A barmaid with a stained gown and a mob cap on top of her thick mop of unruly hair appeared by their side. She poured them both a glass of ale and gave Lavender a beaming smile when he tossed her a coin and told her to leave the jug.
Woods was struggling with these latest revelations. ‘So, all them fellas at Mrs Palmer’s are petticoat pensioners,’ he said at last, ‘and she’s been pimpin’ them out to the wealthy old trots in her circle of friends.’
Lavender choked on his ale. ‘It’s not clear if any petticoats have been lifted, Ned – although I doubt it, considering the age of the women involved.’
Woods raised his bushy grey eyebrow to show his cynicism. ‘We have laws in this country against pimpin’,’ he muttered darkly. ‘Men or women – it don’t matter.’
‘I’ve no notion what Mrs Palmer may or may not have gained from this arrangement, apart from the gratitude of her friends,’ Lavender said. ‘There’s no suggestion money changed hands.’
‘You didn’t ask?’ Woods continued to stare at him, his ale poised halfway to his mouth. ‘Sir Richard told us yesterday she were short of the chinks and had been forced to take in lodgers. Maybe she charged her lodgers out by the hour.’
‘It didn’t seem appropriate or necessary to delve any deeper . . .’
‘You’re the best detective in all of England – but you didn’t have the gumption to get to the bottom of this case?’
Lavender choked again. ‘That’s not an appropriate turn of phrase, Ned. Besides which, it’s not necessary to know how far these relationships have gone. I’ve found out how Davy MacAdam supported himself after he left his employment with Drake’s and that’s all I need to know.’
Woods shook his head knowingly. ‘You were too embarrassed to ask because they’re toffs and a bit long in the tooth and you’re a saphead around women. It’s a good job Magistrate Read made me your assistant so I can go back and ask the right questions. It’s a shame I weren’t there today.’
‘Heavens, no! If you’d been there, Lady Louisa would have soon uncovered your passion for horses and dogs and roped you into her stable of escorts. The woman is shameless, Ned. She even asked me if I had a wife.’
‘I might have enjoyed it,’ Woods grinned.
‘Not if Betsy found out, you wouldn’t.’
‘Well, at least we now know why that wheedlin’ sawbones wanted us to be discreet. The scandal sheets will have a field day if this story comes to light.’
‘Lady Louisa was adamant that Sir Richard is ignorant of this cosy little arrangement between his sister, her lodgers and her friends.’
Woods’ raised eyebrow again signalled his disbelief. ‘What about MacAdam’s murder? Could one of the old trots have done it?’
Lavender took a long swig of his drink. ‘I have absolutely no idea if any of them had either the opportunity or a motive to kill him. That needs more thought and investigation. However, my main suspect for his murder at the moment is Ike Rawlings.’
‘I’ve found a witness at Eggerton’s who saw him turn towards the west of the city when he’d delivered his load on the day of the murder,’ Woods said. ‘He definitely didn’t go straight home to Essex.’
‘Good – that’s excellent news. Young Will, the road sweeper, also saw a man matching Rawlings’ description sitting on a stone wagon watching number ninety-three Park Lane on the same afternoon,’ Lavender said.
‘He were there?’ Woods’ voice rose with excitement.
‘Someone matching his description was there,’ Lavender said cautiously, ‘according to a child witness.’
‘It’s got to be him! The wily old fox! He knew all along MacAdam were still alive – and he killed him so he could wed his wife! I told you he were our chief suspect, didn’t I, sir?’
Lavender smiled at Woods’ enthusiasm. He took a long drink from his glass, sat back and undid the buttons of his greatcoat. The alcohol relaxed him and the tension eased from his tired body and mind. It was always good to talk through the latest developments in a case with Ned. ‘It’s all circumstantial evidence,’ he warned, ‘and a jury might not believe the child’s account – but with your witness as well, we’ve got enough to justify questioning Rawlings further. We’ll arrest him when we return to Chelmsford for the exhumation. It seems he’s another one who’s lied to us. You were right to suspect him, Ned.’
