Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lady Mary
I hadn’t killed him, though I might wish I had if he wasn’t convicted.
The trials of Mr. Pierce Randall and Mr. George Platt had become a sensation amongst my fellow Londoners, and perhaps further abroad.
Two gruesome murders committed by two fashionable, young men made for a spectacle.
The papers seemed especially taken with Randall, writing with breathless admiration of his style and refinement, how he had “dark brooding eyes, yet a face that could lighten to radiance as he spoke.” The papers had even gone so far as to print some bits of poetry and memoirs he wrote in prison.
The poetry was overwrought and the biographical detail showed a man so taken with his own superiority, so jealous of those who had what he thought he deserved, that I had no doubt it was revenge that had motivated his killings, not financial gain.
Randall’s boasts in his memoirs that only he, “a man gifted in genius,” could understand the harsh social structures that unfairly oppressed the needy and uplifted the “egotistical rich,” had left me unsettled.
He was mad, of course, but he wasn’t the only one who had prized their own intellect so highly.
My vanity had been a match for his. I’d thought myself so clever.
Clever enough to disdain assistance in catching a killer.
And perhaps that was why I so readily involved myself in these investigations.
To flaunt my acumen. To try to prove to myself that I was someone in this world.
Randall and I had both forgotten another bit of wisdom from Sophocles: A man who supposes he alone has intelligence exposes himself and shows his emptiness. Or at least I thought that was a quote from the Greek playwright.
Sir Kelsey set down his plate on my dining table and looked forlornly at the wedge of cake remaining from the wedding breakfast. We had finally celebrated Marie and Burton’s nuptials, and as the magistrate had arrived before the last glass of champagne had been drunk, he’d been invited to partake.
Jane slumped in the corner armchair, sleeping.
Marie, Burton, Southey, and I sat around the table watching him, expectant.
At least, I was expectant. “Well? Isn’t there something you wish to say to me?”
“Ah, yes.” Sir Kelsey gave me a tight smile.
“Platt admitted to breaking into Mr. Hicks’s home, looking for that lost tin.
His barrister is using that as evidence that Platt didn’t want to kill the manager, only hoped to steal back the incriminating evidence.
He is trying to pin all the blame for the killings on Randall. ”
“I don’t think that being so weak willed as to follow your friend into murder should be a defense,” Burton said.
“Nor will the judge,” Sir Kelsey agreed.
“Did either of the men admit to following me and Marie that day Marie was attacked?” Burton’s forehead creased.
“No,” Sir Kelsey said. “We did find a brown coat in Mr. Hicks’s wardrobe, but they are not uncommon.”
Who Burton had chased that day was probably something we would never know for certain. My guess was Hicks heard them asking questions at his house and decided to see what they were up to.
“Interesting as that is, isn’t there something else you wished to say to me?” I kept my gaze on the magistrate’s face.
Sir Kelsey ran his fingers through his dark-brown hair. He cleared his throat. “I came to give you my thanks, Lady Mary. Your assistance was appreciated.”
Appreciated? How about invaluable? Impressive?
I drummed my fingers on the table. “No, I believe there was something more I was due.” My realization about the dangers of my vanity was still in the forefront of my mind.
I just thought I’d do Sir Kelsey the courtesy of exposing the dangers of his own vanity to him, as well.
He heaved a sigh. “If you are referring to our wager—”
“I am.”
Marie snorted, then hid her face in her champagne glass.
The magistrate didn’t spare her a look, his pained look all for me.
Rising, he pulled a folded paper from his inner pocket and passed it to me.
“Lady Mary. I most humbly apologize for ever doubting your acuity or determination. I am sure you would make a most advantageous addition to your nephew’s inquiry agency. ”
That last sentence hadn’t been agreed upon, but was appreciated.
The magistrate was turning out to be a fine sort of fellow, but I decided to toy with him a bit more.
“Not Bow Street?” I looked at the paper.
The Public Hue and Cry. I’d expected an acknowledgment to be in the Times, but I guess that would have been pressing my luck.
