The Repentant Rake

and Mother. Not that I blame you entirely,' she went on. 'I take some responsibility. I liked Michael immensely but I could never love him and as it turned out, the feelings he professed to have for me were not as intense as he claimed.'

    'Forget him,' said Sir Julius briskly 'Michael Trenton was a mistake. I freely concede that. But there are dozens of more reliable young men in the county.'

    'I want more than reliability, Father.'

    'You need someone who can offer you security, Susan. That's the most important factor. We have to accept that I will not be here for ever.'

    Susan smiled. 'Then I insist on looking after you while you are here.'

    'Why not find someone to look after you for a change?' 'I will, Father. One day.'

    A maidservant came in to clear the table and brought that phase of the conversation to a natural end. Susan was grateful for the interruption. Questions about her lack of marital plans always made her feel slightly cornered. After one doomed betrothal, she was loath to enter too hastily into another. Suitors were tolerated but never encouraged. She had come round to the view that, if she' were to marry, her husband would live well away from the county of Northamptonshire.

    'How long will you be in London?' she asked.

    'Four or five days,' he said. 'A week at most.'

    'It will be very lonely without you.'

    'Then why not make the rounds of your many admirers?' he teased.

    'I think I would prefer to come with you, Father.'

    He was surprised. 'To London? Whatever for?'

    'To keep you company, for a start. And to have the pleasure of seeing Brilliana again. Yes,' she added as she saw him grimace, 'I know that you hate staying with them in Richmond but I enjoy it. Brilliana and I can take the coach into the city.'

    'Anything to get away from Lancelot!'

    'Stop being so unkind about your son-in-law.'

    'The man is insufferable.'

    'I promise to keep him well away from you. There,' she announced. 'Isn't that a good enough reason in itself to take me with you?'

    'It's a tempting offer, certainly.' He drained his glass of wine. 'I'll consider it.'

    'Thank you.' Susan tried to sound casual. 'Father, while you're in London, will you be seeing your architect at some point?'

    'Redmayne? Probably.'

    'Where does he live?'

    'Fetter Lane, I believe.'

    'Those sketches of his were remarkable.'

    'He's a competent architect, Susan. I have it on good authority.' He leaned forward. 'But why this sudden interest in Christopher Redmayne?'

    'A passing thought,' she said. 'No more. I can come with you, then?'

    He rose to his feet. 'Give me time to think it over.'

    'London has so much to offer at this time of year.'

    'Yes, Susan. Blistering heat, a dreadful stench and too many people.'

    He moved to the door but she got up from her chair to intercept him. Anticipating what she was going to say, Sir Julius bristled. His daughter was not to be put off.

    'Father,' she began.

    'Do I really want to hear this?' he warned.

    'Someone else lives in London as well.'

    'Thousands of people do.'

    'This person is rather special.'

    'Not to me,' he snapped. 'Not any more.'

    'Gabriel is your son,' she argued.

    'I have no son, Susan.'

    'He still looks upon you as his father.'

    'Well, he has no right to do so,' said Sir Julius vehemently. 'Gabriel is a disgrace to himself and to his family. Ours is a proud name and he has forfeited any claim on it. I expect a degree of rebellion in a son. It shows spirit. But he went too far, Susan. It broke your mother's heart to see him stalk out of the house the way he did - and for what? A life of idleness in the taverns and gaming houses of London.'

    She clutched his arm. 'Gabriel may have changed by now, Father.'

    'I have not,' he said firmly.

    Detaching her hand, he walked quickly away before he lost his temper.

    Jonathan Bale had too full a day to devote much time to the murder investigation and the enquiries he had been able to make on that score had borne no fruit. As he walked back home with Tom Warburton, he confided his frustration.

    'I wish I could devote all my time to it, Tom.'

    'Leave that to others,' advised Warburton.

    'But we found the body. I feel involved.'

    'We've done all we can, Jonathan.'

    'And where has it got us?' said the other. 'Nowhere. You've knocked on dozens of doors in search of witnesses but found none at all. I've put a name to the dead man but I've no idea who he was or where he lived. Nahum Gibbins gave me an address but they had never heard of him there.' He ran a hand across his chin. 'Why does a customer give his shoemaker a false address?'

    'Maybe the name is false as well.'

    'I thought of that.'

    They plodded on together. As they passed an alley, Warburton's dog came trotting out to take his place at his master's heels but he soon darted off ahead of them. Jonathan watched him pause to sniff at the wall of a tavern.

    He was pensive. 'What puzzles me is that nobody's come forward.'

    'True.'

    'The man is missing. Someone in the ward must be worried by his absence.'

    'Only if he came from round here.'

    'Where else?'

    'Any part of the city.'

    'Why drag him all this way to dispose of the body? No, Tom. He must have some link with Baynard's Castle ward. I feel it in my bones. And the killer must know the area as well. He picked a good spot to hide the body. And a good time.'

    'When nobody was about.'

    'Nobody who remembers seeing anything, that is.'

    'Ah.'

    'We must try again tomorrow.'

    'Yes.'

    Jonathan gave him a farewell wave and turned into Addle Hill. With his dog back at his heels, Warburton continued on towards his own house. It had been a disappointing day and Jonathan was glad to be home again. When he entered, Sarah was coming downstairs, having just put the two boys to bed. Smiling a welcome, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

    'I told them you'd be back in time to read to them.'

    'In a moment,' he said, going into the kitchen.

    'You look exhausted, Jonathan.'