by Anya Wylde
The duke nodded and gestured for him to continue.
“We searched for it, but failed to locate it. Then I went to Lord Raikes’ room and fell asleep on the couch, since the door to the servant’s room was locked. I woke when Pickering knocked on William’s door. I hid in the closet to avoid being discovered and then snuck back into the kitchen. I was then informed that you had requested my presence in the library, so here I am.”
The duke looked thoughtful and said, “Can you tell me from the beginning everything that happened which made you believe my sister was blackmailing Prudence?”
The earl did not want to divulge Prudence’s secret, but he knew he had no choice. This was a matter of murder and no longer a time to play games. So he outlined the events that led up to their search.
“Thank you for your edited version of events. I know where you truly spent your night. Now, Lord Raikes, let us have your explanation for last night’s activities.”
“Your Grace, I am sure you are already aware of them, but I will tell you as truthfully as I can. I went to meet Emma and the earl … in Emma’s room,” Lord Raikes threw an apologetic look at his friend as he said it. He knew the duke was fully aware of their activities; hence, lying to him could not be a good idea, “I then begged them to allow me to tell Catherine everything due to my growing regard for her. I went back to my room to find Prudence lying in my bed. You can guess how she was dressed and why she was there. Before I could get over my shock, Catherine came to my door and misunderstood the situation. I then went to her room and explained everything as best as I could. I was thrown out within half an hour. I fell asleep soon after.”
“Did either of you see anyone in the hallway?”
“Mr and Mrs Barker,” the earl said.
The duke waited until Nutters had scratched that information down on paper.
“Did they see you or speak to you?”
“No, Emma saw Mrs Barker’s departing back. She seemed to be in a hurry. We quickly moved towards the staircase when Mr Barker sped by us. He must have seen us, though he ignored our presence,” the earl replied.
The duke thoughtfully tapped his lips with his fingers. He eyed the two men, debating on how best to handle the situation. He sighed. The murder was far more important than the indiscretions committed by the lovers. He finally contented himself with, “I have already sent for one special license this morning, and I will request for another as soon as possible. Both of you have compromised two young women, hence you will be married as soon as this is resolved. Lord Raikes, it is up to you to convince Catherine. It will not benefit me to lose my temper over such ungentlemanly acts, but I can only seek to improve the situation.”
“So we are no longer suspects?” the earl asked, grinning.
“I did not say that,” he replied.
That wiped the smile of the earl’s face.
Lord Raikes spoke up hurriedly,” Your Grace, I did not compromise your daughter. Surely, if no one is aware except for you, the matter of my being in her room can be overlooked. As for killing your sister, I assure you, I had no reason.”
“Lord Raikes, I am aware you spent half an hour in my daughter’s room alone and late at night. I have only your word that nothing untoward occurred. As for killing my sister, I cannot discount you, for I was unaware of your activities last night. I cannot know everything that goes on in my home at odd hours, though I am flattered you think so. Unfortunately, you have confided your indiscretion, and I cannot overlook it. I do appreciate your honesty in the matter, though. If you are proved innocent, then you will do the honourable thing and marry Catherine.”
“How did you know my identity?” Lord Raikes asked, annoyed. Why had he not kept his mouth shut? He was in a pickle now, just when he had been making progress. Catherine would not be pleased at being thus engaged.
“I still have a lot of people to interview, so I will make this quick. Now, the first time I caught Emma with the gardener, I noticed something did not seem right about him. I kept a close eye on him, getting Pickering to act as my eyes and ears. He followed the earl to the village one day and overheard a conversation with his valet … Burns, I believe his name is. He learnt of the charade you were playing and why. I then explained to Emma my reasons for asking you both to wait, hoping she would give up this foolishness. She remained stubborn, and I decided to invite you as a guest. She was being indiscreet, and others had started noticing her odd infatuation with the gardener. I did not want things to get worse. I wanted you to live in the house where I could keep an eye on you and get to know you. You, instead of taking that chance, asked your friend here to impersonate your character.”
The earl looked sheepish while the duke took a deep breath and continued,
“The two of you are the worst actors imaginable. Lord Raikes here gave himself away within five minutes of my meeting him. Had I not already been aware of the deception, I would have known through that first meeting. He pointed out a particular ornament I had brought back with me from Africa. He then told me in great detail how enchanting his trip had been. Everyone in London knows that the earl has never travelled to Africa, since his parents died on their way there. I had investigated Lord Hamilton’s interests as soon as I had heard of his engagement to Emma, as is my duty. And, Lord Raikes, that dye should have shown signs of fading by now. I am surprised my daughter, who I consider intelligent, never questioned that fact further.”
“I have learnt my lesson. Living the life of a gardener for four weeks is a punishment in itself … isn’t it?” the earl asked hopefully.
The duke eyed him blandly.
The earl squirmed uncomfortably, and then dared another question, “Why didn’t you stop the charade when you knew?” he said before quickly adding, “I truly have learnt my lesson.”
