A Poisoned Season (15 page)

“Are you spying on me?” I asked.

“Far from it. I read your advertisement in the
Times
and thought that, on the odd chance your admirer would show his face, I’d like to be here to personally confirm that I’d lost our bet.”

“I never thought he would come.”

“Is that so?” His dark eyes danced. “I think, Emily, that you harbored hopes that your multitudinous charms would lure the poor boy out of hiding. Admit it. You’re not used to being disappointed.”

“Remind me why it is that I’m so fond of you.”

“I can’t say that I have the slightest idea.”

“I suppose that since you’re here you may as well walk with me,” I said, letting him take my arm and doing my best not to thrill at his touch. I was not particularly successful. For two hours we combed through every room in the museum looking for either the docent or the gentleman with the walking stick, but to no avail. Not only did we find neither man, we could not locate a single employee who recognized my description of the docent.

“It’s very likely that one of them is the thief,” Colin said, when at last we abandoned our search. “Whom do you suspect?”

“I hope it was the gentleman. I didn’t like the docent’s beard.”

“Really?”

“Too scruffy.”

“Is that so? I was thinking of growing one. It might look fashionable.” He rubbed his smooth chin.

“Since when are you concerned with fashion?”

“A wife, Emily, might be able to influence matters concerning her husband’s appearance. As it is, I have no one to answer to but myself. I’d look quite distinguished with a beard.”

“I shan’t dignify that with a response,” I said. We had left the museum and were nearly halfway back to Berkeley Square when the rain began to fall in earnest, the wind blowing it in sheets parallel to the street. Despite our two umbrellas, we were well on our way to getting soaked, so Colin hailed the first available cab and sat next to me on its narrow bench. “I’m beginning to despise my no-kissing policy,” he said, leaning so close to me that our heads nearly touched.

“Only beginning to despise it? I’ve deplored it from the moment you adopted it.”

“You always did have a keen eye for the absurd.”

Now I leaned closer to him and lifted his hand to my lips. “You could abandon the policy.”

He almost did. Not taking his eyes off mine, he took my face in his hands and brought his lips near enough that I could feel his breath. But then he stopped. “The temptation is great, my dear, but I will remain strong. I think, however, that in the future, I shall avoid sharing hansom cabs with you.”

T
he following day it became clear that I was not the only one lamenting the loss of Cécile, or, to be more precise, the loss of her maid. Davis saw to every detail of their trip personally, organiz
ing their luggage, ensuring that the carriage was ready to take them to the station. He even directed Cook to prepare a picnic luncheon for the journey. And though he did all of this in his usual exacting manner, it was obvious to anyone who knew him well that he took no pleasure in any of it. His eyelids drooped ever so slightly, and he held his mouth more firmly than ever in a stiff, straight line. I even caught him starting to slouch when he thought no one was looking.

“I understand that Odette will be sorely missed by the staff,” I said as we watched the coach pull away from the house.

“She is a most capable woman, madam, and provided a great deal of help in the aftermath of the robbery.”

“Cécile is lucky to have her.” We watched until the carriage had passed out of Berkeley Square. “I believe Odette is quite fond of walking around the Serpentine in Hyde Park.”

“Yes.”

I smiled. My own maid, Meg, never could resist keeping me on the qui vive when it came to gossip from the servants’ quarters. Last month Davis had requested Wednesday rather than Sunday as his weekly day off. Odette always took Wednesdays, and from the time Davis altered his schedule, she never walked alone.

“Well, I do hope that you’ll be able to rally your spirits. If not, I’ll simply have to relocate the entire household to Paris. I cannot have a sullen butler.” It gratified me no end to see that this made him smile. I bade him farewell and set off for Mr. Barber’s studio, not eager in the least to go back into my own house, which was certain to feel empty without Cécile. I hoped that Mr. Barber would be able to offer me some insight into his friend David Francis.

The sculptor had just started chipping away at a large block of marble when I interrupted him. He insisted on making me a cup of tea, which I accepted gratefully.

