Bath Belles Page 16

  I was still numb when he dispersed the boys and the carriage clattered over the road back to Elm Street. Graham was a father, though he had never seen his son. Kate must have conceived shortly before his death—about three months before. And he had been engaged to me at the time. So much for Eliot’s assertion that the affair had happened long before Graham had met me. He had juggled the two of us, mistress and fiancée. It was a terrible shock, but my former suspicions had helped to prepare me for the pain. It was of Desmond’s treachery that I thought as the carriage pounded along.

  He had gone darting off to Fleury Lane and had learned the story from Kate. He had sweet-talked the money out of her and had muddied the trail by pretending to believe that I had it. He had subjected my family to that ignoble search and had known all the time that we were innocent. It was perfectly clear why the neighborhood had been so unsuitable a place for me to visit. And he was still pestering me to reveal what Eliot and I were up to. He knew Eliot had been there once and feared he would return, too, for Kate had been warned not to let a man in. “A lady” she thought it safe to entertain. In his generosity he had given her ten pounds and a promise to set her up in the country—to get her out of the city so no one would learn the truth.

  Where should I go with my knowledge? Bow Street seemed the likeliest place, but I wouldn’t go alone. I needed moral support. Mama? No, she would hate it. Eliot? Wouldn’t he crow “I told you so!” And so he had. He had warned me away from Fleury Lane and Mr. Maitland. I wished I had heeded him. Regret clung to me like a shadow as we retraced our path to Elm Street. But it wasn’t a shadow; that requires a source of light, and there was no light in this dark business.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I had not taken the precaution of forbidding Mama and Esther to go out. Ettie told me Mrs. Mailer had called and was driving them to Bond Street. Once I had determined there were no gentlemen in the carriage, I was happy they were out of the house, as it gave me privacy to settle the unsavory Maitland business. I chose Eliot as my protector, mainly because his groom was to arrive shortly to remove the carriage. I would order Eliot off to Bow Street to report the affair. I took some cold comfort in imagining Mr. Maitland in the dock, revealed as the scoundrel he was.

  What charges would they lay against him? Stealing? But recovering your own money is not illegal, and he would doubtless claim that he meant to give Pelty his share. Leading poor Kate Norman astray? That would hardly land him in jail, or half the male population of London would be behind bars. Graham himself would be, if he weren’t buried. There had to be something! It wasn’t possible a man could behave as badly as Maitland had and not be held legally accountable for it. But my best efforts at conjuring up an indictable offense brought only frustration. He would get off scot-free to ruin other women and pester other law-abiding ladies.

  Eliot’s groom received the brunt of my humor when he arrived late to take the carriage away. “I told you one hour!” I scolded.

  “I was here an hour ago and waited in the kitchen till I was led out the door,” the saucy fellow replied in the most insolent way imaginable.

  “I want you to go to Mr. Sutton at once and ask him to come here. It is a matter of utmost urgency. And don’t dawdle along the way.”

  He did not verbally acknowledge my order but turned an impudent shoulder on me and ambled from the room. I thought he had moved swiftly in spite of his bold show, however, when Eliot arrived at the door within fifteen minutes.

  “That’s a nasty piece of merchandise you’ve hired to run your stable, Eliot,” I chided him. “I never saw a more rag-mannered boy.”

  “City servants are impossible," he agreed. “What did you think of the team I got for you?”

  “They’re fine, but that’s not why I sent off such an urgent summons. Eliot, I’ve been to Fleury Lane.”

  He made an involuntary jerk toward me, and his eyes grew wide with dismay. “What? Belle, I told you not to go there.”

  “Don’t dismay yourself, Eliot. I wasn’t harmed.”

  He settled into a disparaging smile. “Then you’ve seen how Kate Norman and her sort live. Not a pretty sight. I only misled you to spare you the pain of discovery, Belle. You must not think too badly of Graham. It is regrettable, but many fellows do the same. If you had met Kate, you would have seen that at least she is a genteel soul, not vulgar and common as so many women of that sort are.”

