A Crimson Warning

by Tasha Alexander

  I forced my eyes back to the scene and saw the straight razor still in the dead man’s hand.

  “Is there anything to suggest it wasn’t suicide?” I asked.

  “No. The door was locked from the inside. None of the windows appears to have been opened.”

  I circled the room, studying everything. “There’s dust on the sills,” I said. “No one has touched them in weeks—particularly the maids.”

  “I’ll question the servants just to be sure no one heard anything suspicious,” Colin said. “But the conclusion seems obvious.”

  “He certainly had motivation.” I frowned. “He preferred death to facing disgrace when his secret was exposed.”

  “What a terrible waste,” Colin said. “He’s only heaped more scandal on his family.”

  “Lady Musgrave will not be pleased.”

  She was not. We took her downstairs, pressed a stiff drink into her hands, and told her our conclusions. She ranted, pounding her fists on a table, and stamping her feet. “It can’t be! It can’t be! You must tell everyone he was murdered and the crime so well committed it can’t be solved. That sort of thing happens all the time!”

  “I’m afraid it doesn’t, Lady Musgrave,” Colin said. “I’ve sent for the coroner. He will examine the body in more detail—”

  “So you could be wrong, then?”

  “I’m afraid not. You yourself admit you heard nothing suspicious in the house tonight.”

  “We could be dealing with an extremely clever villain, Mr. Hargreaves,” she said. “Perhaps one of my own servants. Do you think I should dismiss them all?”

  “I wouldn’t,” I said. “You’ll only provide more fodder for gossip.”

  “You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right. How could he do this to me?” Her angry desperation faded as her eyes grew moist. “Leave me alone to face whatever he’s done to incite this red-paint maniac?”

  “You’re sure it was something he did?” Colin asked.

  “Of course I am.” She pursed her lips. “I have made a special point of leading a life free from reproof. It’s been tedious in the extreme and, as a result, I shouldn’t be left to deal with someone else’s mess.”

  “Have you any idea what he did?” I asked.

  “No.” She dabbed her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. “He was extremely discreet in his private life. We’ve been married nearly thirty years and have become somewhat distant. He must have had some sort of mistress. The usual sort of thing. Nothing interesting enough to have drawn such attention.”

  Colin’s eyes clouded for just an instant. “Lady Musgrave, would you object to my sifting through your husband’s papers? Just in case there’s something significant to be found.”

  “Evidence that he was murdered?” she asked.

  “No, I’m afraid there’s no chance of that,” he said. “But if I can discover what he was trying to hide, I’ll do whatever’s possible to minimize the scandal.”

  “I would appreciate that, Mr. Hargreaves,” she said. “And I know I can trust you. My husband spoke so highly of you.” She lowered her voice. “He told me what you did during the Anderson business.”

  “Did he?” His face was all composure, but I noticed a trace of color creeping up his neck. He lowered his eyes and brushed nonexistent lint from his sleeve, not meeting my inquiring stare.

  “Like him, I’m all discretion,” she said. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Would you object to my starting now?” Colin asked, the words tumbling from his mouth in a rush before I could inquire about the Andersons. “His study would probably be the best place.”

  “Go right ahead. Through that door, cross three rooms. It will be the second door on your left. Your wife and I can chat while you work,” she said. “I wouldn’t want her sullied by anything untoward you might find.”

  Personally, I would have happily observed—and assisted in—the discovery of anything untoward, but I didn’t see how I could impose myself given Lady Musgrave’s wishes. Colin returned less than a quarter of an hour later.

  “Your husband’s desk is completely empty aside from a handful of pens and pencils, Lady Musgrave,” he said. “The fireplace shows evidence of a large number of papers having been burned.”

  12 June 1893

  Belgrave Square, London

  I came dangerously close to confessing all my sins to Emily this morning when we were riding. She asked if I’d heard any rumors about Colin’s involvement in some business involving a family called Anderson. I haven’t, and know nothing. If only Anderson weren’t such a common name; I can think of at least six families called that. I could see Emily is worried, most likely because she’s as afraid as I am of facing scandal.

