The Body in the Garden

by Katharine Schellman

  “Of course, ma’am.” Anna curtsied. “Just you close your eyes and rest that poor head, and I won’t be a moment.”

  “Thank you, Anna.” Lily took her maid’s advice, but her mind was already beginning to work. Resting abed was all very well—especially after an encounter with Sally Windermere’s whiskey—but she had a mystery to solve and a treacherous general to expose.

  An hour later, what was left of eggs and tea forgotten on her breakfast tray, Lily was at her writing desk penning two short notes, feeling rather like a general herself. As soon as they were done, she rang for Anna.

  “See that these are delivered to Miss Oswald and Captain Hartley immediately.” Lily rose. “Whatever Mrs. Carstairs put in that terrible brew, it has done the trick. I shall give her an extra half day this quarter for her genius.”

  “You are looking very much better, ma’am,” Anna commented as she took the letters. “And also very determined.’

  “I am,” Lily said, stretching her arms over her head. “I think I shall have quite a satisfactory day.”

  * * *

  Her plans had to change only slightly. Miss Oswald returned a letter saying her aunt would not countenance her going out that afternoon, as it was possible Lady Worth, who possessed an unmarried son and mortgaged family property, might be calling that afternoon. Would Mrs. Adler and Captain Hartley call on her in Audley Street instead? She would be happy to try to sneak out otherwise—Lily frowned over that part of the letter, thinking of what Jack had told her at the Chichesters’ ball— but it would be easier not to.

  And so a little before three o’clock Lily arrived at Mrs. Haverweight’s home on Audley Street with several pages of the Times tucked under her arm.

  Miss Oswald was anxiously pacing the front hall when she arrived, and as soon as the footman opened the door, she pounced. Ignoring the frown directed her way by the butler whose job she had just usurped, Miss Oswald dragged Lily into the front parlor and shut the door.

  “Where have you been?” she demanded.

  Surprised enough to be amused rather than annoyed, Lily took her time removing her pelisse and hat. “One would think, Miss Oswald, that you were awaiting an actual beau from such behavior. You are not harboring a secret longing to become Mrs. Captain Hartley, are you?”

  “Oh, how absurd!” For a moment Miss Oswald looked genuinely angry. “How you stay so calm when we are seeking a murderer is beyond me. If it had been your—” She broke off, taking a quick breath, before saying more quietly, “I wish I had your nerves, Mrs. Adler.”

  “Not showing is not the same as not feeling,” Lily said calmly, though she watched the girl closely out of the corner of her eye as she took a seat. “What excuse did you give to your aunt?”

  “I told her the truth.”

  “What?” Lily stared.

  Miss Oswald could not seem to hide her pleased smile. “I wish you could see your own face, Mrs. Adler. It would serve you right, you know.”

  “You did not tell her the truth,” Lily insisted.

  “Well, no, not all of it. I told her I was worried about Mrs. Worth’s call and suggested asking for your company.” Miss Oswald shrugged. “Which is entirely true. If Mrs. Worth does call, I’ll be quite glad for your company, nasty old bat that she is. Not that my aunt cares, beyond wishing to avoid any real responsibility. She will undoubtedly stay away as long as possible, so as long as no servants eavesdrop, we shall be quite private.”

  “Unless Lady Worth does call. Do you think her son means to court you? He doesn’t seem a pleasant fellow.”

  “Oh, if he does, it will not matter for long.” Miss Oswald started as soon as the words were out of her mouth. “I mean to say, I don’t intend to encourage him. So it makes no difference to me if he does.”

  She spoke too quickly, and her eyes shifted away as she said it. Lily frowned, but there was not time to ask what the girl had really meant. The butler, haughty with the dignity of his position and determined to show how things were correctly done, appeared at that moment, asking if Miss Oswald was at home to a Captain Hartley.

  “Yes, show him in, and let me know immediately if any other visitors call.”

  Jack began with the typical pleasantries, but as soon as the door had closed, Lily interrupted, “Do you really want to ask about the weather, Captain?”

