Gaining entrance proved even easier than he had predicted. If the guards had orders to stop Letty, they gave no sign of it. With Leyton following, she and Justin moved with the throng of other arrivals into the entrance hall and up the grand staircase, through the vestibule, and into the green drawing room.
As the flow of people moved from the drawing room into the picture gallery, Leyton suddenly plunged ahead of them toward a man near the door into the saloon, startling Letty. To her amazement, the valet did not so much as pause before his fist shot out, and the man by the door crumpled to the ground. Glancing up at Justin’s taut face just as he grabbed her arm and urged her forward at a faster pace, she saw that his eyes had narrowed, and she feared for Leyton’s future employment.
As they neared him, she saw the valet look around with great dignity and heard him say in his haughtiest tone, “You there, footman! Remove this debris at once. Can you not see that Her Majesty’s guests are likely to stumble over it?”
The footman he had addressed glanced at Raventhorpe, but receiving no contradictory order from that quarter, he stepped forward at once, waving to a fellow servant to assist him. As the pair dragged the unfortunate victim away, Raventhorpe said quietly to Leyton, “The egregious Walter, I collect.”
“Just so, sir. I apologize for acting so impulsively, but when I saw him, my fist just took on a life of its own.”
“Understandable under the circumstances, but don’t you think we might have learned something from him before you silenced him?”
Looking suddenly like a guilty schoolboy, Leyton said, “I do apologize, sir. I did not think of that.”
“I daresay we’ve learned what we want to know, nonetheless, merely by his presence here. One generally does not bring one’s man along to a ball unless he has a specific use for him. Go along and tell those lads not to lose him, Leyton. They should tie him up if necessary.”
“I’ll see to that myself, my lord, and gladly.” Leyton walked away with a distinct lightness in his step.
“The dancing has started,” Letty said, hearing music from the ballroom, which lay just beyond the saloon. “As much as Her Majesty enjoys the exercise, I daresay that is where we shall find her.”
“I agree. You look for her whilst I find Melbourne or Wellington. If you see your father before you find the queen, however, tell him why we are here.”
Letty nearly told him that she couldn’t, that Jervaulx would demand explanations she had no time to give him, but meeting his steady gaze, she simply nodded. It was more likely that her father would act first and demand explanations later. What would happen then was best not thought about just yet.
Justin left her, and she made her way into the ballroom, trying to look as if she belonged there. She could not let Lady Tavistock or Lady Sutherland see her, however, because either one might order her out of the room. Not only would such an event prove humiliating, but it might well prove fatal to the queen. Thus it was a shock to see Lady Tavistock before she saw Victoria.
Having to elude the chief lady of the bedchamber made searching for the queen more difficult, so Letty surveyed the dancers from behind one of the pink columns that formed a colonnade along the garden front of the room. Windows overlooking the garden, but heavily curtained now, formed the wall behind her.
A moment later she saw the queen dancing with Melbourne. Moving toward them, she knew she would have to wait till they stopped. Until then, trying to keep one eye on the couple, she did her best to scan the room, looking for Morden or Conroy. The ballroom teemed with guests, however, and it was difficult to see over their heads. An instant later, the diminutive queen disappeared into the crowd.
Not far from where Letty stood, midway along the garden front of the room, she could see festoons of yellow satin drapery edged with silver fringe swooping from the ceiling. The sight told her that she must be near the dais where chairs of state stood for the use of Her Majesty and members of the royal family when they were not dancing.
When the music stopped, and the general conversation grew louder, she made her way quickly along the colonnade, slipping past other guests who wandered there, until she could see the dais right ahead of her. Backed with white satin embroidered with yellow roses, it stood half inside and half outside the colonnade. The only people presently occupying chairs there were the Duchess of Kent and Lady Sutherland.
Letty hesitated, but just then Melbourne and Victoria moved into sight, approaching from the far side. As they did, she saw Sir John Conroy moving toward them, an ingratiating smile on his face, a brightly wrapped package in his hand.
