The Bloomsbury Affair

by Anita Davison

  ‘It’s a shame Lydia will have to give it up.’ Bunny kept his attention on the broadsheet. ‘I hear she’s done an excellent job at the academy.’

  ‘Actually, she doesn’t plan to,’ Flora said. ‘When they return from their honeymoon in Ambleside, she intends to continue running the school. All with Harry’s approval, I might add.’

  ‘The Lake District in April?’ Ed crumbled the remains of his bread roll in his fingers, none of which reached his mouth. ‘Huh, I’ll wager it will rain every day.’

  ‘Sounds like a perfect honeymoon to me,’ Bunny muttered, raising the paper again. ‘I heard Harry had recently taken an interest in the Labour Party.’

  ‘Your friends are socialists?’ Ed asked, a mock horrified expression on his face.

  ‘Horrible, isn’t it?’ Bunny winked at him. ‘Harry might even stand for Parliament one day.’

  ‘Not the Belgravia constituency, obviously,’ Flora said, smiling. ‘I think it’s admirable that he has developed an interest in the plight of the working man. Most young men in his position simply enjoy their privilege without giving the fate of others a thought. Lydia is very proud of him. Oh, and Lydia has invited William and Alice to the wedding. Separately of course.’

  ‘Hmm. Be careful, Flora,’ Bunny peered at her over the top of his newspaper. ‘This scheme to get your parents together again could backfire.’

  ‘I don’t agree. The more time William and Alice spend together, the better. And talking of weddings,’ she added quickly, ‘Sally is officially walking out with Abel Cain.’

  ‘Who?’ Ed frowned. ‘Ah, you mean the man mountain who has to turn sideways to get through a door?’ His lips twitched but not enough to be called a smile as he reached for the toast rack. ‘They must make an unusual couple, what with your maid being so tiny.’

  ‘Sally’s determined to keep other predatory females at bay until she can get him down the aisle.’ Flora slid the butter dish towards Ed, dismayed at the sight of his bitten fingernails.

  ‘Any particular predatory female?’ Bunny snapped his newspaper, his eyes sparkling behind his spectacles.

  ‘Yes, the new housemaid,’ Flora began, aware she was talking for the sake of it, but it was an improvement on tense silence. ‘She has this soft voice and the face of a china doll which prompts men to rush round her with offers of help. Sally took to her at first, until I employed Abel to work in the garden. Sally caught her talking to him and now she comes to me at least once a day with some spurious complaint, the most recent being the girl hums too loudly. I’m sure the poor creature doesn’t understand what she’s done wrong.’

  ‘What’s Abel doing with your garden?’ Ed dipped the butter knife into the jam and spread a thick layer of blackcurrant conserve on his toast. ‘If you can call a handkerchief of grass behind a seven-foot high brick wall a garden.’

  ‘It’s more than adequate for a town garden,’ Flora replied, mildly hurt as she discreetly picked globs of butter out of the conserve. ‘I wanted a safe place for Arthur to play in, and somewhere to sit on sunny days.’

  ‘Safe?’ Ed rolled his eyes as he took a large bite of his toast. ‘There’s nothing more dangerous there than a lily pond.’ He snorted. ‘My playground was a thousand acres of countryside littered with ploughshares, bad-tempered cows and unbroken ponies.’

  ‘And you’ve not lived until you’ve fallen out of a hayloft,’ Bunny added.

  Flora rolled her eyes at the men’s mutual burst of loud laughter and went back to her breakfast. She knew when she was being ganged up on.

  ‘I see you have a copy of The Graphic there, Ed.’ Bunny pointed to the magazine beside Ed’s plate. ‘Are you reading anything of interest?’

  ‘What? Oh yes.’ He blinked as if he had never seen it before. ‘Timms lent it to me. There’s an article about an American who has brought an entire dinosaur to London. It’s called the Diplodocus.’ He opened the magazine to the appropriate page and slid it across the table towards him. ‘There’s an impressive drawing of it there. They say it’s the largest animal ever found.’

  ‘The skeleton isn’t real, Ed.’ Bunny left his chair and strolled to the sideboard to re-load his plate. ‘Andrew Carnegie had a replica made which he is sending on a world tour.’

  ‘Even so, I’d love to see it in the British Museum while I’m here. I don’t suppose there’s much chance now,’ Ed muttered under his breath.

