Chapter 18
SORTING IT OUT
Gideon passed around glasses of apple brandy to those gathered with him at Pomum Court.
It had been a long afternoon seeing to the jailing of Mr. Entwhistle, Baron Compton, Mrs. Hargrave, and Mrs. Johnston so they could be held over for the next Assizes. The baron protested the loudest and it was not certain that the squire would hold him over in jail until the assizes.
To say that Squire Kassell was displeased with having prisoners to handle would have been an understatement.
James and Gideon spent a long time cloistered with the magistrate to make him understand all the crimes, starting with Lord Jasper’s death.
It even took them a while to sort out who did what to whom.
Baron Compton was Mrs. Hargrave’s funding partner.
After her husband died, he stepped forward as the grieving friend who would help her through the trying times ahead.
His success with the sale of her property—which he purchased—and advice on how to invest the proceeds, solidified her confidence in him as friend and counselor.
“After the old earl died, Baron Compton told Mr. Entwhistle to start dismantling the still, a piece at a time. By the time someone figured out the still could not be used for the subsequent apple season, he hoped to put the financial squeeze on Lord Jasper,” James told those gathered.
“The baron told Mrs. Hargrave to approach Jasper with her marriage of convenience offer during the apple picking festival, which would be the optimal time. Exactly the opposite was true. At that time, he didn’t know yet the still was unusable.
He knew Coggle knew where the brandy was, so at the right time he would ask Coggle, and then he could use apple brandy to pay for his stud farm,” Gideon explained from his wingchair, his feet resting on his stool.
“With his mind on apples for funds, he was not in the mental space to listen to her properly,” Miss Nieves said.
“I don’t think so, just as I wasn’t able to do that today,” Gideon said.
“Do you think she was counseled today, as well?” Miss Nieves asked. She set her empty glass on the table at her side.
“I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me,” Gideon said. He silently offered to pour her more. She shook her head.
“Why did Mrs. Johnston push Cecilia into the pit mine?” Mrs. Norcroft asked.
“To highlight Mrs. Hargrave as the mastermind of all that was happening,” James answered.
“I don’t understand.”
“Would you ever think that Mrs. Johnston was doing something at the baron’s request?”
Mrs. Norcroft laughed. “When put that way, I understand what you mean!”
“I feel sorry for Mrs. Hargrave,” Cecilia said. “She is a lonely woman who wanted to be loved, or at least have something she could love.”
“And Compton used her loneliness to control her and control was the one thing she did not want in life. Ironic,” Gideon said.
“I don’t think she should be charged with anything. I’d like to see her go to Camden Hall for a while,” James said.
“I’d like to go home,” Cecilia said.
“To home,” James said, raising his glass back at her.