An Introduction To The Eternal Collection Jubilee Edition (145 page)

“Go on, Caroline,” Lord Milborne said. “I am not as unsympathetic as I may seem.”

“And so we were wed,” Caroline said, “but – but Vane did not take me for his wife.”

She paused for a moment, for the memory of that night could still pain her then she went on to tell of how Lord Brecon had shown her the secret of the Castle. She had no compunction about speaking of this to Lord Milborne, for she felt that without revealing what Vane had kept secret for so long she could never make him understand how ghastly and terrible was the suggestion that he might be a murderer like his father.

As she repeated to Lord Milborne what Vane had told her of his father’s death, he gave an exclamation.

“Of course!” he said, “I recall it now. There was a deal of whispered gossip at the time. I was trying to collect what I knew of his father when I met your husband, Caroline, at the enquiry into the murder of Rosenberg, but it escaped me! Now, of course, it all comes back! Yes, there was definitely a mystery regarding the death of the late Lord Brecon and the deaths which preceded his.”

Swiftly Caroline’s tale drew to a close. She told of how Gervase Warlingham had tried to blackmail her, of her suspicions that Mrs. Miller was in league with him, of the conversation she had overheard that night near the Temple, of the tiger’s cruelty to the horse and her idea that Gervase Warlingham had adjusted his plotting to make good use of Vane’s anger, and then finally what she had seen the night before from her bedroom window.

“It was Gervase Warlingham, for I saw him quite clearly in the moonlight,” Caroline continued. “I could not be mistaken on it even though his hat was pulled low over his eyes. He was wearing a green coat and I recall it as being the same green coat that he wore when I saw him first at
The Dog and Duck.
You do believe me, don’t you, Uncle Francis?”

She looked at Lord Milborne anxiously.

“I believe you, Caroline,” he replied. “I believe every word you have told me, because I am convinced that you are speaking the truth. But, my dear, it is not going to be an easy thing to prove that your husband is innocent.”

“No, Uncle Francis, but you will help us, won’t you? Please promise that you will.”

“Do I really need to make that promise?” Lord Milborne asked, and Caroline shook her head.

“I knew I could rely on you. We must save Vane, for I love him so.”

“And if we cannot?” Lord Milborne asked.

Caroline put up her head proudly, and said,

“Then I will escape with him into exile. It would not be exile for me if Vane and I were together.”

Lord Milborne smiled and it seemed to Caroline there was something very wistful in his eyes.

“Once I loved like that,” he said quietly. “It is a long time ago now, but I have not quite forgotten what one feels. Finish your breakfast, Caroline, for you will need all your strength, my dear.”

Although she felt every mouthful would choke her, Caroline tried to do as she was told. She was sipping her coffee when the door opened and Bateson came into the room.

“Mr. Gervase Warlingham is here, m’lady.”

Lord Millborne raised his eyebrows.

“Mr. Warlingham? I thought he had left the Castle.”

“Yes, m’lord, but he is here with the constable and two Bow Street runners.”

“Indeed!”

“They have asked to speak with your lordship at your convenience.”

“Ask them to wait in the hall,” Lord Milborne said then he looked at Caroline.

“Bow Street Runners?” he questioned.

“Oh, Uncle Francis, he will not have had time to bring them from London. What can their business be?”

“Here is another mystery,” Lord Milborne said, “and now, Caroline, if you have finished, I suggest we go into the hall and start an enquiry into this strange state of affairs, but first I will pay a visit to the Library.”

He went from the drawing-room and ignoring the little group of people standing at the far end of the hall, turned to the right and went down the passage which led to the Library. Caroline went with him, but when he entered the room she waited outside. When he joined her again, she saw that his face was grim.

“What did Brecon do with his whip when he came in from riding yesterday afternoon?” he asked.

“He gave it to Bateson with his hat and gloves,” Caroline answered, “but, Uncle Francis, it is kept hanging in the cloak-room beside the front door. It would be easy for anyone to take it - especially someone living in the house.”

Lord Milborne nodded, then led the way back to the hall. With great dignity he took a seat in a high-backed chair which Bateson had set for him with an oak table in front of it. It was conveniently placed so that while he had his back to the windows, the light was full on the faces of those to whom he would speak.

