Death of a Fop (Bow Street Consultant series Book 1) (17 page)

Jane gave permission for the servants to stay away from church if they found themselves too overset by the events of the night; or possibly too excited and eager to see the developments.

A pair of constables turned up to relieve the household of its prisoners, one of whom was sullen and truculent the other still groggy from a combination of Jane’s blow from the candlestick and the bruising he had taken already from Caleb wrestling with him in the darkness. He was complaining in the idiom of Ireland that he needed a priest.

“Sure, for joy, and aren’t I wounded t’death so I am; wirra that I should die unshriven loike yu pagan English!”

Needless to say the constables ignored his complaints.

“It’s my dooty, ma’am, ter talk ter Mr Armitage,” said one of the constables staring at the ceiling rather than seem impudent enough to meet Jane’s eye, “this bein’ his case and nowise anyone wishful to push in on it; but I needs to report as ‘ow ‘e’s still in the land of the living, see.”

“Oh quite so” said Jane. These men were a far cry from Caleb’s relatively gentlemanly bearing; and they were too far more bashful in the house of a...how would they phrase it, gentry mort, thought Jane. She led them both to see Caleb.

“Visitors for you, Mr Armitage” she said gaily as she opened his bedroom door after a swift knock; to forestall any flippant and indeed flirtatious comment that might arise to his lips for seeing her enter first. She stood at the bottom of the bed while the men mumbled apologies to Caleb for disturbing him “Listen you men,” said Caleb, “them gaolbirds wot you’re taking in; you keep ‘em safe, see? I don’t want ‘em piking off because sure as eggs is eggs they’ll be the next ones to end up dead and no good as witnesses if you lose ‘em. Is that clear?”

“Yuss Mr Armitage” nodded the least monosyllabic of the pair.

“Good; because while they’re kept safe – and incommunicado if you can manage it, strewth I mean nobody didn’t ought to be let talk to them, nor they to each other if the Paddy is conscious and as sensible as any Irishman may ever be,” he added, seeing looks of incomprehension, “ – then Mrs Churchill and her household are also relatively safe. But look, Tobias!” he addressed the spokesman “You can give out that I am shot; and make as gloomy noises about it as you like. I ain’t about to turn up me toes, but if there’s them as think I might be, well we might get further, see?”

“Ar” said Tobias.

“Well that’s a relief to be rid of them” said Caleb when Jane returned to see how he had born the visit.

“The prisoners or the constables?” asked Jane tartly “For the latter do not seem to be of your calibre in the least.”

“Well they
are
only constables of the watch not officers of the law” said Caleb. “A relief to be rid of both I’d say. I feared a rescue if it became known the prisoners were here; if there is a master mind behind the jewel thefts – and I believe there is – then he could easily hire a small army of ruffians to storm this house on a quiet Sunday and either remove or silence Jimmy Ripon and his friend O’Toole. I think O’Toole and the man called Smudger – his name is almost certainly Smith, as it’s a common nickname – were the strong arm men. Now such are easily replaced; but we may hope, if I am thought to be at death’s door, that you may receive a visit from the nib cove himself. And if not, perhaps a visit to him might be in order. I strongly suspect that our precious birds will stand buff, refuse to talk; possibly because they fear the boss more than they fear the law. Though we might let loose your pretty eyes on the Irishman; they are notoriously tough nuts to crack but full of sentiment; a few tears over the terrible things done to your husband might do the trick.”

Jane considered. She had stiffened at the compliment to her pretty eyes but what Caleb said did make sense.

“We shall see what develops” she said. “Better not to go out of my way to provoke a reaction until we see if this master mind tries to act first; for I will not go near him, nor O’Toole without you nearby and that is impractical until you are healed and will besides give away that you are not so near death’s door as we wish them to think.”

He nodded.

“Cogently put my dear Mrs Churchill…. might I have a drop of laudanum? This arm throbs some’at cruel now I be better enough to notice it.”

“Of a certainly, Mr Armitage” said Jane. “I believe you refused it to Ella earlier.”