  “Genteel? That was not my impression!”

  He started up from his chair. “But surely you didn’t meet her! I told—I was told she had moved to the country when I stopped at Fleury Lane. Oh, dear, then you know about the child. I had hoped to spare you that, at least. Still, you must have wondered why Graham bought such a small house for himself. It was the other family he had to provide for, of course, that necessitated it. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know Graham. He introduced me to the girl once—I don’t know what he saw in her.”

  I waved these details aside. “It is all a hum that she’s moved to the country!” I exclaimed, and had the pleasure of outlining the true story for him. He was nonplussed. “I didn’t think you would be so surprised. You told me all along Maitland had the money.”

  “Yes, Belle, but I had no idea Miss Norman was involved.”

  “She is innocently involved. Maitland is paying her off with ten measly pounds and the promise of a house in the country, with himself playing her protector. His aim is to remove her from the city so Pelty won’t learn about her, of course. At the very least I mean to write Mr. Pelty a note and report on Maitland. I wish I could see him behind bars.”

  “He’s shifty as a snake. Pelty will stick by him in the end. You’ll see. It is a waste of time to bother going to Bow Street, though I should, perhaps, warn Miss Norman.”

  “Poor Miss Norman. What will become of her and the child?” This had been bothering me, and a plan of action had begun to form. It was a radical one, but right.

  “It’s generous of you to worry about her! She’ll land on her feet. Her sort always do, and she has youth and beauty on her side for a few years.”

  “I have determined to help her in some way. Financial help, I mean.”

  “Fifty guineas, perhaps ... And I’ll kick in the same amount, for Graham’s sake.”

  “That is kind of you, but a hundred guineas won’t see a boy reared and educated. You will think I’ve run mad, but I mean to do more—a great deal more.”

  He looked at me uncertainly. “How much ...”

  “Everything Graham left me. The house—I can’t bear the sight of it since I have learned the truth. He ought to have left it to his child, Eliot, not to me.”

  “No, really, this is too much! You’re agitated. Think about it for a few days.”

  “No, I’m afraid I’ll change my mind, and I know this is the proper thing to do.”

  “She wouldn’t be at home in a neighborhood such as this.”

  “I know that,” I agreed, with a wistful memory of the story of her being run out of the West End. “I’ll sell the house and set the money up in a trust for her, giving her an income that she can’t be bilked out of. She is such a naive, gullible girl, it is the only thing to do. Perhaps she could buy a little cottage in the country. She seemed to like that idea.”

  “It wouldn’t take all the money Graham left you.”

  I shook my head. “Eliot, I expected better of you. This is Graham’s son we are speaking of—your cousin.”

  “Damme, who is to say Graham was the father?”

  “Oh, if you had seen the child, you would not say that. He is the image of his father.’’

  He frowned and considered the matter. "That’s true. I haven’t seen the child. There was no one home when I went. The old lady downstairs told me they had moved.”

  “That would be because Mr. Maitland had hustled her off to the country to look for a cottage. He won’t keep his promise, though. I am the proper one to look after her, as a duty to Graham. Do you think he knew—about his son, I
mean?”

  “Yes, he knew. It troubled him greatly. That is the only reason he went on seeing her after your engagement.”

  “The child was conceived after the engagement, Eliot. It is no longer necessary to spare my feelings. I want Kate to know her future is secured, and I want to warn her away from Maitland. Will you come with me to tell her so?”

  “Let me do it for you. There is no need for you to go back. It must be painful for you. In fact, as you said, the child is my cousin. Why don’t you appoint me its guardian? In that manner we can be assured Kate won’t do something foolish with the money.”

  “I want to talk it over with Mama, but it sounds a good idea. You will know about proper schooling for the boy and so on.”

  We were both eager to get on with it, and Eliot left very soon after to call on Miss Norman. It was sad to know I was no longer an heiress, but I would never have had a moment’s pleasure from the money, knowing Kate’s straitened circumstances. Now she had a chance, and if there was any character in her, she could have a decent life. I thought she was young enough to make something of herself and Baba.

