Of Night and Dark Obscurity

by Nicola Italia

  “I am Lady Lyttleton.”

  “I thought it interesting when I heard Abram’s youngest son had gone into police work,” she noted.

  “Well as the youngest son I must make my way in the world.” He said charmingly.

  “Indeed. And how do you know our dear Caroline?” She asked him.

  “I’m investigating the death of Irene.” He confirmed.

  “Poor girl. But this is a conflict of interest wouldn’t you say? You can’t be investigating the death of Irene and walking out with Caroline, can you?” She mused.

  “We’re not walking out,” Caroline said almost stammering. “We’re here to see the exhibit that’s all.”

  “I’m afraid I rather bullied Miss Derry into coming to the exhibit,” Val said smoothly. “Good company is always a pleasure and I’m afraid she didn’t want to.”

  Lady Lyttleton smiled. “Of course, that I can understand. Caroline is delightful company. And your Guild?” She directed to her. “How goes it?”

  “We’re about to finalize the paperwork for the building with my father and then the workers will start their part.” She told her benefactress.

  “And the tenants?” She pressed. “Have you decided how you’ll select them, my dear?” Lady Lyttleton asked.

  Caroline nodded and out of the corner of her eye she saw Rachel eyeing Val covetously before she returned her gaze to Lady Lyttleton. “I’ve drawn up a list of requirements that I believe they should meet before entering the housing.”

  Lady Lyttleton gave a curt nod in agreement. “You must share those ideas at the next meeting. I’ll try to attend, but my charities…“ she smiled.

  “Of course. You don’t need to come to any meeting. I’ll keep you abreast,” Caroline assured her.

  “I know you will, my dear.”

  “Your support is very important to me,” Caroline told her sincerely. “This isn’t meant to make money so your return will be minimal but in the long run—“

  “Caroline, dear. Rest easy. You’ve no need to explain. I proudly support your work. Ah! Look who’s joined us!”

  Caroline turned to see Victoria’s son and heir, Charles Lyttleton walking toward them. He was tall and blonde and looked like a Greek god. He was wearing light colored pants, a dark jacket and a red waistcoat. She had met him several times when she had visited Lady Lyttleton, but other than that their paths didn’t cross. She found him harmless and a bit of a Mummy’s boy. She knew he liked to be admired and was a flashy dresser.

  “Caro!” He said, his smile widening as he took her form. “What a sight you are!”

  She was wearing a black dress for mourning and she felt like a drab crow. She returned the smile as he took her gloved hand and kissed the back of it.

  “It’s good to see you again, Charles,” she told him.

  He glanced over at his mother and sister and then returned his attention to Caroline.

  “What brings you to this archaic meeting of stuffy old women and their men?” He asked trying to lead her away from the crowd.

  “I’m here with a friend,” she said pulling away from him and joining Val, who had been watching the entire scene with interest.

  Charles’ manner changed as he saw Val and he only said in greeting, “Pierce.”

  Val in turn said, “Lyttleton.”

  Caroline noticed the change in the air and looked up at Val whose face was closed.

  “We must be going,” she told Charles.

  “It was lovely seeing you, Caro. We must meet again soon. Perhaps over tea,” he smiled charmingly.

  “Perhaps.” She said politely.

  Caroline stood next to Val who said nothing and they both watched him re-join his mother and sister. Lady Lyttleton placed a hand up to wave goodbye to Caroline who smiled genuinely in return.

  “You know Charles Lyttleton?” She asked looking up at him.

  “I do.”

  “How?”

  “He’s an acquaintance of my brother’s.”

  Caroline watched Charles leave with his family. He came from an excellent family with money and breeding and he seemed to be everything a man should be. But there was something odd about him. Something underneath all the breeding and schooling that unnerved her.

  “Come. If you’ve seen enough of the exhibit, I’ll escort you home.”

  Inside the hansom cab ride home, Caroline studied the handsome face of the Inspector.