The duke smiled briefly before replying, “I am glad to hear it. As for letting you go on as is, credit me with a sense of humour. It was entertaining to see the three of you go to great lengths to try and hide the truth from me. It was, after all, a play conducted for my benefit. I did not have the heart to spoil your fun.”
The interview was at an end. The two grown men stood up, nervously shuffling their feet. Feeling foolish, they avoided the duke’s eyes and making hasty bows scuttled towards the door.
The earl and Lord Raikes left the room and the duke to his thoughts. They strode miserably towards the breakfast room. Neither of them could contemplate the thought of going back to bed or eating a single bite.
The earl was miserable since he had wasted four weeks of his life trying to fool the duke. He could have had a warm bed within the first week of the charade.
Lord Raikes was sweating profusely. Not only was he a suspect in a murder, but he now had to inform Catherine of the duke’s decision. Catherine was engaged to him, and she had no blasted clue. Good Lord! The entire thing was his bloody fault. He had tried to be noble and clever by being honest, but in truth, he had ended up blabbing like a nitwit. His fiancée would not be pleased.
Chapter 26
“Sir, you explained everything, except how you knew where the earl was last night?” Nutters asked, once the earl and his friend had departed.
“I had Pickering keep an eye on the house. I knew someone was planning to rob my safe. My mole in the kitchens informed me that Joe, the under-gardener who you saw present at the discussion this morning, was planning the theft. Pickering noticed the earl going to Emma’s room, and concerned for the young woman’s virtue, he hung about until he saw them leave for their search. Unfortunately, he stuck to them the entire time they were hunting for that note and failed to see what else was going on in the house. Pickering might have mistakenly thought that the earl was in on the robbery and convinced Emma to be his accomplice. The door was locked to the servant’s entrance, so he felt no threat from that direction. He did not know of a greater criminal act being performed, so he wasted his time on the wrong people. It does give the earl and Emma a strong alibi, even if they do not know
it. I think we can safely cross them off the list.”
“I see. I too can think of no motive for the earl or even Lord Raikes. They were new to the household and would gain nothing from your sister’s death. Still, we must reserve judgment until all the facts are before us,” Nutter said.
“I agree. Now, I propose to call Prudence next. The girl looked unwell. She will need to retire to her rooms as soon as possible.” The duke rang for some weak tea and a pot of strong coffee, and then requested Prudence to come join them.
Prudence walked in nervously. She wore a demure pink gown this morning, clinging less to her body than usual. She curtsied to the gentleman and sat down.
“I am sorry to have called you alone like this, my dear, but I wanted to speak to you without the presence of your parents,” the duke said kindly.
“That’s all right, Your Grace.”
“Now, can you tell me what you did last night after everyone retired for bed?”
“I went to my room and slept.”
“Are you sure you did not visit my sister last night? You went straight to bed and stayed in your room all night? Please try and be honest with me. I promise not to judge you on any matter.”
“I stayed in bed,” she replied firmly.
“I see, now would you kindly explain how this,” the duke asked, pulling out a ruby brooch from his desk, “came to lie next to Lady Babbage? I found it this morning on her bed.”
Prudence turned white, and then rushed to explain, “She liked the look of it. She saw me wear it, and I had let her borrow it sometime in the afternoon. I think she wanted to make a copy of the design.”
“I also found these,” the duke said, pulling out a bunch of letters wrapped in blue ribbon. On top of the bunch lay a note to Lady Babbage from Prudence. “I am sure you know the contents of the letters, since they have been received by you. I also know that my sister must have found these letters and kept them. The letter on top tells its own story … that you, my dear, were being blackmailed.”
Prudence started crying softly, “I did not kill her.”
“I am sorry for distressing you. I assure you, nothing that has been discussed will go out of this room. I need your help, and if you did not kill her, then help me eliminate you as a suspect. Tell me what occurred last night?”
“I was to wait for a letter from Lady Babbage. She was going to put it in my work basket. I had sent a man to London to sell my mother’s diamond necklace. I was hoping to exchange the money for the letters. That man returned sooner than I expected him, and he informed me that the diamonds were pastes. You can imagine how distressed I was. I deliberately took my basket with me to my room hoping that if Lady Babbage did not get a chance to leave the note, then I could buy more time. She already knew of my condition, and I am sure you know of it as well if you have read that note I wrote to her. I did not know what to do, so I decided to go to the earl’s room and beg him for help.” She refused to elaborate on what occurred in the room or her state of dress.
The duke did not push her.
“Then,” she continued after taking a sip of tea, “I returned to my room within a few minutes. I did not sleep nor did I venture out again. That, My Lord, is the truth! I do not know why my brooch was lying by her. I had given it to her in order to buy time so that I could arrange for more money. She had seen me wearing it, and she asked me for it in return for keeping silent.”
The duke looked at the bitterness in her face. He knew he had got as much as possible out of her. It was a very likely possibility that she could have murdered the woman.
