A Murderous Masquerade (12 page)

Chapter Eight

“You’re what!” Alexander roared at Gates as he pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up so sharply that his chair fell over behind him.

Gates jumped back before he remembered himself and squared his shoulders again.

“I’ve had to charge him. The young Lord hasn’t turned up and the Earl is making such a ruckus about it all that I fear for my job.”

Alexander could barely believe his ears.

“While my friend fears for his life! Jesus, man! What on earth possessed you to charge him? You cannot possibly believe that chewed up bit of flesh in the pig sty belonged to Edward Ellesworth. That was skinny and dark skinned not pale and plump as it should have been.”

The magistrate shrugged.

“The doctor says that it was young Ellesworth’s coat. Jenkins found a toe too which apparently made the foot up to the right size. The doctor stuck it in one of the boots found in the bedroom. Apparently it was a good fit.”

Alexander ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“This cannot be true. It cannot possibly be right to identify someone from their foot fitting in a boot.”

Gates shrugged.

“Trouble is that no one has reported missing a foot so it must be the young man’s. Young Ellesworth is the only person missing. There is no one else for it to belong to. The doctor said it was good and fresh. Well, fairly fresh. It had been gnawed on a bit, but the Earl is right. There is no other explanation as to how a lower limb turned up in Jenkins’ pig pen. Caithwell was seen riding near the farm by two other gentlemen. Titled gentlemen I might add and he even admits that he was exercising his horse in the neighbourhood. He can suggest that he has an alibi for the hours in question all he likes, but if he’s not going to tell anyone what it is then I cannot see what I am to do.”

Alexander turned on the man.

“You are to find young Ellesworth! I would have thought that obvious. The great buffoon has disliked my friend from the moment he set eyes on him simply because of his lack of a title at birth. The man is a complete snob and his father supports him in his actions. He’d do anything to get rid of Caithwell, especially after he found out that it was Caithwell’s young cousin that they had assaulted on the terrace.”

Gates pricked up his ears.

“I thought that it was a fight? If it was an argument over a lady then I can only assume that Caithwell called Ellesworth out. He’s trying to hide the fact that he killed Ellesworth in a duel!” The man’s eyes popped wide and he grinned. “Well, that settles it. I am sending a message to the judge. He’s on his usual circuit, but he might make an effort to detour as this is such a simple case. Gets it all over with before the summer. That gaol fairly stinks in the hot months and you know how that upsets judge Havers.” Gates looked supremely pleased with himself while Alexander cursed his own foolish tongue. He had just handed Giles’ head to the magistrate on a plate.

Alexander slumped back down in his chair. He looked up at Gates and blew out his cheeks.

“He didn’t have a duel. I know what the situation is and where Caithwell spent the night, but I cannot reveal my knowledge without his consent. I need time to find more evidence of what I am telling you as well. You have to give me a month at least. If you hang him before the next session and Ellesworth turns up just a few days later, which I can guarantee you he will, you are likely to lose your job for incompetence as much as for anything else. I doubt that you will get another one anywhere near here. News of hanging an innocent man doesn’t go down well anywhere.” He tried to threaten the man in the least threatening manner he could think of.

Gates bounced gently on the balls of his feet. He narrowed his eyes as he studied the Duke. It would indeed look terrible on his record if it were known that a Duke had asked for a few weeks clemency to discover the truth of the apparent crime, and the magistrate had turned him down, only for the supposed victim to turn up.

He cleared his throat.

“Perhaps I was being a little hasty, though I still agree with Lavenham that the evidence points to Caithwell. Alright, I’ll not send any messages to the judge, but the charge will have to be put before the bench at the next assizes. If they decide that there is enough evidence then he’ll go before a judge and jury there. I’ll have to keep him in custody until such time as you can prove him innocent to me before he goes to court formally. That gives you approximately six weeks to make all the discoveries you want. All I ask is that if you discover anything, incriminating or not, you let me know. I don’t want to be made to look a fool by you standing up with the Earl’s son in your hands at the trial. If you cannot accept that slightly unusual proviso then I will have to send for the full court now.”

Alexander breathed a small sigh of relief. Although it wasn’t a perfect solution, he had a window of opportunity that he could use to gain Giles’ freedom. In the meantime he would scheme with Geoffrey in the hopes that they could come up with an escape plan if all else failed.

He stood up again and moved quickly around his desk.

“You’ll forgive me if I show you out. Naturally, I wish to begin my own investigations as quickly as possible and I have to go and speak to the ladies. As you can imagine this news will cause them great distress. My friend is loved very much by all of them and I cannot imagine what his ward, Charlotte, is going to do. She has only just lost her brother and father. This is going to come as a great blow to her.” He stepped around Gates and opened his study door.

Geoffrey stood outside. His eyes darted from Alexander to Gates, where they stopped and narrowed frighteningly. Gates shuffled past the brawny stableman and fled towards the front door where Grady handed the man his hat and shooed him out of the house.

Geoffrey looked at Alexander again.

“You can’t mean to let him get away with that?” He had obviously been listening at the door.

Alexander wiped his hand over his jaw. His whiskers rubbed his palm.

“I don’t see what else to do at this moment in time. The Earl of Lavenham is bringing a private prosecution and backing it up with what he sees as evidence that incriminates Giles. Giles is adamant that Anne’s reputation be kept intact and won’t tell Gates where he was last night. If Anne doesn’t confirm it, I don’t see what we can do. Not that Gates would believe either of them anyway, now that Giles and Anne are betrothed. It’s the sort of thing any couple in love would do or say to keep the other from the hangman’s noose.”

Geoffrey ran his finger around his cravat and swallowed hard.