  “I’m not ashamed to be seen with you. If that’s what you think,” she said suddenly out of the blue.

  Val turned his eyes toward her. “I don’t think that. I think you didn’t want Lady Lyttleton to get the wrong impression and that’s why I told her I had forced you to come to the exhibition.”

  “I understand why you told her that. But I enjoyed the exhibition, I wanted you to know that, and I enjoyed—“

  “Yes?” He waited.

  “I enjoyed it.” She finished.

  “I’m glad,” he said. “If I recall, you invited yourself along. I was quite content to go it alone.”

  “I invited myself along?” She smiled.

  “I do recall that was the situation.”

  “Then your memory is becoming cloudy, Inspector.”

  “Is it?”

  “But that does happen at your advanced age, so I’m told.” She teased him.

  “Advanced age?” He looked affronted as she continued to smile. “I like to see you smile, Miss Derry. You have a lovely smile.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  “I think the carriage is drawing nearer to the townhouse.” She said trying to change the subject.

  His eyes were on hers and in the darkened carriage it seemed so intimate.

  “I still have the tickets for the concert. A third one would be easy to obtain. Have you changed your mind?” He asked boldly.

  “I haven’t thought of it to be honest.”

  “It’s a concert. Nothing more,” he shrugged. “Your grandmother would enjoy it I’m sure.”

  “She would.” She admitted.

  “Next Friday then?” He asked as the carriage came to a standstill.

  She nodded. “Next Friday,” and then exited.

  ✽✽✽

  Over breakfast the next morning, Caroline went over the requirements for the tenants coming into the Housing and her father signed the paperwork for the building to be legally his, which Peter had sent to him. She was excited and when she told her grandmother of the upcoming concert, she looked at her strangely.

  “Why are you attending a concert with the Inspector?” Malvina wondered.

  “He asked me. He’s a good man from a good family. I didn’t expect you to be against it.”

  “I’m not against it, Caro. I just think that as the man who’s investigating Irene’s death, it’s inappropriate.”

  “I told him no the first time, but honestly, I would like to hear the music and be out in the world,” Caroline said.

  “He’s persistent.” Malvina remarked.

  “I think it best you don’t read anything into this,” Caroline said quietly. “As far as I can tell, he’s a man that keeps his own company. He invited me to a perfectly respectable concert. He asked you to attend as a chaperone. I’d like to go so please come with me.”

  “Hmmm. He invited me as a chaperone. This doesn’t strike you as odd, Hubert?” Malvina asked her son who was seated at the table with them.

  “What is odd?” Hubert asked folding the newspaper so he could read the back page. “The young man asked Caroline to attend a concert. He invited you as well. That seems quite proper. And he also happens to be an Inspector.”

  Malvina looked across at Hubert and then back at Caroline. “Then I guess it’s settled.” She said dabbing the napkin to her lips and then excusing herself.

  “She cares for you, Caro. It’s been difficult for her. She raised you and Irene and now with Irene gone…” he began.

  “I understand,” Caroline said breathing out. “But as I to
ld her, it’s a concert. Nothing else. And he’s a nice man. I would like to hear music again and not feel this heavy weight I feel all the time.”

  He patted her hand across the table. “Give it time. This isn’t something that goes away overnight.”

  ✽✽✽

  Caroline looked over the list of names that Stella had drawn up. She had been in contact with several of the women and their children through the workhouse who she thought might be good candidates for the housing project.

  “Did you mention to them what we were doing?”

  “Briefly,” Stella said as she sipped her tea. “I thought it best to review the names with you before we proceed.”

  “They are families with children?” She asked looking down the list.

  “As discussed. In some cases, there are grandparents in the house as well so it’s multi-generational.” Stella noted.

  “This is excellent Stella. We should speak to these families. See if they are interested. Start a list and then a waiting list to be added to the next house.”

  Stella nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll get my hat and gloves,” Caroline told her.