  Perhaps that’s not quite true. She wouldn’t be as afraid as I am. Why would she be? She hasn’t done anything wrong herself. It’s Colin she’s worried about. His work must be fraught with situations the public could find questionable. He’s so honorable I can’t imagine he’s done anything in his personal life he’d want to hide, although my friends would assume the same about me. Maybe there is something it would be better if Emily didn’t know.

  I guess the truth is we never know every detail about another person.

  I asked Robert if he knew anything about the Andersons. He had nothing to say on the subject.

  10

  Even Colin’s best efforts couldn’t keep the story of Lord Musgrave’s suicide from the greedy hands of every tabloid editor in London. A parlor maid, eager for additional cash, spilled what she knew to the Daily Post, and the whole town eagerly digested the gory truth. The report painted the girl in a favorable light, explaining she had betrayed the confidence of her employers only so she might afford desperately necessary medical treatment for her ailing mother. On the streets of Mayfair, her decision was greeted with derision, but the less fortunate residents of our glorious capital felt somewhat different. What kind of society required an honest working-class girl to sink to such levels to acquire something they felt should be a basic right? I found myself firmly on the side of the less fortunate.

  “You’ll forgive my amusement,” Lady Glover said. She’d called on me as soon as she’d read the news. “It’s bad of me, I know, but can you blame the poor girl? Musgrave should have better looked after his servants. His wife—widow—won’t make the same mistake, poor woman. But I didn’t come to discuss any of this, Lady Emily. I want to talk to you about our friend, the singular painter. I believe he’s left me a clue to his identity.”

  “Has he?” I asked, leaning forward. She unfolded a sheet of paper she’d pulled from her reticule and passed it to me. I read aloud. “My soul is full of discord and dismay.” A red swish of paint underlined the text.

  “Hamlet,” she said.

  “Yes.” I examined the page for any additional marks. There were none. “Was it delivered in an envelope?”

  “No, just folded and sealed and left on my doorstep.”

  “When?”

  “I found it when I returned from driving my zebras through the park this morning.”

  “And I take it no one saw who delivered it?”

  “Alas, no.” Her smile cloyed with insincere sweetness.

  “What in it makes you suspect the author’s identity?”

  “The red paint, of course.”

  “I don’t mean that. I understand it appears to have been written by our villain. But does anything in it give you a clue as to whom you think he might be?”

  “Someone who knows his Shakespeare, and who writes in a superior hand,” she said. “I thought you’d like to see it.”

  “You were right,” I said, disappointed that she could offer no further insight. “Did you notice any markings on the sealing wax?” Little of it remained to be examined.

  “I honestly didn’t think to look until it was too late,” she said. “I assumed it was a letter of a more romantic nature. That’s the sort of thing to which I’m accustomed. I was thinking I’d re
ply to him.”

  “You were?” I asked. “How?”

  “Well, I’ll send back an appropriate quote. Maybe something from Romeo and Juliet. Or is that too frivolous?”

  “How would you have it delivered to him?”

  “I’ll leave it on my doorstep just as he did,” she said. “It’s common practice when dealing with a gentleman who wishes his identity to remain a secret. What do you think? I may be more enlightened than you when it comes to dealing with society, but I admit freely you win the day when it comes to experience with criminal minds.”

  “I think it’s an excellent idea,” I said. “Shall I help you choose a passage?”

  “I’d prefer to do it on my own. But I promise to share with you any response as soon as I get it.” She flashed a feline smile, her eyes lighting up. She’d spotted Colin entering the room.

  “Oh, what a good surprise!” she said. “I never suspected I’d find you home at this time of the afternoon, Hargreaves. I am a fortunate one today.”

  “Lady Glover,” he said, dropping her hand almost as soon as she’d raised it to him.”

