by Alec, Joyce
Mr. Jones, the Bow Street Runner, took a step forward and cleared his throat. “What plan, Lord Ancrum?” he asked, as Joseph moved towards Lydia, settling one hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently so as to reassure her. Lydia looked as though she were about to break down completely, tears filling her eyes as she glanced up at him.
“Lady Starling sought to push herself into my life in one way or another,” Joseph said firmly, seeing Lady Starling slowly sinking back down into her chair. “She knew that I was seeking to reclaim my good reputation and, thereafter, look for a wife.”
Lady Starling let out a harsh laugh. “You think I sought to marry you, Lord Ancrum?” She laughed again and waved a hand. “Do not be so absurd! All of society knows that I am not at all interested in such things.”
Joseph did not say anything for some moments but rather held Lady Starling’s gaze, seeing how she flinched at his unrelenting stare.
“What is it, Lady Starling?” he asked softly, his words seeming to light themselves with tension as they made their way towards Lady Starling. “What has occurred that you must now seek to marry? Have you no wealth left? Have your funds dried up?”
Lady Starling said nothing, but the way her eyes darted from place to place told Joseph that he had managed to come very close to the truth.
“Who was Lord Paulson to you, Lady Starling?” he continued quietly. “I know that you say he was a cruel fellow who was blackmailing you, but I cannot believe that to be true. I believe it was all a ruse, a pretense. What was it you sought to do?”
Mr. Jones took another step forward and Lady Starling looked up at him, although her chin lifted slightly as though to pretend she felt no fear.
“If there is any truth in what Lord Ancrum is saying, Lady Starling, then I would ask you to speak it now,” Mr. Jones said, his tone rather gruff. “It would be best for you if you did so rather than for us to have to investigate further.”
Lady Starling said nothing for some moments, looking from Mr. Jones to Joseph and back again. With her jaw set firm and her eyes flashing, Joseph felt as though she were trying to gather her strength, so that she could remain determined and strong in the face of her whole world collapsing about her.
“I should also mention that I have set my butler to the task of discovering the whereabouts of one Miss Preston,” Joseph added, before Lady Starling could speak. “When she arrives, I have no doubt she will tell us everything we need to know.” He arched one brow as Lady Starling’s face began to pale all over again, aware that he had finally brought Lady Starling’s defenses down. She was not to be victorious, as she had planned. Lydia would not bear the guilt and the shame of being the supposed murderer as Lady Starling had intended. No, the truth was about to be revealed and Joseph had every intention of hearing each word from Lady Starling’s lips.
Much to his astonishment, Lady Starling suddenly flung herself forward, her hands covering her face and her elbows burying themselves into her knees. She neither moved nor spoke for some time and, from a glance up towards Mr. Jones, it was clear to Joseph that the fellow had very little idea of what to do.
“The truth, Lady Starling.”
It was not Joseph that spoke, nor Mr. Jones nor the other Bow Street Runner. Instead, it was Lydia herself who spoke those words of authority, her voice not shaking and trembling as he had supposed. She was pale, her hands tight in her lap, but her strength was beginning to evidence itself once more.
“Speak, Lady Starling,” Lydia continued, when Lady Starling did not move or say a word. “You must know that you cannot hide any longer. The beginnings of your deceit have been revealed and there can be no escape.”
Silence reigned for some moments longer, until Lady Starling slowly began to sit up. Her face was ashen, her eyes dulled, yet her mouth was pulled into a thin, cruel line that could not be hidden from her expression. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Lydia, clearly angry in the midst of her defeat. Her mouth opened, ready to spit words of fury out at them all, only for the door to open and the butler to step inside.
“Miss Preston, Lord Ancrum,” he said clearly, ushering in a young lady who came into the room with hesitant and cautious steps. “And her mother, Lady Cuthbert.”
Joseph bowed quickly, seeing how Lady Starling stared at the young lady in horror, not even managing to get to her feet. His victory was certain now, and he suspected that Lady Starling knew it.