  “Not in the slightest,” Jack said. “The weather in London never changes; I cannot think how we all manage to say so much about it.”

  Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. “We had an interesting encounter yesterday … a chilling one, in fact, but it set us on a new track.” She told him, as concisely as she could, about meeting Mr. Lacey the day before, while Miss Oswald perched on the edge of her seat, looking impatient.

  Jack nodded. “So we know the general was in the West Indies. And in spite of what his niece believes, it seems safe to conclude that he and Lacey are in some kind of havey-cavey business together, which makes it likely that Harper is our man. That puts Lord Walter in the clear. You must be pleased, Mrs. Adler.”

  “I am relieved,” Lily admitted. “But that’s not the most interesting thing. Do you remember Mr. Finch’s letter said something about a certain clever form of communication?”

  Jack shrugged. “No, but I shall take your word for it that it did.” Miss Oswald let out a soft “Oh!” of surprise, as if the matter had just come clear to her as well.

  Lily paused long enough to give them a quick scowl. “How could you forget something as important as that?”

  “Because we haven’t your flawless memory, ma’am,” Jack said, apparently impervious to embarrassment. “Which is why you are the captain in this matter, and we the lowly midshipmen.”

  “Well,” Lily continued, not sure whether to be flattered or annoyed by his teasing. “I think we know what that clever form is.” Leaning forward in her chair, she propped her elbows on the arms and steepled her fingers together. Her gaze was sharp as she spoke, as though she was seeing the encounter with Mr. Lacey playing out again in her mind. “Towards the end of the conversation, Mr. Lacey very discreetly slipped a folded note into Miss Harper’s reticule. She was distracted at the time and had no idea.”

  “We tried to intercept it,” Miss Oswald put in, grimacing. “But unfortunately there was not much opportunity. I am sorry,” she added unhappily, turning to Mrs. Adler. “I should have thought of a better diversion.”

  “You did what you could; it was not an ideal situation.” Lily spoke calmly, but two of her interlaced fingers tapped slowly against her lips as she thought. “If the general knew to expect a message, it would be easy for him to retrieve. Which means that Mr. Lacey must have bumped into Miss Harper on purpose. For all we know, he had been following her in an effort to find just such an opportunity.”

  Jack cursed softly. “The bounder. Using a lady for something so dastardly—!” He sighed. “Well, it makes sense. Too many letters sent between them would arouse suspicion. A chance meeting—bumping into the man’s niece on Bond Street—would raise no eyebrows.”

  “Indeed. Now that we know Lacey is communicating clandestinely with the general—and how Mr. Finch could have been connected to them—we must move decisively.” Lily stood and began to pace restlessly about the room. “The obvious next step is to look for something in the records at Lacey and West that will point to the general.”

  Jack had half risen, then settled back in his chair with a huff. He had given up standing every time she did, for which Lily was grateful. Pacing, she had discovered, was sometimes a crucial part of investigating, and it would have been distracting if he tried to be polite by pacing with her. “And how do you propose to see their records?” he asked.

  “I would imagine they keep them in the office.”

  “Yes, but Mr. Lacey is not going to simply hand over the company books for anyone’s inspection,” Miss Oswald pointed out. “No businessman would under the best of circumstances. He certainly will not if there is anything nefar
ious going on. Particularly not when he knows he has a powerful patron working on his behalf.”

  “Which is why we shall have to be careful.” Lily stopped pacing and smiled slyly. “Luckily, I know how to go about it.”

  Jack groaned and leaned his head back against the chair, covering his eyes with one hand. “Naturally, you have a plan. I can only hope it does not involve a midnight robbery or another equally illegal escapade.”

  “Nothing so dramatic as a robbery.” Lily pursed her lips, then added, “Though it might be equally illegal. One of us shall have to gain access to the office and look through the books.”

  “And by one of us, I assume you refer to yourself?” Jack’s voice was grim.

  “Of course not.” Lily sat down at last. “The best person to gain access is you.”

  “Me?” He sat up abruptly. “I’ve no more connection to the shipping business than you.”

  “But you do have the uniform of a navy captain.” Still smiling, Lily laid out the newspaper she had brought, opened to the advertisements.