Gervase Warlingham was leaning negligently against a tapestry-covered chair. Two men were standing beside him and Caroline recognised them instantly as Bow Street Runners for they wore the bright red waistcoats which had gained them the name of “red-breasts”. They were both thin and wiry, with that look of quiet strength which seemed characteristic of all the Runners.

Near them and obviously uncomfortable and ill at ease, was the red-faced village constable, mopping the sweat from his brow, and beside him stood the, groom, Jackson. There were several footmen on duty by the front door and Bateson, very much on his dignity and behaving as though nothing untoward was occurring, hovered in the background. Caroline wondered anxiously if Maria had returned from the caravan and it was with a throb of relief that she saw, coming from the passage which led from the back quarters of the house, one of the footmen followed by Gideon and another man whom she had never seen but who she knew from his likeness to his son must be Mr. Hackett.

They were looking a trifle overawed at the grand surroundings in which they found themselves but when Gideon saw Caroline, he grinned at her and there was something in his cheerful face and in the brightness of his eyes which gave her a sudden hope.

“Who are these people?” Lord Milborne asked.

“They wish to see her ladyship, m’lord,” the footman answered.

“They are friends of mine from the circus, Uncle Francis,” Caroline said quickly. “You will collect that I told you of them.”

Lord Milborne nodded and then he looked across the room at Gervase Warlingham.

“You wish to speak with me, Mr. Warlingham? Is it concerning the body which was found in this house this morning?”

Slowly and yet with a kind of wordless insolence Gervase Warlingham drew himself up.

“It is, my lord.”

“And how did you know of it?” Lord Milborne asked.

“I am not surprised that your lordship asks me that question,” Mr. Warlingham answered in slow and level tones, “as I had left the Castle. As it happens, however, I spent the night with an acquaintance of mine in the village - a Mr. Faken. I had made my plans to depart for London this morning when I was awakened at an extremely early hour by these Bow Street Runners, who wished to see me on a private and personal matter. I was speaking with them when my groom, Jackson - whom you see here - came hurrying to tell me that the tiger I had dismissed yesterday at my cousin’s insistence because he had been rough to one of the horses was not only missing, but that his voice had been heard screaming for help from the Castle in the early hours of the morning!”

“Who heard it?” Lord Milborne asked.

“My fellow, Jackson, here,” Mr. Warlingham replied.

“Indeed,” Lord Milborne said, “and what was he doing lurking round the Castle in the early hours of the morning?”

“One of my horses was taken ill and he came to borrow a horse-rug from my cousin’s stables. The quickest way from Mr. Faken’s house to the stables is through the park and the gardens, and Jackson, who has stayed here on various occasions, knew the way. As he drew nearer to the Castle, thinking naturally to disturb no one at such an hour, he heard the boy yelling for help, but did not dare to go to his rescue.”

“Why not?” Lord Milborne asked.

“Your lordship will understand that it was awkward for the fellow, especially as he realised that the boy’s voice came from the Library.”

“He knew that, did he?” Lord Milborne asked.

“Yes, he is well acquainted with the place. He did not know what to do, but after a while the cries ceased and he thought that all was well. Nevertheless, when the boy did not turn up this morning - for although I had, dismissed him, I had promised to take him back to London, as it was from there I engaged him - Jackson got worried and came to me with the story of what he had heard.”

“And you deemed it of importance?” Lord Milborne asked.

“Naturally, the boy was my responsibility even though on my cousin’s insistence I had dismissed him.”

“So you persuaded the Runners,” Lord Milborne said, “to set aside the business for which they had come from London, and instead to escort you here to make enquiries into what might prove of infinitely more important matter and one which deeply concerned you personally?”

“If your lordship desires to put it that way,” Mr. Warlingham said, “I agree - but of course I had no idea then that murder was involved.”

“And when did you hear that such a thing was possible?” Lord Milborne asked.

“Jackson went ahead to ask the servants if ought had been seen of the boy. They told him that the body had been discovered in my cousin’s Library.”

“I see! And this, of course, was grave news for you.”

“Very grave,” Mr. Warlingham answered. “I cannot believe such a thing of my cousin and yet unfortunately only yesterday I heard him threaten the lad, as did Jackson, his own grooms and of course - her ladyship.”

He looked across the room at Caroline who felt herself shiver at the venom that she saw in his eyes. But she held herself proudly, hoping that nothing of what she was feeling showed in her face.

