From the Charred Remains (32 page)

“I understand, Lucy. Truly, I’m beginning to understand.”

She gazed into his deep blue eyes, warming at their renewed closeness. It seemed a very long time since she had last been able to look at him in such a way.

Adam broke the silence. “Father told me he gave you a book the other day,” he said, changing the subject. “For your birthday.”

“Oh yes!” Lucy said. “
The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
I will treasure it.”

“I have the feeling that he felt he had to remind me about your birthday,” he said. “As if I’d forgotten.” He paused. “I do have something for you. I’m sorry it’s a little late. From his pocket, he withdrew a silver bracelet, which he clasped around her wrist. “I just wanted to give it to you in person.”

“Oh, Adam, it’s lovely,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

When she touched his cheek, he held her hand there for a moment, gazing down at her. “I truly regret being unable to see you on your birthday,” he said. “Our survey work has been overwhelming, Lucy. So much misery. So many people who have lost so much. I don’t like to speak of it, because I would shield you from such suffering if I could.”

She shook her head. “Adam, you can’t shield me from such things, nor should you. I’m no fine lady eating grapes on a pedestal.”

“Eating grapes on a pedestal?” He laughed. “Is that what fine ladies do?”

She swatted at him, but then became serious once more. “Adam, I share your need to help others. That’s why I can’t rest until I see their murderers unmasked,” she said, picking up her True Account again. “I believe the Earl had something to do with Tahmin’s death. Maybe Tilly’s too. We know the Earl was being blackmailed. We know Tilly wrongly pointed Tahmin out to the Earl’s men the night of the card game. Perhaps he had Tahmin killed.”

Adam sat up straight, still not letting go of her hand. “You think the Earl had something to do with these deaths? Lord Cumberland? Oh, sweetheart, that’s a grave accusation to make.”

“Yes, I understand that. I think there is something odd about the Earl. Your father thinks so as well. I just know it. I think we should talk to the Earl, find out what he’s hiding.” She held up her hand. “I know that you think this is the constable’s duty, and you are right. Yet you know as well as I do that Duncan will never be able to gain admittance into the Earl’s house.”

Adam nodded. His lips twisted ruefully, as he fingers tightened over hers. “I take it you have a plan?”

Lucy squeezed his hand in return. “As a matter of fact, I do!”

21

Lucy’s plan was simple. So simple that Adam didn’t even think it would work when she first told him. Neither had the constable, but he hadn’t said not to do it. Indeed, she knew that if he didn’t come up with something soon, he would have to drop the investigation altogether. “I’ll be nearby,” he told her. “This may be foolish, but you might be able to get some useful information.”

Now, two days later, she was standing outside Lord Cumberland’s London residence beside Adam, with Miss Water at her side. Master Hargrave had sent a note around to the Earl, asking if his son could call on them. The Earl had responded readily enough, inviting them to dine that Saturday evening. And here they were. Bringing Miss Water in had been easy enough, although Adam had objected to Lucy’s suggestion that she pose as his fiancé. “What about you?” he had asked. “Why can’t you pose as my wife?” She had smiled, patting his arm. “Miss Water is more believable. It makes more sense that I’d be her maid. Besides, this way I can speak to the servants.”

They stared at the Earl’s home. The place was grand enough to be sure, but had a neglected, cast-off feel.

Miss Water seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “The Earl doesn’t visit here very often, does he?” she said in a low voice.

“Let’s just get this over with, shall we?” Adam said, reaching for the elaborate lion’s head door knocker. He rapped smartly.

Lucy felt a momentary misgiving when Adam and Miss Water were welcomed by Lady Cumberland, as they stepped through the great stone doorway together. If not beautiful, Miss Water was elegant and kind, and Adam had decided to be charming. Excitement had brought a shine to her eyes and a flush to her cheeks. Lucy felt downright dull in comparison, clad neatly in her servant’s gray wool dress. The feeling worsened when Adam slipped Miss Water’s wrap from her shoulders, as her betrothed would, and handed it to Lucy.

“I see you brought along a maid. I hope you did not think we would be short-staffed,” Lady Cumberland said, her smile tight. She looked as sallow as she had when she had supped at the Hargraves, yet even more pinched, if that were possible.

“No indeed,” Miss Water responded, smiling sweetly in return. “I find even these short journeys to be taxing, and no one comforts me so well as my own dear Reenie.”