  “You’re such a beast, Hargreaves,” she said. “It’s been ages since you’ve been round to see me. What am I to think? Thank goodness your lovely wife deigned to befriend me or I’d feel completely cut. She’s such a gem.”

  I half expected her to reach over and pat me on the head.

  “That she is.” Colin pulled a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. “I do hope I’m not interrupting delicate conversation.”

  “Not at all,” I said. “Lady Glover has just been showing me—”

  “Now, now, Lady Emily, that’s to be our little secret. Gentlemen don’t need to know everything. We ladies ought to have some mysteries just for ourselves.”

  “Far be it for me to presume otherwise,” Colin said. “How is your husband?”

  “Well enough,” Lady Glover said. “His gout’s troubling him again, the poor man.”

  “And are you on tenterhooks wondering if you’ll wake up to find red paint splashed across your front door?” he asked.

  “Me? Far from it,” she said. “I’m the only person in London with nothing to hide.”

  Somehow, I did not believe her.

  * * *

  My doubts about Lady Glover aside, I did find myself enjoying her company. I knew her comments to Colin were meant to get my hackles up—but I had no cause to doubt my husband’s fidelity. That was a subject upon which I had absolute peace of mind. No one was more trustworthy than he, and I had utter faith in him. Most likely because I did not respond to her bait, Lady Glover held me in higher esteem after that meeting, and soon became a regular caller at our house in Park Lane.

  Today, I was returning the compliment. I raised the heavy knocker on the Glovers’ door and, in short order, was shown into what the mistress of the house called the Egyptian drawing room. Every flat surface in the chamber was covered with objects—scarabs, ushabtis, colored beads, small glass bottles—she’d begun collecting some years back, when she first took a fancy to the ancient civilization. A grouping of stone stelae hung on one of the walls, hieroglyphs carved around images of a placid-looking pharaoh. Lady Glover was stretched out on a low settee that looked more Roman than Egyptian, but I meted no judgment on her combining of cultures. Her gown, fashioned from layers of thin linen and belted with a narrow strip of gold, would have inspired jealousy in the finest Roman wives.

  “Come, come, Lady Emily,” she said, motioning me towards her. As I approached, she sat halfway up and kissed me on each cheek, then returned to her elegant reclining pose. “Do you approve of my Ptolemaic fashion? Roman, of course, if one is going to be proper, but it’s what Cleopatra would have worn.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I said.

  “But you wouldn’t have the courage to wear it.”

  “Not outside a fancy dress party,” I said, taking a seat in a low, gilded chair before I noticed we were not alone in the room. Reginald Foster, resplendent in a perfectly tailored jacket, was standing on his tiptoes to greet me. “Mr. Foster! Forgive me, I didn’t see you.”

  “No apology necessary. Who could focus on anything beyond the beauty in front of us?”

  “You appear to be in the wrong room, Mr. Foster,” I said. “Lady Glover, do you have a designated space for medieval courtly love?”

  “What an idea!” She pushed up one elbow and rested her chin on her hand. “I should redo the entire house, making each room reflect a different historical period.”

  “Just don’t have a Waterloo room,” Mr. Foster said, masterfully dividing his glances equally between us two ladies. “Apsley House should have the exclusive rights to that. The Duke of Wellington deserves nothing less.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “But I am going to have a room whose walls are covered in red paint.”

  “Do you think that’s wise?” Mr. Foster said. “The perpetrator is wreaking havoc on society.”

  “Which is just what society deserves,” she said. “Come now, Reggie, you cannot claim you don’t agree with me. We’ve discussed this too many times.”

  “I do appreciate how passionately you feel about the subject, Valerie, but there must be limits,” he said, his voice softer than it had been. “You know that perfectly well. We can’t have the public acting as vigilantes. It would lead to no end of trouble.”

  “You’re lucky you’re not my husband, Reggie,” she said. “I’d force you to openly support my positions.”