  These were my thoughts as I sat alone, awaiting Mama’s return. I would give Yootha a piece of my mind if she came in. She was as bad as Maitland. Maitland, who, alas, was still Desmond in my secret thoughts. How could he be so treacherous? But he had behaved with unmitigated duplicity since the moment I had first laid eyes on his handsome face. He had always weaseled his way back into favor, but this time there would be no cajoling. Just last night he had spoken of our having trust in each other. It stung, he said, that I thought he was out to bilk Pelty. He’d probably been doing it for years! What had stung him was that he had finally fallen under suspicion. This would be enough to make him lose his license at Lloyd’s, and I was vengeful enough that I meant to make sure Lloyd’s was aware of his scheme.

  I had just drawn out paper and pen to write to Mr. Pelty, care of Lloyd’s of London, when the door knocker sounded. Everything reminded me of Desmond, even the door knocker, which he had put on crooked. What a fine, genial gentleman we had all thought him that night.

  Hotchkiss answered the door, and soon I heard the unmistakable accents of Mr. Maitland in the hall, making some joke about the weather. Hotchkiss, who remained in ignorance of my findings at Fleury Lane, welcomed him like a long-lost friend.

  I flew to the doorway to have Maitland ejected, but I was too late. He already had his hat off and was removing his coat.

  “Don’t bother undressing, Mr. Maitland. You won’t be staying,” I said.

  That caused him to open up his eyes. He stood regarding me, a question on his face. “What is it, Belle?” he asked.

  I let him enter the saloon and waited till Hotchkiss had returned to the kitchen before delivering my tirade. “I have been to Fleury Lane and met Kate Norman, Mr. Maitland.”

  He looked uncertain and finally said, “Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

  “She is to your liking? It doesn’t surprise me. Have you actually taken her under your protection, then? I was sure it was a ruse to get her out of London.”

  A doubtful, uneasy smile flickered briefly, petering out in a question. “I beg your pardon?”

  “I know everything. There’s no need to walk on eggs. I daresay it is not illegal to recoup your money, or even to seduce that poor, ignorant girl, but I would advise you most strenuously to make sure Mr. Pelty receives his share of the blunt. I was just writing a note to inform him that you have recovered the funds.”

  “I beg your pardon?” he repeated.

  “Don’t bother. My pardon is withheld. I cannot condone your manner of doing business.”

  He threw his hands out and stared incredulously at me. “Belle, what in hell’s name are you talking about? I haven’t seduced anyone, and if you know who has my money, I wish you would tell me.”

  My thin veneer of patience broke, and I shouted like a harpy. “Don’t bother lying to me! I tell you I know the whole squalid story. How you went chasing after that girl, got the money from her, hustled her out of town. You shouldn’t have let her return. Oh, I know you directed her not to talk to anyone, but she mistook me for Graham’s aunt, you see, and told me everything. I think you are a disgusting, contemptible cur. No, that’s an insult to curs. You’re worse—”

  He took a step forward and clamped his hands on my upper arms. I was subjected to a severe shaking that left me winded. “Get your hands off me, you vile creature!” I gasped.

  “Will you please settle down and tell me what happened? I went once to Fleury Lane, I met Miss Norman and heard her story. I recognized her as the girl whose picture Sutton had under his pillow. She denied knowing anything about the money. I went back after that cut banknote turned up, and an old woman downstairs told me she had gone to the country. I admit Grant broke in and had a look around her flat. He found nothing. Are you telling me Miss Norman had the money all this time?’’

  “Are you telling me you didn’t take it? She said she gave it to Mr. Maitland, the insurance agent. She described you.”

  He paced the floor, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t call myself Maitland.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know! I didn’t want to frighten her, and if she had the money, the last person she’d tell about it was me. If she was criminally involved, I mean. How did she describe me?”

  “Tall, handsome, jolly, dark hair ...”

  “Then it was him.”

  I blinked in complete ignorance. “Who?”

