The Repentant Rake (16 page)

    Dismounting
from his horse, he handed the reins to an ostler who came running towards him,
then presented himself at the front door. He was invited in and asked to wait
in the hall. News of his arrival provoked an immediate response. Sir Julius
came strutting out to offer him a gruff welcome and to demand what he was doing
there.

    'I
was hoping that you might be here, Sir Julius,' explained Christopher.

    'Yes,'
said the other, 'but not to discuss business, man. That is best done at your
own house in London. This is a family visit. I resent any intrusion.'

    'It
was forced upon me, I fear.'

    'Oh?'

    'I
have sad tidings to impart.'

    The
old man started. 'Are you trying to wriggle out of our contract?'

    'No,
Sir Julius,' said Christopher. 'This has nothing to do with your new house.
It's a personal matter.' There was a long pause. 'It concerns a member of your
family.'

    'What
on earth are you talking about?'

    'Your
son, Gabriel.'

    Sir
Julius turned puce. He was on the point of issuing a stinging rejoinder when he
was interrupted by a voice behind him. Susan Cheever was standing in the
doorway of the parlour, composed yet apprehensive.

    'Good
day to you, Mr Redmayne!' she said politely.

    'And
to you, Miss Cheever,' he returned.

    'Did
I hear you mention my brother?'

    'Yes,
you did.'

    'I'll
not hear a word about him,' warned Sir Julius angrily. 'If you bring a message
from him, Mr Redmayne, you are wasting your breath.'

    'What
is going on?' said Brilliana, sweeping into the hall past her sister. 'Why is
Father shouting like that?' She glared at Christopher. 'Who might you be, sir?'

    'My
architect,' snapped Sir Julius. 'At least, he was,' he added with a warning
glance. 'Whatever blandishments you have brought, you may take them away at
once. And you may tell the person who sent you that I never wish to see him
again.'

    Lancelot
Serle now joined the group in the hall, standing beside his wife with his usual
expression of bafflement. Sir Julius was exuding hostility. Brilliana had
turned to ice. Susan was clutching her hands together. Christopher was left
with no alternative to blurting out his news.

    'Your
son is dead Sir Julius.'

    The effect
on his hearers varied. Sir Julius turned away in disgust, Brilliana stared
accusingly at the visitor, Serle dithered helplessly and Susan was so shocked
that she had to support herself on the door frame. Wanting to rush across to
her, Christopher had to restrain himself and wait for the opportunity to
deliver an even more crushing blow. It was Brilliana who first found a voice.

    'I
can hardly say that I am surprised' she said without sympathy.

    'Brilliana!'
cried her sister.

    'Those
who follow such a despicable life must suffer its consequences.'

    Susan
was trembling. 'That's a horrible thing to say.'

    'It
has a degree of truth in it,' ventured Serle, eager to support his wife.

    'I
would dispute that, sir,' said Christopher defensively. 'Gabriel Cheever did
not die in the way that is implied. He was murdered in cold blood.'

    The
announcement set off another series of reactions. Sir Julius turned back with
incredulity on his face, Serle began to gibber wildly and his wife had the grace
to look saddened by the news. Christopher was not interested in them. His
attention was fixed on Susan Cheever, who took a few uncertain steps towards
him then collapsed in a dead faint. He ran across to kneel beside her, slipping
a hand under her head. The emergency seemed to bring out the best in the other
members of the family. Sir Julius suggested that she be carried into the
parlour, Serle helped Christopher to lift the limp body and Brilliana summoned
a servant and gave crisp orders. By the time she began to recover, Susan was
lying on a couch while her sister held a cup of brandy to her lips. Christopher
had been relegated to a position at the rear of the group clustered around her
but it was his eyes she sought. Aided by her father, she sat up and waved the
brandy away.

    'I do
not want that,' she said.

    'Let
me send for a doctor,' said Brilliana.

    'There's
no need.'

    'I am
sorry that I gave you such a shock, Miss Cheever,' said Christopher.

    'It
was not your fault, Mr Redmayne.'

    'Would
you rather I withdrew?'

    'That
might be a sensible notion,' decided Brilliana.

    'No,'
said Susan, raising a hand. 'I am recovered now. Do not leave us, Mr Redmayne.
I want to hear what happened.'

    'And
I wish to know how you came by this gruesome intelligence,' said Sir Julius,
clearly shaken.

    Lancelot
Serle made his first useful contribution by inviting them all to take a seat.
Christopher found himself in a chair at the centre of the room. He looked
around the expectant faces. Susan was tearful, Brilliana watchful and her
husband solemn. Sir Julius was trying to appear detached but his eyes betrayed
him. Christopher was tactful. Eliminating the most distressing details and
making no reference to his brother's predicament, he explained how Gabriel
Cheever's body had been found and why he had been drawn into the investigation.
After admitting that no suspects had yet been arrested, he made an attempt to
end on a positive note.

    'In a
sense, it was a blessing that the constable turned to me for help.'

    'Blessing?'
echoed Sir Julius in a hollow voice.

    'Had
the body not been identified' Christopher argued, 'it would have been buried in
an unmarked grave with nobody to mourn over it. That would have been very sad.'

    'Where
is it being held?'

    'At
the city morgue, Sir Julius. Awaiting the decision of the family.'

