The Earl's Mortal Enemy

by Issy Brooke

  “No – no, I am not a professor any longer. That title is not mine to claim.”

  “What happened?”

  He blinked and scraped his boot across the tiles. “Well, nothing happened. Oh, you’re hunting for some scandal, I assume? There is none to be found. I gave up my tenure so that I might pursue a career in business.”

  “Could you not do both?”

  “It is complicated.”

  “I am fairly quick to understand things.”

  He could not now refuse to answer her without seeming to imply that she was stupid. Briskly, he said, “It would undoubtedly cause a conflict of interest. I am a palaeontologist. But, if while I were still in post at the university I used my knowledge and skills for merely commercial gains, some might question my loyalty or my bias.”

  “That makes perfect sense. Thank you for indulging my curiosity.”

  “My pleasure.” He was looking towards the door, hoping for a reason to leave.

  “Might you also tell me a little more about the relationship between Mr Froude and my brother?”

  That startled him. “Um – my lady, I cannot.”

  “Indeed?”

  “You must not read anything into that. I am simply showing respect.”

  “Ah,” she said. “You cannot say anything positive so you are choosing not to say anything at all. Usually, such reticence would be admirable. But,” she said, her tone hardening, “a man is dead. Now is not the time for niceties. Do not spare my feelings. I am under few illusions about my brother.”

  “Very well,” he replied with obvious reluctance. “Froude and Pegsworth? I suppose it is no secret that they do not get on well. Indeed, Froude objected most strongly to Pegsworth. He saw no need for his assistance at this stage in the business. Further down the line, we shall of course employ general workers. As it happens, Pegsworth has been useful, in my opinion. But not indispensably so. I am sorry.”

  “No need for apologies. So Froude was against him at the start?”

  “Yes. Then he accepted him, and seemed to make an effort to be congenial with him.”

  “When?”

  “When we first came here.”

  “And now?”

  “The strains and anxieties of events have affected us all. Froude has returned to his earlier antipathy against your brother.”

  “It is not to be helped. Thank you for your honesty. Now, as I am sure you will be aware, my husband confides in me a great deal. I am telling you this in the spirit of honesty which you have so admirably shown to me. I know, therefore, that you were the one who brought Mr Halifax into the business. When you first met him you were initially won over by Mr Halifax and convinced by his words which turned out, in hindsight, to be somewhat over-inflated. By that point, however, you had invited him into partnership. Am I correct?”

  He scowled, but nodded. “Yes, that is true. And it is not a secret so no confidences have been broken, I’m sure.” But he stared at her with a fierce expression and she knew that it was a warning.

  A warning that she chose to ignore.

  “And I also understand that you had also been engaged in a previous business venture with Mr Halifax?” That was what he’d told Theodore and Inspector Prendergast. “I was wondering as to the nature of that particular business. And I wonder, also, what went wrong.”

  “A previous business? No, I am afraid you must be mistaken.” He spoke rapidly. “I had no previous dealings with Halifax.”

  “I do apologise. I misunderstood. After all, it would be awfully curious if you had been in business with Mr Halifax, and come at that point to understand that he was rather full of hot air and very little substance. And yet, with that knowledge, then bring him into this new business. That would be terribly irresponsible, would it not? It would be awfully difficult to understand your motivations in that regard.”

  She watched his hands close and flex, and his mouth become a thin line. He strode towards her and she had to move to one side. He didn’t say a word until he had his hand on the door handle.

  “I have had no previous dealings with Mr Halifax, and I quickly saw through his façade, and furthermore I would advise you to leave the investigations to the proper authorities, Lady Calaway. I have only the utmost respect for you,” he added through gritted teeth, “and speak only out of kindness. You would be unwise to step on the toes of the police.” He stormed out.

  Oho, she thought in triumph. Your toes have been thoroughly stamped upon.

  But her triumph dimmed as it became clear to her what she had to do next.

  She didn’t think the police would agree to it.

