A Loving Family (19 page)

‘This is dreadful, Aunt Maud. I'm so sorry you've had to bear all this on your own, but why didn't you tell me before?'

‘That nasty man made me tell him all I knew.'

‘Where is my mother now?'

‘Gervase Rivenhall bought her from Silas. Ronald only told me that because he knew I loved Jacinta and he took pleasure in my distress, but if he finds out I've passed on the information I'll be in terrible trouble.'

‘He won't find out, Aunt. You're safe with Kit and Rosa. I'll protect you, and if we get enough evidence we'll report Ronald Clifford's activities to the police.'

Maud's head lolled against the back of her chair. ‘I'm so tired now, dear. I need to take a nap.' She snapped upright. ‘Where's Timmy? That man frightened my poor little cat and he ran away.'

Stella felt something warm and soft rubbing against her leg. ‘He's here, Aunt Maud. Timmy stayed by you and I'm sure he would have attacked Perry had he thought you to be in danger.' She lifted the animal onto Maud's lap. ‘Have a little nap and I'll go and see what's happened to that cup of tea. I'm not sure how good Spike is in the kitchen.' She rose slowly to her feet, taking care not to disturb Maud, who had closed her eyes. The poor woman must have suffered a living nightmare at the hands of her stepson, but in her moments of lucidity she had solved at least part of the puzzle. Stella left the room on tiptoe and made her way to the kitchen.

Spike and Perry were seated at the table. ‘You were supposed to be making tea for Mrs Clifford,' she said crossly. ‘She's had a considerable upset. You've made her remember things she would rather forget, Archangel.'

‘It's Perry, miss. I don't answer to the other.'

‘Well, Perry. What have you to say for yourself?'

‘I elicited the information you sought. Your ma was sold to the highest bidder, who just happened to be Mr Gervase Rivenhall of Heron Park. I met that gent the other day and I didn't take to him at all.'

Stella sat down at the table. ‘What did he say? Did you see my mother?'

‘She weren't there. I'd stake my life on that fact. Not that he was very forthcoming. In fact he told me where to go in no uncertain terms, which I would not repeat in front of a young lady, but I spoke to some of the servants and they remembered Jacinta Barry very well. A popular lady she was.'

An icicle speared Stella's heart. ‘Was? Do you mean she's . . .?' She could not finish the sentence.

‘To the best of my knowledge she ain't dead. She's moved on, that's for certain, but no one knew exactly where.' Perry stood up. ‘I'll be off then. I've done my bit and repaid Kit for the favours he's done me, so we're even.' He grabbed Stella's hand and shook it. ‘Good luck, miss. I hope you find your ma, but take a tip from someone who's spent half a lifetime snooping on other folk. Put yourself in your ma's position. If you didn't want no one to find out about your life of sin, where would you go?' He tapped the side of his long nose. ‘You'd go where no one could find out what you'd got up to. Do you savvy what I'm saying?'

Stella frowned, thinking hard. ‘She might leave London, I suppose.'

‘I think that's more than likely. I leave it to you, miss. With your determination I'm sure you'll find her. I'd stake my life on it.' He beckoned to Spike. ‘Are you coming, lad?'

Spike jumped to his feet. ‘Yes, boss.' He shot a sideways glance at Stella. ‘If that's all right with you, miss.'

‘What's going on? I seem to have missed a lot in the short time I've been away.'

Perry put his battered top hat on at a jaunty angle. ‘The lad is learning to be a tec like me. I've got an apprentice, so to speak.' He headed for the doorway.

‘Mr Kit said it was all right,' Spike muttered as he followed Perry from the room.

Stella sat for a moment, staring into space. Where would Ma go if she wanted to escape from the life she had been forced to lead?

She asked the same question of Kit and Rosa as they sat down to their evening meal. Rosa shook her head. ‘I can't think, unless she had some relations living in the country.'

‘None that I know of,' Stella said, toying with her food. ‘According to Aunt Maud in her more lucid moments, the Wilton side of the family would have nothing to do with my grandfather after he took a Spanish woman as his common-law wife.'

Kit speared a piece of cabbage with his fork. ‘Did your mother ever go to Spain? She must have relations there.'

