Chapter Twenty
A s they were all recovering from stomach ailments, Edith, her father, and Louisa would stay home that evening. Edith opted for a tray in her room for supper, requesting broth, dry toast, and tea.
While Edith ate, her father visited her bedchamber to see how she fared. It was the perfect opportunity for her to ask him about Lady Sandhurst.
“How are you, my dear?”
“Much better, Father,” she replied truthfully. “And you?”
He took a seat on the stuffed chair next to her bed. “I didn’t eat much at the card party, so the effects were not so severe. I have to be careful at my age.”
She grinned. “You’re going to live forever.”
“I’m not sure I would want to.”
Sobering, she said, “Father, I don’t believe you’ve been telling me the truth about your recent evening activities.”
There was a long pause. “I didn’t want to lie to you. We are very close daughter, but my private life is my business.”
“It is. I respect that, but please don’t lie to me. Are you enamored of Lady Sandhurst?” She reached up to touch her earlobe and remembered she wasn’t wearing earbobs.
“I enjoy the lady’s company, and she enjoys mine. We have similar interests, and it is nice to have the companionship of a woman my age. I have been alone a long time.”
“Are you in love with her?” she asked, looking down at the tray on her lap.
He replied softly, “I think I’m on the way to it.”
Her head jerked up. She was silent for a moment, her tea and broth now cold and unappetizing. “I’m forgetting Mama’s voice.”
“Close your eyes and speak out loud.” Her father reached out a hand to take one of hers. “You will hear your mother again. You take after her in so many ways, my dear. Your voice, your interests, your beauty.”
“Really?” She swallowed, blinking rapidly. “Society doesn’t think I’m beautiful.”
“Because you were not proclaimed a diamond of the season? You are not a cold diamond, my dear, but a rich, glowing sapphire!”
They both laughed softly at the intensity of his words.
“You will always be my daughter, Edith, and you will always be the most important woman in my life.” He released her hand and rose to his feet, bending over to kiss her forehead. “Enough of such serious topics. For now, nothing will change.”
After her father departed, Edith rang for a maid to remove her supper tray, then walked down the corridor to Louisa’s bedchamber.
“Louisa?” She knocked lightly on the door.
“Enter!”
Louisa was seated on a stuffed chair, looking at a magazine. She waved a languorous hand. “Come join me. I could use your advice.”
Edith sat nearby in a matching chair.
“What do you think of this wallpaper?” Louisa asked, pointing to an illustration in her periodical.
The picture in Ackerman’s Repository was of a pale green wallpaper with brightly colored birds.
“What room would it be for?” She secretly thought the wallpaper was dreadful.
“The nursery for Charlotte’s babe.”
She shook her head. “The green is soothing, but the birds could frighten a child.”
Luisa looked at the picture again, frowning. “You could be right.”
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments.
“Do you have everything you need?” An experienced hostess would have asked long before now.
Louisa sighed contentedly. “Oh yes, it is lovely to be away from my brothers. It’s much quieter here than it was at Carstairs.”
Edith couldn’t imagine having four brothers running through the house. Her mother loved to sing to her only child and teach her to play simple duets on the pianoforte. With her mother gone, the house had grown silent.
Perhaps that silence had grown too much for her father to bear.
“Aren’t you going to say something about Lady Sandhurst?” Louisa asked idly, turning the pages of her magazine.
She snapped out of her reverie. “Why?”
“I can tell that you’re fretting over something. I assume it is your father and the widow. It can’t be Lord Wycliffe. You haven’t mentioned him in days.”
She was surprised to find that Louisa was correct. “The viscount doesn’t notice me other than to patronize me.”
“Take him down a peg or two.” Louisa looked up and grinned. “It can’t hurt.”
The more she thought about it, Edith was worried she might take her concern about her father’s new relationship and the missing veterans out on Lord Wycliffe if she rebuked him for his often rude manners.
“Perhaps I will the next time he is condescending. I just spoke to my father about Lady Sandhurst. He thinks he’s falling in love with her.”
Louisa shrugged. “Is that such a bad thing? Older people need companionship, too.”
“No, it’s not such a bad thing.”
“To distract you, we should work out where our missing veterans have gone.” Louisa closed the magazine and placed it on the bed beside her.