She nodded at Lucy, who kept her head ducked down. Lucy was hoping that Lady Cumberland, like most nobles, had not looked too closely at Lucy when they had come to dine at Master Hargrave’s household those few weeks before. Calling her “Reenie” they hoped would secure the illusion.

Lady Cumberland waved a lace-clad sleeve toward one of her own servants, a plump young woman with carefully bound red hair and an abundance of freckles. “Sulwen will look after your girl, give her something to eat. She can help with supper and clean up later, I suppose.”

Taking Adam’s proffered arm, Miss Water nodded at Lucy. “Go along then, Reenie. I’ll ring if I need you.”

Bobbing a quick curtsy to Lady Cumberland, Lucy followed Sulwen meekly to the kitchen, not daring to look at Adam as she passed into the cold dark entranceway.

As they walked through the passage, Lucy looked about curiously. While the walkways were swept, no one had taken care to wipe away the cobwebs or to sweep away the crumbs that had dropped from an earlier meal. Lucy shuddered. They may as well invite the rats to come take up residence. A faint unpleasant smell hung in the air, as if some meat had been left spoiling in the sun. When they passed the grand drawing room, she could see that no one had cleaned out the fireplace in some time. Even the kitchen, larger than Master Hargrave’s current home, contained surprisingly few servants.

In fact, she saw only one woman, for just an instant. The woman stooped a bit, glanced at her, and then disappeared up the stairs.

“Do the servants have the night off?” Lucy asked Sulwen, as they passed down the long dusty corridor. It was unusual for servants to be allowed off on a Saturday night, to be sure, but sometimes a more benevolent master would let them go if there was some rare merriment to be had, such as at Michaelmas, or Bartholomew’s Fair.

Sulwen looked at her in surprise. “Nay, we are but four servants here.” Like her master, her voice contained a bit of a brogue that marked her from the distant northwest.

“Four servants for the entire household?!” Lucy was shocked. Even Master Hargrave used to have five servants, and his was not even so grand an estate as the Earl’s London residence. Moreover, the magistrate most certainly was not an earl.

Sulwen shrugged, her lips wrinkling slightly. “The master’s tight with his money.”

Tight with money could mask a number of things. Debt, shriveling finances, failed business ventures. Or even, in some cases, a rare Puritanical streak, although judging from the Earl’s propensity to gamble, she did not think this last to be the case. “Who was that woman, who just passed upstairs?” Lucy asked.

“That’s Theresa. My lady’s personal maid. She was her nurse-maid when she was still a child, and has stayed with her ever since. We also have Jones, Theresa’s nephew I think, who attends to the Master, and Burly, who is our all-around jack. I think he’s also related to Theresa, too. I’m not sure. I don’t talk to them much.” She looked at Lucy, a bit defiantly. “That’s all we need.”

Though doubtful, Lucy nodded. Something still seemed off. Once in the kitchen she watched Sulwen carefully prepare the plates for supper. She searched for an opening gambit. “Have you been with the Earl very long?” she asked.

Sulwen fished a stray hair out of the soup. “Not very long. Just a few months now.” She hesitated. “I was hired to replace a girl. She’d been dismissed from Lord Cumberland’s household.”

“Oh?” Lucy asked offhandedly. She didn’t want to make Sulwen suspicious with too many questions. “Now, how can I help you? Give the pot a stir? Bone some fish?”

Sulwen checked a small chicken that was roasting on a spit. “No fish tonight. Just the fowl. If you could do the carving?” She pulled the chicken off and laid it in front of Lucy. “If you would, Reenie.”

“Of course,” Lucy said, glad she had remembered the false name she had given. She set to carving. No fish? That surprised her too. The magistrate’s son was not one to skimp for. Although Master Hargrave no longer entertained very often, he always ensured both fish and fowl appeared on his table when he invited acquaintances to dine. Adding to her surprise, Sulwen poured some water into the wine, something the magistrate would never allow.

Seeing her look, Sulwen giggled. “My lord does not like my lady to have strong spirits. He thinks they do not agree with her.”

Though skeptical, Lucy smiled. “I’m sure watering down the wine is a very good idea then.”

As they filled platters full of food, they heard a distant knocking at the front door. “Oh!” Sulwen said. “I didn’t know Lady Cumberland was expecting any more guests.” She looked doubtfully at the meal, which was looking decidedly meager. “Oh, what else can I serve?” She began to peer fretfully at the shelves.

