Chapter Sixteen
T hat night during supper , Louisa spoke about her day at the registry office. “It was busy in the morning, so Charlotte and I had a lot of information to update. I’m not sure she is up to sitting for so long in one situation, and I believe she was at the registry to try and...” Louisa trailed off.
Edith decided her friend had been going to mention the missing veterans but remembered that Edith’s father knew nothing of the disappearances.
Edith replied, “Perhaps we should speak with Charlotte about resting as her physician suggested.”
Edith’s father had been preoccupied during the meal and excused himself from the table to leave for an unknown evening entertainment. She determined it had been an unsatisfactory day overall and decided to have an early night.
The next day after luncheon, she arrived at the registry office to volunteer and found Lord Harbury standing in the lobby with the two male employees. From their dour expressions, she sensed something was amiss and bade her maid to remain in the lobby rather than proceed to the carriage and return home.
“Alicia is in the office with Mrs. Stafford,” the baron said gravely by way of greeting.
Edith opened the door to the room to find a seated Mrs. Stafford weeping while Alicia stood over her awkwardly patting her back.
“Whatever is the matter?” Edith asked.
“One of our veterans has gone missing,” Alicia replied quietly.
“Oh heavens!” She wondered if there was a third disappearance or if the staff had finally heard about the first one.
“The Bow Street Runners informed us a few minutes ago,” Mrs. Stafford said with a shudder. “The poor man!”
“Did you know him well?” she asked gently.
The woman shook her head. “No.” She took a deep breath. “All of our veterans are important to me. I’m worried the registry office will have to close.”
“I’m sure Lord Harbury and Lord Ashford will sort the matter out,” she replied softly.
The baron entered the room.
“I see you’ve heard the news,” Lord Harbury said to her. “One of our veterans was reported missing today. Mr. Porter told me the man’s wife is with child. I dearly hope we can help her find her husband.”
“With child?” Mrs. Stafford started violently and went pale. “Oh my goodness! How very sad.”
Edith remained silent. Neither of the other two missing veterans had a pregnant wife so there were now three missing men. She supposed there was no reason anyone else had to know about the other men unless Lord Harbury or Ashford informed them.
The baron cleared his throat. “The registry office will be closed until further notice. We should get you home, Mrs. Stafford. We all have had quite a shock.”
“Thank you, Lord Harbury.” The woman rose to her feet, dabbing at her eyes with a piece of linen.
The baron asked, “Alicia, would you see Mrs. Stafford home? I need to make some inquiries at the Bow Street Magistrates' Court.”
“Lady Edith?” Alicia looked at her.
“I would like to stay and work on the files. Hopefully, the missing veteran will be located, and we can reopen soon.”
After Alicia left with her charge, Edith asked her maid to sit in the lobby while she spoke with Lord Harbury in the backroom with the door open. Porter and Taylor had gone upstairs.
“The runners asked some rather pointed questions of our employees,” the baron said in a low voice after she returned to the backroom.
“Did they?”
“The officers wanted to know if anyone who works at the registry is involved with a gang of kidnappers.”
“Whatever can the runners be thinking?” She paused a moment, silently hoping the registry employees weren’t involved in anything nefarious. “That is ridiculous.”
“The two officers they sent were discreet,” Lord Harbury replied. “They conducted their interviews in this office in my presence. I would never let them browbeat our employees.”
“Just so. Did the officers ask after one of the other two men who disappeared?”
He handed her a card. “Only about this third disappearance. I gave the information we have on the third missing man to the runners and wrote a copy for myself.”
She looked over the card. “Married. And with a child on the way.”
“Seaman Thomas Wilson lives on Monmouth Street, is also a Navy veteran, and was hired to work with horses.”
“Are you going to speak with his wife?”
He replied, “I thought perhaps you could accompany me. Having another woman present while I interview Mrs. Wilson might go a long way in helping the lady feel more comfortable.”
“How perceptive of you to think of such a thing.” She nodded. “I should be glad to help. My maid shall accompany us in the carriage.”
