Anne Perry - Death On Blackheath

He raised his eyebrows. ‘I don’t believe you ever lose your vocabulary. I have seen a fluency from you that would stop a horse in full gallop, or freeze a duchess at twenty paces.’

‘You flatter me,’ she protested, but through laughter. ‘I would like to think that his principle purpose was to make a fool of Edom Talbot, a man he loathes, but I appreciate that that could be no more than an agreeable side effect.’ The amusement in her face died completely. ‘But you say that Dudley Kynaston is unquestionably having an affair, and that you think it is possible that Kitty, being bright, observant, and no doubt bored, may have been aware of this? You are certain, I presume?’

‘The evidence is there, and he did not deny it,’ Pitt said unhappily. ‘I just don’t believe he would kill his wife’s maid because she had deduced that he was lying about where he had been. Either that is not the case at all, and is merely incidental, or there is something far more important that I’m missing. And where did she learn it? Why won’t she come forward now, or at least send some kind of a message that she’s alive? Maisie said she could read and write!’

‘Who is Maisie?’

‘The scullery maid.’ Pitt remembered Maisie’s eager face. ‘Kitty was her … example. She not only liked her, she admired her. Maisie means to learn to read.’

‘Just how ambitious was Kitty?’ Vespasia asked doubtfully. ‘Sufficient to improve herself, but not so rash as to exert a little unwelcome pressure? Are you sure, Thomas?’

‘What could it gain her to attempt blackmail on Kynaston? Not a lot more than dismissal, and possibly a police charge. And she can’t have been stupid enough to imagine anything else. The magistrates would not be very kind to her. They can’t be seen to allow servants to gather information about their masters, and then use it that way.’ He smiled ruefully and almost without bitterness.

‘Of course not,’ she agreed, her face reflecting an unaccustomed sadness. ‘It would be the end of the world, as most of us know it. And yet it will certainly happen, inch by inch. Nothing is more inevitable than change, for better and for worse. Perhaps it is the approaching close of the century, but it is a very mixed prospect. Events seem to be moving faster and faster.’

He looked at her face. It was still beautiful, still full of passion and vitality, but he also knew there was a fragility in it, a power to be hurt that he had not appreciated before. Her century was ending and she could not know what lay ahead.

Could Pitt say anything that would comfort Vespasia? Or would it be clumsy, and in reality make her more fragile?

He changed the subject completely. ‘Do you trust Somerset Carlisle?’

She gave an abrupt little laugh, light and full of generous amusement.

‘My dear! What a question. That depends very much upon what we are talking about. To be honest, yes, I do. To be generous and risk anything at all for what he believes? Unquestionably. To have values the same as mine, and to behave responsibly? Not in the slightest.’

‘I owed him a lot today,’ Pitt answered. ‘I think Edom Talbot would be delighted to see the back of me from Special Branch. I am not the sort of man he judges suitable for the position, neither intellectually nor socially, especially the latter.’

‘I have no doubt of it,’ she agreed. ‘For all that he is not quite a gentleman himself, he intends to become one. And yes, you owe Somerset a considerable debt. Now if you do not mind, my dear, I have plans for this evening, and I need to get ready.’

‘Of course.’ He rose to his feet immediately. ‘Thank you for your advice, as always.’ He leaned forward and kissed her very lightly on the cheek, then felt instantly embarrassed for the familiarity of it. He could not remember having had the tenacity to do it before.

When Pitt left, Vespasia turned to the telephone and found herself curiously nervous. Beneath the muslin ruffles of her cuff, her hand was trembling a little. She steadied it and picked it up. When the operator asked whom she wanted, she gave her Victor Narraway’s number.

It rang three times, and she was about to change her mind when he answered, giving simply his name.

She cleared her throat.

‘Good evening, Victor. I hope I am not troubling you?’

‘I am not certain how to answer that and be both courteous and truthful,’ he said with a degree of amusement that she could discern, even in a voice distorted by the machine.

‘It is serious enough, I think, that you may dispense with courtesy,’ she replied. ‘And not all of the truth may be necessary …’

He laughed. ‘You always trouble me, but I should be bored without it,’ he said. ‘What is it that is so serious? I presume I may help? Or at least that there is that possibility?’

She was relieved, but also nervous, which was extremely unusual for her. She was accustomed to being in control of any social situation.

‘Will you dine with me, and I can explain to you the situation I believe I am observing?’

‘I should be delighted,’ he said immediately. ‘May I suggest a place where we may eat well, but not fashionably, and therefore be able to discuss without interruption whatever it is that troubles you?’

‘I think that would do very nicely,’ she accepted. ‘I shall dress accordingly.’

‘You will still cause a stir.’ The idea seemed to please him. ‘You cannot help it, and I should regret it bitterly if you tried.’

For once she could think of no suitable answer, except to say that she would see him in just over an hour.

In spite of what she had said about dressing quite ordinarily for dinner, she did not do so. Indeed, she took great care, choosing a gown of a dark blue-grey so soft that in the shadow it looked almost indigo. The line of the neck and the sweep of the skirt were both very flattering, and cut in the fashion of the moment. Deliberately she wore no jewellery, except very small diamond drop earrings. Her shining silver hair was ornament enough.

In the carriage as it made its way through the windy darkness of the streets, she was deep in thought, turning over and over in her mind the things that Pitt had told her.

There was a major part missing, in the sense of it. Now in the flickering light and shadow of the carriage interior, she could no longer deny it. She was almost certain who it was that had made it appear that Dudley Kynaston was deeply involved in the disappearance, probably even the murder of Kitty Ryder.

The thought was painful for a number of reasons. She did not regard Kynaston as a friend. She had met him perhaps half a dozen times, but she did know of his importance to the navy, even if not any of the details of his particular skills. Remembering his face, his voice, his pleasant but slightly detached manner, she found it hard to imagine any circumstances in which he would feel a sufficiently violent and totally uncontrolled emotion that he would sink to such an act. And why, for heaven’s sake? What could possibly be gained by it?

If his marriage were precious to him, would he have carried on a dalliance with a maid, however handsome she was? Even if his wife were too ill to offer him the usual comfort, or of a chill disposition and refused him, most men had more sense than to take their pleasure within their own households — if being discovered would be disastrous. However, such a thing would usually be regarded as shabby, but not ruinous. One could dismiss a maid easily enough. All it required was an accusation of petty theft, or even unseemly conduct. Many maids had found themselves on the street for less, and without a ‘character’ with which to gain another position.