She frowned. “I thought you believed the disappearances were all a misunderstanding?”
“Three veterans the registry placed are missing. That is not a coincidence.”
“Louisa! We’re not the runners.”
The other girl replied, “No, but we’re intelligent and resourceful.”
“True.” Edith continued, “The men wouldn’t have been kidnapped for ransom as they have no fortune. Perhaps the abductions are meant to harm the registry and, by extension, Ashford and Lord Harbury.”
“You believe the RA could be behind the disappearances?” Louisa asked.
She nodded. “It’s a possibility.”
“If we could discover where the missing veterans are, we might be able to determine who abducted them.”
“The men could have been kidnapped by a press gang. From what I’ve read, I understand that it is estimated our Navy was three-quarters pressganged by the time of Waterloo.”
Louisa gasped. “Oh my goodness!”
“I believe the practice has tapered off, but it could explain the disappearance of our veterans. We could mention press gangs to Lord Harbury as he is a Navy veteran. Have you heard of Resurrection Men?”
Louisa’s face turned pale. “The gravediggers who steal bodies?”
“Yes. Perhaps the gravediggers have taken to snatching people that are still alive.”
“And then murdering them? Edith!” Louisa had gone pale.
“I know it’s an unsavory thought, but there are stories about people being murdered and then sold to any one of the teaching hospitals.”
Louisa shuddered. “I don’t think that is a theory we can explore. Or one you should discuss with Ashford or Lord Harbury.”
“Lord Harbury would not be shocked if I spoke with him about Resurrection Men.” She raised her chin. “He values my input on this matter.”
“We don’t know anyone in the medical profession,” Louisa pointed out.
“No, we do not.” Edith thought a moment. “Another possibility could be the men were transported. Although England has stopped transporting convicts to America, they are still transported to New South Wales. I’ve read that some of the landowners who have sheep stations request more and more convicts. What if we’re not sending enough low-cost labor, and the shipping companies hired to transport our convicts have started kidnapping innocent men?”
“If that is the case, our veterans might still be alive.”
Both women were silent for several moments. It was the first time Edith had thought about the possibility of the missing men being dead.
She finally said, “The RA has used brutal methods before. We have to hope they haven’t hurt them.”
“It’s a shame the registry office is closed," Louisa replied. "There might be a clue there that has been overlooked.”
“I know how we can get into the registry office. I will say I left something in the office. Or I think I did.” She smiled softly. “Taylor and Porter would never turn us away.”
* * * * *
N athaniel returned home and subsequently sent a missive to Lady Sandhurst asking after her health and expressing a desire to be of assistance. He would be content to let Ashford write to Edith as he could not and did not wish to alarm his sister by asking her to do so. It was bad enough that he would have to tell her something about what was going on.
A footman found him in his study, a silver salver with a letter on it in hand. The note was from Commander Phelps. He would see Nathaniel at his convenience.
He took his coach straightaway to the southern bank of the Thames between that river and Greenwich Park, his destination Greenwich Hospital, the permanent home for retired sailors.
The facility was for those sailors who were disabled enough not to be able to support themselves, and Commander Phelps was the assistant to the governor of the hospital, Admiral John Colpoys.
As Nathaniel entered the Queen’s Building, several men in uniform walked past him. He took a breath. It felt odd to have been in the Navy for so long but now to have no direct ties to the service.
He approached a man sweeping the floor and asked where he could find Commander Phelps.
The orderly directed Nathaniel to follow him. “The commander should be done inspecting the Charles Ward very soon, my lord. I will show you to his office.”
A moment later, they ran into Nathaniel’s friend.
“Commander Phelps!” He shook the man’s hand.
“Harbury!” When the men finished shaking hands, Phelps turned to the orderly. “Thank you for assisting Lt. Harbury, Jones.”
Once the orderly left the immediate area, the commander said, “Follow me, Harbury. We need a quieter spot to discuss the subject you asked about in your letter.”
The commander exited the open chamber and walked down a corridor before stopping before a door with his title emblazoned upon it: Assistant Governor. Once inside the room, he sat behind a scarred oak desk and motioned for Nathaniel to sit on a hard-backed chair.
Phelps asked, “Refreshment?”
“No, thank you.”
