Chapter 9
Gregory arrived to find Ronan standing at the window with one hand resting on the silver head of his cane, while the other held a folded sheet of paper that he did not appear to be reading.
He remained in the doorway for a moment before entering, and although Ronan must have heard him, he did not turn.
“You sent for me with such urgency,” Gregory said as he removed his gloves, “yet the servants appear calm, and you seem fine. I can only assume that either the matter is far more serious than it appears.”
“There is no need to exaggerate,” Ronan replied, still facing the window. “I asked you to come this morning, and the important part is that you showed up.”
Ronan turned from the window and placed the folded paper on the desk.
“I did, although that proves very little apart from the fact that I possess more loyalty than judgement,” Gregory replied, and then he glanced at the empty chair positioned near the desk. “You are expecting someone else?”
“A constable, yes.”
Gregory stopped before sitting, while the faint amusement on his face gave way to genuine curiosity.
“I admit that I find this development interesting.”
“There is nothing particularly interesting about it,” Ronan said, and then he moved behind the desk without sitting. “I want an update on the investigation.”
Gregory rested one ankle over the opposite knee and studied him, “The investigation into the woman Augusta saw on the night of your engagement party?”
“I was accused of murder in front of a church filled with people,” Ronan replied, and although his voice remained controlled, his hand tightened slightly around the handle of his cane. “I think that gives me sufficient reason to know whether the actual murderer has been found.”
“It gives you reason, certainly, although you possessed that same reason days ago,” Gregory said.
“What I am trying to understand is why the matter has become urgent now. Your name has already been cleared, at least among those capable of listening to evidence, and your marriage has taken place despite the scandal. From the outside, one might think you had every incentive to let the story disappear.”
Ronan looked towards the door, as though the constable might arrive before he was required to answer.
“The story will not disappear while the investigation remains unresolved,” he said.
Gregory watched him for another moment, and then he leaned back, “You have rehearsed that explanation,” he said.
“All of these concerns existed before your wedding, yet they did not lead you to summon a constable. Then your wife began searching the papers for news, and suddenly the investigation deserved your personal attention.”
Ronan moved the paper farther across the desk.
“She witnessed the scene, and is part of my household now.”
Gregory’s mouth shifted, although he did not smile fully, “That is a very ducal way of saying that her worry has become difficult for you to ignore,” he said. “You could simply admit that you noticed.”
“I notice most things that occur in my house.”
“Do you?” Gregory asked. “That would be an impressive change, considering how long you have relied upon the servants to ensure that life continues around you without requiring your participation.”
Ronan’s expression hardened, although Gregory continued before he could interrupt.
“I am not criticizing you,” Gregory said, and his tone lost some of its lightness.
“I am observing that Augusta has altered the rhythm of this place in a very short time. You may tell yourself that you want the truth on account of your name, yet your name was no longer in danger when you arranged this meeting.”
Ronan walked towards the fireplace, and the measured sound of his cane against the floor marked each step. “You seem determined to make this discussion about my marriage,” he said. “I think you’re fooling yourself. It is an investigation into a murder.”
“I am aware of that,” Gregory replied, turning his chair slightly so he could continue facing him.
“But you did not spend the first days after the accusation requesting information, even though you were the one named publicly. You became interested after Augusta continued reading every mention of the case, and I find the timing difficult to overlook.”
“She believes the man may have seen her.”
Gregory’s expression changed, and the teasing faded from it. “She told you that?”
“She said he turned towards her before she ran,” Ronan replied. “She cannot know whether he saw her face, although she was close enough to see the cane, and that means the possibility exists.”
Gregory lowered his foot to the floor and sat forward.
“That is different from an unresolved question in the papers,” he said. “If she thinks the man saw her, then I understand why you want to speak to the constable.”
Ronan glanced at him. “You did not understand before?”
“I understood that you were concerned, although you seemed determined to describe the concern as a matter of reputation,” Gregory replied. “But really, it is a matter of something more delicate.”