“When are you going to tell Anne and Lily and Lady Char...Charlotte?” He nearly choked over the last name and Alexander looked carefully at his steward and stableman, but Geoffrey cleared his throat and stared back at him calmly.

“I’m going to them now. Perhaps you should come too. I feel that a threefold fit of the vapours is about to occur along with several bouts of swooning. We should have the smelling salts at the ready.”

Geoffrey rolled his eyes and gave a low chuckle at the thought of the three women keeling over so easily.

“Don’t be daft. Anne and Lily are made of sterner stuff than that, and you saw what his ward stood up to. You’re more likely to need protection for Lavenham and Gates. I can just see those three women storming the prison with cook’s rolling pins, to free the man.”

Alexander laughed for what felt like the first time in hours. He rubbed his hand over his face which felt a lot rougher than normal and he suddenly realized that he hadn’t had time for his usual morning toilette. The clock in the hall struck five in the afternoon. He puffed out a big breath and began walking towards the drawing room waving to Grady as he went, indicating that they would be needing tea.

The ladies looked up from their seats as soon as he opened the door. Anne stood quickly and took a step forwards before she realized that Giles wasn’t with the other two men.

“Where is he?” She demanded.

Alexander came towards her quickly.

“Anne, please sit down for a moment while I explain.”

Charlotte was immediately in front of him, beside Anne.

“Explain what? What have they done with my cousin?”

Alexander shushed her while he moved them back towards the chaise. He waited until they had settled themselves.

“Ladies, please be calm. Giles is quite safe, however he will be remaining in the local gaol until I can find proof that he didn’t do away with that young idiot, Ellesworth.”

Anne immediately leapt up from the chaise again.

“But that’s not the law! He’s innocent until proven guilty, by twelve good men.”

Alexander raised an ironic eyebrow.

“Yes, well, that may be the law but your father is standing for the victim and paying for the privilege. If we don’t want Gates summoning the judge and justices from their planned circuit and bringing the trial forward to next week, we’ll have to put up with it. They’ll be passing at Cranleigh soon. It would be no trouble for Gates to call them to Oakley, giving us no time to prepare a defence. Your father has convinced Gates that there is a case to answer and as Giles has insisted on keeping your reputation spotless, there’s not a lot I can do about it until we can find young Edward.”

Anne fisted her hands and raised her chin determinedly.

“I don’t give a tinker’s cuss for my reputation. I’ll go to Gates right this minute and tell him the truth. Giles was with me all night.” She walked determinedly for the door, but Geoffrey took a pace to the side to stop her.

“It won’t make any difference now that you are betrothed. Gates will just claim that you are lying to save your lover.” His tone was gentle yet clear.

Anne took a shuddering breath.

“But I can prove it.” She dropped her glance to the floor as she confessed. “I have the sheets from our bed. They will prove that he was with me.” She gave a deep sob as she realized the truth of his words. Pain settled in her heart.

Alexander moved to her side and gathered her in his arms.

“I’m afraid that they will only prove that a maiden had been in the bed. Think about it Anne. You were wed to my brother for three years. Apart from the fact that few would believe you, if you confess to being a virgin up until this moment, your marriage to Phillip will be annulled. You will lose your title, your home, your reputation, even our business venture could be jeopardized. Even if Giles did find himself freed, your lives would be hard to live afterwards. Society would shun you both and my family would be ruined along with you. I have a son to think of. I cannot bring him into disrepute even before he is born. You know that I will do anything to help my friend but making such a futile gesture will only make the matter more complicated. You cannot offer up the sheets as evidence.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“As if I care for any of that when Giles’ life might be at stake. Good God, Alexander, my father is out to hang him! What would you have me do? Sit here and weep while he rots in that prison without lifting a finger to help him?”

Charlotte walked up to Anne and placed her arm around the distraught and angry woman.

“Of course Alexander and Geoffrey don’t mean to leave him there. They will release him.” She said simply before she carried on with real grit in her tone. “And if they don’t then I will. I’ll slit the guards’ throats and steal him away. You and he can sail to America until we can prove Giles innocent.”

Geoffrey grinned suddenly. The girl’s gumption was a breath of fresh air even when her idea was patently ridiculous.

“What? They sail to the continent after you have blamed Giles for slitting the guards’ throats or were you going to confess and stand trial for that slight demeanour.”

Charlotte turned to face the big man. He hadn’t spoken to her very often before, only a few words before he went to search for lemonade on the night of the ball and none at all as he had escorted her to the ladies retiring room after the assault. She stood up to her full height, which wasn’t very high at all, and lifted a stubborn chin towards Geoffrey.

“It would be worth it. My cousin is innocent. I’ll not see him hang over some dunderhead like that idiot Ellesworth. I’d sail to America with him and Anne and discover a whole new world of adventure there.”

Geoffrey smiled at her description of Edward and at her sense of adventure.

“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but we will be sure to put it on our list of suggestions if all else fails. In the meantime it might be useful to remember if anything was said when you were arguing with the three fools on the terrace. Did they give any clues of where they were going to take you or did they mention meeting anywhere later that night?”

Charlotte was about to retort that his question was ridiculous when she suddenly realized that it wasn’t. She shut her mouth and pondered.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember. Everything happened so fast. Rookwood twirled me around and around the floor so fast that my head was spinning as he swept me through the doors.” She frowned as she tried to remember. “I’ll give it some thought. They did talk a little. I just need to recall what it was about. I’m afraid that I was a little distracted at the time.”

Geoffrey’s face lost its good humour at the memory of seeing her fighting off the three men. His eyes darkened and glittered dangerously as he fisted his hands at his sides.