“Miss Preston, Lady Cuthbert,” he said, seeing the grey-haired older lady look at him in suspicion. “Thank you for attending and I must apologize for the way in which you were requested to come to my home. It is of the greatest urgency, I assure you.”
“What is it that you require of my daughter, Lord Ancrum?” Lady Cuthbert asked sharply. “I do not understand what has occurred that requires her presence.”
Joseph nodded, seeing how Miss Preston’s gaze was fixed on Lady Starling’s face, her cheeks paling. “We need the truth from her, Lady Cuthbert,” he said, as firmly as he could. “Before these men here, Miss Preston, might you tell us what Lady Starling required of you the evening of Lord Paulson’s musical soiree?” He saw the girl flinch as though his words had stung her, her eyes closing tightly for a moment. “You need have no fear,” he continued reassuringly. “Lady Starling cannot hold anything over you any longer and what you say will not leave this room.” He gave her a small, tight smile, which the young lady did not return. “Please, Miss Preston, do not hold anything back. The fate of my betrothed is at stake.”
Miss Preston drew in a long breath, looked at him steadily, and then nodded. “If you can assure me that nothing I say will be spoken to anyone else, then I shall do as you ask,” she said, her voice somewhat tremulous. With a glance up to her mother, she closed her eyes tightly, her breathing rattling out of her. “I am sorry, Mama.”
16
Lydia watched as the two ladies seated themselves opposite her, although Miss Preston made certain not to sit anywhere near Lady Starling. Lady Starling herself had gone a rather ugly shade of crimson, her hands clenched into fists in her lap as she glared furiously at Miss Preston, clearly trying to use her ire to prevent the girl from speaking.
Lord Ancrum came to sit down beside Lydia, his presence an overwhelming sense of security to her. She felt bolstered by it, emboldened to continue in strength and determination. Looking at Miss Preston, Lydia forced herself to remain outwardly calm, praying silently that the young lady would not restrain herself out of fear. Lady Starling was still directing all of her ire towards Miss Preston, who, clearly aware of it, was shifting in her seat in a most uncomfortable fashion. Lord Ancrum settled his hand over hers, drawing her attention towards him once more. He smiled at her, his eyes filled with confidence, and Lydia felt some of her tension leave her.
“If you would begin, Miss Preston,” Mr. Jones said, looking a little confused as he glanced towards Lord Ancrum. This had clearly taken an unexpected turn and the Bow Street Runners were, mayhap, a little taken aback at how Lord Ancrum had managed to turn their investigation around so quickly that they were no longer even considering her as the person responsible.
Miss Preston took in a long breath, lowered her head, and set her hands together in her lap.
“Lady Starling and I only became acquainted a little over a sennight ago,” she began, her voice so quiet that Lydia had to strain to hear her. “She discovered me in a rather… improper… situation and I—”
“Sophia!” Lady Cuthbert exclaimed, interrupting her. “When was this? And what precisely was it that—”
“If I might be so bold as to interrupt, Lady Cuthbert,” Lord Ancrum said loudly, getting to his feet. “I know that this may have come as a shock to you, but please be aware of just how grave this situation currently is. If you might permit your daughter to finish without interruption, I would be most grateful.”
Lady Cuthbert turned to Lord Ancrum wordlessly, her eyes wide and her hands shaking slightly as she settled them back in her lap. Her mouth c
losed tight and she nodded to her daughter to continue. Lydia could not help but feel a swell of sympathy in her chest for Miss Preston, aware of just how difficult this must be for her.
“I—I was foolish, Mama,” Miss Preston whispered, throwing the smallest of glances up to her mother before lowering her eyes again. “Lord Kingsley was most welcoming and sought to take a walk with me in the gardens and I…” She closed her eyes tightly, shaking her head slowly. “As I said, I was foolish. I thought that Lady Starling was there to come to my aid, to help me away from his grasping hands, but instead, she told me that I would have no other choice but to do as she asked. Else she would speak of my misdemeanor to all and sundry and thereafter, my reputation would be blighted forever.”