  Coming downstairs, Caroline pulled on her gloves and secured her hat with the pearl and ruby hatpin, her only ornamental touch as she was in mourning.

  The cab ride to Spitalfields was not far but it seemed like another world. The roads were sticky with slime and it looked dark and uneasy with the buildings pressed together and on top of each other. Stella had given the driver the address they sought, but the farther they traveled into the slum, the more it seemed like they were entering a place of desolation.

  The stench of feces and other fluids was overwhelming, and the children wore rags while the women looked dazed, with blank stares upon their faces as the cab passed them by.

  “My god,” Caroline uttered. “This place is god forsaken.”

  Stella agreed. “That’s why what we are doing is so important.” Stella leaned across and took Caroline’s hand in hers. “What you’ve envisioned. It’s wonderful.”

  Caroline shook her head. “I’ll barely make a dent. Not even a dent. A slight scratch on the surface.”

  “It’s a start Caroline,” Stella told her. “It’s a start.”

  When the cab came to a halt, the two women exited the carriage. The horse appeared to shift and neigh and Stella looked up at the driver.

  “You’ll stay? We won’t be but 10 minutes,” she assured him.

  He said nothing as the women entered the building to try and find the family Stella knew from the workhouse.

  ✽✽✽

  Val rubbed his forehead as Felix sat across from him in the small office.

  “Don’t you think it’s interesting that Irene was seeing Simon Eastoft and Nell Lewis knew all about him from Irene. Yet I would bet a month’s salary that Simon Eastoft is absolutely not our man.”

  “Looking at the old man we met, I would definitely not bet against you,” Felix agreed. “What are you thinking?”

  “Someone knows all about Mr. Eastoft. He knows his occupation. They used his identity, and that identity helped him enter parties and balls to give him access to a life I’m sure he was not born into,” Val surmised.

  “Who would do that?”

  “Exactly. And who would masquerade as a solicitor and in the meantime offer to paint a young lady,” Val queried.

  “You’re right. That’s odd.”

  “You suspect someone else?” Felix wondered.

  “I do.”

  “Who?”

  Val smiled. “Someone hiding in plain sight. Come. Let’s get some lunch.”

  ✽✽✽

  Caroline and Stella exited the squalor living arrangements after spending twenty minutes with the family.

  The family was excited about the Housing project and wanted to be considered. They met all the requirements for the project that Caroline had drafted and they appeared to be their first candidate.

  “Wonderful news!” Stella said as they came down the shabby stairs and into the street. “They will be our first family!”

  “Oh no,” Caroline said as she saw that their hansom cab had not waited for them.

  “Well he didn’t get paid,” Stella said angrily. “The fool!”

  They rounded the street and entered a bustling area of street vendors with the smell of rotting meat heavy in the air.

  “Oh God,” Stella said stuffing a handkerchief to her nose. “The stench!”

  Caroline tried not to let her stomach roll at the smell of the rotting meat. Fish and feces also mixed in the air and she fought the urge to retch in the street.

  “Let’s try and get a cab,” Caroline told her friend.

  Just as they were looking wildly about for any sort of cab to hail, she heard her name being called.

  “Miss Derry!”

  She turned to see Inspector Pierce and his Sergeant striding towards them.

  “Miss Derry. You shouldn’t be out here,” he said intensely.

  He placed his arm protectively about the waist and escorted her to the carriage she had not seen around the corner. She glanced behind her shoulder once to see Sergeant Felix escorting Stella.

  Once inside the carriage, he gave her a long look.

  “Miss Derry. I must warn you. This is not a safe place. You and your friend should not be here,” he said as the carriage began to sway in movement.

  “This isn’t an afternoon jaunt, Inspector. Stella and I were meeting with a family. A family that might be the first to move into the Housing project,” she explained.

  “Even so,” he cautioned.

  “And I don’t need your permission, Inspector. I’m a grown woman and this is very important to me,” she said hotly, her cheeks flushed.