She could not hear what he said when he reached them, because people were laughing nearby, and the orchestra had begun to play again. She saw Conroy bow low, extending the package.
Graciously Victoria took it, and without another thought, Letty sprang forward, pushing people aside, oblivious of their outrage, her thoughts fully occupied with the tableau ahead.
She saw Melbourne glance her way, saw his eyebrows go up in astonishment, saw Victoria begin to turn toward her, then Conroy. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced away as if looking for an avenue of escape, but Letty had eyes only for the package in Victoria’s hands. Reaching out as she ran, she snatched it from the royal grasp and dashed to the nearest window. No one moved. Dimly aware of voices crying out in shock, she ignored them and without hesitation shoved the curtains aside.
She grasped the latch. When it stuck, she cried out in frustration, but then it gave and the window swung outward.
Letty hurled the package into the night.
Stepping quickly back away from the window, she became aware at last of the silence behind her. It lengthened until she turned. In the first second or two it seemed as if she faced a tableau, for the entire assembly stood stock-still. The first movement she noted was that of a red-coated guard coming toward her. Then, as the room came to life, she saw other guards and heard men shouting near the far door.
Victoria had not moved. She stood beside Melbourne, looking at Letty, but other than a slight raising of her eyebrows, her composure seemed undisturbed.
At that moment, an explosion shattered the night’s calm outside, and inside the ballroom, chaos erupted.
TWENTY-ONE
TO LETTY’S SURPRISE, CONROY had not moved. He stood staring at her, visibly shocked. Then, evidently growing aware of the number of guards moving toward him, he turned to Victoria, spreading his hands in supplication.
“Your majesty, I didn’t know! Please, ma’am, you must believe me. I had no idea what was in that package!”
Victoria did not acknowledge his plea. Imperiously, she nodded to the nearest guard, who stepped forward and grasped Conroy firmly by an arm.
“You will have to come with me, sir,” he said.
“One moment there.” It was Wellington. The elderly duke stepped forward from a group of the excited onlookers. His voice was calm but carried easily over an increasing buzz of murmured exclamations. “Forgive me for intruding, your majesty,” he went on, “but I believe Conroy speaks the truth. We have unmasked the real culprit, you see.”
Victoria continued to ignore Conroy, but her eyebrows rose again. Letty thought she could even distinguish a note of amusement when the queen said, “You, your grace? You captured the villain?”
“Not I, ma’am. One of your lords-in-waiting had the honor to capture him. We believe the villain serves an unfriendly power.”
“Which one?” the queen demanded.
“If it please your majesty,” Wellington said smoothly, “upon reflection, I believe you will agree that this is not the time or place to reveal that information.”
Victoria glanced around the room at the sea of interested faces. A few looked frightened, Letty noted, but most looked eager, expectant, even excited. Signing to the guardsman to release Conroy, the queen said, “Perhaps, your grace, you might reveal at least which lord-in-waiting it was who captured him.”
Wellington said, “Raventhorpe, your ma
jesty. Floored him with as nice a right jab as I’ve been privileged to see.”
The queen nodded. “Excellent. Will you tell us, as well, the name of the villain he has captured?”
“Charles Morden.”
Several people gasped, and the buzz of excitement increased. Then silence fell again. Everyone wanted to hear what the queen would say next.
She looked at Conroy. “Morden is your aide, is he not, sir?”
“He is, ma’am,” Conroy said wretchedly. “I cannot believe—”
Victoria snapped, “Be silent, sir.”
The only sound that followed for several seconds was the slight squeak of someone’s shoe against the floor.
The little queen seemed to increase in size. “If he is your man, he is your responsibility. We find it difficult to believe that you were not party to this.”
Before Sir John could speak, Wellington said firmly, “It would be better, your majesty, to continue this discussion elsewhere. May I respectfully suggest that you give your orchestra the office to begin playing again.”
Victoria looked at the duke for a long moment, as if she would tell him that his respectful suggestion came rather late in his discourse.