“I have been told what Lord Brecon said,” Lord Milborne answered.

“My man will repeat it if necessary,” Mr. Warlingham replied. “It was, of course, a crazed action on the part of the boy to take vengeance on my cousin for his dismissal by killing his pet birds, yet I cannot but think, my lord, that the punishment was somewhat in excess of the crime! Incidentally, where is my cousin, or is it presumptuous to ask such a question?”

“At this stage of the proceedings you will leave the questions to me, Mr. Warlingham,” Lord Milborne said, and turning to the Runners he asked, “Is this gentleman’s explanation of why you are here correct?”

The older of the men stepped forward.

“Yes, m’lord. We came in search of Mr. Warlingham, holding a warrant for his arrest for a debt of two thousand guineas.”

Caroline gave a little start. She remembered that this was the sum for which Gervase Warlingham had tried to blackmail her. He had evidently been in urgent need of it.

“But before you took him to London he persuaded you to visit the Castle because his tiger was missing and the groom told a sinister story of hearing the boy cry out for help?”

“That is right, m’lord.”

“Thank you.”

Lord Milborne looked towards Gideon.

“Who are you, boy?” he asked.

“I be’ Gideon Hackett, if it please yer lordship, and this be me father.”

The older man touched his forelock respectfully.

“Have you anything of interest to tell us?” Lord Milborne enquired of Gideon.

“Yus, m’lord, us gets a message from th’ lady yester eve to keep our daylights skinned as her feared somethin’ might be a-stirrin’ in th’ next night or two. Me father and Oi does as the lady asks. Us were walking through th’ wood near th’ house when us hears a scream. Us hurries on and lays low and us sees the gentry swell there,” - Gideon pointed to Mr. Warlingham - “and th’ other cove” - Gideon motioned his thumb towards Jackson - “a-grappling with a boy. He b’aint but a strip of a lad, but he was millin’ like a tough ‘un, strugglin’ and kickin’ and yellin’ fit to burst.

“Us waits in th’ bushes. Us didn’t tumble to it then as to what the well-breeched swell was after but all of a sudden like Oi be bubbled if the leery cove doesn’t up and gives th’ boy a custy blow on the back of his head and knock him for six. He falls like a stone and as soon as he’s down the swell kneels beside him and puts his hands round his throat. Us keeps our glims on him, ‘twas dark to be sure, but me old man and Oi thinks he must have throttled the boy for he never squeaks again. Then th’ swell gets up, lifts his whip and fair wallops the body. Oi ain’t never seed anyun flog a corpse afore and it fair turns me belly over! Then th’ other cove says, “That’s done it, sir,” and the gentry swell stops. Seems to Oi he were not far from enjoying it, for there was a grin on his phys right enough. The big cove lifts the boy - dead as a kipper he looks - on his shoulder and they starts walkin’ away towards the Castle. That’s what Oi seed, Guv’nor, and ‘tis Gawd’s truth Oi be tellin’ yer.”

There was a tense silence as Gideon’s voice died away. Everyone was staring at him. Caroline’s hands clutched the arms of the chair. Then the silence was broken by Mr. Warlingham.

“Gammon!’ he exclaimed. “A pretty story and the boy has been well coached in his lies, but your lordship is not likely to believe the fairy tales of gipsies and poachers. Doubtless her ladyship, with her well-known powers of imagination has invented this smoky yarn, but she should get more reliable witnesses if she would have them credited.”

Lord Milborne glanced at him and then spoke to Mr. Hackett.

“Have you anything to add to your son’s testimony?” he asked.

“Only this, m’lord.”

The older man came across the floor. He limped a little and walked stiffly as if his wounds from the tiger still pained him. But he had an honest face and Caroline felt that Lord Milborne must believe him trustworthy. As he reached his lordship, he opened his hand and on the palm of it was a small object.

“What is it?” Lord Milborne asked.

“‘Tis a button, m’lord, which th’ boy in his struggles tore from th’ gentleman’s coat. It fell from his hand among th’ fallen leaves in th’ wood. Us found it after they was gone.”

Caroline gave a little gasp. Lord Milborne put out his hand and took the button from the man’s hand. As he held it, it was easy to see that attached to it there was a piece of material, and it was of olive-green superfine cloth, such as might be used in the making of a very elegant coat.