  The firm of LACEY & WEST seeks a reputable SHIP’S CAPTAIN, preferably of NAVY or MERCHANT MARINE background. Please apply in person at no. 11 HENRIETTA STREET, LONDON, before the 24th of APRIL.

  “You cannot use your own name, of course,” she continued. “But it would be easy to give the name of another captain who perhaps made fewer captures during the war and is not so well lined in the pockets. One who, now he has been decommissioned, might look for work with a shipping agent. All you need is a few minutes alone to look around.”

  Jack and Miss Oswald both stared at her for several moments, as if they were turning over her plan and inspecting all the possible difficulties. At last he let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “It’s brilliant.”

  “Thank you.” Lily’s lips kicked up at the corners. “I thought it was rather good myself.”

  “How will you ensure Mr. Lacey leaves the office long enough for Captain Hartley to inspect the books?” Miss Oswald asked, thinking practically.

  “That is where you come in.” Lily wished there were more than two people to appreciate her plan. “You are rather recognizable in London these days”— Miss Oswald snorted but did not disagree—“but that is to our advantage, because your father’s business is equally well known. If you visit the office a few minutes after Captain Hartley, and ask to speak to Mr. Lacey, and indicate that your father is interested in working with a new shipping agent …”

  “I imagine he would be willing to speak with me for as long as I wished,” Miss Oswald agreed. “The family is terribly well connected; even two wars haven’t been able to disrupt Papa’s business. Any shipping agent in London would be happy to partner on a commission with him. But I could never keep him busy long enough for Captain Hartley to copy down every page of the accounts, and he cannot take their books. Someone would notice immediately.”

  “He shan’t need to copy or take them,” Lily said. “The captain has a contact at the firm, do you not? If we need records, we can arrange something through him. But I do not think we will need to take anything, really. This is more of …” She glanced at Jack. “What do you call it in the military? When you gather information?”

  “Reconnaissance?”

  “Exactly.” Lily settled back into her chair, satisfied. “Reconnaissance. I am only sorry I cannot be there, too. But I think I put Mr. Lacey too much on his guard.” She pursed her lips, considering. “I suppose there is some chance he will be wary of you, Miss Oswald, since you were with me. We shall have to hope that the lure of profit will be enough to tempt him.”

  “Enough to make him speak with me, at least.” Miss Oswald looked at her gratefully. “How clever of you to spot that advertisement and think of how we might use it.”

  “I shall end up quite vain, between the two of you,” Lily said, not wanting them to see how much the praise warmed her. “The only thing we need to make it convincing is a letter from your father to Mr. Lacey. Captain Hartley will need to write that so it is in a man’s hand, though you will need to tell him what it ought to say.”

  “No need,” Miss Oswald said, looking a little smug. “I can imitate my father’s writing. Then if he and Mr. Lacey have crossed paths before, we needn’t worry about him comparing the letters.” Seeing the others staring at her, Lily with astonishment, Jack with disapproval, she added, “My father suffers at times from a palsy in his hands, and I learned to make a fair copy of his writing so that I could help with his correspondence. He was concerned that his business partners would object to instructions in a woman’s hand.” Her lips twitched into a smile at their shocked expressions. “Imitating handwriting is no more difficult than drawing a picture.”

  “I shall take your word for it,” Lily murmured. “I was never accomplished at drawing.”

  “Well, I am quite good at it,” Miss Oswald said, seeming resolute as she stood. “If you will excuse me for a moment, I shall compose the missive immediately.”

  As the girl disappeared into the next room, Lily turned to Jack. “Well, Captain, you should be pleased that I am keeping myself out of danger this time.”

  “I am pleased.” His tone was far more serious than hers. “But I still think that girl is hiding something, and I mean to find out what it is.”

  “Most girls her age are.” Lily refused to rise to his bait. “It is the first time in life that one really has secrets to keep. But very few of them have anything to do with murder.”

  “And if her secrets do?”

  Lily lifted her chin. “Then we shall find that out as well.”

