Chapter 13
Benedict and Arabella discovered nothing of note during their interview with Alice Graves.
First came the predictable tears, then, when asked about the missing servant – in this case Jane – a complete denial of ever having employed someone by that name.
Mrs Graves did not appear to be in quite the same league as the other three widows, since her staff consisted of one cook and a maid of all work.
Indeed, there had only been six guests present at her dinner party – one of whom was Evelina Lovelace.
Unfortunately, neither servant had anything of import to confess.
On this occasion, when told to stay in the carriage, Billy wisely stayed put, and within twenty minutes of arriving, they were on their way to Mr and Mrs Lovelace, who resided in a rather splendid villa in Livermead.
‘Do you think Mrs Lovelace could be involved with the thefts?’ Arabella asked.
‘Margaret Finch had to have had help from somewhere,’ Benedict answered. ‘She couldn’t have executed the robberies entirely on her own.’
‘But as you said earlier, she’d have been more likely to have secured help from the servants, wouldn’t she?’
Ben shrugged. ‘On the face of it, yes. But as far as we can ascertain, there’s no crossover of domestic staff between the four addresses, so enlisting a different servant for each job would have made Margaret’s job that much harder.’
‘That may be so, but I very much doubt Mrs Lovelace moves in the same circles as Margaret Finch. I assume the only way they might know each other is through the Pembroke Agency.’
‘You’re likely right. And in truth, I think Sir Drayton will choose the easy way out. Pinning the robberies on a dead person and then declaring her murder to be the work of an embittered servant, whose identity he will conveniently fudge over.’
‘You think Sir Drayton would do that?’ Bella was shocked.
‘You ain’t lived in the real world, Miss Bella,’ Billy piped up. ‘Jus’ cos Mr ‘Enry and the Chief Inspector ‘ere ain’t bent, don’t mean there ain’t a lot wot are.’
Benedict winced at the boy’s concise and true assessment, then gave a sigh.
‘I don’t believe Sir Drayton to be a bad man,’ he declared, ‘just a practical one. There are too many crimes with too few men to investigate them. He will examine the evidence I provide him, happily accepting my theory that Margaret Finch is responsible for the thefts, without questioning who helped her. And despite our suspicions concerning Muriel Pemberton, we have no proof that she slit Margaret’s throat.
If I point him in that direction, I have no doubt he’ll shut the case down, since opening that particular Pandora’s Box again will do nothing for his career.
’ Ben shook his head resignedly. ‘The truth is that now Margaret Finch has already conveniently received her comeuppance, no one cares who else might have assisted her, or indeed, who actually killed her.’ He pulled a face, adding, ‘It’s all about appearances. ’
‘Well, the four widows might not be as content as Sir Drayton thinks if their stolen jewellery is never recovered.’
Ben shrugged. ‘Recovering the jewellery was always an unlikely possibility. The items are all insured, I believe, and imagine just how much local fame they will gain. Remember Mrs Pettigrew’s words?
All four will dine out handsomely for a considerable period of time – I suspect Alice Graves in particular will be delighted.
Indeed, I think for her, it’s actually better that her jewellery is not recovered. ’
‘It’s just ‘ow life is, Miss Bella,’ Billy commented, his voice far too knowing for a nine-year-old boy.
Arabella gritted her teeth. She knew Benedict spoke the truth, but it angered her that Billy should understand that better than she did.
She was well aware that she and her sisters had led a very sheltered life, but that didn’t make her feel any better when faced with a few home truths.
‘Then why are we wasting our time visiting Mrs Lovelace,’ she snapped.
Benedict did not take offense at her anger, knowing that she and her sisters had only recently been exposed to many of the harsher realities of life.
He answered her question evenly. ‘Even if Evelina Lovelace wasn’t involved in the robberies, we cannot discount the possibility that she may know something about the missing girls. ’
He paused, then leaned forward, and ignoring Billy’s presence, took her hand.
‘Please do not mistake my cynicism for one who does not seek the truth. I have seen the best and the worst of humanity and have come to realise that both exist in all walks of life. There are those at the very bottom who will murder for a trinket, as well as those who will share their last crust of bread with their neighbour.’ He stopped, then added, ‘And it is the same at the other end of the scales. Many with fortunes and titles use their wealth and privilege to help those less fortunate, but others…’ He hesitated, then sighed before continuing, ‘My brother is a viscount and since inheriting, the only thing he concerns himself with is what a thing looks like on the surface. He has no care for the currents that lie beneath and does not trouble himself - he has others who do that for him. He does not see the people who suffer in his wake.’
‘You’re not like your brother,’ Arabella declared, her ire draining away.
Ben chuckled. ‘I am a seeker of truth,’ he repeated. ‘It matters to me, whatever the appearance. Arthur does not agree.’
‘Have you ever been close?’ Ben made a wry face at her question.
‘Once, perhaps. But that was before my uncle broke his neck in a riding accident. Since then, Arthur has tried to mould me into what he believes a viscount’s brother should be, which of course does not include mixing with the dregs of humanity, or bringing someone to justice, regardless of money or standing.
’ He gave another, darker chuckle. ‘I suspect he will disown me completely if we manage to find those behind these child abductions.’
‘They are the same then – Sir Drayton and your brother?’