  So she simply wouldn’t ask them for permission.

  SHE WAS HAPPY ENOUGH to defy the police authorities but she certainly could not countenance disobeying her own husband. As soon as she had determined upon her plan, she went first to Smith to give her some instructions and then went to find Theodore. He was closeted with Inspector Prendergast. She peeped through the crack in the door and was pleased to see both men at a table in Theodore’s study, apparently discussing some papers and notes that were spread out in front of them. She decided not to disturb them, but the inspector was an alert sort of man and spotted her movement through the partly open door. He sat back and called her in.

  Theodore looked a little more happy and relaxed than he had done the previous evening and she smiled in greeting. “Good day, gentlemen; inspector, I can assume from your demeanour that you are making progress?”

  “Yes, indeed.” Inspector Prendergast glanced at Theodore. “May I...?”

  “Yes, please speak freely in front of my wife. She has been at my side throughout all of my previous investigations.”

  “And sometimes leading out from the front,” she said.

  “As long as that was in the capacity of standard-bearer and not a troop of the Forlorn Hope,” Inspector Prendergast said, and Theodore laughed, though the military references were lost on Adelia and she was briefly annoyed by the unconscious exclusion. But it was ever thus. And didn’t women have a language of their own, employed when they did not want the men around them to really understand what was being discussed? She shrugged it off.

  “So what have you learned?” she said, sitting down. “Are we closer to an arrest? I confess, inspector, none of us are enjoying this process and I rather fear Mr Montgomery and Mr Froude might make a moonlight flit before very long.”

  “Word has come from London. The fossil hammer that we found was definitely used as the murder weapon. Halifax was struck from behind and died almost instantly due to the placement of the blow and its force. He was killed just before midnight, not long after everyone went up to bed after the dinner.”

  Adelia nodded, waiting for any new information.

  Inspector Prendergast didn’t say anything else.

  “So,” she said, “we knew all of that already, did we not?”

  He shook his head. “No, my lady, we had merely suspected, surmised or guessed. We made suppositions, nothing more. And while I appreciate that you and your husband may work in that manner, I am afraid that to bring any of this to court, we will need to put actual scientific evidence in front of the jury and the judge. I have been hard at work with my special officers to ensure this case, when it comes before the court, is watertight.” He tapped the paperwork. “So far, so good.”

  “Yes, but who did it?” she exclaimed. “There are two – three – men out there, all of whom could be guilty, either singly or as a group. Get them now!”

  “My lady, it has been only two days. Murder investigations take many months.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You will all be here for months? Over Christmas? But what about the charity dinner? They expect you to tell them everything then. You are the main event and you are to provide a summary of your achievements. It will be a short speech if all you can say is ‘come back in three months’ time’.”

  Inspector Prendergast smiled kindly. “Don’t worry, my lady. I certainly intend to be don
e by Christmas. As for the dinner, well, it will be as it will be. I did not become a policeman for the chance to give speeches.” He gathered up the papers, nodded at Theodore, and left the room.

  Adelia gaped in astonishment. “He has no idea of the importance of making a good impression with his after-dinner speech at the charity event, does he? He seems not to realise his whole professional standing rests on the impression he gives. He has only newly been promoted, and that can easily be reversed.”

  Theodore grimaced. “And with his reputation rising or falling, so does ours alongside.”

  “How deeply involved were you with his promotion?”

  “It was entirely at my direction.”

  “Entirely?”

  “Entirely. And that is well known in the clubs. The commissioner and the promotion board did me a personal favour at my own request. If he fails, though...” He tailed off.

  The Caxton family, the Earl and Countess of Calaway, would not sink from favour, of course. They were too old and too respected. But little things would change. Fewer invitations would come their way. There would be a certain amount of light snubbing. Adelia told herself that she didn’t care one way or another. It would have bothered her a decade ago; but not now. She enjoyed a quieter life. But it would also have an impact on her daughters and their families if anyone cared to stir up trouble. And there was that one person who did care enough to rock the boat: Mrs Ingram, who could and undoubtedly would start a whispering campaign out of spite and delight. Such things sometimes blew over. At other times, almost inexplicably, they led to the ultimate destruction of reputations. It was usually impossible to predict how it would end. If Lady Purfleet came back to assert her dominance, Adelia and her family would find themselves pushed into obscurity.