  ‘It isn’t one dinosaur either.’ Flora was determined not to allow the atmosphere to deteriorate into gloom and despondency. ‘They put it together from five which were dug up in Arizona.’

  ‘Trust you to know that.’ Bunny raised an admiring eyebrow as he returned to his seat. ‘Anyway, there’s still time, Ed. It won’t be open to the public until later this month. You can go and see it then.’

  ‘If I’m still a free man,’ Ed mumbled.

  ‘Stop it, Ed. I refuse to let you talk that way!’ Flora snapped.

  A persistent buzz began inside her head making her hands shake. The thought of having to inform Earl Trent his son had been arrested for murder brought a sour taste to her mouth.

  ‘We’ll sort out this dreadful affair. I promise.’

  Chapter 4

  Stokes appeared at the dining room door and coughed discreetly into a fist. ‘Detective Inspector Maddox is here, sir, madam. He claims you’re expecting him.’

  ‘We are indeed, Stokes. Would you show him into the study?’ Bunny’s gaze held Flora’s over the napkin he used to wipe his mouth. ‘Goodness, he didn’t waste any time.’

  Ed muttered something between bites of toast Flora couldn’t hear.

  ‘Everything will be fine.’ She scraped back her chair and prepared to follow Bunny down the hall. ‘All you have to do is tell the truth.’ When he showed no signs of moving, she tucked her arm through his and hauled him to his feet.

  ‘That’s what I have been doing.’

  ‘And preferably not in that tone of voice,’ she whispered as they approached the study door, where Bunny shook hands with the policeman.

  She had forgotten how handsome Inspector Maddox was, although why she should think policeman could not be good-looking escaped her. Slightly taller than Bunny, he was well-built but certainly not fat, with a square-jawed face and wide, expressive brown eyes which could turn to flint in a second.

  He had removed his bowler hat, which had left a ridge in his wavy black hair above his ears.

  ‘Ah, Mrs Harrington, Good morning.’ He graced her with a slow nod.

  ‘Good morning to you, Inspector.’ She took a slow breath, her nervousness matching Ed’s. ‘How nice to see you again.’

  ‘I gather this young man is the cause of all the trouble?’ He eyed Ed with open suspicion.

  Ignoring the barb, Flora summoned a polite smile. ‘Allow me to introduce you to Edward, Viscount Trent.’

  Ed muttered a vague greeting and, after a brief handshake, thrust his hands into his pockets.

  ‘Viscount eh?’ Maddox’s eyes narrowed. ‘We haven’t had one of those in the cells for a while.’ At Flora’s strangled protest, he held up his hand. ‘Just my little joke, madam.’

  He reached for a tan suitcase at his feet and heaved it onto Bunny’s desk with no regard for the polished surface. Bound in brass, it sported the initials ‘EV’ in gold cursive script above the lock.

  ‘I rescued it from the transport police.’ He aimed a sceptical look in Ed’s direction. ‘We had to search it, of course, but I assure you everything is still there.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Ed muttered through gritted teeth, but made no move to touch it.

  ‘I’m sure you’ll discover this was simply an unfortunate misunderstanding by the guards at Paddington, Inspector.’ Flora took one of the pair of upholstered chairs next to the fireplace and gestured him into the one opposite. ‘One we’re confident you’ll be able to sort out.’

  ‘That’s for me to decide, Mrs Harrington.’ He flicked open one side of his jacket and removed a no
tebook from an inside pocket. ‘I suggest you sit down, young ma— my lord. This could take a while.’ He gestured Ed into the empty chair at the narrow end of Bunny’s desk.

  Ed seemed about to, but at a nod from Bunny, who had remained standing, he obeyed.

  ‘I’d like to hear what you have to say for yourself about this affair, my lord, before I make anything official.’

  ‘Please drop the “my lord” stuff, or we’ll be here for hours.’ Ed’s voice was steady but his hands shook slightly in his lap.

  ‘As you wish.’ Maddox cleared his throat, withdrew a pencil from the recess in the notebook and held it poised above the page. ‘Before we begin, I ought to inform you that a post-mortem was carried out last evening and the conclusion was that the young man was murdered.’

  Flora suppressed a sigh, her faint hopes for a natural death removed completely.

  Ed blanched but made no comment.