Letty could sympathize. The last thing Her Majesty wanted on this night of nights was to take orders from a Tory leader. She glanced at Melbourne, who had remained silent throughout, clearly shaken by what had happened.
Victoria, too, turned to Melbourne. “My lord, we shall withdraw with his grace to learn what he can tell us about this disgraceful event. Pray have someone direct the orchestra to begin playing again.”
Melbourne signed to a hovering footman.
Conroy, with tears in his eyes, said, “Your majesty, I beg of you—”
“We will acquit you of wanting to assassinate your queen,” Victoria said in an icy tone. “Her death would do you no good that anyone can imagine. We do not, however, wish to hear your voice again.”
“With your permission, your majesty, I will look after Conroy,” the Marquess of Jervaulx said, stepping forward. “Forgive me for intervening, ma’am, but I do wish to speak with him. I agree that he was most likely an unwitting tool of the villain who sought to exterminate you. However, since my daughter risked her life to prevent that event, I believe I have good cause to learn what lay behind it.”
Victoria looked for a moment as if she would refuse, but when Admiral Rame stepped up beside Jervaulx, she said, “We shall expect to hear in good time all that you can learn from him, my lord.” Accepting Melbourne’s proffered arm, she walked away with him. Wellington followed them.
Jervaulx said, “Thank you for supporting me, Rame. I daresay she dislikes turning even Conroy here over to a Tory to question.”
“Just so, my lord,” the admiral said with a smile. “I think we all want to get to the bottom of this, however.”
“I certainly do,” Raventhorpe said, joining them.
Letty’s gaze met that of her father, and seeing sternness there, she glanced at Justin, wondering how much he had already told the marquess. As if he could read her mind, Justin gave a slight shake of his head.
“I hope you won’t object to a few moments’ private speech with us, Conroy,” Jervaulx said.
With a wry grimace, Sir John said, “I thought you looked as if you hoped I would object. Very well, don’t glare at me. I’ll go anywhere you like, so long as someone can produce a bottle of whisky.”
Justin waved a footman over and gave the order. “Bring it to the yellow parlor off the corridor behind the picture gallery,” he said.
As the footman started to turn away, Jervaulx said to him, “When his grace of Wellington returns, tell him where he can find us.”
“Yes, my lord.” The footman hurried off.
“I want to hear what Conroy has to say, sir,” Justin said.
The marquess nodded. “As you like. I daresay Her Majesty prefers the Whigs to be well represented.”
“That has nothing to do with it,” Justin said shortly.
“I’m coming, too,” Letty said.
Conroy looked surprised. “I say, it has nothing to do with you!”
“Does it not?” She glared at him. “Need I remind you that, were it not for me, you would have killed—”
“That will do, Letitia,” Jervaulx said.
The tone was one that could always silence her, and the look in his eyes told her that she would do better to take her leave while she could, but curiosity overwhelmed any thought of her own best interest. “May I go with you, sir?”
“Let her come, sir,” Justin said. “She has earned the right.”
The two men looked steadily at each other for a long moment before Jervaulx said, “Very well. Lead the way to your yellow parlor, young man. Conroy, you go with him. You still with us, Admiral?” he added with a smile.
“I am indeed, my lord,” Rame said.
They reached the parlor just a moment or two before the footman arrived with a tray bearing a decanter of whisky and several glasses.
Conroy stepped forward at once. “Good lad,” he said.
When the footman glanced at Letty, clearly surprised to see her with the men, she shook her head. “I don’t want anything, thank you.”
Waiting only until he had served their drinks and everyone had taken seats, Justin dismissed the footman and said, “Now, Conroy, open the budget. Tell us all you know about this business.”
“I tell you, I don’t know anything,” Conroy said. He swallowed half his whisky, then added, “Morden has served as my aide, that’s all. I cannot imagine how you—any of you—imagined that I could be party to this. I have served Her Majesty faithfully for years. I certainly have nothing to gain from her death.”