  And, combined with her daughter Edith’s current propensity for scandalising the old guard, bringing shame upon the family would almost be too easy.

  It shouldn’t bother me one bit, she told herself. She was too mature for such silly playground nonsense.

  But it did bother her.

  Adelia put her head in her hands. She remained like that for a few moments until she heard Theodore chuckling softly.

  “I think it falls to us, then, to solve this case immediately,” he said as she lifted her head.

  “It does,” she replied. “Theodore, darling, I need to go to London.”

  “It is only November.”

  “Not for Christmas shopping. I mean, I must go now. Tomorrow, at the very latest.”

  “Alone?”

  “Of course not. I shall take Smith – and one other. If they will accept. I am going to find out some facts. There is no danger involved – this time.”

  He smiled at her. “You coped rather well the last time, so I have no fear for you, and Smith herself is a formidable protector. But please tell me all of your plans.”

  She did, and he agreed.

  SHE SNEAKED AWAY IN the middle of the afternoon. Not, at this point, to London, but merely on foot to Ivery Manor. The walk took her over an hour, but she needed the exercise. She was dressed in a thick cloak to keep the chill off, and went briskly, slipping from hedge to hedge to evade the police. Theodore himself provided the distraction long enough to keep a constable’s attention so that she was able to leave the grounds unnoticed. Their guard was already relaxing as nothing of note had happened in two days.

  She was informed by a liveried manservant that Lord Ivery was in the workshops by the stables, and Lady Ivery was not At Home. “Not even to her own mother?” she pressed. “I saw her just this morning when she came to visit me.”

  There was a flicker of exasperation on his face but she felt it was not directed at her. It mustn’t have been easy for the servants to work with such a vague and irritated mistress. He assured her that he would double-check in case he was mistaken, and she thanked him. As soon as he disappeared, she headed out to the stables.

  Her son-in-law was working in his shirt sleeves, with the double doors to a barn thrown open. In spite of the cold, he was lathered with sweat. He was working on a long piece of wood, shaving it down to a smooth plank. All around him were lumps of twisted metal and springs and coils and cylinders and pumps and pistons. He saw her and gave a great cry of delight.

  “My lady!”

  “Come here, you silly child – Gregory – you can call me Adelia as you always have.”

  “I never have, and ought to not start now. Nor can I embrace you,” he said, laughing at her outstretched arms. “Look at the state of me!”

  “Whatever are you doing?”

  “I want to make a better ploughshare.”

  “How wonderful.” The Ivery estates were vast and populated by many dozens of tenant farmers. Gregory had always been intent on improving their lot in life – and their farms’ productivity, of course, which would be for the benefit of his own coffers as well as the lives of his tenants. He was a very practical sort of landowner and would have been as happy as anyone to have been born without a title as long as he had a means to make his living with his hands, she thought.

  “What does Edith think of all of this?” she asked.

  Gregory paused in wiping his face with a square of cloth. “She is fascinated and supportive,” he said. “But ... it is hard for me to put my finger on it, but something is causing her to feel dissatisfied or frustrated. She wants to help me in my programme of improvements, naturally, and I would welcome it, but her mind is not as mechanical as she wants it to be. I think it annoys her. She is insulted at her own lack of capacity perhaps. I did once try to explain that the female mind simply wasn’t constructed in a way that would allow it to understand complicated engineering but ... that conversation did not go well. I dare not raise the matter again.”

  “Oh dear. Apart from that, do you feel that everything is happy?”

  Gregory looked puzzled. “Yes, I do, generally. Why? Has she said something to the contrary?”