Lucy felt sorry for her. In some households, the mistress would beat her servants if they embarrassed her in front of her guests. No matter that the mistress had given her servants insufficient coins to make the table plentiful—a good servant, as was well understood, was one who knew how to make do.

Frowning, Sulwen peeked her head into the hallway. “Oh, it’s the Earl’s son,” she said, visibly relaxing. “Master Clifford’s not the picky sort. I wonder what he’s doing here? I haven’t seen him around for some time now.”

“Oh? He doesn’t live here then?” Lucy asked casually, pretending that she did not know that the Earl’s son had taken up residence at the Sparrow.

“No, he lives elsewhere in London; I’m not sure where. Odd, he’s not being one for socializing or fancy dinners.” She brightened. “Betcha anything he stops in here for a nibble.” At that, Lucy had to smile. Young men always seemed to find their way to the kitchen, often to flirt with the maids, but just as often to get an extra tidbit.

Seeing that it was almost time to serve, Lucy didn’t want to miss her chance. Hurriedly, she tried to get back to the topic they’d been discussing before. “What did she get dismissed for?” Lucy asked, giving the pot a stir. “The girl you replaced.”

Sulwen glanced at her. Lucy could see the desire to spill the household secrets warring with her sense of duty and loyalty.

“We had a girl put out for theft once,” Lucy lied, hoping to encourage some confidences. “I’m not even sure she took the thing.”

“Yeah?”

“A trifle. A necklace. Not even a very fine one at that.” She waited for Sulwen to respond, and when she didn’t, Lucy pressed a bit more. “Is that what happened to the miss you replaced?”

The desire to gossip won out against any sense of loyalty to the Earl. “Amelie, her name was. I don’t rightfully know, to be honest. I think though,” Sulwen stopped, pausing for effect. “I heard she did something dreadful, but that’s not why she was sent off.”

Lucy lowered her tone. “What did she do?”

Sulwen looked around, the gesture furtive and cautious. “They said she tried to murder the Earl’s son, but I don’t think that’s true.”

Something in the way Sulwen said those last words caused Lucy to peer at her. “You don’t think so?”

“Some people said the young master had his way with her, and then cast her off. But I can’t see it in him. He was so melancholic. Lacking in life. Like he’d lost the very will to live, the will to breathe. And the girl died, you know. I heard that later. I feel so very sorry for him sometimes.”

Lucy took a deep breath. Sulwen still had the air of someone who knew more than what she wanted to say. “Perhaps their affair … they left something behind?”

Sulwen looked at her sharply. Lucy kept her face vaguely interested as if she were just passing the time with idle gossip. Sulwen seemed satisfied and continued. “A baby. I knew a girl who was the babe’s wet nurse. No one was saying much, but we knew. I heard the girl said she’d been driven out by my lady. Bit of a terror, ain’t she? I might be leaving service myself.” Then the girl smiled. “He’s a good healthy babe, that’s for sure. I’ve seen him around.” She looked down the hallway. “We’ve got to make haste,” she said briskly. “Don’t tell anyone what I said. About the babe. They might let me go and I can’t leave ’til I get a proper reference.”

Lucy nodded, placing some dishes on a tray. “I’ll help you serve.”

To their dismay, however, when Sulwen pushed open the door, they found Master Clifford standing there, looking stricken. Maybe he’d come to the kitchen to get a bit before supper as Sulwen had thought. From his expression, it was clear he’d heard every word. “Amelie’s baby was mine?” he asked, dully. “I thought she had lied about that. Cuckolded me, ran off to be with her real love. Could that be true?”

Sulwen’s freckled face flushed a deep, unbecoming shade of red. “Sir!” she cried. “Begging your pardon, Master Clifford. I should not have repeated such gossip. To a stranger, no less.”

Master Clifford did not seem to have heard her. His eyes swept over Lucy. She ducked her head so that he would not recognize her from the Sparrow, but she didn’t think he’d even noticed her presence. Beside her, Sulwen twisted her hands anxiously. “Sir, I—” she broke off.

As they watched, he stumbled backward out of the kitchen. Through the open door they saw him enter a different room and shut the heavy wooden door behind him.

“That’s my Lord’s private room,” Sulwen said. She glowered at Lucy. “If I get let go because of you…”

“We’d best take these trays in,” Lucy interrupted. As they walked to the dining room, they heard the door open behind them.