amount of blunt. Tawny thought that was odd since ‘e already ‘ad more blunt than Croesus, but ‘e would brag about how ‘e ‘ad somethin’ on a toff and when everyone found out, the ton would ‘ave no choice but to bow down to him and invite him to all the balls.”
“Did he say what it was?” asked Alex.
“Might’ve. But Tawny never told me. She probably didn’t want no one else queerin’ ‘er game. You know, toadying up to the master and getting’ a share of whatever it was she was gettin’.”
“It was probably just talk, Lewis,” said Pierce with a yawn. “Clarence was always one to talk a good game, but only rarely followed through. The only reason he married Winifred was because of the money he’d get out of it.”
Alex studied the man. “But I was told there was no money and he married her for the status.”
Pierce shook his head. “There were others he could have married to gain entrance into the ton. The thing about that lot is they’re all drowning in debt, yet spending blunt like they had it. No, he bragged to me that he would have it all – Winifred’s position and her family’s fortune.”
“There is no family fortune,” said Grayson, who’d just entered the sitting room.
“Why the devil are you here?” asked Pierce.
“Just an interested party.”
“Just how interested?” asked Mrs. Warren. “Were you having a liaison with that woman? Was she cuckolding my poor brother? He’s barely in his grave and you barge into our house unannounced.”
“It’s Mrs. Pierce’s house, is it not?” asked Alex. He’d initially been surprised by how brazenly Pierce’s family had moved in, and that had been when he’d thought Mrs. Pierce was a cold woman with overwhelming evidence pointing to her guilt. Now that he’d gotten to know her a bit, he felt it was grossly unfair that a woman who’d been beaten, arrested and thrown into Newgate, would have her home all but taken from her. If she was acquitted, he’d like to personally deliver the eviction notice to Pierce’s family.
If she was acquitted. He was supposed to be prosecuting her and he rarely lost a case.
He tried to shrug off that unsettling thought. “At this point, Mrs. Pierce would be within her rights to have you arrested for trespassing, so I would not press your good fortune by antagonizing her family friend.”
That made Mrs. Warren cease her tirade. Though he had no doubt it would resume momentarily.
Her husband spoke up in her place. “Grayson here should know that while the old Earl of Ridgeway lost most of his money, the Earl of Layton has plenty of blunt – as long as he holds the title. I think Clarence thought he could tap into that fortune. Don’t know if he ever did.”
Alex wanted to know the answer to that. He would need to speak to Lord Layton and Lord Ridgeway.
“I’ll need to know your whereabouts this evening,” Sergeant Fisk said to Pierce’s family.
“You cannot think any of us is involved,” said Clive.
“Well, there’s one way to know for sure,” said the sergeant. “We’ll start with you, Mrs. Warren. We know you weren’t asleep just now. Where were you?”
“With my husband.”
Mr. Warren looked at her in surprise, though he tried to hide it.
Mrs. Warren continued. “We were at a dinner party. I know it is a bit unusual, given we are in mourning. But people are so worried about us, we thought it would be kind to show them we are getting along as well as can be expected. Then when Mr. Warren went to his club, I came home. I slipped in through the servants’ entrance, since I didn’t wish to awaken the staff by knocking on the front door. I did some needlework in my sitting room and dozed off. I was just in the process of disrobing when I was summoned to this rather impertinent gathering. That is why I still have my petticoat on beneath my dressing gown.”
“But it does not explain why you said you were in bed when we asked where you’d been,” said Alex.
Mrs. Warren was not the most skilled liar.
“I might not have been in bed. But I almost was. Really, Lewis, you shouldn’t be quite so literal.”
Fisk turned to Mr. Warren. “What about you, sir? Your wife said the two of you went to a dinner party. Who were your hosts?”
“I am frightfully bad with names, Sergeant,” said Mr. Warren, darting a nervous glance at his wife. “As a good husband I simply show up when and where I need to.”
“I see. But I am certain you can at least tell me the name of your club?”
Now beads of sweat appeared on the poor man’s forehead. “Well, I didn’t exactly go to my club.”
That got his wife’s attention. “Where were you?”
Mr. Warren now looked like he hoped Tawny’s murderer would make an appearance and kill him. “Just out and about.”
“Out and about with whom?” asked his wife, as her voice became more shrill.
The servants braced themselves for an explosion.
“Just walking about,” said Mr. Warren, who also seemed to be preparing for an eruption.
Fisk cleared his throat, not unsympathetically. “Mr. Warren, the only way to count you out as a suspect is to tell us where you were and if anyone saw you.”
“Can you not just take my word that I didn’t kill the maid?”
“No, sir. I cannot.”