Lord Harbury nodded. “An excellent idea.”
“You’re really going to close the registry office?” she asked.
“I made the decision to shutter the office for a fortnight. Our employees will still receive their wages.”
Edith rose to her feet. “Shall we go? I admit I made up the excuse about working on the ledgers so I could remain here in the hope I could be of some assistance.”
“As I sent Alicia away in my carriage, will your coach suit?”
She nodded, and they proceeded to the lobby, where she collected her maid. “Come along, Mary. I have an errand to see to with Lord Harbury.”
Edith took up a seat in the carriage, her maid beside her. The baron sat on the velvet squabs across from them after instructing the coachman to drive to Monmouth Street.
“This is a well-appointed carriage.” Lord Harbury relaxed against the plush cushions with a sigh.
“My father does care for his comfort and his books.”
There was a short silence before she thought of a topic of conversation and tentatively asked, “Did you see the opinion piece Lord Weston wrote on the Pillory Act, Lord Harbury?”
“Quite distressing.” The baron shook his head. “The man is living in the dark ages.”
She nodded vehemently. “I quite agree! The practice is archaic and has no place in civilized society.”
“Lady Edith, you speak more sense than most members of the House of Lords.”
Despite the reason for their journey together, she was inordinately content. How lovely it was to discuss politics with someone other than her father!
* * * * *
T he carriage ride to the Seven Dials area of London passed pleasantly enough. He should be fixated on the missing veterans, not the lovely lady seated across from him. Lady Edith had a quick and agile mind. Too soon, the coach arrived at their destination.
Monmouth Street was a derelict area on the edge of the slum of St. Giles. The coachman halted the carriage in front of a modest home, the tiny garden reflecting a care not seen in the surrounding gardens.
Nathaniel assisted Lady Edith from the carriage. A short gravel walk led to a brightly painted door of yellow. He knocked.
A very young maid answered the door. “Yes?”
“I am Lord Harbury, and this is Lady Edith. We wish to speak with Mrs. Wilson about the disappearance of her husband.”
“Do come in, my lord, my lady.”
The maid led them from the tiny entry hall to a shabby parlor. “I’ll just fetch the missus.”
He and Edith remained standing as a heavily pregnant young woman with auburn hair entered the parlor soon after, the young maid at her heels. She showed signs of having cried recently but raised her chin determinedly and merely asked them, “My lord, my lady, will you take refreshment?”
“Yes, thank you. Mrs. Wilson, we won’t take up more of your time than necessary,” Edith replied.
Lady Edith took a seat, as did their hostess, nodding to the young maid.
Nathaniel settled on a hard-backed chair. “I’m part owner of the registry office, and Lady Edith is a volunteer. We were dismayed to hear of your husband’s disappearance and would like to help you in any way we can.”
The woman let out a shaky breath. “I’ve already told the runners everything I know. My husband left to take up his new position, and I haven’t seen him since. He has been gone for two days now.”
“How distressing!” Edith clicked her tongue. “You poor dear. He has never stayed away before?”
The woman shook her head several times. “Oh no, my lady. My husband isn’t a drinker or gamester.”
He remained silent, hoping Lady Edith would continue her line of questioning.
“Your husband was a veteran of the Navy, I believe?”
“Oh yes! He always wanted to be in the Navy and was even born with a birthmark in the shape of an oar on his forehead. The crown doesn’t need as many sailors with the war over, so he had to find other employment.”
“Your husband was looking forward to his new position?” Edith asked pleasantly.
The woman nodded vigorously. “Oh yes! He was to work with Lord Sidmouth’s horses. Tom said he felt it was an honor.”
“Lord Sidmouth? The Home Secretary?” he asked, nonplussed.
“Yes, my lord.”
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, had been the Home Secretary since 1812. Nathaniel knew very little about the man. He would have to speak to Cecil about his former superior at the Home Office.
All three veterans who had disappeared were hired to work with horses, and all three were former sailors.
