Chapter Twenty-Two
Two weeks later, Jerome and Ava returned to the house from their customary morning ride in Hyde Park. Ava set her feet on the stairs, saying, “I shall just go up to change. I promised Mama I would visit her this morning. She is quite prostrate from traveling.”
Jerome smiled to watch her running up the stairs, his heart full with adoration for his wife, and turned to hand his hat and coat to Skelton, who said quietly, “My lord, there is a gentleman to speak with you. I put him and his companions in the front parlor.”
The expression on Skelton’s face told Jerome his butler didn’t approve of these visitors, and he said mildly, “Thank you, Skelton.”
He opened the parlor door and surveyed its occupants.
One was seated in an armchair, the other two stood before the unlit fireplace with their hands behind their backs.
The seated man was dressed with an elegant propriety that indicated a superior status compared to his companions, whose attire was worn and greasy.
Skelton had not seen fit to take any of the visitors’ hats.
Jerome shut the door as the seated gentleman rose from his seat, and he advanced into the room.
“You wished to speak with me?” he asked, puzzled and with a vague prickle of alarm running over his skin at the somber expression on all three men’s faces.
The gentleman, who was middle-aged and somewhat corpulent, said, “Jerome DeVere, Marquess of Ravenshaw?”
“Yes,” replied Jerome, his heart kicking up.
The other man bowed. “Josiah Forbes, Magistrate, Bow Street.” He held out a folded piece of paper with a red seal on it. “My lord, it is my sad duty to inform you—”
Jerome took the paper from him and inspected the seal. His Majesty, King George IV. He broke the seal and scanned the paper as the other man continued to speak.
“I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of the Honorable Miss Charis Dunsenay on the 11th of July, 1812.”
Reading the same words on the paper, Jerome’s head reeled. This couldn’t be happening!
“No.” he said, shaking his head. “Miss Dunsenay’s death was an accident. I tried to save her as she fell.” He stared into the impassive face of the magistrate before him.
“That will be a matter for the court to decide, my lord. If you will accompany me?”
Jerome swallowed, his brain whirling. “I gather you mean to detain me? May I have a few moments to collect some of my effects?”
The magistrate bowed again. “Of course, my lord. We will await your pleasure.”
Jerome nodded and left the room. He headed first to the library where he scrawled three notes, which he handed to Skelton to arrange for delivery.
“Please ask Leyton to pack a valise for me, with sufficient clothing for an extended stay. I will be away for a number of nights. I am not sure how many at this juncture.”
Skelton raised his eyebrows but bowed and said, “Of course, my lord.”
Jerome then took the stairs two at a time to Ava’s bedchamber. He found her with her maid and said kindly to the girl, “Please leave us. I need to speak with Her Ladyship.” The girl bobbed a curtsy and left, and Ava turned to him, her eyes wide.
“What is it?”
He took her hands and said carefully, “I have received a warrant for my arrest—”
“What? What for?” Ava’s face paled.
“The murder of Charis Dunsenay.”
“No! No! How—?”
“I can only assume that Lady Mostyn, not satisfied with her attempt to wreak havoc between us, has decided to bring an action against me. There are a magistrate and two Bow Street Runners below to cart me off to Newgate—”
“No!” shrieked Ava, her hands clutching at him, tears streaking down her cheeks.
“It isn’t so bad as it seems, love. I am wealthy and can pay for comforts in prison. And I have influential friends. This matter will be dealt with swiftly.” He pulled her close and hugged her. “Now I need you to be strong for me. Can you do that?”
She nodded, clinging to him, her tears soaking his jacket.
“Good. Now listen, I need you to go to Letty and tell her to secure the services of Sir William Garrow on my behalf. He is a first-rate barrister, former politician, and judge and a man of principle. I am confident he will extricate me from this situation with all speed. Get him to come to me at Newgate, and we will see the wheels put in motion to deal with this situation. I have already sent notes to Rob, Pendrell, and Ashford. They will do what they can on my behalf. I will be with you again very soon, love, do not doubt it.”
“Jerome!” she clung to him. “You are innocent, and so I shall tell anyone who dares to say otherwise!”
He smiled, his throat tight with love for her.
“I know, love!” He kissed her then. Several kisses and tight hugs later, he left her to collect his valise, stop by the library to get himself some paper, pens, ink, and reading matter, and rejoin Mr. Forbes and his men, dressed in his overcoat and hat.
Ava followed him down and out into the street, where he took a final farewell of her under the embarrassed eyes of the magistrate and stepped up into the hackney that would transport him to Newgate prison.
*
Ava watched the carriage disappear from her sight down the street and turned with determination to request her carriage immediately. Twenty minutes later, she burst in upon her sister-in-law with the news of Jerome’s arrest.
Letty, who had been lying on a chaise longue in her dressing room, sat up in alarm at Ava’s stormy advent and, once in possession of the facts, said with calm practicality, “We shall visit Sir William immediately. Fortunately, I know him, which is why Jerome suggested you come to me to request his assistance. I must say he is an excellent barrister; his record of wins is extremely high. And in this case, the outcome cannot be in doubt, for Jerome is innocent and there is not sufficient evidence that the charge could be proven in any case. Do not despair, my love, we shall prevail.”