“You wanted to know about current press gangs.” The man settled back into his leather upholstered chair.
“Are the gangs still active in London?”
“I was once a part of that horrible tradition, but I’m happy to say I know of no active gangs in Town,” Phelps replied.
He raised a brow. “Could there be a group of men operating of their own volition targeting former sailors?”
“A former sailor would be hard to catch a second time. I see no reason to impress men into service. The navy doesn’t need more sailors; we’re trying to reduce our ranks. There would be no incentive to press a man into service during peacetime.”
What the commander said made sense. There was no proof the missing veterans had been spirited away by the Royal Navy.
“Thank you for your time.” He rose to his feet.
“I’ve heard about your registry office. It’s a good thing you’re doing.”
He shrugged, suddenly eager to be away. “It’s the least I could do for those men.”
“Harbury, you don’t have to feel guilty for being alive.”
Easier said than done . “Thank you for your assistance, Commander.”
He didn’t remember exiting Phelps’ office or how he came to be outside the hospital.
“Are you ready to depart, my lord?” A footman held open the door of his town carriage.
Nathaniel shook himself.
“More than ready.” He entered the coach without another word. He might have walked home if the hospital was closer to Grosvenor Square.
Memories of the bodies on the beach fought for prominence with memories of better times serving with Commander Phelps. He thought about his time at the naval college in Plymouth and the first ship he sailed on. The commander was right: he shouldn’t feel guilty for being alive.
But he did.
* * * * *
N athaniel returned home to find no response from Lady Sandhurst to his missive. His butler informed him Alicia had requested a dinner tray in her room.
He would stay home that evening to wait for a response from Lady Sandhurst because he needed to speak with Alicia. He hoped she would not faint or go into hysterics when he told her there were now three missing veterans.
“Brother!” Alicia was seated, fully dressed, at her writing desk in her bedchamber. She turned upon his entry into her room.
“How are you feeling this evening?”
Alicia remained seated, and he took the only other chair in the room, a plush one. “I was able to keep down some soup and tea. Cook continues to send up barley water that I refuse to drink. You suffered no ill effects from the supper?”
“I merely had a few sips of port.”
“I’m glad you weren’t sick.” She sighed. “I can’t wait to return to the registry office and volunteer.”
He frowned. “I have to speak to you about that. The registry will be closed for a fortnight.”
Her face fell. “Because of the missing veteran?”
“Yes.” He paused. “There are now three missing men.”
Alicia gulped. “Three!? And they are all men who registered with us?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Do the authorities know about all of them?” she asked, frowning. “I’ve only seen mention of one missing man in the papers.”
Nathaniel hadn’t meant to tell her about all three men, but her calm demeanor assured him it was the right decision. “No. They don’t.”
“And are you going to tell them?”
“It is something I need to discuss with Ashford. We did decide to tell the employees at the registry office.”
“What can I do to help?” his sister asked.
“As of now, nothing. I’m making inquiries.”
“Do Edith and Louisa know the registry is closed?”
He nodded. “They have been informed.”
“You must find those men, Nathaniel.” His sister added firmly, “Our work at the registry is important. We must continue it.”
He was pleasantly surprised by Alicia’s composure. Although society would have one believe that women fainted at any distressing experience, he'd yet to see that response by any of the ladies involved with the registry office.
“I agree, Alicia. Get some rest. Shall I ring your maid?”
She shook her head and made a face. “I’m sure she will return any moment with a tincture or more horrid barley water from Cook.”
“I’ll just say goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Brother.”
He exited the bedchamber and made his way to the library. His house was considered a mansion, one of the few abodes in Grosvenor Square that wasn’t a townhouse. He was comfortable in the city or the country but was happy to stay in London at present, a circumstance that might have something to do with Lady Edith remaining in Town.
He looked through the correspondence resting on the corner of his desk but felt no desire to deal with estate business. He felt restless, and that was never a good sign. He needed exercise and fresh air.
“My lord?” A footman addressed him as he entered the entry hall of the house.
“I’m going for a walk.”
“Very good, my lord.”
The servant helped him with his greatcoat and handed him his hat and walking stick from their resting place on a nearby mahogany console table.
Nathaniel stepped out into the cool night air, feeling his mood lighten. He breathed deeply, determined to keep melancholia at bay.