“Do you have any other servants save the maid who answered the door?” Lady Edith asked, bringing him back to the matter at hand.
“No, my lady, although my brother lives here as well. We inherited the house from our parents.”
“Did the runners speak with him?” he asked.
The woman shook her head. “They spoke with our maid, Annie, but not with John. My brother was out when my husband left for his new position.”
“Where would John be now?” Nathaniel asked.
“He was cleaning some copper pans in the back garden to help Annie.”
“I’ll just have a word with him.” He rose to his feet as the maid entered with a wooden tray. “I’ll return in a moment.”
Outside the parlor was a corridor that led to the kitchen at the back of the house. The kitchen was empty, and he opened the door at the back of the house and entered a stamp-sized garden. A man was seated on a stool, polishing a battered copper urn with a cloth. He sported the same auburn hair as his sister.
“John? I’m Lord Harbury. I have some questions about your brother-in-law’s disappearance.”
The man looked up from his work and got to his feet. He frowned. “The runners didn’t speak to me, my lord.”
“ I would like to speak with you. You may have some important information that could help us find Tom.”
“Like what?” John asked with a shrug.
“Was he a drinker? A gambler?”
“Tom is as dull as dishwater. Likes to stay at home and read. Read if you can believe it. My sister taught him his letters as he wants to rise above his station.” The man snorted.
“Did you see him leave for his position with Lord Sidmouth? Might you have noticed anything odd in his behavior or seen anyone that looked out of place in the area?”
The man was silent for a few moments. “I think I did, my lord. There was a carriage stopped just down the street. I saw Tom speak with the coachman. It looked like both men were examining one of the horses. I didn’t say anything to Tom but walked to the house and went inside.”
“Do you remember anything specific about the carriage? Or the coachman?” He felt his pulse quicken. They might finally have another clue as to who was abducting the veterans.
The man replied slowly, “The carriage was a black shiny one. I didn’t see a coat of arms on the coach, but the coachman wore red and black livery.”
“Is there anything else you can remember that was unusual that day?”
John shook his head. “No, my lord.”
“Thank you for your time. You have been most helpful. If you remember anything else, you and your sister can contact me through the registry office.”
Nathaniel turned and went back into the house. After entering the parlor, he declined a cup of tea and sat for a few minutes listening to Edith reassure Mrs. Wilson that they would find her husband.
He finally said to Lady Edith, “We must depart. I have an appointment.”
“Yes, of course.” The lady stood up, took a card from her reticule, and handed it to Mrs. Wilson. “This is the address of the registry office. If you think of anything that would help us locate your husband, please let us know. We will do everything in our power to make sure he is found.”
“Thank you, my lady.” Mrs. Wilson rose to her feet, and he followed suit.
“Don’t trouble yourself,” Edith told the woman. “We can see ourselves out.”
Once back in the coach, his companion asked, “Where to now?”
He thought a moment. Nathaniel didn’t want to discuss what John had told him about the carriage he’d seen in front of Edith’s maid. Or with Alicia if he were to return home.
“Perhaps I can trouble you for refreshment?”
Lady Edith nodded. “I could use some sustenance myself. My home is in Hanover Square.”
He tapped on the ceiling of the coach. “Hanover Square!”
* * * * *
T he fact Lord Harbury wished to proceed to her home led Edith to believe he must have learned something significant from Mrs. Wilson’s brother, John.
When the carriage halted in front of the townhouse, the baron helped Edith and her maid from the coach. Mary dashed away to the servant’s entrance as Edith and Lord Harbury walked to the front steps of the house.
When she entered the house, the butler told her, “Your father is not at home. Lady Louisa is in her bedchamber resting before your evening outing.”
“Thank you, Hobbs. We shall require a substantial tray in the drawing room.” With the excitement of the afternoon, she had completely forgotten about Louisa being in the house. Her friend would make an excellent chaperone if she were not resting.
“Very good, my lady.”
