The Mermaid in the Basement (30 page)

“Good morning, Sir Leo. I’m a little late.”

“That’s the prerogative of a woman, isn’t it?” He smiled at her, took the basket of food she had brought, then offered his free arm.

As they mounted the steps, she asked, “Have you been able to make any progress on a defense?”

Sir Leo opened the door, but before she went in, he said quietly, “Not a great deal.” Something was on his mind, and he hesitated, then said gently, “Try not to hope too much, Viscountess. The odds are against us.”

“I can’t believe that, Sir Leo.”

“That’s as well. You have faith, then.”

“I have faith in what you and I and Dylan can do to set my brother free.”

He nodded slightly, and they entered the main building. The guard remembered them and bowed deferentially. “Good morning, Sir Leo. Good morning, ma’am.”

“We’d like to see my client, please.”

“Yes, sir. Right this way.”

The two followed the guard out of the main room, up the stairs, and then down the line of cells. As always, the odor was rank, and Serafina steeled herself against it. “It looks like they could do something about the terrible smell in here.”

Sir Leo shrugged his elegant shoulders. “I suppose they’re not terribly interested in making the place nicer for the prisoners.”

When they reached Clive’s cell, the jailer opened it and said, “Just sing out when you’re ready to go, Sir Leo.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Serafina entered first, with Sir Leo right behind, and the door clanged shut behind. Clive was standing, waiting for them. She went toward him and ordinarily would have given him her hand, but something came over her at the look of his thin, drawn face. She put her arms around him and gave him a hard hug. “Good morning, Clive.”

Clive’s arms tightened around her, then he released her and stood back. He had lost weight over the last three weeks in prison, and though his clothes were clean enough, they seemed to hang on him.He turned to Sir Leo, greeted him, and shook the advocate’s hand. Then Serafina saw there was a measure of excitement in his eyes, and he was standing straighter than usual.

“Something has happened, Serafina.”

“What is it, Clive?”

“I’ve been racking my brain trying to remember some of the details of the night that Kate was killed. I was a fool that night and very drunk.

Last night I couldn’t sleep. There was something that I was trying to touch in my memory, some sort of detail.” Clive shook his head and turned it to one side, a familiar gesture to Serafina. He always turned his head to one side when he was excited.

“Did you remember something, then, Clive?” Sir Leo asked quickly, his voice animated. He wanted to win this case, but he knew there was no chance unless new evidence was unearthed. “What was it?”

“It came just before dawn. I was literally worn out trying to remember, and then it came to me like—well, it was like a picture. I remembered that while I was in that woman’s room, a man came in.”

“A man? What sort of a man?” Roth demanded.

“He must have been the woman’s pimp, I suppose.”

“Well, what did he look like?” Serafina demanded.

“I only saw him once and then only briefly. He came into the room, and I can only remember two things about him. He was a big man with blunt features—and instead of a right hand, he had a steel hook, like those you see in illustrations of pirate novels.”

“That’s wonderful, Clive!” Serafina exclaimed. She squeezed his arm and said, “Can you remember any more details?”

“No,” Clive replied with chagrin. “But that ought to help some, don’t you think? There can’t be all that many men in London with steel hooks on their right hands.”

“We’ll have to pursue this at once. If we can find the man, we will have found the woman,” Sir Leo said.

Hope shone out of Clive’s eyes, and he seemed more alive.

Serafina took the basket of food from Sir Leo and set it on the single table in the room. “I brought some of the things you like best, Clive.”

“Thank you, Sister. You know, if I could remember that one detail, I’m going to try to remember others.”

“Good!” Sir Leo nodded vigorously. “We’ll work on that. I know some men that are pretty well acquainted with the underworld of London. I’ll talk to them immediately. You don’t really forget a man with a steel hook for a hand.”

“I remember,” Clive said slowly, “he called the woman’s name.” He reached up and put his hands on his temples as if he could squeeze the name out of his brain. “I’ve tried and tried.He called her name. I just can’t remember it.”

“Try, Clive,” Serafina urged. “It’s very important. The trial will be starting soon.”

“And we don’t have much to go on, do we, Sir Leo?”

Sir Leo said honestly, “Not yet, but this will help, I’m sure. All we have to do is prove that you were at that woman’s house during the time that Kate Fairfield was murdered, and no jury would find you guilty. The case, I imagine, would be dismissed.”

“Oh, how wonderful that would be!” Serafina exclaimed. “I’ll ask Dylan to help.”

Serafina sat down on the cot with Clive, and Sir Leo leaned against the wall. He studied the two and saw that there was a strong family resemblance between them. Of the two, he knew for a certainty that Serafina was the stronger.He had found out a great deal about Clive from the members of the family and through asking about, and he knew that the young man was a wastrel, that he had never taken anything seriously in his life, and the thought suddenly came to him,
Well, he’ll take this seriously
all right. There’s something about a noose being put around your neck
that does tend to sober a man!