“Yes; I wanted to be sensible to talk to any idiots who came to see me” said Caleb. “Well they’ve been; and I doubt anything much will happen before tomorrow. So I may take the opportunity to recuperate.”

Jane decided to fill in her Aunt Hetty on all that was going on.

Miss Bates glowed pink with excitement as Jane revealed the whole story.

“Oh Jane! Oh if it were not that it has caused you misery and poor Frank lying dead so foully done away with – though I must say my blood boils that he has proved so false in more ways than just adultery, not that
JUST
is quite the word to use, for it is serious enough – where was I? Oh yes, if there were not so many horrid aspects to this, it must seem quite like a horrid romance of the kind that one might find in a circulating library, quite unrealistic of course but
SUCH
an entertaining read as they may be!”

“It is easier to deal with if one can but imagine oneself living in a novel” said Jane. “For my own part the puzzle of untangling the villain of this piece is the way that I might more readily cope with the unusual and indeed nightmarish situation.”

She had explained that she and Mr Armitage believed one of the three jewellers to be involved at least in the jewellery thefts; and Miss Bates was torn between being thrilled at having actually been in the presence of a master criminal and a little shocked.

“Mr Armitage did not ought to permit you to take such risks, dear Jane!” she said.

“He prefers, I think,” said Jane, “to permit me to collaborate with his investigation and taking such risks, over knowing that I should probably investigate on my own if he did not; and that would put me in greater danger. I need to do this, Aunt Hetty.”

“I find it hard, my dear, to truly understand why it matters to you so much; if Frank was so unkind to you, why do you care about finding his killers?” Miss Bates was puzzled.

Jane stared down at her hands, passive in her lap, willpower keeping them still.

“Because, Aunt Hetty, I feel some guilt that perhaps I might have managed to change his nature had I not turned away from him so soon, decided that as he did not love me I should not need to care for him; indeed I made life harder for him in petty revenges for his despite towards me. I do not know if I could have been a better wife to him and saved him from this; but you have taught me to view everyone with charity and so I feel I should try to find charity for Frank; and do my best to prevent these terrible people killing other men, those who perhaps are merely foolish enough to get into debt and yet have a much loved family. I cannot put it clearly; I am sorry.”

“My dear,
DEAR
Jane!” Miss Bates embraced her “You are good to try to understand his faults; it is harder for me to forgive him for it is my dear niece whom he has hurt and it is easier to forgive those who wrong ourselves than those who wrong those we love; and it is so very like you to also consider the feelings of others hurt by these villains! But I pray you, do, my dear Jane,
PLEASE
take care!”

Jane was doing the accounts in the book room on Monday morning when Fowler announced Mr Churchill.

“Well Jane!” said Mr Churchill “This is indeed a sad and sorry business! Frank
murdered
you write; though had he committed suicide over your profligacy I should have been less surprised!”

Jane stared open mouthed; then anger drove her to speech.

“
My
profligacy? I assure you sir it was not I who lost two thousand guineas in some gaming hell, nor I who maintained a mistress; indeed
your nephew
saw fit to chastise me when I tried to make economies! You
dare
to accuse me when I have tried my hardest to maintain the outsize household Frank considered necessary and when I have had to sew to create modish dresses when he believed me out shopping to avoid his punishment for looking dowdy? When I have had good nourishing food thrown at me because it is not the most fashionable cut? Indeed sir, I blame you in some measure for Frank’s death for had you apprised me of his request to you for the sum I might, by use of the knowledge of the same, have been able to use sweet reason on Frank to accept that economies were necessary; or had you posted down
then
to find out what was wrong you might have had some influence on him; instead of which he has engaged in dishonesty to pay his debts the result of which means that his crooked friends have had him killed; and I am in no inconsiderable danger since they erroneously believe me to be in possession of something he stole from them! Yes, sir,
stole
! Frank stooped to common theft, it appears, no doubt with the casuistry that as he stole from thieves it did not count!”

Jasper Churchill had gone grey and he sank into a chair.

“Jane – no, I cannot believe this!” he cried.