  Their easy familiarity with each other took me aback. I couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or shocked that a man with Mr. Foster’s political aspirations could openly associate with a woman of Lady Glover’s reputation.

  Without pausing or giving the slightest reaction to her comment, Mr. Foster changed the subject. “You told me Lady Emily is aware of the correspondence you received regarding the matter at hand?”

  “Lady Emily was the first person in whom I confided. Proximity to her husband is nearly the same as being an agent for the Crown, you know.”

  “I’ve been trying—with no success—to convince Lady Glover to tell me what she sent this madman in reply,” Mr. Foster said. His voice had lost the intimate tone that had crept in earlier, and he sounded more like a politician again.

  “I wouldn’t count on getting her to crack,” I said. “You’ll have to satisfy yourself with the content of the note she received.”

  “And the yellow sealing wax,” Mr. Foster said. “One doesn’t see that often.”

  “You were here when Lady Glover opened the note?” I asked.

  “No, no, I only just read it before you arrived,” he said.

  “Our man was clever to leave no clue to his identity,” Lady Glover said.

  “Or so it would seem. I wonder his motivation is for sending it at all? What can he hope to gain?” I asked. “May I read it again, Lady Glover?” She handed it to me and I analyzed every inch of the page. There was an oily stain where the wax had once been, but no trace of it remained.

  “I think it may be your friend, Mr. Barnes, who is reaching out to me,” Lady Glover said, leaning closer to Mr. Foster. “He’s an outsider, as am I, and might rightly suspect I’d lend a sympathetic ear to his plight.”

  “That, my dear, may be the silliest thing you’ve ever suggested,” Mr. Foster said. “Simon isn’t an outsider. He’s nearly as important to this country as the prime minister.”

  “He’s not English,” Lady Glover said.

  “A fact that hasn’t curtailed his influence on those who run the empire,” Mr. Foster said. “You won’t find a better respected man in Westminster.”

  “He’d say the same thing about you,” I said.

  “He’s been splendid to me since school. I was a few years behind him and he took me quite under his wing during my first days. He remembered what it was like to be the new boy. I’d trust him with my life.”

  “I admit that’s something of a relief,” Lady Glover said. “He’s
not my vision of a romantic correspondent.”

  “I don’t see how there’s anything romantic about receiving correspondence from a murderer,” I said. “You should take this very seriously, Lady Glover.”

  “I assure you, I do,” she said. “I shall set Lord Glover to the task of having the house watched. I want to know who is delivering these messages.”

  “It was only one message, was it not?” I asked. “What makes you think there will be more?”

  “My dear Lady Emily,” she said. “More are a certainty. I’m in my element here. You can trust me to know when a man will be back in contact.”

  11

  For years, Ivy and I had made a habit of meeting for a morning ride in Rotten Row, and it had long ago become one of my favorite daily rituals during the season. The morning light would fall soft on leaves and grass and make a glowing cloud out of the dust kicked up by our horses’ hooves. We would start off slowly, then I’d pull ahead, goading her to race. She’d protest, worried we’d shock society and horrify the multitudinous other riders. But soon enough she’d be following me, pulling up close, and egging me on.

  Today, I regretted not having had more than a small piece of toast and a single cup of tea to fortify me before I’d set off. I hadn’t realized Winifred Harris would be joining us, or just how much fortification dealing with her could require. It took fewer than ten minutes for me to confirm something I’d long suspected: try though I might for Ivy’s sake, Winifred and I would never be close. Our conversation was stilted from the outset, and she scolded me fiercely the second my horse started to move a beat faster than a canter, explaining to us in overwrought detail how inappropriate our previous behavior had been.

  “Furthermore, it’s not good form,” she said, just as I’d started to hope she was nearly done. “It’s dangerous, too, as there are so many riders present. But most of all, think of the talk to which it has exposed you. Do you want to draw ire upon yourselves? Do you want to be left off guest lists because you’re considered wild?”