“How terrible,” Lydia murmured sympathetically, seeing just how the debutante had been taken in by a gentleman who was, most likely, well used to taking advantage of innocent young ladies such as Miss Preston. “And Lady Starling threatened to reveal all if you did not do as she asked?”
Miss Preston nodded miserably, looking across at Lydia. “I was to do her bidding whenever she wished it and without question.”
“I see,” Lydia said, slowly beginning to understand why Lord Ancrum had been so eager to have Miss Preston brought to the house. “That sounds most troubling, Miss Preston.”
Lord Ancrum cleared his throat gently, drawing the young girl’s attention. “And might I ask, Miss Preston, whether or not Lady Starling informed you as to the color of gown you would be wearing on the night of Lord Paulson’s musical soiree?”
Lydia’s heart slammed hard into her chest as Miss Preston nodded, the girl not daring to look anywhere but her hands as they lay in her lap. “Both the same cut and color,” Miss Preston whispered, as Lydia swallowed back the exclamation that fought to rush from her throat as she realized what Lord Ancrum meant by his question. There had never been any suggestion that Lady Starling had been the one to leave the room, for Lady Templeton would surely have recognized if such a well-known lady had risen from her chair. But, in the dimly lit room, would it not have been easy to make out the lady’s features as she quit the room? A lady in a green gown sitting in Lady Starling’s seat would have, of course, been thought to be none other than the lady herself—but what if that had not been the case? What if Miss Preston, being of the same height and slim build as Lady Starling, had worn the same gown so that she might take Lady Starling’s place for a time? Lydia’s eyes traveled towards Lady Starling, horror beginning to fill her heart as she saw how the lady’s expression was one of fierce, unrelenting anger. Lady Starling’s furious gaze was now settled upon Lord Ancrum, clearly furious that he had discovered the truth about her plans.
“You were the one to kill Lord Paulson,” Lydia whispered, her fingers wrapping around Lord Ancrum’s strong hand. “You had Miss Preston take your seat at the performance so that you might go about your business.”
Lady Starling lifted her head and looked directly back at Lydia and the coldness in her expression sent a flurry of fear through her heart. The lady showed no sign of remorse, no outward expression of sadness. Instead, she appeared to be angry that she had been discovered.
“Lord Paulson and I had a wonderful partnership,” Lady Starling said, her voice thin. “He and I made certain that certain members of the ton were obliged to pass on either money or favors to us.”
Lord Ancrum’s hand pressed Lydia’s hard for a moment. “You mean to say that you were both involved in blackmailing some of the beau monde?”
Lady Starling shrugged. “My fortune and wealth are not what they had once been,” she replied, as though this was to be expected. “Therefore, I had to find a way to supplement it. That is, until Lord Paulson decided that he would no longer participate in our arrangement.” Her eyes narrowed all the more, her gaze resting on the floor somewhere by Lydia’s feet as she thought of the late Lord Paulson. “He threatened me.”
“Threatened you?” Mr. Jones asked, making Lydia start in surprise at his gruff voice. She had been so caught up in all that Lady Starling was saying that she had quite forgotten the Bow Street Runners were there.
Lady Starling’s lip curled. “Lord Paulson was a cruel man,” she declared, as though to say that he was somehow much worse than she. “He took all the… particulars of our agreements so that I had nothing with which to continue bringing in money.”
Lydia shook her head, seeing the tangled web that Lady Starling was attempting to explain. “You mean to say that he took letters, written confessions and the like, so that you could no longer use them.”
Lady Starling closed her eyes, her jaw working for a moment. “Yes,” she grated, her eyes opening and fixing on Lydia, who, even though she wanted to hold the lady’s gaze, found she could not help but look away. “He did just that. Therefore, I had to find another reliable source of income so that I could continue to live as I pleased.”
A swift intake of breath by her side told Lydia that her betrothed had realized that the only thing he had ever meant to Lady Starling was money.
“Gentlemen do not want to marry a widow such as myself,” Lady Starling continued calmly. “I am known to care for my own pleasures and to choose them carefully—a gentleman of the ton does not want a wife who has once been a widow under other men’s protection. Yet, despite that, I thought that you, Lord Ancrum, might be the only one who could be convinced to do so.”