Woods smiled at the praise. He drained his tankard and poured himself another drink from the jug. ‘But what about all these women MacAdam were escortin’ around town? Jealousy can be a powerful motive for murder and MacAdam were a right lothario.’
‘That’s what I was wondering,’ Lavender said. ‘As we’ve agreed many times, I’m not an expert on the fairer sex—’
‘No, you’re not.’
‘But it was obvious, even to me, that this friendship with MacAdam was an arrangement of convenience for Lady Louisa. It wasn’t an affair of the heart. She didn’t seem particularly upset by his death.’
‘What about the others?’
‘I don’t know. I need to interview them – one of them must have loaned MacAdam the carriage he used to visit the Howards. I need to find that damned carriage – and the coachman who drove it.’
‘It sounds to me like you need some help investigatin’ this wicked coven of elderly aristocrats.’
‘Yes,’ Lavender agreed thoughtfully. ‘And I think I know of someone who can help me.’
‘You mean that aristocratic doxy, Lady Caroline?’
Lavender nodded. He put down his tankard, stood up and buttoned up his coat. ‘Excuse me, Ned, but I have to go. Can you finish the rest of the ale?’
Woods winked up at him and reached for the earthenware jug again. ‘Can a fish swim?’
Chapter Twenty
My Dearest Magdalena,
Duddles is married.
I am wretched and in great need of consolation. Please call on me at your earliest convenience.
Yours affectionately,
Caroline Clare
Oh dear.’ Magdalena put down Lady Caroline’s note, fetched her cloak and asked Mrs Hobart to find her a hackney carriage. She’d been dreading this day.
Her good friend Lady Caroline was twice widowed and for years had enjoyed the companionship of a sweet-natured young man called Henry Duddles. Unfortunately, Duddles was the heir to his uncle’s shipping fortune and Baron Lannister had recently placed the young man under considerable pressure to marry and produce an heir – something the childless and older Lady Caroline couldn’t provide. The baron had threatened to cut Duddles off without a penny if he didn’t settle down and do his duty and had even found a suitable young woman for him to marry from a wealthy neighbouring family.
Lady Caroline claimed she was sanguine about the situation and had repeatedly wished Duddles happiness in his new life. But Magdalena suspected her friend still harboured a secret hope that this loveless match wouldn’t take place and Duddles would return to her arms.
Magdalena asked Mrs Hobart to delay their evening meal then hurriedly descended the steps towards the waiting carriage. To her delight and surprise, she saw Stephen walking down the street towards her. She hurried to greet him. In a breathless babble of English, peppered with a few Spanish expletives about the cruelty of Baron Lannister, she told him of her urgent mission to Lady Caroline’s.
Stephen glanced down the street and frowned. ‘But where’s Teresa? Surely you didn’t intend to travel out alone? I’ve asked you to take Teresa with you when you leave the house.’
‘Oh, I forgot. She has the afternoon off and is with her beau, Alfie Tummins.’
The young coachman had been courting Teresa for several years and Magdalena dreaded the day Teresa would leave her to become Mrs Tummins. Alfie was besotted with her Spanish maid, although Teresa seemed more excited about the prospect of Magdalena’s new baby than walking up the aisle just at the moment. But Magdalena knew everything would change once she held the infant in her arms and Teresa thought about having
a child herself.
‘Never mind,’ Stephen said. ‘I’ll come with you instead. I need to speak to Lady Caroline myself regarding a police matter.’
‘Please don’t tell me she’s been misbehaving again,’ Magdalena said as he helped her climb into the carriage.
He smiled. ‘No, I just need to ask her about a group of elderly aristocratic women whom she may know.’
‘Lady Caroline knows more men than women.’
Stephen’s attractive dark eyes twinkled and he raised one eyebrow sardonically. ‘I think most of London is aware of that.’
Magdalena smiled and silently agreed. The younger daughter of the impoverished Earl of Kirkleven, Lady Caroline had first scandalised the high society of London when she’d eloped with Victor Meyer Rothschild, a member of the wealthy Jewish banking family. After Victor’s death, she’d married again, this time to a minor baronet, and lived quietly in the country until he too died. Her second husband had left her penniless and forced to earn an income from her painting. This, plus her unconventional lifestyle and penchant for younger men, added to the notoriety surrounding Caroline Clare. But she’d always been a good friend to Magdalena and Stephen.