“You take too much interest in things that do not concern you,” Ronan said.
“I have taken an interest in you for years, and you have never made the task easy,” Gregory replied.
“Most men reveal themselves through what they say, while you reveal yourself through what you insist is unimportant. The more determined you are to reduce a matter to duty, the more likely it is that something personal sits beneath it.”
Ronan gave him a long look.
“If Augusta may have been seen, then I would rather the investigation had produced something useful. Still, I cannot help noticing that you have begun taking her fears seriously, even when they inconvenience you.”
“I always took what she saw seriously.”
Ronan looked away from him. Before either man could continue, a knock sounded at the door, and a servant entered to announce the constable. Ronan moved behind the desk, while Gregory rose from his chair.
“You may remain,” Ronan said before Gregory could speak, and the constable entered a moment later.
The man greeted them with a restrained bow, and although his expression remained respectful, his eyes moved briefly between the two dukes before settling on Ronan.
“Your Grace,” the constable said. “I was told you wished to speak about the investigation.”
“I do,” Ronan replied, and he gestured towards the chair Gregory had vacated. “Please sit.”
The constable did so, keeping his hat in both hands, while Gregory moved to the side of the room and remained near the mantel.
Ronan did not sit immediately. “My wife gave a statement concerning what she saw at the Hewes engagement party,” he said.
“She has heard nothing since then, and the papers have reported no progress, so I would like to know whether the investigation has produced anything that has not been made public.”
The constable adjusted his hold on the hat.
“I am afraid there is very little to report, Your Grace,” he said. “The investigation remains open, although there has been no meaningful progress.”
Ronan lowered himself into the chair behind the desk.
“When you say there has been no meaningful progress, do you mean that no one has been identified, or that nothing new has been discovered at all?” he asked.
“No one has been identified,” the constable replied. “We have not found anything that would allow us to name a suspect, and we have no information that changes the account already taken from Her Grace.”
Ronan’s expression remained still.
“Then you continue to accept that she saw the woman before the body was discovered.”
“We have no reason to reject her account,” the constable said. “She was clear about what she remembered, and the discovery of the body confirmed that she had indeed seen something in the grounds.”
Gregory spoke from beside the mantel.
“Do you know who the woman was?” he asked. “Her identity has not appeared in the reports I have seen.”
The constable turned towards him.
“She was a maid in Lord Hewes’s household, Your Grace,” he replied. “She worked at Lady Phillipa’s father’s estate.”
For the first time since the constable entered, Ronan’s expression shifted.
“She was employed there?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then Augusta saw the body on the grounds connected to the household in which the woman worked,” Ronan said, although he appeared to be speaking the thought aloud rather than asking a question.
The constable gave a cautious nod. “She was a member of the household staff, although that has not led us to the person responsible.”
Ronan leaned back slightly, and his gaze settled on the constable with a levelness that made the room feel smaller.
“You know where she worked, and you have my wife’s description of the man she saw, yet there has been no progress,” he said. “Is that an accurate understanding of the position?”
“It is, Your Grace,” the constable replied. “I would prefer to give you more, although there is nothing further that I can state with certainty.”
Ronan remained silent for several seconds.
Gregory watched him carefully, and when Ronan spoke again, his voice had become quieter.
“My wife continues to look for news of the investigation,” he said. “She witnessed something that has not been explained, and has been left with no indication of whether the man she saw has been found. If there is any development, no matter how limited, I expect her to be informed.”
The constable inclined his head.
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“I do not mean that the information should appear in a newspaper first,” Ronan continued. “I mean that someone should speak to her directly.”
“I understand.”
Ronan’s gaze did not leave him. “Do you?”
The constable sat straighter.
“Yes, Your Grace. If there is progress, the Duchess of Ravenhill will be informed.”
Ronan gave a single nod.
“That will be all.”
The constable rose, bowed again, and left the room under the guidance of the waiting servant. Once the door closed, Gregory remained where he was, while Ronan looked down at the folded paper on his desk.