    That
decision, he saw, would not be easy to make. Sir Julius was caught up in a
welter of emotions, Brilliana was wrestling with her own feelings and her
husband was awaiting her cue so that he could agree with her. Only Susan
Cheever knew what she wanted and she feared that her wishes might be overruled.

    Christopher
rose to his feet. 'I'll trespass no longer on your grief,' he said. 'All that I
can do is offer you my profound condolences. If there is anything further that
I may do - anything at all - please do not hesitate to call on me.'

    'Thank
you, Mr Redmayne,' whispered Susan.

    'Yes,
thank you,' said Sir Julius awkwardly. 'I am sorry to give you so uncivil a
welcome. It was good of you to ride all this way with such dreadful tidings. I
do appreciate that. Needless to say, this may alter my plans somewhat.'

    'Of
course, Sir Julius,' said Christopher. 'Our business can wait. Do excuse me.'

    He gave
a farewell nod and headed for the door. Serle followed him into the hall to add
his personal thanks and to wave him off. Christopher departed reluctantly. He
wanted to offer some consolation to Susan Cheever but that was impossible while
she was surrounded by the others. All that he could do was slip quietly away.
When the front door was closed behind him, he looked up at the house and
regretted that he had brought such unhappiness to it. He walked slowly to the
stables to find his horse, and was about to mount up when a figure suddenly
appeared in front of him. Susan Cheever was breathless from her dash to find
him.

    'Thank
goodness I caught you!' she said between gasps.

    'Get your
breath back before you speak further,' he advised. 'I cannot tell you how
grieved I am to be the bearer of such tragic news, but I felt that you should
hear it as soon as was conceivably possible.'

    'That
was very considerate of you, Mr Redmayne.'

    'I
wish that you could have been spared the shock.'

    Susan
took a moment to regain her composure then gave a little smile. 'You deserve my
thanks,' she said.

    'For
what?'

    'Omitting
something from your account of Gabriel's death.'

    'I
thought it a kindness to do so.'

    'I'm
not talking about details that might have upset us, Mr Redmayne. You were
discreet in another way. I'm grateful to you.'

    'It's
not for me to pry into your family affairs.'

    'You
knew,' she said quietly, 'yet you did not expose me.'

    'All
I know is that you loved your brother as a sister should, Miss Cheever.'

    Susan
heaved a sigh. 'Father would disagree.'

    'Sir
Julius may one day come to admit that he did have a son.'

    'Gabriel's
name will always fester in his memory.'

    'And
in that of your sister, I fancy,' he observed sadly.

    'Brilliana
and Gabriel were never close,' recalled Susan. 'When he left home, she spurned
him as readily as Father. I could never do that.'

    'So
I've learned.' Alarm came into her eyes. 'Have no fear,' he soothed. 'I'll not
betray you, Miss Cheever. I applaud your courage. You've done what any true
sister would have done.'

    Susan
looked at him with mingled doubt and affection. She searched his face to see if
she could trust him. Christopher was calm beneath her scrutiny. Even at such a
difficult time, it was a joy to be close to her again. When she made up her
mind, Susan checked to see that nobody could overhear them then stepped closer
to him.

    'There's
something I must tell you, Mr Redmayne,' she began. 'Something which has to be
kept from the rest of the family.'

    'With
good reason, I suspect.'

    'It
may help with your enquiries.'

    'Anything
that does that is welcome, Miss Cheever.'

    She
lowered her head. 'Though it will mean more pain and distress.'

    'For
whom?'

    'Someone
I have never even met.'

    'You
are being very mysterious.'

    'How
much have you found out about Gabriel?' she asked, looking up.

    'Precious
little,' he confessed. 'I know that he spent most of his time in the gaming
houses and enjoyed an astonishing run of luck at cards. But I also know that he
was no mere pleasure-seeker. Your brother had serious literary ambitions.'

    'He
did. Writing was his first love.'

    'I am
told that he had exceptional talent.'

    'What
else were you told?' she wondered. 'Do you know where he lived?'

    'No,
Miss Cheever. That has been a stumbling block to us. We have no address for
him. He lodged in Covent Garden at one time but disappeared from there without
warning some months ago. None of his friends had any idea where to find him.'

    'I
did, Mr Redmayne.'

    'Was
he still in London?'

    'Oh,
yes. Gabriel had no urge to leave.'

    'Where
did he go to ground?'

    'At a
house in Knightrider Street. I can furnish you with the number. But there is
something you must know before I do so.'

    'Indeed?'

    'Gabriel
was not living alone,' she said quietly. 'He was enjoying true happiness for
the first time in his life. I dare say that you can guess why.'

    Christopher
was taken aback. 'He was
married?'

    'Her
name is Lucy. Be gentle with her when you break the news.'

    Jonathan
Bale had a laborious day. He worked excessively hard but had little to show for
his efforts. As well as attending to the routine duties of a constable, he
interviewed two more people whose names appeared on Henry Redmayne's list,
spoke at length to the coroner about the murder investigation, scoured Paul's
Wharf afresh for any clues that might lead to the identification of a suspect
and kept his eyes peeled, wherever he went, for any stones resembling those
taken from the dead man's coat. He also joined his colleague in the tedious
process of visiting every house in Knightrider Street. By mid-afternoon, they
had almost completed the task. Tom Warburton was more morose than ever.