  ‘Now, sir,’ Maddox continued. ‘Kindly start at the beginning and tell me exactly what occurred on the train, whether you believe it to be relevant or not.’

  Ed swallowed before he spoke, his voice halting. ‘I… I caught the early afternoon train to Paddington, where I entered a compartment occupied by a man a little older than me.’

  ‘Were you previously acquainted with this man?’

  ‘No. I… I’d never seen him before.’ Ed picked at a thumbnail, his eyes averted.

  ‘Did he get on the train at Cheltenham, or was he already in the compartment?’

  ‘He was placing his bag on the overhead rack when I entered, so I assume he got on the same time I did.’

  ‘Did the young man give his name?’ Maddox continued in a calm monotone Flora found somehow disturbing.

  ‘He introduced himself as Leo, Leo Thompson,’ Ed replied.

  ‘Did he display nervousness? Was he agitated in any way?’ Maddox’ gaze rapidly flicked from Ed to his notebook, eager not to miss any nuance of Ed’s reactions.

  ‘No, not that I noticed.’ Ed frowned. ‘He was just reading a book most of the time. Why do you ask?’

  ‘If someone wanted this young man dead, perhaps he was aware of it and had reason to be frightened. For instance, did he keep checking the corridor?’

  ‘I cannot remember, but I think I would have noticed that.’ Ed shrugged.

  ‘Did you and Mr Thompson talk?’ At Ed’s nod, he added, ‘well then, did Mr Thompson instigate the conversation, or did you?’

  ‘He did. Although you couldn’t call it a conversation. Not to start with. Some children in the next carriage were making an unholy row, er I mean a noise. He said he hoped their parents would shut them up soon, or something of the sort. I agreed, and we got talking. It was Dickens.’ Maddox glanced up at him in enquiry at which Ed added, ‘The book.’

  ‘Ah, yes I see.’ Maddox continued to write, though his frown persisted. ‘Did you and Mr Thompson talk about anything else?’

  ‘Like I told Flora and Bunny, trivial stuff mostly. I asked him his reason for going to town, but he seemed reluctant to tell me at first.’

  ‘Reluctant in what way?’

  ‘You know. When someone has to think about everything they say before they say it. It was a perfectly ordinary question but he just mumbled something and went back to his book.’

  ‘Could you hear what he said?’

  ‘Not all of it. Something about “from a spark a fire will flare up”.’ Ed shrugged. ‘It made no sense so I didn’t pursue it.’

  ‘I see. Did he mention where he lived or anything about his family?’

  ‘No, he didn’t.’

  ‘Ed, tell him about the shop.’ Flora nudged him gently.

  ‘What shop would this be?’ Maddox glanced up, his pencil poised above the page.

  ‘He mentioned his mother ran a shop in the Promenade in Cheltenham.’ Ed’s neck flushed a deep red and he fiddled with a shirt cuff.

  ‘A local gentleman then?’ Maddox resumed writing.

  ‘Obviously,’ Ed murmured, though the inspector’s sharp look indicated he had heard. ‘It’s ridiculous anyone would think I would want to kill him.’

  ‘I agree!’ Flora blurted. ‘Sane people don’t kill strangers they meet on trains.’

  ‘Shall we proceed?’ Maddox stared at her as he flipped over the page and wrote something.

  Chastened, Flora resolved to show more restraint. She glanced at Bunny, marvelling at how he managed to remain so detached. He pursed his lips slightly in warning but didn’t speak.

  ‘Did Mr Thompson say where and for how long he planned to stay in London?’ Maddox asked.

  ‘A few days, he said. Something about a job in a department store.’

  ‘Which store was this?’

  ‘I’m not sure about the name. Boodles or Beamish.’ Ed rubbed his flattened hands rhythmically along his thighs, then his eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. ‘Beadles. That was it! I can’t remember where it was though.’

  Maddox added another line of scrawl to the page. ‘Did anyone else enter the compartment at any time during the journey?’

  ‘No, there were only the two of us. Apart from the waiter who served tea, but he stayed only a moment or two.’

  ‘Was this at the beginning of the journey or partway through?’

  ‘Um, it was just after we left Reading.’

  Maddox consulted his notebook. ‘Which would make it roughly half an hour before the train arrived at Paddington.’ It was not a question and Ed offered no response. ‘I want you to think about my next question very carefully, sir.’ Maddox rested his elbow on his thigh and brought his face close to Ed’s. ‘What happened in the time between the waiter’s departure and your arrival at Paddington? You drank the tea he brought. Then what did you do?’