“Fortunately for you, even in the aftermath of that terrifying explosion, she realized that,” Jervaulx said. “Nonetheless, you did give her the parcel.”
Letty glanced at Justin. He smiled slightly, but said nothing.
“Other people gave her parcels tonight,” Conroy said. “Many sent gifts earlier, as well. I’ve heard people talking about flowers they sent, and I’ve seen some huge bouquets. That explosive device could have been in any of them.”
“But it was not in any one of them,” the admiral said. “It was in your parcel.”
Grimacing, Conroy turned to Jervaulx. “Ask your precious daughter how she knew it was there, when I swear by all that’s dear to me that I didn’t know.”
Jervaulx looked at Letty. Indignant at the implication, she opened her mouth to tell them, but Raventhorpe spoke first.
He said, “Trying to shift the blame for this will not help you, Conroy. You have been manipulating people in all sorts of ways for some time now. Why don’t you just admit that your little plan went awry?”
“How dare you! Even Jervaulx admits that I had no cause—”
“Spare us your protests,” Raventhorpe snapped. “You seized every opportunity to apply pressure where it would do you good. My father, two innocent old ladies … Worst of all, in my opinion, when the Tories succeeded in introducing one of their own to the queen’s court, did you not see her, too, as your enemy, and do everything in your power to get rid of her?”
“What the devil are you talking about?” Involuntarily, however, Conroy looked at Letty.
“Just so,” Justin said. “First there was the incident of the slops thrown on the floor of the chamber first allotted to her.”
“Slops,” the admiral exclaimed. “Good God, man.”
Jervaulx said nothing, but the look he gave his daughter boded no good.
“I-I heard about that,” Conroy said. “Shocking affair.”
“Soon after that,” Justin went on evenly, “a certain chap began making a dead set at her dresser, pressing her to keep him informed, I daresay, of whatever she could tell him about her mistress.”
Dismayed, Letty said, “Jenifry wouldn’t!”
“No, that’s quite true; she refused to tell him a thing,” Conroy said.
When a pregnant silence fell, he looked from one to the other, and color suffused his face.
“You would do better, I think, to be more forthcoming,” Justin said. “There is also the matter of the house Augustus Benthall so mysteriously left to her, and your supposed efforts to purchase it.”
“There is no law I know about against trying to buy an excellent property.”
“Ah, but you knew the secret of that house, and you threatened to use it to ruin her. I daresay that had you not had your own reputation to protect, you would have arranged her dismissal from court long before tonight.”
“I don’t understand,” Admiral Rame said. “You can’t buy that house.”
With a grimace, Conroy said, “Has Lady Letitia been dismissed? One would not know it. Oh, sit down, Raventhorpe. Murdering me will afford you nothing.”
“On the contrary, it would afford me the utmost satisfaction,” Justin said grimly. Exchanging a look with Jervaulx, he remained where he was, however.
Conroy said, “I don’t deny that I told Morden we had to limit Tory influence with the queen. That’s no more than Melbourne told her, for heaven’s sake. But I did nothing more. It was his man who committed the slops offense. Morden’s man, not Melbourne’s, of course. I was shocked, I tell you, quite shocked indeed.”
“I don’t doubt that you were,” Raventhorpe said. “Were you also shocked when Morden’s plot to abduct Lady Letitia and young Liza went awry?”
Admiral Rame exclaimed, “Liza! Good God!”
“I know nothing about that,” Conroy said firmly.
Jervaulx had been listening with evident fascination. Now he said in a silky voice, “If you are wise, Conroy, you will stick to that line buckle and thong.”
Conroy looked at him, and for a moment Letty saw fear in his eyes. Then Jervaulx glanced at her, and she felt a tremor of the same emotion. That there would be a reckoning between them, she could not doubt.
Admiral Rame said, “I don’t understand any of this. Am I to believe that Conroy here, whom I have always believed to have the queen’s best interest at heart, was party to a plot to assassinate her? Do you also say he has conspired to abduct innocent little Liza and to drum Lady Letitia out of Her Majesty’s court?”
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