‘If by the same you mean that they put themselves and their own needs first, then yes.’
The carriage began to slow down, indicating they were nearing their destination. But despite the conversation trailing off, Benedict did not let go of her hand, and neither did Bella attempt to free it.
Which, of course, did not escape Billy’s notice...
It had to be said that Mr and Mrs Lovelace’s house actually rivalled that of Washington Singer’s in Paignton, and in fact was considerably newer. Indeed, from the pipework, it looked to have an inside toilet as well as a sink with actual running water…
Initially, they were informed that Mr Lovelace was out, and Mrs Lovelace was resting.
However, before the housekeeper could send them away, the lady of the house appeared at the top of the stairs.
She was dressed in a flowing gown with no restrictions whatsoever, and scandalously, no corset.
Billy (who was of course watching through a tall, narrow window in the hall), thought his eyes were about to pop out of his head.
Evelina Lovelace floated down the stairs, her attention solely on Benedict Hartley.
‘My, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?’ She breathed once she got to the bottom.
Stepping forward, she held out her hand, palm down.
After a small pause, Ben lifted the hand she’d stuck under his nose, placing a kiss in the air just above.
She eyed him with a small, knowing smile playing about her perfect lips.
‘And you are...?’ she added, dropping her hand gracefully.
‘Chief Inspector Hartley and Miss Arabella Shackleford,’ Benedict told her, his voice carefully polite. ‘We are here in the hope you can help us with our inquiries concerning the recent jewellery thefts.’
Arabella fought a childish snigger at the sudden change in the lady’s demeanour at Ben’s words and stepping forward held out her own hand. ‘We won’t keep you long, Mrs Lovelace,’ she said firmly.
Clearly wishing she could simply throw them out, Evelina pursed her lips and swept into what looked to be a morning room on the left, leaving them to follow after. There was no offer of tea, and, glancing behind her as she followed Ben into the room, Bella realised the housekeeper had melted away.
She also caught sight of the top of Billy’s head as he moved his surveillance position. With their hostess looking on, she was limited to simply narrowing her eyes to ensure the boy actually knew she’d seen him. Not that it made any difference...
Seating herself in a vacant chair, she offered a warm smile to their hostess, which was exactly like water off a duck’s back. Clearly her persuasive skills were not going to work on this occasion.
‘How can I help you, Chief Inspector?’ Mrs Lovelace directed her question towards Ben, ignoring Bella completely.
‘We understand you attended three of the four soirees during which valuable jewellery was stolen…’ Benedict began, only to stop and raise his eyebrows at the woman’s furious interruption.
‘…Are you accusing me of stealing?’ Her question came out as almost a screech.
After glancing towards Ben in alarm, Bella held out a conciliatory hand. ‘Of course not, Mrs Lovelace, we are speaking with all the guests who were present in an attempt to develop a picture of each evening.’
Rummaging around in her gown, Evelena eventually pulled out an embroidered handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. ‘For one horrible second…,’ she sniffed, trailing off.
‘Have any of your staff been supplied by Pembroke Domestic Agency?’ Arabella asked.
Startled, Mrs Lovelace lowered her kerchief. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘Just that we believe there might possibly be a connection between the agency and the thefts,’ Ben responded smoothly.
‘We have used them in the past, I believe. Though you will need to ask my husband. I do not involve myself in such mundane matters.’
‘Did you know the lady who ran the agency?’ Bella asked abruptly. ‘Sadly, she died just recently. She was found murdered.’ She ignored Ben’s incredulous glare directed towards her and kept her eyes firmly on Evelina Lovelace.
The reaction was unmistakable. All colour drained from her face, and she stared at Arabella in complete shock. For a second, she didn’t speak, then, surging to her feet, she rang the bell.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to leave,’ she whispered. ‘I am feeling most unwell. Mrs Badger will show you out...’ And with that, she practically ran from the room and hurried back up the stairs, leaving the two of them staring after her in surprise.
Looking back out of the window, Bella caught sight of Billy, who was no longer bothering to hide. When he saw her looking, he raised his eyebrows, shook his head and ran his finger across his throat in a slicing motion…
While the original plan had been to leave Benedict at Torquay police station once they’d completed their enquiries, the unexpected discovery of a clandestine meeting at Castel-a Mare, followed by Evelina Lovelace’s dramatic reaction to hearing about the Margaret Finch’s death, introduced a sense of urgency previously missing.
Consequently, Ben proposed that they both return to Simla House directly.
Of course, Arabella immediately concurred with his suggestion, completely ignoring the ridiculous lift of her heart at the thought of his continued presence – telling herself that she was simply relieved to be making headway in the investigation.
Instead of completing a full report on the current status of the investigation for Sir Drayton, Benedict sent a brief holding telegram.
To his relief, the short response informed him that the Chief Commissioner had been away from his office for most of the day, and the report would be handed to him on his return.
On climbing back into the carriage, Ben made no effort to hide his satisfaction at their unanticipated respite, which he declared might buy them another day or so. It only remained for him to reserve another three nights at his boarding house, and they were on their way back to Goodrington.
Billy’s matter-of-fact comment of, ‘yer never know, wi’ a bit o’ luck ‘Sir Charlie might get run over by a train…’ was sensibly ignored.