The ladies met with Sir William Garrow at his home in Great George Street. The man was sixty but still hale and vigorous, Ava was pleased to note, and having heard their story, he was very willing to wait upon the marquess at Newgate.
*
Jerome’s cell at Newgate was on the top floor and had a window, a fireplace, and a bed with a real mattress and bedclothes, so he was far more fortunate than most of the inmates of that hellhole.
He was also blessed with a table and two chairs and candles for light.
He was located in the central block above the keeper’s house, which was much less noisome than the other parts of the prison and boasted four larger than normal cells with fireplaces like his and windows.
He was not so foolish as to think that his bedding was free of the vermin that infested the place and reflected that his clothes would need to be fumigated or, more likely, burnt when he left the prison. Or he could gift them to the inmates? That was probably the best idea.
The room was stone walled with a wooden floor and painted ceiling. There was even a rug on the floor. Really, if it weren’t for the great iron door with its grid and the bars on the windows behind the casements, he could almost fancy himself in a room in an ordinary inn.
He had been conducted to his cell by the keeper himself with much bowing and scraping—the man had pocketed immediately the sum Jerome handed across for the privilege of being housed in this superior room. He had barely settled into his new abode when he received a visit from Sir William Garrow.
The barrister was shown into the room by the keeper who received another douceur for the service.
“Sir William.” Jerome held out his hand to the barrister, who was a tall, well-made man who looked younger than his sixty years. “My wife obeyed my instructions immediately, I take it. Thank you for attending me here. Please take a seat.” He indicated the guest chair and took the other himself.
As Sir William lowered himself into the chair, he said, “Indeed, I was most delighted to receive a call from your wife and sister. I am, as I gather you apprehend, quite well acquainted with your sister and her husband. And I believe we may have spoken briefly in Parliament when I was a sitting member over my cruelty-to-horses bill that you were so kind as to support.”
“We did, although I did not know if you would remember.”
“I do remember, my lord.” Sir William smiled and settled into his chair, taking out a traveling desk from a case that he had brought with him. He arranged this on his lap and uncapped the inkwell. Dipping his pen, he wrote something across the top of the piece of paper before him.
“Now, my lord, your good ladies furnished me with brief particulars of your case. However, I need to hear the whole story from you. By the way, before I came here, I stopped in at Bow Street and ascertained that Sir Nicholas Connyngham Tindal will be representing Lady Mostyn as the prosecutor. Normally I would not be able to obtain a copy of the charges against you, but given your special status as a peer, an exception was made. Naturally, because of your elevated position, the matter will be heard before the House of Lords, as soon as may be convenient to their lordships.”
“Thank you.” Jerome inclined his head and felt a wash of relief flood his chest, and the tight, sick feeling he’d had in his stomach since he was first apprised of the warrant for his arrest eased.
“Now, my lord, your story if you please.”
So Jerome proceeded to tell him. While he spoke, Garrow made notes and occasionally asked for clarification of a point. At the end of it, the barrister sat back with a grin of satisfaction which Jerome thought was a heartening sign.
“My lord, I venture to say that you have nothing to worry about. We shall have you out of here in a trice. The only witness to this terrible tragedy besides yourself is the late Lord Mostyn. The case will be thrown out for lack of evidence and a verdict of accidental death given, mark my words. There is ample evidence that the Dunsenays connived to trap you into compromising their daughter. No doubt the prosecution will bring forth such witnesses to corroborate your flirtation with the girl. But never fear, I shall turn them to account.”
“You cheer me immensely with this news, Sir William.” Jerome sat back in some relief.
Garrow began to pack his traveling desk away and stood to shake Jerome’s hand. “A pleasure, my lord. I look forward to defending this case with the greatest enthusiasm. It quite takes me back to my younger days.”
Jerome rose to shake his hand and see him to the door, where a guard unlocked the heavy iron door and let Sir William out.
As the door shut on him again, Jerome turned away to the window from which he could see the street, for the cells were arranged along the outer wall of the building.
How long will I be incarcerated for? He had asked Rob and his friends to urge that the matter be dealt with as soon as possible.
Rob would go straight to Attorney General Brougham and Prime Minister Liverpool, to have the matter brought before the house as soon as possible.
His friends would naturally speak on his behalf as character witnesses.
Indeed, it was hardly needed; he was known to almost the entire membership of the house.
They knew the good and the bad of him, but his newly married status should be a point in his favor.
It could be shown that whatever unsteadiness of character he may have shown in his youth, he had, of later years, demonstrated more moderation.
Although there was that cursed article in The Chronicle . . .
He heaved a sigh and lay down on the bed, suddenly bone weary even though he had done little beyond riding with Ava that morning. Thoughts of Ava brought an ache of longing to his chest. I miss her so.