Chapter Seven
Mayfair, London
Though Caroline was glad to spend time in Felix’s company, she never thought it would have come about because he’d been accused of murdering a peer he’d had cause to hate.
As they waited for entry into the Withington residence, snow flurries swirled about her on a chilly breeze that bit right through the wool blend of her dress and matching pelisse.
“I should have worn my cloak,” she said in a soft voice as she stared at the green-painted door.
“It has turned sharply colder since yesterday afternoon.” If she’d hoped that he might joke about keeping her warm in a different way later, she was destined for disappointment, for he stood stoically by her side, also watching the door.
“We should gain access shortly.”
Seconds later, the door swung inward, and a man of indeterminate years stared down his hawk-like nose at them.
“Good afternoon,” Felix said with a faint smile. “I am Major Kourier, and this is Miss Ives. We are here as consultants working with Bow Street, and would like to talk with Lady Withington regarding her husband.”
“Lord Withington is not at home just now,” the man, presumably a butler, said in tones that should have placed him in a haunted, Gothic mansion.
“Yes, well, there is a reason for that.” The major narrowed his gaze on the butler. “Please, let us speak with the lady. It’s of vital importance.”
With a nod, the butler admitted them into the house. Caroline sighed in relief, for being out of the wind meant it wasn’t so cold.
“Please wait here. I’ll see if Lady Withington is receiving callers.”
Then they were left to their own devices in the fairly spacious entry hall.
She frowned as she glanced about the space.
Artwork in gilded frames decorated the walls while a lovely Oriental-style rug in colors of blues and greens protected the wooden floor from mud and moisture on their boots.
“How does a man like Lord Withington, who doesn’t hold a title beyond either this courtesy one or he chose it due to being the son of an earl or such, come to live in such an expensive home in a lavish neighborhood like St. James Place? ”
“I don’t have an answer. As much as a prick as the man was to everyone and always poking about their lives, he was incredibly close-mouthed about his.
” Felix tightened his hand on the head of his cane.
“However, I’m certain there have been nefarious goings on involved for him to have gained such an income. ”
There was no time for further speculation, for the butler returned.
“Lady Withington will see you up in the drawing room. She asks that you pardon her for not coming downstairs to the parlor. Being near to the end of her pregnancy, it is difficult for her to navigate the stairs.”
“Of course,” Caroline murmured. “We wouldn’t dream of making it more difficult for her.” Especially after they imparted their news to her.
The moment they stepped into the drawing room, the garish and overblown decorating style—no doubt meant to remind a visitor of the owner’s wealth—almost hurt the eyes from all the gilt-work and brocade upholstery.
“Forgive me for not greeting you from a standing position.” A woman, presumably Lady Withington, waved to them from her position on a low sofa.
Covered by a lap robe that matched the tan and greens in the upholstery and carpets, she kept one hand on her obvious swollen belly.
Her feet were propped on a foot stool with an embroidered cushion.
“I am Lady Withington, but you may call me Lydia.”
“Thank you for agreeing to talk with us, Lady Withington—Lydia.” Caroline came forward and sat on a chair near the other woman’s location.
The peer’s wife was much younger than he was, perhaps by twenty-five years, which would put the lady’s age around her own.
“However, I’m afraid we don’t come bearing good news.
” With a look at Felix, she widened her eyes.
Please don’t make a muck of this.
Felix cleared his throat. “Miss Ives is quite correct.” He drifted over to Caroline’s chair, but he didn’t sit nearby. Instead, he chose to stand. “Unfortunately, Lady Withington, your husband was found dead yesterday on the steps of St. Paul’s cathedral.”
“And even more unfortunately, the major and I were the ones to find him,” she added.
“What?” Shock went through the other woman’s expression. “My husband is… dead?”
“He is. I’m sorry to have to inform you of that fact.” Though Felix’s attempt to look sad or even compassionate about that failed miserably.
Lady Withington pressed a couple of fingers to her lips. “How did he die? Did his heart attack him? He was always so quick to anger, I feared it would happen.”
“Ah, no.” Felix shook his head. “It seems that your husband has been violently murdered by being stabbed in the gut.”