While the carriage wound its way through the traffic towards Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Magdalena asked Stephen about his murder case and he told her about MacAdam’s relationship with Mrs Palmer’s friends.
Magdalena burst out laughing. ‘Why, those naughty old women!’
‘I’m glad you think it amusing, my dear. There were times during Lady Louisa’s candid explanation of the situation when I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I dreaded to hear what she would confess to next.’
‘Well, thank goodness for her frankness – at least this has moved your case forward and explained several mysteries that eluded you. And we shouldn’t be too harsh on them. All these women have done is pay younger men to escort them around town. Lady Caroline has been walking out on the arm of a younger man for years.’
Stephen frowned. ‘Yes, but these women are twenty years older than Lady Caroline. They should be wrapped up in shawls and nodding beside the fire with a cup of chocolate, not gallivanting around town with young bucks. Their friends and families will be scandalised.’
Magdalena laughed again. ‘Perhaps they don’t have any family to care? Maybe they live for the excitement of the company of these young men.’
‘MacAdam is not just a young man. He’s a murder victim who may have been a murderer himself. He was married yet intent on becoming a bigamist. Their association with him will scandalise high society if it becomes common knowledge. I dread the moment I’ll have to tell Sir Richard about his sister’s behaviour.’
‘He knows nothing about this?’
Stephen shook his head. ‘Mrs Palmer also lied to me on several occasions and was evasive in order to throw me off the scent. I don’t know how much she knew about MacAdam’s antics but she made protecting the reputation of her friends her priority.’
Magdalena patted his leg affectionately and smiled. ‘Then she’s a fool. She should have known better than to try to mislead Bow Street’s finest police officer.’
They found Lady Caroline in the glass-vaulted orangery at the rear of her apartment, which she used as her painting studio. A paint-splattered easel dominated the space, along with a mismatched daybed and a chaise longue. A large table scattered with paintbrushes, paints, rags and a clean glass of water was pushed up against the wall.
Lady Caroline lay wearily on the chaise longue, wearing a dark-print day dress with an embroidered fichu draped around her neck and tucked into her bodice. She was wringing a wet handkerchief in her long, artistic hands. A crumpled copy of The Times lay abandoned beside her. The skin around her green eyes was puffy and her mouth drooped, emphasising the lines around her lips. Today she looked every one of her forty-five years.
She managed a small smile when they entered and sat up. ‘Magdalena! My dear, you’re so kind – and you too, Lavender. I apologise – you find me wretched, I’m afraid.’ She asked the maid who’d shown them into the orangery to fetch coffee. Magdalena sat beside her, put her arms around Lady Caroline and hugged her. Stephen sank down on to the daybed opposite.
‘I’m so sorry, Lady Caroline,’ Magdalena said. ‘I know how fond you were of Duddles.’
‘Yes, I’m sorry for your loss,’ Stephen said awkwardly.
Magdalena flashed her husband a slightly reproachful glance. ‘I know you were prepared for this eventuality, but the news of Duddles’ marriage must have been a terrible shock even so.’
‘I always liked Duddles,’ Stephen said. ‘He was a funny chap at times but he was genuine.’
‘He’s not dead, Stephen,’ Magdalena hissed. ‘Don’t talk about him in the past.’ Her husband jerked at her reproach and sat up straighter.
Lady Caroline sniffed and dabbed her nose with her handkerchief. ‘Yes, he’s a lovely man, but alas, no longer mine – and he’s not as genuine as we thought. I think it’s his treachery that has upset me the most,’ she added sadly.
‘Treachery?’ Stephen frowned.
Magdalena wondered if she’d done the right thing bringing Stephen with her. Lady Caroline had always been a bit prone to exaggeration and the dramatic but this wasn’t the time to question her feelings. She hurried to intervene with soft words. ‘It must be dreadfully upsetting to think of him with another woman.’