  Jack sighed but nodded, understanding that she did not wish to discuss the matter of Miss Oswald further. Instead, he slanted a glance at her and said, “You’ve made me curious to know what secrets you kept when you were Miss Oswald’s age.”

  She could not help a small smile as she answered, “Perhaps, one day, I shall tell you.”

  Jack laughed and let the matter of Miss Oswald drop—just in time, as the young heiress returned, triumphantly bearing her forged letter. Lily knew, though, that Jack meant what he said. He didn’t intend to let the matter go completely. She didn’t really mind. She was fairly certain she knew one of Miss Oswald’s secrets about Mr. Finch, and she intended to keep it from Jack. But there was something else going on with the girl, and Lily wanted to know what it was.

  * * *

  Jack took his leave before Lily did—she had noticed Miss Oswald’s look of distraction as they were putting the finishing touches on their plans and lingered deliberately. “What is it?” she asked quietly as the door closed behind the navy captain.

  Miss Oswald started, dropping the ends of the shawl she had been fussing with. “Nothing.” At Lily’s skeptical look, she sighed. “Uncertainty. Or regret. Or perhaps guilt. I am not sure what to call it, but it is not a pleasant sensation.”

  “You do not have to go tomorrow if it distresses you. I am sure Captain Hartley and I could—”

  “Oh no!” Miss Oswald broke in. “That was not it at all. I assure you, my courage is more than up to the task. It was … Mrs. Adler, do you ever wish you had a mother?”

  Lily’s throat tightened at the unexpected question, her sadness for the mother she had never known tangling up with her grief for the husband she had lost. “I have spent nearly my whole life wishing that,” she said quietly. “When I was small, I always thought if my mother had lived, perhaps my father would have loved me. And then everything would have been better.”

  “Sometimes I think if my mother had lived, I would have been a wiser person,” Miss Oswald said, wandering to the window and staring out blindly, shivering as she pulled her shawl more tightly around her shoulders. “I make decisions so quickly, you know. In the moment, they seem like the only choice I could possibly make. And so often, once they are made, they cannot be undone.” She looked back over her shoulder briefly, her smile sad. “Sometimes I talk to my mother, to ask her what I should do, or what I should have done
. And I imagine what she would say in response. In some ways it is a comfort. But I know her life was so different from mine—differences I could never understand—so in other ways …”

  “In other ways, it makes things worse,” Lily said quietly. “Because it reminds you that you will never truly know what she would have said.”

  “Yes.”

  “Who has you feeling so guilty about your impulsive choices, Miss Oswald?”

  The girl’s shoulders tensed visibly. “Augustus. I regret his death so …” She let out a shuddering breath. “So very much. And I feel guilty, because if I were a better person, I would regret not loving him the way he loved me. But I did not love him, and I still cannot make myself regret it.” She took another deep breath, then turned back to Lily. “Tomorrow, at least, I will do my part to prove the general and Mr. Lacey guilty of his murder.” Her hands twisted in her shawl once more before she deliberately smoothed the fabric back out. “And perhaps then, I will be able to sleep easy once more.”

  Lily hesitated, then laid a gentle hand on the girl’s arm. “Your mother would have loved you. She loved you for the brief time she knew you, and she would have continued loving you if she had lived. No matter what choices you made that you regret.”

  Miss Oswald smiled, placing her hand over Lily’s. “Yours as well, Mrs. Adler. Your mother would have loved you too.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Even though he had meant it when he called Lily’s plan brilliant, Jack was still amazed by how smoothly things began.

  He wore his uniform and affected a slight limp, introducing himself as Charles Henderson, formerly of the Laconia—a real person and a real ship, in case Mr. Lacey checked the navy lists—a decommissioned navy man looking for work after an injury took him from His Majesty’s service. He had to wait a few minutes for Mr. Lacey to be free, which was just enough time for Jem to return from an errand and find a familiar face waiting in his employer’s front office. The boy’s jaw dropped, but only for a moment. An instant later he was all business and cheek, dropping a stack of letters on the porter’s desk and asking loudly who “the toff in the fancy jacket” was.