Edith walked down the corridor to the cozy drawing room followed closely by Lord Harbury. Compared to the size of the baron’s palatial abode, her home was small. No matter. She loved the house. There were fond memories of her mother in every nook and cranny.
She took a seat on a stuffed chair near a low-slung table, and Lord Harbury was seated across from her on a blue sopha. A commotion could be heard in the corridor outside the room before Louisa swept into the drawing room.
“Good afternoon, Edith, Lord Harbury. My maid advised me we had company. Aren’t you home early from volunteering, Edith?” Louisa took a seat near Edith in a matching stuffed chair.
“The registry is closed for the next fortnight. Another veteran, Seaman Thomas Wilson, has disappeared.” Edith glanced at Lord Harbury. “I told Louisa and Charlotte about the missing men.”
The baron nodded. “It is understandable that you would confide in your closest friends.”
“Louisa, Lord Harbury and I visited the home of the third veteran together.” She added quickly, “With Mary as chaperone.”
Louisa sat forward in her chair. “Another veteran has gone missing. That is horrible news. Did you find out any information that might be helpful?”
“I was just going to ask Lord Harbury what he might have learned from Mrs. Wilson’s brother John.”
“You suppose it to be something significant?” he asked with a raised brow and a slight smile.
“You didn’t want to return to your home in Grosvenor Square. I surmise you wished to share some information with me but not with Alicia.”
He nodded. “On the day Thomas Wilson disappeared, John noticed a coach near the house. He witnessed Thomas speak with a man he believed was the coachman; it appeared the men were looking over one of the horses. John went inside the house and didn’t see his sister’s husband again.”
“Did John describe the carriage and the coachman?” she asked.
“It was a black coach. John couldn’t see the side of the coach so he doesn’t know what coat of arms, if any, it might have had. The livery worn by the coachman was red and black.”
“Red and black? That isn’t a set of colors I’m familiar with.” She glanced at Louisa, who shrugged in response.
Harbury replied, “Nor am I. Interestingly, all three men that went missing were hired for jobs with horses.”
“So perhaps their interest in horses was used to spirit away our veterans!” Edith let out a long breath.
“That was my thought!” The baron paused. “You are possessed of an agile mind, Lady Edith.”
“Thank you, Lord Harbury.” She felt heat on her cheeks.
There was a discreet knock on the open door, and a maid brought in a heavily laden tea tray. Edith didn’t know what to say next other than to ask the baron how he took his tea.
After the teacups were sorted, she selected a ginger biscuit from the tray. Harbury devoured several ham and cheese sandwiches between sips of black tea.
“Perhaps Lord Ashford or Lord Wycliffe will be familiar with the black and red livery,” Louisa mused.
He nodded. “I would be surprised if Cecil can’t find out which family the livery belongs to.”
“I wonder if it is significant that all three men were Navy veterans?” she asked after chewing and swallowing a bite of her biscuit.
“That, along with the horses, may be important.” Lord Harbury placed his teacup on the table in front of him and settled back against the cushions of the sopha.
“What else can we do to help?” she asked.
“It would be useful if we could determine if the veterans are the target of these disappearances.” Lord Harbury frowned. “Perhaps someone wants the registry to close.”
She let out a sigh. “Oh my! I hadn’t thought of that. You or Lord Ashford could be the real targets, perhaps as retaliation for purchasing the land in Berkeley Square the RA wanted.”
“Perhaps.” Lord Harbury sat forward and then got to his feet. “I should go. I need to inform Ashford and Cecil about the third missing veteran. Thank you for your hospitality. A carriage won’t be necessary; it is less than a mile from your home to Grosvenor Square.”
“Are you aware of Charlotte’s delicate condition?” she asked the baron.
Lord Harbury nodded. “I am. I will do my best not to disturb her with this business.”
They made their goodbyes. The baron's parting glance and words were warm, and she felt herself flush under his gaze. He may not be in love with her, but Lord Harbury liked her. Most importantly, he appeared to respect her opinions.