unfashionable.”
Caroline had stopped, staring at Charlotte.
“Charlotte, my dear, what is it?”
Charlotte found her eyes filling with tears. In an agony of relief she ran into her mother’s arms and almost crushed her, holding her so tightly.
“Lily. Mama, she’s been strangled, like the others. They found her in Cater Street. There’s a terrible policeman here now, this moment! He’s talking to Maddock and the servants.”
Caroline touched her hair gently. It was an infinitely soothing gesture.
“Oh dear,” she said softly. “I was so afraid of that. I never really imagined Lily had run off; I suppose I just wanted to think so because it was so much preferable to this. Your Papa will be so angry at having the police here. Does Sarah know?”
“No. She’s upstairs.”
Caroline pushed her away gently.
“Then we had better collect ourselves and prepare to face a good deal of unpleasantness. I shall have to write to Lily’s parents. It is only right that they should hear from a member of the family, someone that knew Lily. And we were responsible for her. Now go upstairs and wash your face. And you had better tell Sarah. Where did you say this policeman was?”
Inspector Pitt returned in the evening, when Edward and Dominic were home, and insisted on speaking to them all again. He was very persistent and authoritative.
“I’ve never heard of such nonsense!” Edward said furiously when Maddock came to announce him. “The fellow’s impertinence is beyond words. I shall have to speak to his superior. I will not have women involved in this sordid affair. I shall speak to him alone. Caroline, girls, please withdraw until I send Maddock for you.”
They all stood up obediently, but before they could reach the door, it opened and the untidy figure of Pitt came striding in.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he bowed to Caroline. “Evening,” he said and took in everyone else, his eyes lingering a moment longer on Charlotte, to her annoyance. Sarah turned to look at her with disgust, as if she were somehow responsible for this creature coming into the drawing room.
“The ladies are just leaving,” Edward said stiffly. “Will you be so good as to stand aside and let them pass.”
“How unfortunate,” Pitt smiled cheerfully. “I had hoped to speak to them in your presence, for moral support, as it were. But if you prefer I speak to them alone, then of course-”
“I prefer that you do not speak to them at all! They can know nothing of this affair whatsoever, and I will not have them distressed.”
“Well, of course we shall be very grateful for anything that you know, sir-”
“I know nothing either! I don’t interest myself in the romantic affairs of servant girls!” Edward snapped. “But I can tell you all that the family knows of Lily. I can tell you about her service record, her references, where her family lives, and so on. I imagine you will want to know that?”
“Yes, although I don’t suppose it’s in the least relevant. However, I do require to speak to your wife and daughters. Women are very observant, you know; and women observe other women. You would be surprised how much might miss your eye, or mine, but not theirs.”
“My wife and daughters have more to interest them than the romances of Lily Mitchell.” Edward’s face was growing redder and his hands were clenched.
Sarah moved a little closer to him.
“Really, Mr. . ” She dismissed his name. “I assure you, I know nothing whatsoever. You would be better employed questioning Mrs. Dunphy, or Dora. If Lily confided in anyone, it would be one of them. Find this wretched man she was walking out with.”
“Oh, Mrs. Corde, we already have done. He says he left Lily at the end of the street, within sight of this house, at ten minutes before ten. He had to be back at his lodgings himself at ten o’clock, or be locked out.”
“You’ve only got his word for that,” Dominic spoke for the first time. He was leaning back in one of the chairs, looking a little flushed, but the most composed of them all. Charlotte’s heart lurched as she turned to him. He looked so calm; Papa was ridiculous beside him.
“He was in his lodging-house by ten o’clock,” Pitt replied, looking down at Dominic with a faint pucker between his eyes.
“Well, he could have killed her before ten o’clock, couldn’t he?” Dominic persisted.
“Certainly. But why should he?”
“I don’t know,” Dominic crossed his legs. “That’s up to you to find out. Why should anyone?”
“That’s right,” Sarah moved closer to Dominic, visibly allying herself with his theory. “You should be there, not here.”
“At least he had the discretion not to come in daylight,” Emily whispered to Charlotte. “Poor Sarah’s frying!”
“Don’t be spiteful,” Charlotte whispered back, although silently she agreed, and she knew Emily knew it.
“You believe it was him, do you, Mrs. Corde?” Pitt raised his eyebrows.
“Of course! Who else would it be?”
“Who indeed?”
“I think it’s perfectly obvious,” Edward found his tongue again. “They had some sort of lovers’ quarrel, and he lost his temper and strangled her. We’ll make all the arrangements for the funeral, of course. But I don’t think you need to bother us again. Maddock can tell you anything else you need to know of a practical nature.”
“Not strangled, sir, garotted.” Pitt held his hands up, pulling tight an invisible wire. “With a wire he just happened to be carrying, no doubt in case of such a contingency.”
Edward’s face was white.
“I shall report you to your superiors for impertinence!”
Charlotte felt an idiotic desire to giggle. No doubt it was hysteria.
“Did he also kill Chloe Abernathy?” Pitt enquired, “and the Hiltons’ maid as well? Or have we two hangmen loose in Cater Street?”
They stared at him in silence. He was a ludicrous figure in their quiet withdrawing room-with ludicrous, ugly, and frightening suggestions.
Charlotte felt Emily’s hand creep into hers, and she was glad to hang on to it.
No one answered Pitt.
Chapter Four
The following day was one of the worst that Charlotte could ever recall. Everyone was feeling wretched, although it showed variously in different people. Papa was shorter-tempered than usual, and very full of authority. Mama was endlessly seeing to practical details, as if sorting out the kitchen and the housework would somehow alter other events. Sarah kept repeating the comments of social acquaintances until Charlotte finally lost her temper and told her in no uncertain terms to be quiet. Dominic already was quiet, to the point of silence. Emily seemed least affected, her mind obviously on other things. The only good thing to be said was that Grandmama was still staying with Susannah, and as yet was not in a position to offer comment.
Since it was a Saturday there was no work, and no one felt like going out for any other purpose.
The vicar sent a small note, by messenger, to express his regrets.
“Very courteous of him,” Sarah said, glancing at it when her father had read it.
“It’s the least he could do,” Charlotte said irritably. The very thought of the vicar was enough to make her spit.
“You don’t expect him to come in person over a servant,” Sarah was also annoyed now. “Besides, there really isn’t anything he can do.”
Charlotte searched for an argument to that, and could not find one. She saw Dominic’s amused dark eyes on her, and felt the blood rush to her face. If only she could stop that happening! It made her feel so foolish.