Sir Kelsey dipped his chin. “Let’s not get carried away.”
I scanned the article about the recent capture of Platt and Randall, finally spying my name. The magistrate had given me especial thanks for my assistance. I grinned. “How about another slice of cake, Sir Kelsey?”
He sat and readily agreed.
“And I have something for you, as well, Sir Kelsey.” I toed off my slipper and stroked Southey’s back.
A bite of cake hovered before his mouth. “You’ll let me and my mates use your club for meetings?”
“Most definitely not.” I didn’t even know if I’d allow those golf clubs to remain under my roof. Stupid, infuriating game. “But I am offering your wife membership to The Minerva Club. Complimentary, of course.”
His face fell. He was too well-mannered to decline it. “Thank you, I’m sure.”
Burton pushed today’s Times toward me, tapping the headline about the trial. “Do you think Randall will be acquitted?”
“No chance.” The magistrate wiped his mouth. “Not with Platt’s confession. Randall can tell the jury that when he admitted his crimes to you he’d only done so as a jest, but no one is believing him. And Mrs. Trent has identified the gold pen that Randall had as her husband’s.”
My gaze went to Marie’s neck. It had taken several weeks for the bruise to completely disappear.
“The gatekeeper admitted that he allowed them admittance to the public baths that night, though he claims not to have seen any blood,” Kelsey continued. “The next shift said he did think the men’s pool had a pink tint to it that morning.”
Marie went to the sideboard for the teapot, and I held up my empty cup. “I can well believe the gatekeeper thought they’d only come for a cool-off,” I said. “Who would believe that two men of one’s acquaintance would be brutal murderers?”
“I wish I still had your faith in mankind,” Kelsey said glumly. “I know everyone around me could be a killer.”
Burton, Marie, and I shared a look.
“But even I don’t think a jury would be foolish enough to acquit.
Randall and Platt will face judgment. Randall can claim that his poverty has made him a target of society but he can’t negate the fact that we found the file used to murder Trent in Randall’s bedroom.
He didn’t even bother to clean it. It was still covered in blood.
” Sir Kelsey stared out the window. “They will hang.”
“Good.” Burton took Marie’s hand, his eyes dark. Probably remembering, as I was, that Marie was only alive because of a forgotten bonnet. “There were never two men so deserving.”
“They were gruesome.” Marie shivered. “I can’t believe they went for a bite to eat after leaving the baths.”
Platt’s servants had never had opportunity to notice his wet clothes it turned out. After cleaning the blood from themselves at the baths, he and Randall had gone to a public house for a light breakfast. The clothes had dried by the time they returned home.
Sir Kelsey brushed some crumbs off his jacket, and Southey hopped up to investigate. “I’d best be off. When the verdict comes in, I’ll send you word so you don’t have to wait for the papers.”
“Thank you.” I inclined my head. “Burton, can you see him out?”
The men left. I examined Marie. She had been avoiding me the past few days, not an easy feat for a woman who was supposed to be my companion, and I thought I knew why. “Is there something you wish to tell me, my dear?”
Jane shifted on the settee, mumbling in her sleep.
“Me?” Marie looked at the empty doorway. “Why would you ask that?”
Not a denial. “You are acting the same as you did after you made the impulsive decision to marry a man after a kiss or two.”
“It wasn’t impulsive,” she objected.
I looked at her over my spectacles.
She gave me an impish smile. “It was a very good kiss.”
It had been so long since I’d had a kiss, good or otherwise, I’d almost forgotten what they could impel a woman to do. “I’ve noticed quite a few missives from Burton to the town of Wombourne. Near Birmingham, isn’t it?”
Marie put all her attention into pouring a saucer of cream and putting it in front of Southey. She again answered my question with one of her own. A most irritating habit. “Have you noticed that?”
Burton came back into the room. “Not a bad fellow after all.” He looked between me and his wife. “What?”
Marie sighed. “She knows.”