  ‘Did Mr Thompson drink the tea?’ Flora blurted, then checked herself when Maddox glared at her, adding, ‘which of course isn’t relevant as we know he wasn’t poisoned.’

  ‘Not necessarily.’ Maddox raised one eyebrow. ‘The killer might have drugged Mr Thompson, thus rendering him incapable of retaliation.’

  ‘Retaliation for what?’ Bunny asked.

  ‘I cannot go into that, sir.’ Maddox cleared his throat. ‘Not at this stage. We haven’t yet established what happened for certain.’

  ‘I didn’t think of that either.’ Flora smiled in apology and relaxed back in her chair.

  ‘Which is why I’m the detective, Mrs Harrington.’ His eyes glinted with mischief, which reminded Flora that her contribution, though tolerated, was rarely required. ‘Perhaps we would get a lot further if you would allow me to do the questioning?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I’m sorry.’ When would she learn the Inspector would never reveal more than he thought necessary, even to them, despite their interactions in the past?

  Bunny directed a sympathetic smile her way, together with a brief wink which helped lift her spirits.

  ‘Did Mr Thompson leave the carriage at any time?’ the Inspector continued. ‘To go to the facilities, perhaps?’

  ‘No, not as I recall.’ Ed frowned, then immediately his eyes widened. ‘I did though. After I had drunk my tea, which tasted fine by the way, I went along to the lavatory. It was occupied, so I had to wait in the corridor for a few minutes. No one came past me and entered the compartment. If they had, I would have seen them.’

  ‘How long were you away from the carriage?’

  ‘About ten minutes or so. I stood in the corridor for a while and watched the scenery. Just to stretch my legs after sitting still for so long.’

  ‘What about the cups?’

  ‘Beg pardon?’ Ed’s brow furrowed.

  ‘You said the waiter brought you tea,’ Maddox said slowly, as if addressing a child. ‘Do you recall him returning to collect the dirty crockery?’

  ‘I… I don’t know. I suppose he must have done. The cups weren’t there when we reached Paddington. I didn’t really notice.’

  ‘Did you happen to see any of your fellow passengers a
part from Mr Thompson and the children in the next carriage?’

  ‘We didn’t see the children, we only heard them. There was a couple in the carriage next door who sounded as if they were arguing.’

  ‘Could you hear what they were saying?’

  ‘Not really.’ Ed tugged at his collar, easing it away from his throat. ‘Is it important?’

  ‘At this stage, sir, everything is important,’ Maddox insisted. ‘Now about this argument – exactly what did you hear?’

  ‘A man and a woman’s voices. They weren’t shouting, so I couldn’t make out the words. More like intense low murmurs, but it didn’t last long.’

  ‘And this occurred when?’

  ‘After I came back from the lavatory.’ He frowned. ‘No, before. I remember, because I tried to look into the carriage as I passed, but they had the blinds pulled down.’

  ‘I see.’ Maddox drew a line through the writing he had just completed. ‘Was there anything odd about Mr Thompson when you returned to the compartment?’

  ‘He was dozing, at least I assumed he was. I suppose he could have already been dead, but I cannot be sure.’

  Maddox sighed. ‘We’ll ignore that for the time being, sir. What happened then?’

  ‘The train pulled into the station and I stood up ready to get off. Mr Thompson hadn’t moved, so I punched his arm. Only playfully, to tell him it was time to leave the train.’ Ed swallowed and licked his lips. ‘It just sort of flopped to one side and his jacket gaped open. That’s when I saw the blood on his shirt.’

  ‘And then?’ Maddox prompted.

  ‘The guard arrived. He saw the blood and demanded to know what I had done to him.’ His voice dropped to a mumble. ‘Stupid man.’

  ‘Perhaps Mr Thompson suffered a nosebleed?’ Flora suggested.

  ‘In which case, there would have been some on the inside of his nose and certainly more on his clothing,’ Bunny interjected. ‘I take it there was none, Inspector?’

  ‘Correct, Mr Harrington.’ Maddox’s voice held barely restrained patience. ‘Exactly the point I had been about to make. He turned back to Ed. ‘Now, sir, at which point did you realize Mr Thompson was dead?’