Anne Perry - Seven Dials

“Good,” Narraway said succinctly. “Since we are in Keppel Street, perhaps it would be more convenient to go inside and talk. I daresay Mrs. Pitt would make us a cup of tea? Garvie, at least, looks as if he could do with it.”

Pitt did not even attempt to reply, but followed Narraway’s elegant figure back along the footpath to the door, where Garvie was waiting for them, and led the way inside.

Charlotte and Gracie were stunned with surprise for the first moment, then pity replaced horror.

“Yer starvin’ cold!” Gracie said furiously. “Wotever ’appened to yer?” She looked from Garrick to Martin Garvie, and back again. “I got blankets in the airin’ cupboard. You sit there!” And whisking around, she disappeared out of the door.

Pitt eased Garrick onto one of the chairs and Martin found another for himself, sitting down hard, as if his legs had given way.

Charlotte pushed the kettle onto the hob to come to the boil, ordering Pitt to stoke up the fire. They all ignored Narraway entirely.

Gracie returned with her arms full of blankets and, after only an instant’s hesitation, proceeded to wrap one around Garrick’s shuddering body, then she turned to Martin with the other.

“I’ll tell Tilda yer all right,” she said dubiously. “Leastways, yer not actual ’urt, like.”

Suddenly Garvie’s eyes filled with tears. He started to speak, and changed his mind.

“S’ all right!” Gracie said quickly. “I’ll tell ’er. She’ll be that glad! It’s all ’cos of ’er we found yer.” She included herself because although she assumed Narraway had no idea of her part in the search, and she was happy to leave it so, she had been the one to prompt Tellman into discovering as much as he had. She regarded Narraway discreetly, and with the same wariness one does a nameless insect which might prove to be poisonous-very interesting, but best to know precisely where it is, and stay as far away as possible.

It amused him, and Charlotte, busy making the tea, saw the flicker of it in his eyes, and was pleased to realize that he had a respect for Gracie’s spirit that she would not have expected of him. She also caught his eyes on her, and absurdly, found something in them that made her self-conscious. She looked quickly back to her task, and poured out six mugs of steaming tea, sugar stirred in. One was only half full. She picked it up, tested it to see that there was sufficient milk in it that it was cool enough to sip, then went over to Garrick where he sat staring vacantly into space.

Gently she lifted the mug and tilted it to reach his lips. She waited patiently until he swallowed, and then again.

After watching her for a moment, Gracie did the same for Martin, but he was far more able to help himself.

This went on for several minutes in silence before Narraway finally spoke. He could see that learning anything from Garrick could take all night, but Martin was already burning to respond.

“How did you get to the Bethlehem Lunatic Hospital, Mr. Garvie?” he said abruptly. “Who put you there?”

Martin hesitated. His face was very white and there were dark smudges of privation and sleeplessness around his eyes. “Mr. Garrick’s ill, sir. I went to look after him. Couldn’t leave him on his own, sir.”

Narraway’s face did not change at all. “And why did you not have the kindness to tell your sister where you were going? She has been desperate with fear for you.”

Martin gasped, a sheen of sweat on his face. He half turned as if to look at Garrick, then changed his mind. He stared back at Narraway, misery in his eyes. “I didn’t know where I was going when they took me,” he said in little more than a whisper. “I thought it were just to the country, an’ I’d be able to write her. I never guessed it were… Bedlam.” He said the word as if it were a curse that hell itself might overhear and make real again.

Narraway sat down at last, pulling the chair around to face the table. Pitt remained standing, and silent.

“Was Mr. Garrick insane when you first went to work for him?” Narraway asked Martin.

Martin winced, perhaps at the thought that Garrick would hear them.

“No, sir,” he said indignantly.

Narraway smiled patiently, and Martin blushed, but he would not argue.

“What happened to him? I need to know, possibly to save his life.”

Martin did not protest, and that in itself did not go unnoticed. Charlotte saw something-doubt, caution-iron out of Narraway’s face. She glared at Pitt, and recognized understanding in him also.

Martin hesitated.

Pitt stepped forward. “I’ll take Mr. Garrick to where he can lie down for a while.”

“Stay with him!” Narraway ordered with a hard warning in his eyes.

Pitt did not bother to reply, but with considerable effort eased Garrick to his feet and, with Gracie’s assistance, guided him out of the door.

“What happened to him, Mr. Garvie?” Narraway repeated.

Martin shook his head. “I don’t know, sir. He always drank quite a bit, but it got worse as time passed, like something was boiling up inside him.”

“Worse in what way?”

“Terrible dreams.” Martin winced. “Lot of gentlemen who drink get bad dreams, but not like his-he’d lie in his bed with his eyes wide open, screaming about blood… and fire… catching at his throat like he was choking and couldn’t breathe.” Martin himself was trembling. “An’ I’d have to shake him and shout at him to waken him up… Then he’d cry like a baby… I never heard anything like it.” He stopped, his face white, his eyes imploring Narraway to let him be silent.

Charlotte sat by, hating it, knowing it had to be.

Narraway looked at her, hesitation in his face. She stared back with refusal in her eyes. She was not going to leave.

He accepted it and turned back to Martin Garvie.

“Do you know of any event that occasioned these dreams?”

“No, sir…”

Narraway saw the slight uncertainty. “But you know there was something.” That was a statement.

Martin’s voice was almost inaudible. “I think so, sir.”

“Did you know Lieutenant Lovat, who was murdered at Eden Lodge? Or Miss Zakhari?”

“I didn’t know the lady, sir, but I knew Mr. Garrick knew Mr. Lovat. When news came of his murder Mr. Garrick was the worst upset I’ve ever seen him. I… I think that’s when he went quite mad…” He was embarrassed, and ashamed of putting into words what they all knew, but to say so still seemed a disloyalty.

There was a flash of pity in Narraway’s face, but he conceded again almost as soon as it was there.

“Then I think it is time we spoke to Mr. Garrick and found out exactly what it is that tortures his mind-”

“No, sir!” Martin started to his feet. “Please… he’s…”

The look in Narraway’s eyes stopped him.

Charlotte took Martin’s arm gently. “We have to know,” she said. “Someone’s life depends on it. You can help us.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Pitt,” Narraway cut across her. “But it will be distressing, and we shall not need you to endure it.”

Charlotte looked back at him without moving, a faint, polite smile on her lips. “Your consideration for my feelings does you credit.” She was only barely sarcastic. “But since it was I who heard the original story, it will hold no more surprises for me than for you. I shall remain.”

Surprisingly, he did not argue. Together with Martin, they went through to the parlor, where Pitt and Gracie were sitting and Stephen Garrick lay half conscious on the sofa.

It took them all night to draw from the wreck of a man the terrible story. Sometimes they would prop him up and he spoke almost coherently, whole sentences at a time. At others he lay curled over like a child in the womb-silent, shivering, withdrawn into himself and beyond even Martin’s reach.