“What do you think?” he asked Nutters after she left.
“She is high on the list. She had a motive, she has no alibi, and the brooch was conveniently found next to the dead body,” replied Nutters.
“But do you not think it is too pat? Imagine that the girl did kill her. She would have had to procure the butcher knife, as young ladies do not normally tote it around. That means it was done in cold blood and planned. Why would she then leave incriminating evidence like the letters or her brooch lying about for us to find?”
“My Lord, the young lady is either telling the truth or is frightfully clever. The very fact that it is so obvious would make an intelligent man doubt her hand in this … and yet my experience has taught me that nine times out of ten the killer is almost always the obvious person.”
The duke nodded, and then producing a bottle of brandy, asked, “Would you like a drink? Brandy, tea, or …?”
“Coffee is fine, thank you. Who shall we call next?”
“Mrs Barker”
She arrived looking far more composed than her daughter.
The duke took in her calm face and decided to be direct with her, “Was my sister blackmailing you?”
She was visibly shaken by the attack.
“I suppose you found some of my jewels?” she asked finally.
The duke had not. He had merely guessed, so he said nothing in reply and simply waited for her to continue.
“Can I speak freely?” she asked, looking at Nutters.
“He has my complete confidence,” the duke replied promptly.
“Well, then, yes she was. She knew of the affair we … we had and threatened to tell my husband. Even though he turns a blind eye to my flirting, I was not sure how he would take it if he found out I had actually committed an indiscretion.”
“I was not the only one she knew of?” he asked silkily.
She paused, weighing the words, and then nodded, “She knew of one other incident. She found a letter I had written to you in your possession. I do not know how she found out about the other.”
“I see, and tell me why you were out of bed last night?”
“I went to speak to her. I wanted to beg her to leave me alone. My husband was getting suspicious and asking questions. I needed her to give me time. I knew once I returned to London I would find some way of paying her. But my husband refused to leave this place.”
“Did you kill her?” he asked bluntly.
“No!”
He held her eyes for a long moment before allowing her to depart.
He turned to look at Nutters and caught the brief look of disapproval on his face.
“Don’t judge me, Nutters. It happened right after I found out that my new wife was mad. I was in despair and turned to her for comfort. I was not thinking straight as you can imagine. I ended it as soon as I came to my senses. We had been lovers when I was much younger as well. I allow her to come here out of respect for those times, and I feel guilty for what I did.”
“You need not explain your actions, My Lord.”
“I think I am still trying to come to terms with it,” he replied, running his hands through his hair. “Let’s not keep Mr Barker waiting any longer,” he said, finally ringing the bell.
Nutters pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped the quill in ink.
The duke took a healthy drink from the bottle of brandy, letting the heat course through him. The alcohol did not give him comfort, and he pushed the bottle away, reaching for the coffee instead.
“I did not kill her. It is utterly ridiculous to suggest that I did,” Mr Barker said as soon as he entered the room.
The duke paused in the midst of pouring the coffee, and carefully set the pot down.
“No one is accusing you yet. Please take a seat. This is just routine. If you had nothing to do with it, then you will not mind answering a few of my questions,” he said soothingly.
Mr Barker visibly thawed at the duke’s apologetic tone.
“No, I understand. I will do all I can to help. You may count me in. Women are such passionate creatures. We men should stick together.”
“Are you suggesting that the murderer was a woman?”
“Women are emotional and jealous. They often act irrationally. Why, half the murders in England are of wives poisoning their husbands or their lovers. I heard of a nurse who murdered her own children. Men are practical. They may kill to rob
and feed the family, but what use is killing an old woman?”
Mr Barker seemed to become more vocal when he was nervous.
“I know my sister was not having any affairs, hence no one had a reason to be jealous. Besides, she was stabbed and not poisoned. That seems to me like a man’s job. It is too violent a method for a woman,” the duke said mildly.
“I see,” Mr Barker said, becoming agitated once again.
“Now, please tell me why were you following your wife in the middle of the night?”
“I was not! I was in bed.”
“Please, do away with deceit. This is a matter of murder being committed under my roof. Someone saw you.”
“I suppose the gardener and Emma came clean,” he said nastily.
“They had a legitimate reason for being out of bed and together at that hour. Please answer my question,” the duke ordered sternly.
Mr Barker deflated at the duke’s tone and meekly replied, “I followed her to see where she was going. She has been acting odd this last one year, and when I heard the adjoining door open, I guessed she had left her bed. It was well past the hour for her maid to be in the room. It was my right to discover where she was going.”
“Where did she go, and what did you see?”
“She went to your sister’s room. She closed the door behind her. She was inside for about fifteen minutes before she went back to her own room. I was extremely agitated and guessed her reasons. I saw the gardener and Emma, but I did not think they would say anything of my being out of bed, since I doubt they would have wanted their own indiscretion to be known.”
“I see. You returned straight to bed?”
“Yes”
“You knew your wife was being blackmailed, did you not?”