Dora had squeezed herself into the corner of Sir Aaron Digby’s carriage. She knew that according to the etiquette of the day, when a man and a woman not related rode together, it was considered polite for the man to sit across from the woman, and she had expected that Digby would do exactly that. He had not, though, and had sat beside her. Now he was so close that his arm was brushing against hers, and she had to keep her lower body pulled away to keep his leg from touching hers.

“It was a fine concert, wasn’t it, Dora?” Digby smiled.He was dressed at the height of fashion, as he always was, and looked elegant in a long black frock coat with a spotless white shirt. The coat was beautifully cut, without a wrinkle, and his boots were polished to a satin gleam.

“Yes, it was very nice.”

Digby abruptly seized her hand and said, “You must know how much I admire you, Dora!”

Dora was startled and attempted to free her hand, but he was too strong for her. “Please, Sir Digby, let me go!”

“I will never do that! Why, I want you to marry me, Dora!” Before she could move, he seized her and pressed his lips against hers.He ran his hand down her back and laughed when she struggled. “You’re a pure young woman, aren’t you? Don’t know a thing about men! Well, it will be my duty—and my pleasure—to teach you after we’re married.”

Dora freed herself, then said, “I don’t intend to marry anyone for a long time.”

Digby only laughed and shook his head. “I’ll speak to your father. We’ll settle the marriage between us.” His smile was thin and suggestive, and he laughed as she tried to shrink away from him. “I’m anxious to have you, Dora. It will be an adventure for you.”

Dora did not speak all the way to her home, and when she stepped out of the carriage, he came toward her. She whirled and fled, and his mocking cry came to her. “Run, little dove! Soon we’ll be married and you’ll be running to me.”

Serafina was startled when Dora burst into her room, her cheeks tearstained. “What in the world is wrong, Dora?” she cried.

“It’s Sir Digby. He asked me to marry him—and I can’t do it. Tell, me, Serafina, how does a woman know? You’ve been married. How do you know? How do you think about marriage?”

Serafina was quiet and did not speak. Finally she said in a strangely muted voice, “I’m not the right one to ask, Dora.”

Dora stared at her older sister. “But you were married. You must know what it was like.”

“I had ideas about what marriage was like,” Serafina said, speaking slowly, and her face seemed to be fixed. “Of course I had some romantic notions—but I found out quickly enough that I had the wrong ideas. I—I knew how to perform scientific experiments, but I didn’t know how to judge a man.”

Dora stared at her sister. She realised that Serafina never spoke about Charles, and now she asked tentatively,“Weren’t you happy with Charles?”

A long silence seemed to fill the room, almost palpable, and Dora saw the words were forced from Serafina. “No, Dora, I was miserable.”

Serafina shook her shoulders as if throwing off some burden and said, “You don’t love this man, and none of us know him. I think you should put him out of your mind.”

“Aunt Bertha won’t let me do that. She thinks he’s a wonderful catch.”

“Then Bertha is wrong. All she sees is that he has money and a title, but there’s more to a man than that.” For a moment she hesitated, then said bitterly, “There has to be more to a man than that.”

Dora turned slowly and left the room, and Serafina watched her go helplessly. “I wish I could help,” she whispered. “I wish I could, but I couldn’t even help myself!”

Dora slept little that night, for she feared what must happen the next day.She would have fled, but there was no place for her to run.

Early that evening, Sir Aaron Digby came and sought an audience with her father. Dora sat in the parlor with her mother, her aunt, and Serafina. Serafina had seen Digby come, and had come to the parlor and sat down on the couch next to Dora. She took her hand and smiled at her.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Bertha was overflowing with excitement. “Just think—an earl! What a wonderful marriage that would be!”

Dora flinched, and Serafina said coolly, “I’m afraid you have an exalted idea of the peerage, Aunt Bertha.”

“What are you talking about, Serafina? He’s an earl! It would be a wonderful match.”

Bertha went on and on about Sir Digby, and finally they heard the front door close. Septimus came to the door, his face grave. The women all looked at him, and Bertha said impulsively, “Well, did he ask for Dora’s hand?”

“Yes, he did.” Septimus turned to Dora. “He wants to marry you, Dora.”

“Oh no, Papa, I couldn’t marry him! I couldn’t!”

“Couldn’t marry him! What in the world are you talking about?

You’re a foolish young girl!” Bertha cried out. The scene that followed was very painful. Bertha stridently demanded that Dora act like an adult and not a foolish child. It did not take much of her ranting to send Dora into tears, and soon she fled the room.

Serafina had endured all she could. She said, “Would you step outside, Aunt Bertha?”

“Outside? What for?”

“Because I have something to say to you.”

“Very well.” Bertha followed Serafina outside. Serafina led her to the study, and when the older woman came in, she shut the door, turned to her, and said, “Aunt Bertha, you will not urge Dora any more to take this man in marriage.”

“I certainly will!” Bertha bridled, her face reddening. “It’s up to the family to take care of matters like this.”