‘I know – and such a woman!’
‘What other woman?’ Stephen asked. ‘He’s married the young girl picked out for him by his uncle, hasn’t he?’
‘Good grief, no! Haven’t you read the papers today?’ She picked up the crumpled copy of The Times that lay beside her on the couch and waved it towards him.
‘Who has Duddles married?’ Magdalena asked, startled.
‘Lady Danvers is Duddles’ new wife.’ Lady Caroline’s voice rose with distress. ‘He’s married the widow of his worst enemy!’
‘What?’ Magdalena and Stephen uttered the exclamation in unison.
The previous May, Duddles had accidentally offended the brutish Baron Danvers, who’d responded by challenging the young man to an illegal duel. Persuaded by Stephen and Lady Caroline, Duddles stayed at home and didn’t participate in the duel. Unfortunately, a gang of villains had lain in wait for Baron Danvers at the appointed place and killed him. In the confusion that followed, Duddles narrowly avoided being charged with Danvers’ murder. The villains responsible for this atrocity were still at large; it was one of the few unsolved cases of Stephen’s distinguished career.
‘Eliza Danvers, that mousy little woman, is now the new Mrs Henry Duddles,’ Lady Caroline continued. ‘It’s all here in today’s paper. They married by special licence yesterday.’
‘But I don’t understand,’ Magdalena said. ‘Duddles hardly knew the woman – and she’s older than him – and already has two children. His uncle can’t approve of the match, surely?’
‘Well, he clearly does. Lannister posted the announcement himself. She’s older than Duddles, of course – but obviously fertile.’ Lady Caroline’s tone was bitter. ‘Maybe that’s all that matters to Baron Lannister. And yes, you’re right. The evening of my soirée, when Danvers challenged Duddles to the duel, was the first time he’d met Lady Danvers.’
Magdalena and Stephen were quiet for a moment while they remembered the young man’s awkward, and very public, attempt to flirt with the cowed and abused wife of the monstrous Danvers.
‘Duddles felt sorry for the poor woman,’ Stephen said at last. ‘And, if I remember rightly, she was grateful for his attention. Danvers was a brute. I remember the way she waved at Duddles when her husband hauled her out of the party.’
‘Yes, and he waved back – like a love-struck puppy!’ Lady Caroline’s voice trembled. ‘I knew he felt sorry for the woman after her husband was murdered and he called on her to offer his condolences but I had no idea he’d continued the acquaintance.’
For a moment, M
agdalena thought her friend was about to break down again, but fortunately, the maid arrived with the coffee. Lady Caroline rallied and she became an attentive hostess.
They sipped the hot beverage quietly, then Stephen put down his cup and cleared his throat. ‘Why is this match so offensive to you, Lady Caroline?’ he asked gently. ‘You knew Duddles had to marry – his uncle had threatened to cut off his allowance if he didn’t. It’s the duty of men of his class to provide an heir. Does it make any difference to you whom he’s married?’
Lady Caroline’s face crumpled and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘I’m upset because . . . because I suspect Duddles may have genuine affection for Eliza Danvers.’
Magdalena put her arm around the quivering shoulders of her friend and gave Stephen a warning glance, which he ignored.
‘No, no. I don’t accept that. Ned Woods is always telling me I don’t understand women, but after years of acquaintance I presume to understand you a little, Lady Caroline.’ He leaned forward and took hold of her hand.
‘You’re not a vicious woman. Yes, maybe a loveless match between Duddles and some unknown, faceless young woman from the country may have been easier for you to bear at the moment. But in time, I think this would sadden you. You would be sad to think of Duddles trapped in an empty, loveless marriage.’
Lady Caroline sniffed and nodded, encouraging him to continue.
‘If it’s true that genuine affection has grown up between Duddles and Eliza Danvers, then I think, with time, you’ll be happy for him – for them both. God knows, the poor woman deserves some happiness after the misery Danvers put her through – and Duddles too. He deserves to be happy in his marriage – like you were with your first husband, Victor Rothschild.’
Murder in Park Lane Page 15