I suspected. And my suspicions didn’t make me happy. But I would try to be happy for them.
“The opportunity is too good.” Burton circled behind Marie and rested his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be near my family and can start our own in the clean air and open countryside.”
“With a fine city not too far away,” Marie added.
If Birmingham could be termed a fine city. I sniffed. It was no London.
“Horseback riding. Country walks. Teaching our children to swim in a pond.” Marie reached up to place her hand over Burton’s.
“Yes, all right.” I blew out a breath. “It all sounds lovely.” It sounded so lovely I pondered the idea of purchasing a country estate.
Burton leaned forward and plucked a bit of ham from his wife’s plate. “We won’t leave immediately. We’ll wait until you can find replacements.”
“How kind.” It was, rather, but I feared I would still be annoyed with them for quite some time. But I hid it well. “I’m very happy for the both of you. I still haven’t found a wedding gift, but I’ll give you one before you leave.”
Marie bent and scratched behind Southey’s ear. “How about Southey? We could take him with us. Get him out from underfoot.”
I considered. A pet would make a fine wedding gift. I looked at the beast. I hadn’t wanted Southey. He’d been my brother-in-law’s dog, and after he’d died, I’d succumbed to a moment of weakness.
My chest tightened. But Southey was settled here now. It wouldn’t be right to make him adapt to yet another new home.
“I’ll find you something else.” I nodded to the door. “Now go on. I know you want your afternoon constitutional. Get out of here.”
Marie popped up. “Thank you for the wedding breakfast. Everything was lovely.” She grabbed her husband’s hand and dragged him from the room, obviously eager to be alone. As alone as a stroll through Hyde Park could be.
“You’re going to miss them.” Jane opened one faded blue eye.
“I thought you were sleeping.” I glared at her.
“Only resting my eyes.”
The front door closed, and silence descended. Burton and Marie were the only servants under thirty in my house. When they left, so would much of our home’s liveliness.
“I’m going to miss all the time I wasted bringing Marie up from housemaid to a competent lady’s companion,” I said. “I can’t get those hours back.”
Jane slowly stood. She pressed a hand into her lower back and arched. “You’re going to miss her.”
I sighed. “Yes, I’ll miss her. I’ll miss them both.” I rose, and Southey trotted over to me. “You won’t leave me, will you?”
He shook, his bell jangling.
“And what about you?” I asked Jane. “Are you certain you won’t be leaving to set up house with your milkman?”
“That doesn’t deserve an answer.” Jane hobbled to the door and started down the hall.
I followed after, my lips twitching. “He does know all the right people to facilitate a hasty wedding. You don’t have time to spare, after all.”
She glared at me over her shoulder. “You’re a fine one to talk.” She started down the stairs to the kitchen.
I paused at the top of the steps, my heart thudding dully. Jane had only been returning jest for jest, but there was truth in her words. Even though I still felt young, I had to admit I had fewer years in front of me than behind.
Marie and Burton were young. Had many long years before them, God willing. It would be so easy to envy their youth. Their love.
“Lady Mary!” Ernest looked up at me from the bottom of the staircase. “The new carriage is here. Come look.”
I went down the steps and out the servants’ entrance.
Standing before the carriage house was my new coach.
The mahogany exterior gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.
Ernest bent over to gaze at the independent axles before poking his head in the window to examine the fine leather seats.
And though I couldn’t see it, I knew the ceiling had been reinforced to my specifications.
One never knew when that might come in handy.
Jane and a few other servants came out to view the new purchase, as well. “That must have cost a pretty penny,” Jane said.
She had no idea. But the smile on Ernest’s face as he examined every inch of the contraption didn’t have a price.
The bills from the wedding breakfast that all of the household had enjoyed would be gladly paid.
These people were my family, just as much as Marcus was.
And they weren’t wasting their time moaning over spent youth.
Even though my years were numbered, I could make certain they were full. Full of joy and gratitude.
I turned to Jane. “Do you want to go for a drive?”
The End