  “Not at all. Her life has changed so much, so quickly, that she is having to adjust, that’s all. I don’t think she expected to have to do so much entertaining.”

  “We don’t do any entertaining.”

  “Do you not have many guests? Only the other day, I spoke with Lady Passmore who mentioned she had stayed here for four days.”

  “Oh, those are not guests!” he said with a laugh. “No, apart from her birthday party, we don’t throw any great social gatherings. Yes, various members of my family come and call but they have always done so. I have such a large house, and so many relatives, that surely it’s my duty to welcome them all? It can’t just be me and Edith rattling around here on our own. Wealth is to be shared or it’s just meaningless.”

  “And that is why my daughter adores you, and why you are such a good match,” Adelia said, pleased by his words.

  Footsteps on the gravel outside stopped Adelia saying anything else. Edith slipped into the workshop. She frowned at her mother, but her expression immediately became one of love as she looked at Gregory. Adelia was heartened to see it. Whatever issues Edith might have, she did not lack for love, and that was perhaps going to be the most important thing.

  “Mama. Have you come to continue our discussion? I thought no one was allowed to leave your house? Oh! Have they made an arrest?”

  “They have not. I sneaked out.”

  “You did what?” Both Edith and Gregory were shocked.

  “Theodore caused a distraction by dropping a pot of tea while I put a hood over my head and hid behind some bushes.”

  Edith could not help but laugh. “Oh, mama, you always surprise me in the end!”

  “I have one more surprise. With Gregory’s permission, I should like to ask for your help.”

  “She does not need my permission,” he said.

  “You might want to think about it,” she said. “Edith, would you come with me to London? Tomorrow?”

  “Whatever for?”

  “I must make some enquiries into one of the suspects.”
>
  “Oh.” Edith didn’t take long to make up her mind. “Yes, of course I’ll come. But what will the police say about it? You cannot pretend to still be at Thringley. Papa will run out of teapots to drop.”

  Adelia shrugged. “I don’t think they will send a policeman after me to arrest me. I shall chance it. I am old enough to weather any scandal in the press. In fact, wouldn’t that be fun?” She did not believe her own words, especially in light of other things, but it was important to say them anyway.

  Both Gregory and Edith were laughing now.

  “And one last thing,” Adelia said, before she turned to go. “Would you write to Charlotte and tell her we shall be in town? I should very much like to see her. It would be better, coming from you.”

  Edith’s face clouded only for a moment. “Yes, mama, of course. Did you walk here? We can send you back in a carriage.”

  “Yes, please. That would be lovely. It must drop me at the end of the drive, unseen.”

  They embraced, stiffly but at least it was something. Adelia and Edith had often disagreed and argued, but their bond was deep, underneath. Adelia wondered if there was a deep bond, yet undiscovered, between herself and Charlotte. She hoped so.

  She was packed off in a carriage very quickly, and managed to sneak into the grounds of Thringley House as dusk was falling, climbing a low black metal fence with some difficulty. She went around to the servants’ entrance, where a policeman was standing by the scullery door. But he was not looking her way.

  She followed his concentrated gaze.

  Two male figures were walking together, in deep conversation, following the paths of the kitchen garden. They stopped and looked up, and saw that they were being observed by the policeman.

  She took the chance to slip inside by a smaller door that led to the kitchens.

  The men were Froude and Montgomery.

  Ten

  Theodore helped Adelia to leave the house early on Friday morning. The servants in the place were allowed a certain degree of flexibility to allow them to do their jobs effectively. Since their arrival on Tuesday, the police had quickly got used to the comings and goings of the place. The number of constables had also lessened from that first initial flush; Prendergast must have been confident that the gentlemen would adhere to his request as a matter of honour rather than under threat or duress. Theodore was amused, therefore, to be able to use the classic trick of hiding Adelia and Smith in a cart load of laundry. Smith, in fact, was disguised as the washerwoman and simply drove the cart right out of the house and past the policemen.