“Mint,” I said, as I took a sip from the rough ceramic mug. “Delicious.”

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” He poured some for himself and sat on the edge of the marble. “I’ve been taken with mint tea ever after I first had it in Constantinople.”

“I should love to go there.”

“But you have not come here to discuss my travels.”

“No. Beatrice Francis has asked for my help, so I am trying to figure out who would have wanted her husband dead.”

Mr. Barber frowned. “David was not the sort of man who collected enemies. He was very gracious, very…well, it might sound silly, but he was very noble.”

“Nobility attracts as many enemies as it does friends.”

“David wasn’t close to many people, but he was thought of kindly by everyone he met. He was a perfect casual acquaintance. Only rarely did he open himself up enough to form true friendships.”

“I am told that he did his best to help those in need.”

“I am proof of that. I wouldn’t have this studio if it weren’t for him.”

“And now that he is gone?”

“I’m fortunate. I’ve sold enough of my work to keep myself afloat for the next few months.”

“And after that?”

“We’ll see,” he said, smiling. I did not want to cause him any embarrassment, so did not offer assistance but decided at once that I would purchase his statue of the woman gathering flowers from the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

“Why did Mr. Francis tell me that his wife was so shy?”

“David was always fiercely protective of Beatrice.”

“She’s a perfectly capable woman. Why did he hide her away in Richmond?”

“I can’t say that I know. He liked to keep his life in London separate from his life at home.”

“Did he spend much time in town?”

“Not a lot.”

“So why the secrecy?”

“Well.” He cleared his throat. “It’s difficult to say.”

“He had a mistress, didn’t he?”

“Please, Lady Ashton, do not ask me to impugn the character of my friend.”

“Had he a recent falling-out with this woman?”

“I don’t know, but it’s unlikely. She was distraught when she learned of his death.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m the one who told her what happened. It would have been awful for her to have seen it in the papers.”

“Does Beatrice know?” I asked.

“No, no, of course not. David was discreet to a fault.”

“What is this mistress like?”

“Liza? I don’t know her well.”

“Yet you are already familiar enough with her to use her Christian name?”

“Not at all. I apologize.”

“Did he speak of her often?”

“No. He never mentioned her. I only learned of her existence after his death.” He picked up his hammer and chisel and began working on the marble. “David gave me a letter years ago and asked me to promise not to read it unless he died. I laughed about it, because he was always a picture of health, but he assured me it concerned a matter of great importance.”

“But he gave you no idea what it said?”

“None.”

“And you never looked at the letter while he was alive?”

“Of course not. I promised him I wouldn’t.”

I admired Mr. Barber’s will, wondering if I would have been able to stave off my curiosity for such a long time. “What did the letter say?”

“He asked that I personally inform Mrs. Liza White of his death. That was all.”

“Was she his mistress?”

“I believe so, Lady Ashton. She grieved like a wife.”

I felt sorry for her, but my sympathy was tempered by my allegiance to Beatrice. Once I had assured Mr. Barber that I would not reveal his friend’s secret to his widow, he gave me Mrs. White’s address. She did not live terribly far from the studio, but the directions were confusing enough that I let my driver take me in the carriage. We stopped in front of a decent, middle-class house, nothing at all like I had expected. I must confess that my reaction horrified me. For all that I thought I was enlightened, liberated, free from the ignorant biases of society, I had judged this woman from the moment I knew she was having an affair with someone else’s husband. I expected to find her low, common, no better than she ought to be. In fact, it was I who should have been better. I knew nothing of this woman, her heart, her love, her reasons for the affair. I had no right to criticize her.

A broad, sturdy woman in a gray dress and crisp white apron trimmed in black answered the door. I handed her my card and asked to see the lady of the house, only to be informed that she was indisposed. Over the maid’s shoulder I saw a small boy, who couldn’t have been older than six, pulling a wooden train through the hallway. Although I had met David Francis only once, there could be no question that this was his son. The boy was the image of his father.