  “I was concerned for your safety,” he said in his defense.

  “I understand that. This isn’t somewhere I would want to be either. More the reason that these poor unfortunates should be moved as well.”

  “As always, your actions are commendable, if not a little unsafe,” he said.

  Felix cleared his throat and Val looked over at his sergeant watching them both carefully.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t properly introduce you,” Caroline realized.

  She introduced her friend Stella to the two men and they both greeted her.

  “I’m just glad I was here when you needed me,” Val said lowly.

  “Did I say I needed you?” Caroline returned.

  “You didn’t say you didn’t,” he countered.

  The carriage pulled up to the townhouse and he escorted Stella and Caroline to the door.

  “Thank you, Inspector. For your help today,” Caroline told him.

  “Until Friday,” he said.

  She nodded. “Until Friday.”

  Val returned to the carriage and took one look at Felix and said, “Not one word.”

  Felix broke into a grin and said nothing.

  Chapter 9

  Stella followed Caroline from the foyer into the front parlor.

  “What happens Friday?” She asked nonchalantly.

  Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “He’s invited me to a concert.”

  “A concert?” Stella’s eyes lit up. “Do tell!”

  “There’s nothing to tell. He’s invited me and Gran to a concert. It should be an enjoyable evening. Chopin, I think he said.”

  “Chopin,” Stella repeated.

  “What are you getting at, Stella?” She asked.

  “I think the Inspector is besotted with you, Caro. In fact, no. Let me rephrase that. The Inspector is besotted with you.” She told her.

  Caroline did roll her eyes this time at her friend’s words. “He’s dedicated to his work.”

  “Assuredly.”

  “And he wants to find Irene’s killer.”

  “Undoubtedly.” Stella returned. “And all the beautiful daughters of the families he works with he takes to a concert.”

  Caroline s
ighed. “Don’t make much out of nothing.”

  Stella smiled. “Don’t make nothing out of something. I must run. I’m late for an appointment.”

  It was Caroline’s turn to tease. “Hmm! Do tell!”

  “With my milliner!” Stella kissed her friend’s cheek and was gone.

  ✽✽✽

  After they dropped the ladies off at Caroline’s home, Felix and Val traveled back to visit Simon Eastoft. They found him all alone in his small practice. He appeared disheveled and not as organized as the first time they had visited him.

  “Ah Inspector, Sergeant, come in.” He waved them into his office as he rifled through his papers looking for something.

  “Is something amiss, Mr. Eastoft?” Val asked eyeing Felix.

  “Well yes. To be honest, there is. My clerk Mr. Bowler has been out and I’m at a loss. Certain files and papers are not where they should be and it’s quite maddening.” Simon Eastoft looked like a lost little mouse among his piles of paper.

  “How long has your clerk been missing?” Val asked.

  Simon took a moment to ponder the question then said, “The last day he appeared for work was that day you both came to visit me. Interesting coincidence.”

  Val smiled. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Can we have his home address?”

  Simon Eastoft nodded. “Of course. Is there something wrong?”

  “We need to ask him a few questions,” Val said smoothly.

  “Certainly. Let me find his address for you and I’ll write it down,” he sat at his desk and did just as he said he would.

  “What sort of chap would you say Mr. Bowler is?” Val asked.

  Simon gave this question some thought. “He’s a bit flighty I would say. A dreamer. There were times I caught him doodling on his work and had to reprimand him.”

  “Was he married? Or engaged?” Val wondered.

  “No. I think there was someone, but to be honest I didn’t really discuss such personal matters with him. I’ve found over the years, with the young clerks I’ve had here, the best way to deal with them is to be above board and business-like,” Simon explained.

  “Sound practice,” Val nodded.

  “And Mr. Bowler was no exception. He was a quiet man too. I never heard much from him. But there were certain times where he would come into the office and look as if he hadn’t slept or had a rough time of it the night before. I never asked him about it and he never said,” Simon supplied.