“Well sir if you will call me a liar, I suggest you go through
my
accounts and through all of Frank’s papers in the escritoire” said Jane “I have tried to put them into some semblance of order. I wish you joy of it; but I will not remain here with you to call me a liar.”

“Jane; I apologise; I did not mean to call you a liar. I meant merely that I found it hard to believe that Frank could be so…so… lost to shame and what is due to his name!” cried Mr Churchill. “I had assumed that a poverty stricken girl, given an allowance such as I paid Frank had had her head turned in the big city with all the shops and entertainments available….”

“Still my integrity is impugned,” said Jane coldly, “and I will leave you to believe the evidence of your own eyes what may be my fault and what not. Since I saw some half of the allowance you paid Frank from which to make the household run, you will see I have very little over with which to enjoy much in the way of shopping and entertainment; since that also covered the cost of keeping Frank’s horse. I shall have tea sent to you; good morning.”

She stalked out.

“Mr Churchill would like you to join him in the book room, ma’am” said Fowler some hours later.

Jane entered the book room and raised an eyebrow.

“I apologise for calling your management into question Jane” said Mr Churchill. “I am shocked at how much Frank has squandered. However, as his wife I should have thought you would have had some influence over him. Alas, my poor sister! There is bad blood there; indeed I am wondering whether to continue the allowance at all, or whether to cut off root and branch; no scandal should attach to a Churchill of Enscombe.”

“I will not diminish myself to plead for my daughter or the unborn child in my womb,” said Jane coolly, “but as a mother I shall do my utmost for their wellbeing; and as I am a handsome woman I do not doubt that Jane Churchill of Enscombe might readily make her way and rapidly find a wealthy protector around Covent Garden.”

Jasper Churchill spluttered in outrage and horror.

“Jane, you cannot mean it! To
ruin
yourself!”

“Why Mr Churchill, it is not as though I am a maid unblemished; I felt very blemished by Frank’s insistence on his marital rights after I had barely birthed” said Jane. “What is there to lose? Nothing. And much to gain in keeping my children in a way that I wish them kept. Of course I also have the satisfaction, should I have to take this course because you have proved ungenerous to your great niece and great niece or nephew, of making sure that the name Churchill of Enscombe is synonymous with the unfortunate calling I should have to embrace.”

Mr Churchill was almost gobbling with outrage.

“Jane, this is
blackmail
!” he cried.

“Mr Churchill; it is” said Jane.

“You are…. you are….”

“I am a mother, Mr Churchill; there is
nothing
I would not do for my children” said Jane. “And as the unfortunate profession at its upper end – which I feel sure I could penetrate – pays vastly more than a governess’ wages, who would not in any case be engaged if she had her own children, why, my duty is clear.”

“You shall have the allowance continued in full” said Mr Churchill in a furious voice.

“Thank you Mr Churchill,” said Jane submissively, “then there is no need for me to consider any further course of action concerning future employment.”

That she had no intention of carrying out her threat – had only thought of it because she had been so angry – was neither here nor there. He had not dared to call her bluff. And in truth Jane did not see why he should be permitted to turn up full of censure for what was a fault in Frank’s upbringing; indulged by his uncle and trammelled but mollycoddled by his aunt his weak nature had been exacerbated by a mixture of indulgence and being kept tied to his aunt by leading strings. Left to make his own way, and free of his aunt’s demanding nature, he had let his inclinations towards profligate pleasure run wild, and the sudden stiffening of his uncle towards him over that outrageous debt, instead of making some push to find out
why
he needed so great a sum was, Jane felt, irresponsible. She had some anger towards herself too that she had not tried to be firmer with Frank from the first; but that of course was why he had married her; he knew she would be grateful for being rescued from the fate of being a governess and so would be compliant and ready to fall in with all that he said, being as unlike his aunt as could be. And she had been grateful; and it was no basis for love or marriage.

Caleb spluttered almost as loudly as Mr Churchill when she reported the conversation to him.

“Jane-girl you would not….. why, I have thought about your situation and it occurred to me that letting the house would bring you almost a thousand a year, surely; and as Frank bought it with his own monies, it devolves to you, his widow, not the estate of Enscombe!” he said.