‘Not that I know of.'

‘She was at Heron Park for some months. Perry talked to the servants.'

‘I'm sure Uncle Gervase must know something.' Rosa leaned her elbows on the table, gazing eagerly at Stella. ‘We should go there and demand to be told. I'm not afraid of him.'

Kit paused with the fork halfway to his lips. ‘I was planning to call on the old devil myself because I intend to challenge Papa's will. I think he was coerced into changing it and I mean to prove it in court.'

‘May I come with you?' Stella held her breath, awaiting his answer.

‘We'll all go,' Rosa said firmly. ‘I want to make sure that he hasn't allowed the house to go to rack and ruin. I think we should go together and show him that we mean business, Kit.'

They set off next morning in a carriage hired for the day at enormous expense, which Kit justified by saying he was not going to turn up at his rightful home looking like a pauper. They arrived Heron Park midmorning and were admitted by the gatekeeper whose welcome was less than enthusiastic. ‘Are you come to stay, sir?'

‘Maybe one day, Masters, but not yet.'

‘Shall I go ahead and warn them of your arrival, sir?'

‘That won't be necessary,' Kit said firmly. ‘Drive on, coachman.' He sat back against the squabs as the vehicle moved forward. ‘Masters used to be loyal to my family. Things have changed.'

Their reception at the house was warmer, with elation followed by a quick downturn of mood when the servants were told that this was just a flying visit. Noakes, the butler, was openly bitter in his resentment of the new master. ‘I know it's not my place to speak out, Master Kit,' he said in a low voice. ‘But you should be here in your rightful position. Things are bad, and getting worse, sir. All manner of goings-on occur that would never have been allowed in the old days.'

Kit patted him on the shoulder. ‘I can only begin to imagine what the servants have gone through, Noakes. But if there's any justice in the world we will triumph.'

‘I do hope so, sir. We all do.'

Rosa clutched his arm. ‘You won't leave, will you, Noakes? Heron Park wouldn't be the same without you.'

‘The new master has told us that if we give notice we'll leave without a character.'

‘That's blackmail,' Kit said angrily. ‘It makes me even more determined to oust the scoundrel before he drags the name of Rivenhall through the mud. Where is he, Noakes? Don't bother to announce me.'

‘He's still abed, sir. The master rarely gets up before noon.'

‘We'll see about that.' Kit strode across the entrance hall and took the stairs two at a time.

‘I do hope he doesn't make matters worse,' Rosa whispered in Stella's ear. ‘If we're thrown out we won't learn anything about your mother's whereabouts.'

Noakes cleared his throat noisily. ‘If you're speaking of Mrs Barry, I can only tell you what I told the detective gentleman, but the housekeeper might know more. In my experience ladies talk to each other and share confidences.'

‘I'd like to talk to her if I may,' Stella said eagerly.

Rosa nodded in agreement. ‘We must speak to Mrs Kendall, Noakes. I know the way.' Without waiting for his response she took Stella by the hand and headed off across the hall and down a series of bewildering passageways to a green baize door which opened onto a flight of stone steps. ‘This separates those above stairs from the servants below stairs. We'll find Mrs Kendall and see what she has to say.'

The servants' domain was much like that in Portgone Place and Stella was reminded of her own days in service. It seemed like another lifetime but she was still the same person and below stairs was where she belonged. She might be living with the rightful heirs to the estate but that did not alter the fact that she was their social inferior. She was trapped between the two worlds, and she was uncomfortably aware that she would give herself away the moment she opened her mouth. The housekeeper would be sure to spot her as a fraud.

Rosa danced on ahead, chattering about her childhood when she had often ventured down to the kitchens to beg treats from Cook. Stella said nothing. She had tried to ignore the attraction she felt for Kit, but this visit only served to underline their differences. Here, behind the green baize door, was her place, and his world was above stairs.

‘Do come and meet Mrs Kendall.' Rosa came to a halt outside a door marked Housekeeper. ‘She pretends to be a martinet, but she has a soft heart beneath the starched uniform.' She opened a door and stepped inside. ‘May we come in?'