“I was with a….friend. A female friend. At Madame Thurmond’s.”
It was the name of one of London’s most exclusive brothels.
Mrs. Warren let out a shriek that almost deafened Alex. He was surprised it didn’t break the windows.
“Horace Warren!” said his wife. “You promised you’d give up that trollop long ago. How can you cavort with that whore while your good wife waited for you in her bedchamber, crying her eyes out with worry?”
“Technically, Emmeline,” drawled her brother, “you were in your sitting room doing needlepoint and dozing. It is odd, too, s
ince I cannot recall you picking up a needle in years. Unless you were planning on sticking Horace with it.” He turned to Fisk. “I suppose you’ll be wanting my alibi, won’t you? I was also at a brothel. Two of them, in fact. No rest for the wicked and all that. I’d tell you the names, but I’m not completely sober. What I would like to know is where Winifred was during this. She knew this house better than anyone. She could have snuck in, finished off the tart and got out without any of us ever being the wiser. She’s the one you should be questioning.”
“Yes,” parroted his sister. “She’s the one you should be questioning. She might’ve come in and killed us all in our sleep.”
“Provided you were truly home at the time,” said her brother.
“Mrs. Pierce…” began Fisk, as Alex held his breath, “….has been confined to Lynwood House. She could not have committed this murder.”
“So there is another murderer in addition to Winifred?” asked Emmeline. “How ghastly.”
“Or,” said Fisk. “There is only one murderer and it is not Mrs. Pierce.”
“You’re wrong about that, I’m quite certain,” said Emmeline. “Isn’t that right, Horace?”
“Yes, dear. Quite wrong.”
After getting the addresses of Pierce’s brothels as best he could remember, Fisk told the family they could go back to bed.
“I would like to see Tawny’s bedchamber,” said Alex.
“If you will follow me,” said Havers, as he escorted Alex, Fisk and Grayson to the servants’ quarters.
“Did Tawny have any kin?” Fisk asked the butler as they climbed the stairs.
“Not that she told us, sir. Said she was an orphan and she’d come to London at fifteen to support herself.”
“How did you come to hire her?” asked Alex.
“I didn’t. The late master did. Said she’d come highly recommended by a friend of his.” Havers gave them a meaningful look.
“Did this friend say just what he was recommending her for?” asked Fisk.
“I did not ask, nor was I informed. This is – was – her room,” said Havers.
“Did she share it with anyone?” asked Fisk.
“No. And before you ask if I thought that was unusual, I did. But I did not pursue the matter.”
“Thank you, Mr. Havers,” said Fisk. “You may go now.”
The butler looked insulted by the dismissal, but he did obey the directive. Alex shut the door after him.
“It’s a bit unusual for a maid to have a room of her own, isn’t it?” asked Fisk.
Alex nodded, even as he looked around the room that was small and unkempt. The bed wasn’t made, the wardrobe door was ajar and he could smell stale tobacco smoke. “In the house where I grew up, senior servants, such as the butler, housekeeper and cook had their own rooms, but not usually maids. And I know my mother never would have allowed a member of staff to leave her room in such disarray. Has it been searched? Or is this the way she always kept it?”
“Hard to tell,” said Grayson, as he searched the small bureau. “But she does seem to have several nice gowns for a maid.”
“It’s not uncommon for the lady of the house to give her cast-off garments to maids,” said Alex.
“But I cannot imagine Win wearing any of these gowns. They’re too garish by half. And this….” Here he held up a pair of silk garters covered in red hearts. “It’s just not her style.”
“Perhaps you are better acquainted with Lady Winifred than you let on,” said Alex and even he could hear how jealous he sounded.
Grayson snorted his laughter. “Calm down, Lewis. Her brothers would have my bollocks if I acted inappropriately with either of the sisters, and I do wish to keep myself intact. What have we here?” He pulled a coin purse out of a drawer. “I found this stuffed in a stack of her, uh, female supplies. There must be over one hundred pounds in here. Well more than five years’ salary. And somehow I doubt Tawny was much of a saver.”
“Perhaps Pierce was paying her for her services?” asked Fisk.
“I know French courtesans who aren’t this well paid,” said Grayson. “No, I think Tawny was blackmailing someone and it might have gotten her killed.” He handed the purse to Fisk.
They could hear the knocker on the front door.
“That’s probably Bow Street,” said Fisk.
“Grayson and I should probably go,” said Alex. “I’d rather not answer questions tonight.”
“I have a few myself that I’d like answers to,” said Fisk. “Not the least of which is why the two of you have teamed up together.”
