A Woman of Influence (24 page)

"It can certainly do no harm, Becky, and it may well do much good. Your meeting with Mr Elliott and his friend may assist in their understanding of the young couple who are the innocent victims in this sorry business. Do you not agree?" Catherine asked.

Becky did agree that any opportunity to press their case should not be ignored. Moving to practical matters, she asked, "Do you suppose I should stay at the Bingleys' place in Grosvenor Street? I could ask Jonathan and Anna?"

Catherine had some doubts.

"You could, but I would not advise it. It may involve you in too many explanations. There is a very convenient hotel that Frank uses whenever he is in town on business; it should suit you well. It is a family business, very comfortable, and not expensive. I shall ask him for the address for you. I suppose you will take Nelly?"

"Of course," said Becky, and in that instant, a most audacious plan occurred to her, which she was not yet ready to discuss with Catherine.

She wanted time to think about it and make her plans. Nevertheless, the more she thought about it, the more determined she became to put it into action.

Not long afterwards, the sisters parted, with Catherine promising to help Becky in any way she could, but urging her sister to take great care.

"I know you must be aware that you are dealing with cruel, vindictive men, so you must promise me you will not place yourself in danger. Becky, I know your tenacious spirit well, but it does make me afraid for you sometimes," she said, and there was anxiety in every line of her face.

There were tears in Becky's eyes as they embraced and she said softly, "I thank you for your understanding, Cathy, and I promise I will bear in mind all you have said; I shall do nothing rash or stupid. I know I can ask for your help, but I had not done so only because I felt I had no right to trouble you and Frank with matters that had so little connection with yourselves."

Catherine looked hurt. "Becky dear, you cannot believe that. Anything that troubles you so profoundly must surely be of concern to us, and if we can help, we will. Both Frank and I think alike on this. You must know that."

Becky smiled and hugged her sister again and even as she saw her leave, began to make her plans.

Later, she set out to find Mr Jamison.

She found him at the parsonage, where he greeted her, looking rather dejected. Clearly, he feared she had come to berate him for his conduct. However, when she addressed him as though nothing untoward had occurred, he realised that Mrs Burnett had already been to see her sister and explained his actions far better than he could. He was very grateful indeed for Catherine's intervention and Becky's apparent forbearance.

Becky stated the reason for her visit directly; she wished, she said, for him to contact Alice Grey immediately and arrange for her to come to the parsonage, where Becky wished to meet with her. She said nothing of their encounter on the previous evening.

"I should prefer it to be here; I do not wish that the staff at Edgewater be made aware of this meeting. Besides, it could upset Tom, were she to arrive and disappear again," she said, and Mr Jamison agreed.

She told him no more, determined to teach him a lesson for not having trusted her, but left, asking that he send her a message when the meeting had been arranged.

It was late afternoon of the following day, when Mr Jamison came to Edgewater with the news that Alice would meet with her at the parsonage later that evening. He had seen the girl himself, he said, revealing for the first time that he did know where she was staying, with a farmer and his wife some distance from the village. He had told her of Becky's desire to see her, and she was willing and indeed eager for the meeting, he said, because she seemed to set great store by Mrs Tate's ability to help her and her husband.

"Well done, Mr Jamison," said Becky generously, "I am glad we are going to meet, but as to my ability to help Alice, a great deal will depend upon Alice and indeed her husband. But I shall do what I can, and we shall see what eventuates."

Mr Jamison, obviously contrite, appeared ready to offer his help, but Becky made it clear that she needed no one else at her meeting with Alice Grey. Disappointed, the parson left, leaving her smiling to herself.

Becky had no intention of revealing her plan to anyone else.

That evening, accompanied by her maid, Nelly, she went to the parsonage, where they waited for Alice Grey to arrive.

When she appeared, Becky was amazed at the calmness with which she greeted them and even more by the matter-of-fact manner in which she listened to what was proposed. It seemed as though Alice Grey, having once decided that she would take the first step to find her husband, had no reservations about what risks she would take to achieve her goal.

At the outset, Becky asked, "Alice, have you heard from him?"

The girl nodded and took a folded sheet of paper from inside her gown and handed it to Becky, who glanced at it and saw but a few sentences in what was clearly an educated hand.

The message was a deeply personal one from a man to his wife and son, from whom he had been forcibly and, he believed, unjustly separated. Becky did not wish to pry and so read it quickly before returning it to Alice, whose hand trembled as she took it and hid it away. It had been the first evidence she'd had in three years that he was alive.

Becky's voice reflected her own feelings. "I am sorry, Alice, that you and Tom have had to suffer for so long. I do hope we can get your husband back. We shall certainly do our best. But we need your help."

Alice nodded, indicating her willingness to assist.

Having listened without interruption to the information Becky had gathered and the plan she had devised, Alice asked but one or two questions, relating chiefly to the situation of her husband, before agreeing to participate. Assuring her that neither of them would be in any danger and that her son would be safely lodged and cared for, Becky had outlined a daring scheme, whereby she would travel to London, taking Alice with her as her maid, while Nelly would remain at the Dower House and look after Tom. No one, save the three of them and Mr and Mrs Burnett, would know of the plan, not even Mr Jamison or Mrs Bates, she promised, and Alice calmly agreed.