Lord Ancrum’s frame tightened visibly, making Lydia all too aware of the effect Lady Starling’s words were having upon him. She wanted to lean into him, to tell him that this was the end of their troubles and that he did not need to listen to Lady Starling if he did not wish to, but she knew she could not. This had to be said. It had to be understood, so that Lord Ancrum knew all. Only then could he have peace within his heart.
“You thought that, with my past indiscretions, the ton would not look upon me favorably,” Lord Ancrum said, his voice hard. “And you thought that if you approached me, you might encourage my affections to rise somewhat.”
Lady Starling laughed loudly, the sound brash and grating. “That is precisely what I hoped, yes,” she admitted, chuckling as though she had been playing some sort of mild trick on him. “You seemed quite amiable at first and then, of course, I garnered your sympathy by telling you the truth about Lord Paulson—although I neglected to share the entirety of the situation with you.”
Lord Ancrum shook his head, never lifting his eyes from Lady Starling. “You wanted me to find something incriminating so that you could take control yet again.”
“Of course,” Lady Starling replied blithely, waving a hand. “But I could not do it alone. Lord Paulson would be sure to notice if I quit the room without any reason to do so. Therefore, I had you go for me.”
Lydia frowned, her stomach roiling uncomfortably. “Then why state that Miss Preston had to wear the same cut and color of gown as you?” she asked, not fully understanding. “If your intention was to have Lord Ancrum seek out something with which to blackmail Lord Paulson, why did you need Miss Preston’s help at all?”
Lady Starling turned her gaze lazily onto Lydia, her color now returning to normal. Her anger seemed to have faded, for she had neither redness in her cheeks nor fire in her gaze. It was as if she had given up completely, realizing that her plan had crumbled to nothing.
“Because Lord Paulson was a trickster,” she answered, lifting one shoulder in a small shrug. “And because I did not trust him. When his invitation came for me to attend his musical soiree, I knew full well that there was something else underneath the invitation. And I was correct.”
Mr. Jones cleared his throat, his hands behind his back. “And might you explain what that was, Lady Starling?”
Rolling her eyes as if to state that Mr. Jones was nothing more than an incompetent fool, Lady Starling let out a long sigh and slid her gaze towards him. “Lord Paulson whispered in my ear that he knew what I was doing with Lord Ancrum,” she replied, gesturing towards the gentleman
. “He stated that he would tell Lord Ancrum everything unless I was willing to give him a reason not to do so.” A small shudder ran through her. “I could not stand for such a demand.”
“And so you chose to kill him,” Mr. Jones stated, as Lady Starling held his gaze. “Is that it?”
Lady Starling nodded and then sat back in her chair. “I saw him leave the room, although I do not think he intended to do so prior to that evening. A footman came to him quietly, as I think I have told you before, Lord Ancrum.” She glanced at him but Lord Ancrum said nothing, his fingers now laced through Lydia’s. “Thereafter, I simply had to pray and hope that he would remain outside the room until Miss Preston came to seek me out.”
“I did,” Miss Preston admitted, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. “I rose to make my way to the powder room, looking towards Lady Starling as I had been instructed. She nodded and quickly, I slipped into her seat as she rose to leave. The performance was at its height and I cannot be certain that even the person who sat in the next chair even noticed what occurred, such was their interest in the performance.”
Lady Starling sighed and got to her feet, looking at Mr. Jones. Her shoulders slumped, the fight gone from her. “I did not mean to kill him,” she said, although Lydia did not know whether or not such a thing was true. “I had a small knife with me but that was only to protect myself should my discussion with Lord Paulson go awry.”
Lydia closed her eyes, recalling how she had seen Lord Paulson face down on the floor. “It went badly awry, then,” she murmured, making Lady Starling throw her a dark look.
“Indeed,” Lady Starling replied, a trifle tartly. “I threatened him and he merely laughed at me.” She lifted one shoulder. “I do not recall ever intending to push the knife into his heart.”