He omitted the involvement of the ladies, for which Alex was grateful. He assumed Havers was listening through the keyhole and he most certainly didn’t want the butler asking questions.
“That is a tale for another day. But Sergeant,” said Grayson as he pulled out several coins from his own purse. “I would like you to give this to your veteran friends.”
Fisk looked a bit uncomfortable. “We cannot be bribed, my lord. I’m still intent on getting to the bottom of what has been happening in this house.”
“I could not agree more. And this is not a bribe. It is only enough coins for a few decent meals and possibly a place to stay. We do appreciate your assistance – all of you.”
“Thank you, milord. And if I might ask a favor on their behalf, they’re each of them looking for employment. Honest work, preferred. If you know of anything, that would be payment enough.”
“Very well. I’ll make some inquiries then get back to you.”
“I appreciate that, sir.”
Alex and Grayson slipped out of the house, then kept to the shadows until they were well past being overheard.
Alex turned to Grayson. “Do you have anything in mind for Fisk’s friends?”
“I’ve heard that Olson works with an organization that offers former prostitutes free passage to America. I assume he has need for security. I have a feeling those men would be formidable fighters, especially in a just cause. I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s going to be hard to keep up your pretense as an empty-headed fribble if you keep getting involved in just causes, my lord.”
The marquess smiled wryly. “I might be in trouble if I didn’t play the part quite so believably.”
“One more thing, if I may.” Alex turned to face him. “You and Lady Rose were alone in those tunnels for quite some time. I hope you didn’t take advantage of her. It would have been a unique opportunity to do so since her brothers can never find out about this.”
Grayson stood straighter, making him a good four inches taller than Alex. “I could ask you the same thing about Win. She is in an extremely vulnerable position right now and you literally have the power to see if she lives or dies. If you pressure her into anything, I’ll kill you. And that is not an idle threat.”
“I could have you arrested for that. But suffice it to say I would never use my power like that – over anyone. Especially a woman who has been through what she has.”
The two men stood face-to-face for several tense moments. Alex even considered striking the man, knowing that a brawl might be the best thing to take the edge off the impossible situation he found himself in.
Finally, Grayson spoke. “I have your word that you will not take advantage of Win?”
“Of course. But I must have your word that you will not take advantage of Lady Rose.”
“I would never do anything to harm her. Which is one reason I try to stay as far away from her as possible.”
Both men seemed satisfied, though it was difficult to back down. And a part of Alex still wanted to brawl. But finally, he held out his hand and Grayson shook it. “Thank you for coming to me last night. I may need your continued assistance in the coming days.”
“I am at your service.”
*
Win lay awake. Rose was lying on her side next to her, sleeping peacefully. She looked more like a girl when she was asleep, but there was no mistaking that she was truly a young
lady in love. Win had seen a different side to Grayson during their time at the house. She remembered him fondly from their youth, but he’d always seemed like a rebellious young man out to disappoint his tyrant of a father at every opportunity.
She’d not seen him since her wedding, but she’d read the gossip sheets and there’d been plenty of tales about the Marquess of G, as they’d rather transparently alluded to him. Tales of gaming, drinking, unclothed dips in fountains and suspected affairs that had on more than one occasion nearly ended in a duel. Win suspected Grayson’s reputation as a skilled marksman had been his saving grace.
But tonight, she’d seen the clear-headed nobleman who’d somehow convinced the Crown’s barrister to break into her house in search of evidence. Win could easily see her sister married to that Grayson. The one the gossip sheets wouldn’t recognize.
She was concerned about Rose, but what was keeping Win awake were thoughts of Alexander Lewis.
He affected her physically. When they’d met, her initial reaction had been one of fear. And for a moment in the dark tunnel, she’d been frightened again. But she’d also worried about him when he’d fainted. And his subsequent embarrassment had made him so vulnerable. He’d been protective, though hopelessly naïve, when he thought he could make her stay back when Rose might be in trouble.
And she’d liked holding his hand. Even now, she found it hard to believe that she’d liked a man’s touch. And he was all man. His hand was large. The fingers short, but powerful. She knew he could inflict pain if he chose to do so. That was a sobering thought. But, somehow, she didn’t think he would ever do so to someone who didn’t deserve it.
She’d thought he might kiss her once he awakened from his faint. Even more extraordinary, she might have let him.
It was no wonder she could not sleep. Her life was changing in every conceivable way. Now she just had to live to enjoy it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rose tried to hide her nervousness on the hack ride to Grayson’s bachelor flat on the outskirts of Mayfair. She’d originally wanted to walk, but Stemple had insisted they take a hack because he didn’t want her seen skulking about – as he phrased it – in such a disreputable neighborhood.
Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) Page 14