“Dear heavens, that is terrible news.” Though tears welled in Lady Withington’s eyes and her upset was genuine, there was also relief in her expression. “Uh, where is his body now?”
“At the Whitehall morgue. Once the coroner is finished with his autopsy, you can claim the body, or have someone do it in your stead,” Felix said with a frown.
The lady nodded. “I don’t quite know what to say.”
Caroline reached out and touched her arm. “I’m sorry for your loss. It must be devastating.” Yet in the back of her mind, she remembered Mr. Mason saying something about domestic abuse.
Several moments passed as Lady Withington dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. Though several emotions went through her expression, grief wasn’t one of them.
Finally, she heaved a sigh. “If you expect me to mourn for that man and act the distraught widow, you will leave here disappointed.”
“Oh?” Caroline exchanged a glance with Felix, who shrugged.
“May I speak honestly with you without fear of being arrested?”
“That depends. If you are guilty of murdering your husband, the investigation will reveal such a thing.” At that point, Felix decided to perch on the edge of a chair near Caroline’s.
“Say what you will. There was no love lost between your husband and myself, and I was the first one interrogated in this case.”
Briefly, he explained how he knew Lord Withington and why.
With a huffed breath, the lady laid her hands in her lap, still clutching the handkerchief. “My husband wasn’t a good man.”
Felix snorted. “That is an understatement, I think.”
Caroline pressed her lips together and shot him a withering glance.
“Regardless, Withington wanted everyone to think he was a morally righteous man, but his behavior and speeches were the opposite.”
“Perhaps you should expand on that statement,” Felix said to her while gripping the head of his cane more tightly.
The lady nodded. “His soul was dark and shriveled. He didn’t tolerate people who were different, didn’t like that London was being flooded with what he called the others from all over Europe.
” Twin spots of color appeared on her cheeks, and she uttered a tiny squeal.
“The babe is kicking,” she said with a fleeting smile.
“He also despised women, and women with cleverness or intelligence particularly made him rage.”
Caroline nodded. “That is a fascinating insight into your husband, but we do need to know if you stuck the knife into his gut.”
“Ah, Miss Ives, clearly you haven’t been married, so you don’t understand just how bleak some unions can be.” She shook her head. “Did I kill him? No, but I had thought about it a few times when he got physically abusive and hit me. Always needing to cover bruises grew tiresome.”
Shock went through Caroline’s person. “I’m so sorry.”
Lady Withington nodded. “As am I, but I had a good reason to deflect and protect myself. Clearly, I’m increasing.
Nearly nine months along. Over the course of my union, such a thing had not happened, but now that it did, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect this child.
” There was such vehemency in her tone that Caroline gasped.
Felix took over the conversation after that. “Was your husband looking forward to becoming a father?”
“Goodness, no.” The lady shook her head. “He never wanted children, said we should send this one away once it was born.”
“What the devil for?” This from Caroline. She simply couldn’t help herself.
“Who can say?” Lady Withington shrugged.
“Babies would take the attention off him, and he would despise that. He was quite the performative man.” Her chin trembled.
“But when I discovered I was increasing, I finally knew what joy was.” She met Caroline’s gaze.
“I’d never had love from my husband in the five years we’d been wed; he was a cruel man.
Now I finally have a chance to know what love feels like.
Do I want to protect that? Of course. Did I kill my husband to keep him away from that?
No, I did not.” This time, when she cried, they were genuine tears.
Felix seemed uncomfortable in the face of such raw emotion, for he struggled to his feet. “In light of what you’ve just told me, I can see you are honest. Can you tell me who would despise your husband so much they wished to remove him from this mortal coil?”
Despite the subject matter, Lady Withington chuckled through her tears. “Choose anyone in London. He wasn’t a good man.” She waved a hand. “If you wish to delve deeper into the man he was, find out what projects he was working on.”
“You don’t know?”
“He never included me in his work.” The lady shook her head. “Said women didn’t have brains large enough to comprehend business dealings or anything else that truly mattered in this world.”
Caroline’s chest tightened with indignation. “He sounds like a deplorable creature.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” Lady Withington nodded. “Call on his sister. She’s ages cleverer and smarter than he was, and she vexed him to no end. Perhaps she had finally tired of him embarrassing the family name.”