“It’s urgent that I speak with Mrs. White,” I said. “Do you know when might be a good time for me to return?”

“The house is in mourning, madam. I will give Mrs. White your card.” My mother would never have stood for such a response. I could
picture her walking past the maid, telling her to announce the Countess Bromley. This, however, was not something I was prepared to do. I would give Mrs. White a few more days to mourn in peace, then call again.

Frustrated, I returned to my carriage. I stood frozen as the footman opened the door for me. Inside, on the seat, was a large bouquet of wilted roses.

13

D
ID YOU PUT THESE HERE?”
I
ASKED MY FOOTMAN, WHO IMMEDIATELY
denied all knowledge of the flowers. He removed them from the seat and held them out to me; I did not take them but ripped open the note tied to the bouquet. “These are from the man who broke into my house. Did you see him put them in the carriage?”

“No, madam,” the footman replied, looking distressed. “I was sitting up with Waters.” My driver, recognizing that something was amiss, came down from his perch. His face went pale when I told him what had happened.

“I saw nothing unusual. We should have paid better attention. It won’t happen again.” I had no reason to doubt my servants but was surprised that such a thing could have happened under their watch. Waters in particular had been exceedingly cautious since the burglary, and it was he who had noticed the coach following me from Richmond. I tried to shrug off the incident; it was, after all, harmless, but I did not like the knowledge that this unknown man could have such ready access to me. More disturbing was the fact that he was following me.

How I wished that Cécile was still in London. Not wanting to go back to my empty house, I directed Waters to take me to the Taylor
residence, where Margaret was staying with her parents. Here, as at Mrs. White’s, I was rebuffed. The butler took my card, made me wait a considerable time, and when he returned, told me that Miss Seward was not at home. I could tell from his cool expression that this was not true. Had I done something to offend Margaret?

I returned to Berkeley Square rather depressed. Refusing to submit to this unwelcome emotion, I sat down at my desk in the library and took out a blank notebook; it was time to organize the information I had gathered so far about the death of Mr. Francis. First I cataloged facts: the date he had died, that he was killed by nicotine, that Jane had put the poisoned lotion in his room, that the murder occurred after the papers reported the theft of the pink diamond. Then I started a list of questions. Who benefited from his death? Who had access to the lotion once it was in his room? Who knew he was having an affair? And, perhaps more important, who knew he had an illegitimate child?

Heeding Colin’s advice, I made a careful effort not to phrase my questions in a manner that would necessarily implicate Charles Berry. Colin’s wisdom in this matter was apparent. There didn’t seem to be much evidence against Mr. Berry. Still, I was troubled by the correspondence between him and Mr. Francis. Intuition told me that something not quite aboveboard had taken place; I had to find out what it was.

I was about to pull out the Marie Antoinette letters when Margaret burst into the room, Davis trailing on her heels.

“This is absolutely outrageous!” she said, thrusting her parasol into my butler’s hands. “Sorry, Davis, couldn’t wait for you to announce me.”

“No apology necessary, Miss Seward. It is the ongoing drama of this household that keeps me young.” He bowed and left the room.

“Margaret, I was just at—”

“I know. They wouldn’t let me see you! Can you believe it?”

“Well, I confess that is a relief. I was worried that I had done something to offend you.”

This made her laugh. “Oh, really, Emily, you’ve been in London too long if you could have thought such a thing. Society is making your brain go soft. I want a drink, and not tea.” It was too early for port, but Davis brought us a lovely German wine, and as Margaret drank, she continued her rant. “So, here’s how you rank in the Taylor house. My mother, who is generally a reasonable woman, is so taken with aristocrat fever that she’s turned against you. She’s convinced that the only reason Jeremy hasn’t proposed to me is that he is carrying on with you.”

“But surely you—”

She continued without letting me speak. “Mrs. Taylor has never been a friend of mine. She was scandalized that my parents let me go to college. I think the only reason she ever lets me stay with her is a misguided belief that exposure to her and her insipid daughters will put me back on track to becoming a dear, sweet thing.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening.”