"It will give you a chance to tell everything you know about the conduct of Mr Danby and the rest to the gentlemen who hope to help William," Becky explained. "Once they know all the facts, they will be in the best position to do what is required to get William his pardon." It was plain from her response that Alice had no qualms about her part in the scheme.

Having sworn Nelly to secrecy and cautioned Alice about saying anything to anyone, Becky and the two girls entered the front room of the parsonage, where they waited for Mr Jamison to return.

Clearly, he had hoped to be taken into their confidence, but neither Becky nor Alice revealed anything of their plans before thanking him for his help and leaving to return, Becky and Nelly to Edgewater and Alice to her lodgings in the village.

As she walked away, towards the village, they noted a figure come out of the trees and join her, protectively shepherding her along the path. Becky wondered who it was, but said nothing, except to warn Nelly not to speak a word of this to anyone at Edgewater.

On the morrow, Becky went with Nelly to call on her sister.

When she revealed her plan, Catherine was understandably sceptical at first. "Becky, are you sure this is possible, let alone wise? Will not someone discover the truth and thwart your plan, probably placing both Alice and you in danger?"

But Becky was confident.

"What is there to discover? Nelly and Alice are the same size and can pass for one another quite easily, and since she is to be my personal maid, no one else will have access to her. It will give us the opportunity to let Mr Elliott and his lawyer friend get a firsthand account of what went on in Blessington with Danby and his uncle, and the manner in which William Rickman was falsely accused and unjustly convicted.

"Alice, you must remember, is a gentleman's daughter; she is educated and well spoken and makes a most credible witness. Her evidence together with the information I have from Mrs Bancroft will make a more powerful case than if I presented it alone. Remember, Alice was a witness to everything in this case, whilst I am only able to repeat what others have told me."

Catherine had to agree.

"I do see the point of your argument, Becky; it is only that I am rather apprehensive about your taking Alice to London. What does Mr Jamison think?" she asked.

To her surprise Becky replied, "Mr Jamison does not know, and I do not intend to tell him. Please, Cathy, I must rely on you not to give any hint of what I am going to do to him or anyone other than Frank."

Catherine was puzzled but did not question Becky's judgment. She knew her sister was far more experienced than she was in the machinations that were required in these matters. She agreed not to speak of it to anyone except her husband.

"And you will let me leave Nelly and Tom with you while I go to London?" Becky asked.

"Of course. Did you think I would not?" Catherine replied.

"Thank you, Cathy; I should have known you would help."

"I am happy to help, Becky, but you must promise me that you will take good care of yourself and Alice. You do realise you cannot afford to make a mistake in this matter?" she cautioned, and Becky nodded, understanding well the gravity of what she was intending to do.

"Dear Cathy, your good judgement and wise counsel have never failed us. I will be very careful and especially with Alice. You see, as she is to be my maid and travelling companion, she needs must go everywhere with me, and I have the best possible reason for keeping her at my side at all times. No one would expect me to leave a young girl alone in a hotel in London."

Catherine appeared to concede that this was the case, even though she retained some degree of nervousness about her sister's bold scheme. Accustomed as she was to Becky's impulsive nature, Catherine could not help being concerned that her plans may go awry. She knew she would pray daily that they would not.

Some days later, having secured their travel arrangements and fixed their appointments in London, Becky and Alice, the latter suitably attired in one of Nelly's gowns and looking every bit the perfect ladies' maid, travelled to London on the train.

Taking a hansom cab to the hotel, where a suite of rooms had been reserved for them, Becky asked for a light meal to be served to them, before sending a note round to Mr Colin Elliott's office at Westminster advising him of her arrival in London. He responded promptly with a message saying he would call for her at four o'clock and accompany her to the chambers of his friend and colleague the lawyer, Mr Harding, who was keen to assist in resolving this important case. He expressed the hope that they might achieve some benefit for the young couple who had been for too long the victims of malfeasance.

Alice, who was carrying out her duties as ladies' maid most assiduously, was laying out her mistress's clothes and accessories when the message arrived. Becky smiled as she read it, satisfied that the first step in securing the freedom of William Rickman had been successfully taken.

As Becky read it out aloud, Alice's eyes widened as if in disbelief and as the import of Mr Elliott's words dawned upon her, they filled with tears.

Mr Gladstone's victory, with a substantial majority in the general election and his subsequent determination to initiate a number of important social reforms, had given Colin Elliott a whole new purpose as a member of the House of Commons.

The establishment of a system of primary schooling for all children had been an abiding interest for which he had striven for many years. It had for all of that time seemed a vain hope; now, it was a genuine possibility and the policy was absorbing much of his time and attention.

Becky was well aware of this, being herself an ardent advocate of the policy. Which was why, she explained in her letter to Catherine, that it was particularly generous of Mr Elliott to take the time to assist them in the difficult matter of Alice Grey and her husband. She described in some detail the events of that afternoon, when Mr Elliott had called at the hotel to take her to meet Mr Harding.

Colin Elliott had expected to find Becky Tate ready and waiting for him, but he had not expected that her maid would also be ready and waiting to accompany them. When Becky had greeted him and introduced her companion as Alice Grey (or Mrs William Rickman), he had been truly taken aback. Nevertheless, he had greeted the young woman politely, declaring that he was pleased to meet her. Alice had immediately thanked him for his

Becky had explained to Mr Elliott that she had brought Alice with her "because I felt that her evidence would be far more convincing, if presented directly to Mr Harding and you, than any recital of mine."