Mrs Kendall had been sitting at her desk studying a ledger but she rose swiftly to her feet and bobbed a curtsey. ‘Miss Rosa. This is a pleasant surprise.' She shot a suspicious glance in Stella's direction. ‘And you've brought a visitor with you.'

‘This lady is Mrs Barry's daughter, and she's been searching for her mother for a very long time. I wondered if you would have any clue as to where she might have gone when she left here.'

Mrs Kendall waited until Rosa had taken a seat before resuming hers. ‘Do you realise in what capacity your mother was employed here, Miss Barry?'

‘Not exactly, ma'am.'

Mrs Kendall's generous mouth turned down at the corners. ‘It was a position that would never be countenanced in a respectable household. Mrs Barry was hostess to the master's guests during the parties he gave several times a week.'

‘You're talking in the past tense, Mrs Kendall,' Rosa said sharply. ‘Does that mean that these entertainments have ceased?'

‘There was an unfortunate incident in the caves, Miss Rosa. A young woman suffered a fatal accident and the police were called.'

‘Was my mother hurt?' Stella's voice cracked with fear.

‘Mrs Barry wasn't harmed but she left that night and has never returned. There is much gossip in the village, of course, but no one seems to be in possession of the facts.'

‘Who was the unfortunate person who died?' Rosa asked curiously. ‘Would I know her?'

‘She was a local girl, and although one shouldn't speak ill of the dead, she was no better than she should be. There are many females who seem willing to attend the riotous events in the caves, and gentlemen aplenty who were pleased to take advantage – until the police became involved. There have been no parties since that night.'

‘Do you have any idea where my mother might be now?' Stella asked anxiously. ‘Did she ever confide in you, ma'am?'

‘I usually interview domestic staff, but Mrs Barry was brought here one day by one of the master's acquaintances and she stayed. She was pleasant enough but she took her meals in her room and she never ventured into the servants' quarters.'

‘When did all this happen, Mrs Kendall?' Stella asked in desperation.

‘Less than a month ago, miss. The police have been here several times since the incident. They're treating the death as suspicious.'

‘It must have been a terrible tragedy for the girl's family,' Rosa said, rising from her chair. ‘We mustn't take up any more of your time, Mrs Kendall.'

‘It was very good of you to come and see me, Miss Rosa.' Mrs Kendall leapt to her feet. ‘May we hope to see you and Master Kit returning to your rightful home?'

‘Maybe,' Rosa said casually. ‘Come along, Stella. We'd best go and find my brother.' She swept out of the room with Stella following close behind, and they did not speak until they were on the other side of the baize door.

‘I'm none the wiser,' Stella said sadly. ‘Ma seems to have vanished.'

‘At least we know that she escaped from my uncle's clutches.' Rosa came to a sudden halt, clutching Stella's arm. ‘Talk of the devil. I can hear raised voices.' She moved stealthily towards the entrance hall, where Kit and his uncle stood facing each other like two gladiators about to do battle.

Stella was struck by the likeness between them. She had formed a mental picture of Gervase but the reality was shockingly different. He was not the dissolute-looking bloated drunkard that she had imagined. The difference in their ages was apparent, but Gervase Rivenhall was still a fine figure of a man, tall and slim with wide shoulders and a shock of blond hair just a few shades darker than Kit's. ‘You can go to hell, Christopher,' he roared in tones that reverberated off the high ceiling and bounced back off the walls. ‘This is my house now and I want you out of it for good. You aren't welcome here.'

Kit stood his ground. ‘I came to tell you that I'm challenging Father's will. You'll be hearing from my solicitor.'

‘Your solicitor.' Gervase spat the word with utter contempt. ‘You haven't got two halfpennies to rub together, boy. How could you afford to take me to court?'

‘That's my business, Uncle.'

‘Get out of my house now, or do I have to get the servants to throw you out?'

‘Enjoy it while you can.' Kit beckoned to his sister. ‘We're leaving. Say goodbye to your uncle, Rosa, because he will be languishing in prison when I'm done with him.'

Rosa tossed her head. ‘I'll cheer the loudest.' She took Stella's hand and dragged her towards the doorway where Noakes stood stiffly to attention. ‘Don't say a word,' she hissed. ‘It's no use asking Uncle Gervase anything when he's in this mood. Don't even look at him.'