Susanna Gregory - The Piccadilly Plot

‘We have been asked to the King’s private apartments,’ O’Brien announced with open delight. He was clearly a man for whom invitations were important. ‘What fun!’

‘You will soon have your wish of being accepted into high society,’ said Williamson warmly. ‘God knows, you deserve it. There is no better company in England than you.’

O’Brien laughed his pleasure, but then Hyde grabbed his arm and steered him and Kitty towards a gaggle of Adventurers, leaving Williamson to continue alone. The indulgent smile had been replaced by grim determination by the time the Spymaster reached Chaloner.

‘I need to see you urgently,’ he whispered. ‘Come to my Westminster office tomorrow.’

Chaloner nodded, although he had no intention of complying. They might have reached a truce, but he was not such a fool as to step willingly into Williamson’s lair.

‘Do not go,’ ordered the Earl, when the Spymaster had gone. The whiteness of his lips said he was still seething. ‘His assassin has abandoned him, and word is that he is looking for a replacement. And you work for me .’

Frances cleared her throat, claiming the attention of both of them. She beamed at Chaloner who began to smile back, although he stopped when he saw the Earl’s immediate scowl.

‘No, Frances,’ said Clarendon angrily. ‘He is busy with work I have set him to do.’

Frances ignored him. ‘I appreciate your kindness in dealing with Cave’s body the other day, Mr Chaloner. Or may I call you Thomas? I was fond of him — he often sang at Worcester House.’

‘He had a fine voice, ma’am,’ agreed Chaloner cautiously.

‘Very fine. I questioned Dugdale about his death. He said Cave spat insults until Elliot retaliated with his sword. And Cave cheated, too — he tried to murder Elliot’s unarmed friend.’

‘Yes,’ acknowledged Chaloner carefully, recalling the wild swing at Lester.

‘He was not himself when he came home from Tangier, and I want to know why.’ Frances raised her chin and regarded her husband defiantly. ‘Indeed, his death sounds almost like suicide to me. Will you ask a few questions on my behalf, Thomas, and discover what really happened?’

The Earl shook of his head vehemently behind her back.

‘The dispute was about who should take the wall, ma’am,’ explained Chaloner gently. ‘Insults were traded, and both parties lost their tempers. That is all.’

He did not mention the curious and suspicious connections he had uncovered since, or the fact that Williamson believed there had been something odd about the altercation.

‘No,’ said Frances. ‘The whole affair is peculiar, and I want the truth. I know you are busy, but you can spare me a few hours. Will you do it?’

Short of an outright refusal, Chaloner had no choice. He nodded reluctantly.

Recalling that Mrs Reyner had mentioned Fitzgerald’s liking for the brothel on Hercules’ Pillars Alley, Chaloner decided to visit it that evening. Unfortunately, it was still too early, so he started to walk towards Tothill Street, thinking it was a good opportunity to spend an hour or two working on the cipher. He was just passing the Westminster Gatehouse when he saw Lester.

Chaloner had not paid him much attention during the spat between Cave and Elliot, but he studied him now as their paths converged. Lester was a burly fellow, with a ruddy face and the slightly rolling gait of a sailor. His clothes were fine but practical, with enough lace to say he was a gentleman, but not enough to interfere with his comfort or movement.

‘Elliot died,’ Lester stated bluntly. ‘I took him to a surgeon, but the wound was too severe.’

‘I am sorry,’ said Chaloner. ‘You were friends?’

Lester’s face clouded. ‘We served on several ships together, when I was master and he was my first officer. He had his faults, but there was no better man in a battle.’

‘Do you know what started the argument between him and Cave?’ asked Chaloner, supposing he may as well begin Lady Clarendon’s investigation, given that a witness was before him.

‘Brilliana Stanley,’ replied Lester bitterly. ‘She was Cave’s mistress before he went to Tangier, and Elliot took her on while Cave was away. I told Elliot no good would come of such a dalliance, but he would not listen. And then Cave returned …’

Chaloner supposed that jealousy might have led to a quarrel. He frowned as he recalled where he had heard the unusual name before. ‘Colonel Harley has a sister called Brilliana.’

Lester nodded. ‘Harley is a malevolent brute, and it would not surprise me to learn that he told Cave his sister’s affections had gone to another man.’

‘I had better visit her,’ said Chaloner, more to himself than Lester.

Lester raised his eyebrows. ‘Why? Are you thinking of taking up where Elliot and Cave left off? I would not recommend it. She might be pretty, but she is as unsavoury as her brother.’

‘I am married,’ said Chaloner shortly.

‘So was Elliot,’ Lester shot back.

Chaloner did not say that he knew this already, although it occurred to him that Elliot might have dallied with Brilliana because Ruth was feeble-minded.

‘Brilliana lives near the Feathers tavern in Piccadilly,’ Lester went on. ‘And it is rumoured that she engages in some very dubious business.’

Chaloner frowned. ‘Elliot was one of Williamson’s spies. I do not suppose he was ordered to inveigle himself into Brilliana’s affections in order to monitor this “dubious business”, was he?’

Lester gaped at him. ‘How in God’s name did you know that? I had no idea what Elliot did in his spare time until he confided it to me on his deathbed.’

‘Why did he agree to work for a man like Williamson?’

Lester looked pained. ‘I invested the money we made from capturing Dutch prizes at sea, but his went to the gaming tables. He needed a way to pay his debts.’

‘Did Williamson recruit you, too?’

Lester was affronted. ‘No, he did not! I have no desire to meddle in the affairs of landsmen — they are always complex and sordid. Nothing like being on a ship.’

Chaloner laughed. ‘I have spent time at sea myself, and people are people whether they are afloat or on solid ground.’

‘Which vessels?’ asked Lester keenly. ‘Navy or merchantmen?’

Chaloner waved the question away. Instinctively, he liked Lester, but he was not in the habit of divulging his past to men he barely knew. ‘There was something odd about the fight between Cave and Elliot. Cave was not a man to challenge battle-hardened mariners to swordfights.’

Lester nodded. ‘Others have told me the same. Of course, Cave was in love with Brilliana, and men act oddly when in Cupid’s grip. But I must go. There is a meeting of sea-officers who object to transporting slaves today. Someone must make a stand against that foul business, and we hope that the trade will founder if we refuse to accept human cargo.’

Chaloner was heartened. ‘How many of you are there?’

‘Four. But we aim to recruit more. I was on Henrietta Maria ’s maiden voyage, and it was … Suffice to say that I believe God sank her because He was appalled by the venture.’

‘For every one of your four officers, there will be ten willing to take such commissions.’

‘More like a hundred,’ said Lester gloomily. ‘But it is a start, and I cannot stand by and do nothing while greedy villains profit from the misery of others. Call me naive if you will, but it is a matter of conscience.’

‘Then go,’ said Chaloner. ‘You should not be late.’

Chaloner was tired when he reached Tothill Street, and half hoped Hannah would be out. But as soon as he opened the door, he could tell by the acrid stench of burning that not only was she home, but that she was baking. He coughed as smoke seared the back of his throat, and approached the kitchen with caution, knowing that to do otherwise might result in bodily harm — she was not averse to hurling her creations across the room if they did not turn out as she expected. And as her loaves had the shape and consistency of cannonballs, being hit by one was no laughing matter.