Anne Perry - Rutland Place

Whatever had killed Mina was not a dose of medicine, taken either accidentally or by her own intention. It came from some other, unknown source.

Charlotte spent a miserable day turning over in her mind what she should do about Caroline and Paul Alaric. Three times she decided quite definitely that it was not so very serious and she would do best to take Pitt's advice and leave it alone. Caroline would not thank her for interfering, and.Charlotte might only cause them both embarrassment, and make the whole matter seem more than it really was.

And then four times she remembered Caroline's face, with the high glow in her skin, the tautness of her body, and the little gulp of excitement as she had spoken to Paul Alaric in the street. And she could still picture him perfectly herself, looking elegant and standing very straight, his eyes clear, his voice soft. She had another vivid recollection of his speech, his diction casually perfect, each consonant distinct, as if he had thought of every shy;thing before he spoke and had intended it exactly as it came.

Yes, quite definitely, she must do something, and quickly- shy;unless it was too late even now!

She had already baked a complete batch of bread without any salt, and had hurt Gracie's feelings by telling her to do the kitchen floor when she had just finished it. Now it was three in the afternoon, and she had turned one of Pitt's shirt collars and stitched it back the same way it had been in the first place.

She tore it out crossly, using a few words she would have been ashamed to have had overheard, and decided to write to her sister Emily immediately and request that she call upon her as soon as she received the letter, whether it was convenient or not. Emily, who had married Lord Ash worth at just about the time Charlotte had married Pitt, might well have to cancel some interesting social engagement without notice; the journey itself, however, would simply be a matter of calling the carriage and stepping in. And Charlotte had gone to Emily quickly enough when that dreadful business had happened in Paragon Walk when Emily was expecting her baby. It was indelicate to remind her of it, but at the moment she could not afford polite invitations.

She found notepaper and wrote:

Dear Emily,

I have been calling upon Mama more frequently in the last two weeks, and something quite appalling has hap shy;pened which may hurt her irreparably if we do not step in and take some action to prevent it. I would prefer not to put it into writing, as it is a long and complicated affair. 1 feel I must explain it to you in person, and ask your advice as to what we may do before a tragedy occurs and it is too late to do anything!

I know that you are busy, but new events have tran shy;spired which make it urgent that we act without delay. Therefore please cancel any plans you may have and call upon me as soon as you receive this. We both know from the past in Paragon Walk, and other places, that when disaster strikes it does not wait upon the decent end of soirees and other such enjoyments.

There has already been one death.

Your loving sister, Charlotte.

She folded it up, put it into an envelope, and addressed it to Lady Ashworth, Paragon Walk, London, and sent Grade to put it in the postbox immediately.

She had exaggerated, and she knew it. Emily might well be angry, even accuse her of lying by implication. There was no reason whatever to suppose that Mina's death had anything to do with Caroline, or that Caroline herself was in any danger.

But if she had simply written that Caroline was running grave risk of making a fool of herself over a man, even Paul Alaric, it would have little effect. Of course, if their father found out it would hurt him deeply-he would be quite unable to understand. The fact that he had in times past taken at least one romance considerably further would be to him completely different. What, was acceptable for a man to do, providing he was discreet, had nothing whatsoever to do with what that same man's wife might do. And, to be honest, Caroline was not even being particularly discreet! All of which would not fetch Emily in any haste, simply because she would not believe it.

Whereas mention of death, and a rather unsubtle reminder of the hideous events at Paragon Walk, would almost certainly bring her as fast as her carriage could negotiate the streets.

And indeed it did. Emily knocked very sharply on the front door before noon the following day.

Charlotte opened it herself.

Emily looked elegant, even at that hour, her fair hair swept fashionably high under a delicious hat, and a dress of the limpid shade of green that suited her best.

She pushed her way in past Charlotte and marched down to the kitchen, where Gracie bobbed a quick curtsy and fled up shy;stairs to tidy the nursery.

"Well?" Emily demanded. "What on earth has happened? For goodness' sake, tell me!"

Charlotte was genuinely pleased to see her; it had been some little while since they had spent any time together. She put her arms around her in a swift hug.

Emily responded warmly but with impatience.

"What has happened?" she repeated urgently. "Who is dead? How? And what has it to do with Mama?"

"Sit down." Charlotte pointed to one of the kitchen chairs. "It's quite a long story, and it won't make a lot of sense unless I tell it from the beginning. Would you like some luncheon?"

"If you insist. But tell me who is dead, before I explode! And what has it to do with Mama? From the way you wrote, she is in danger herself.''

"A woman called Mina Spencer-Brown is dead. At first it looked like suicide, but now Thomas says it is almost certainly murder. I have onion soup-would you like some?"

"No, I would not! Whatever possessed you to cook onion soup?"

"I felt like it. I've wanted onion soup for days now."

Emily regarded her with a look of pain.

"If you had to have^ a craving because of your condition, couldn't you have made it for something a little more civilized? Really, Charlotte! Onions! They are socially impossible! Where on earth can we go calling after onion soup?"

"I can't help it. At least they are not out of season, or ridiculously expensive. You can afford to have a craving for fresh apricots or pheasant under glass if you wish, but I cannot."

Emily's face tightened. "Who is Mina Spencer-Brown? And what has she to do with Mama? Charlotte, if you have got me here simply because you want to meddle in one of Thomas' cases"-she took a deep breath and pulled a face-"I would love to have an excuse to interfere! Murder is much more exciting than Society, even if it terrifies me sick at times and makes me weep because the solution is always so wretchedly sad." She clenched her fist on the table. "I do think you might have told me the truth, instead of a pack of silly stories about Mama. I put off a really rather good luncheon to come here. And you offer me boiled onion soup!"

Memories flickered through Charlotte's mind for a moment: the terrible corpse in the closed garden in Callander Square; and standing side by side with Emily, paralyzed with fright, when Paul Alaric found them at the end of the murders in Paragon Walk. Then she remembered the present again, and all the tingle and beating of the blood vanished.

"It is to do with Mama," she said soberly. She served the soup and bread and sat down. "It will need salting. I forgot. Do you recall Monsieur Alaric?"

"Don't be a fool!" Emily said with raised eyebrows. She reached for the salt and sprinkled a little. "How could I possibly forget him-even if he were not still my neighbor? He is one of the most charming men I have ever met. He can converse upon almost any subject as if he were interested. Why on earth does Society consider it fashionable to affect to be bored? It is really very tedious." She smiled. "You know, I never really knew if he was aware quite how fascinated we all were by him, did you? How much do you think it was merely the challenge of his being a mystery, and that each of us wished to outdo the other by winning his attentions?"