  “Eliot Sutton. Belle, the reason I came here is to tell you I learned where Stone got that pound note. He was playing cards with Eliot and won. Eliot gave him three pound notes. One he must have given you, one was spent somewhere, and he still had the other. It was Eliot who went masquerading as me in Fleury Lane.”

  “Oh, my God! It can’t be!” I was shaken at the possibility, yet not unwilling to believe it. I looked hopefully for confirmation.

  “Of course it is, and he got the money from that credulous girl by pretending it belonged to him.”

  “But how would he know ...”

  “Didn’t you direct him to her, as you directed me?”

  “We discussed her.”

  A look of deep aggravation settled on Desmond’s countenance. He looked ready to throttle me. “I thought we were going to trust each other. You actually believed me capable of behaving—”

  It seemed the judicious moment to distract him with more bad news. “Des, he’s with her now. I told him about you ... I mean what Kate told me about Mr. Maitland. What will he do?”

  “You idiot! He’ll kill her! He’s already killed once for that money. How long ago did he leave?” He was darting for the door as he spoke, and I not a step behind him.

  “Not long—fifteen minutes.”

  He rammed his hat on his head, grabbed his coat, and pulled the door open. He stopped only long enough to push me back inside. I heard the door knocker fall off with the force of the door slamming. His groom already had the horses whipped into motion, and I saw Des running along beside the carriage, opening the door, and clambering in as the pace picked up.

  I wandered in a daze back to the saloon and sank on the sofa to try to organize my muddled thoughts. To add to my confusion, I was aware of a rising joy that Des was exculpated—again. It was Eliot who had tricked Kate Norman, and I who had led him to her. And he had sat there with that sanctimonious face throughout my story to hear just how much I knew. But Des had accused him of even worse than this. “He’s already killed once for that money." Killed his own cousin.

  How had he engineered it? He had known Graham’s plan to recover the funds. I remembered Yootha saying he had tried to talk Graham out of it. He claimed to have been out of town that night, but he recognized that as a suspicious alibi. He had held the same thing against Des. He had even known what waistcoat Graham wore that night. How would he know that if he hadn’t seen it? He had let Graham take all the risks while he sat waiting for hi
m, right in this house. How had he gotten in? Did he have a key? The open cellar window—he might have opened it himself. He was often down there with Graham, arranging the wine racks.

  My skin crawled as I thought of the coldblooded planning that had gone into his crime. And he had done this to his cousin and best friend! After that monstrous betrayal, he could accept Graham’s watch as a token of affection and use it, carry it in his pocket. He valued it equally for the “owner and the donor,” he had said. I knew then how high I stood in his esteem. He would have killed me without blinking if I hadn’t been of use to him. How eagerly he had offered to be the guardian of Kate’s money. He planned to bilk her out of it.

  Maybe even kill her, Des thought. And if he planned to kill Kate, it wasn’t likely he’d stop at killing Desmond, if he arrived in time to catch him. Did Des have a gun? I was up from the sofa, cursing myself for not having kept the carriage standing by. I’d have to run into the street and try to find a hackney. I grabbed my pelisse and ran like a frightened deer, gathering some very odd looks from ladies and gentlemen out for a stroll. I nearly capsized Mrs. Seymour and her husband, and I hadn’t time to stop and apologize. She shouted after me as I careered along to the corner, waving my arm to attract a cab’s attention. Two drove past as though I were invisible.

  I determined I would stop the next private carriage that came along. I was in the road waving, and it was an unexpected piece of luck that Ralph Duke was the first one to come by. He was coming to call on Esther, driving a sporting curricle. He jerked to a stop and stared at me. “Good day, Miss Haley,” he said in a questioning voice.

  I vaulted up on the perch beside him. “Drive to Fleury Lane,” I ordered.

  “Eh? What would you want to go there for, Miss Haley?”

  “Never mind, just whip those nags up and drive.”

  “Well, if you say so. Sure you wouldn’t prefer thepark?”

  “Quite sure.”

  “Er— Fleury Lane—not sure I know exactly where it is.”