The Repentant Rake

    'Annoyed more than anything else.'

    'Why?'

    'Oh, it's not fair to bring my troubles home,' he said, dredging up a smile. 'The problem will keep until morning then I'll start all over again.'

    'Is it to do with that dead body you found?'

    'Yes.'

    'I thought you found out a name.'

    'I did' he agreed, 'but that's all I found out. The address I was given was false. For some reason, the young man wanted to cover his tracks. All I know is that he wore expensive shoes and dressed like a gentleman. He might even be a courtier. That's not a world I know - or want to know - much about, Sarah.'

    'You've been to Court,' she said with pride. 'You've spoken to His Majesty.'

    He wrinkled his nose. 'Not with any pleasure, my love. When he saw fit to employ me, I had to obey the King but I was never comfortable in his presence. If the dead man was a courtier, I'll leave it to others to find out more about him. I'll not venture down to Westminster again. It's a vile place.'

    Sarah said nothing but her mind was working. While her husband went off to read to his sons from the Bible, she prepared his supper. So rarely did he talk about his work at home that she knew this case held a special interest for him. She wanted to help. When he finally came back to the kitchen, she made a suggestion.

    'What about that friend of yours, Jonathan?'

    'Friend?'

    'Mr Redmayne.'

    'He's not really a friend, Sarah.'

    'Come now,' she said reprovingly. 'You know that you like him. You and he worked well together in the past so don't pretend you have no time for him.'

    'What can Mr Redmayne do?'

    'See if the dead man really did go to Court.'

    'How could he find out? Mr Redmayne is no courtier.'

    'No,' she said. 'But his brother Henry is. I've heard you mention him.'

    Jonathan pondered. His wife had made a valuable suggestion. It was an idea that would never have crossed his own mind because he had so many reservations about his occasional partnership with Christopher Redmayne. But it was perhaps a way to secure indirect access to Court. When everything else had failed, it might be worth a try. He fought hard to overcome his prejudices.

    'Thank you, Sarah,' he said at length. 'I'll go and see Mr Redmayne tomorrow.'

Chapter Five

    Christopher Redmayne was distressed by his visit to Bedford Street and vowed to help his stricken brother in every possible way. At the same time, however, he could not neglect the work in which he was engaged, marking, as it did a major advance in his career. It was not merely the first commission to come his way as a result of a property he had already designed, it was also the first to allow him a free hand in the choice of builder. Earlier clients had reserved the right to select their own men and this had sometimes created problems. The builder foisted on him by Jasper Hartwell, for example, had been able but obstructive and though the house he built was substantially the one that Christopher had designed, he had criticised the architect at every stage and made the project an unnecessarily difficult one. It was a relief to know that this time he could engage a builder who would work with him rather than against him. The choice, in fact, had already made itself. Having found a congenial partner during the construction of Elijah Pembridge's new bookshop, Christopher sought out the same man in the hope that he would be available for hire again. Like most reputable builders, Sidney Popejoy was extremely busy, but his admiration for the architect was such that he promised to recruit additional men in order to take on the project.

    They adjourned to the site itself to take stock of any potential hazards.

    'A tidy piece of land' observed Popejoy. 'At a tidy price, I dare say.'

    'Sir Julius is a wealthy man.'

    'He must be if he can afford to build a house that he'll rarely use.'

    'Except when Parliament sits,' said Christopher.

    Popejoy grinned. 'Sits and sleeps, from what I hear.'

    'Not while Sir Julius Cheever is around. His voice would wake the dead.'

    'What sort of client will he be, Mr Redmayne?'

    'One that expects to get exactly what he pays for.'

    'As long as he's not looking over our shoulder every hour of the day.'

    'No danger of that, Mr Popejoy,' said Christopher. 'Once my drawings have met with his approval, he'll leave us alone to get on with our work. Sir Julius hates London. It's taking a huge effort of will on his part to move here.'

    'But he's not really in London,' noted Popejoy. 'Westminster is a city in itself.'

    'It's all one to him. An object of scorn and derision. He wanted a house built here so that it was convenient for his visits to Parliament. Our job is to answer his needs.'

    Popejoy gave a shrug. 'I foresee no problems there.'

    The two men were standing in a tree-lined road that ran north from Tuthill Street. A number of properties had already been built there but the new house would still allow Sir Julius an uninterrupted view of St James's Park. It was a bonus for a man accustomed to look out on appealing landscapes. Popejoy strode slowly around the site, measuring it out and kneeling down to take a closer look at the ground on which he was to build. He was a short, thickset man with black hair and bushy eyebrows that arched so expressively above his bulbous eyes that he seemed to be in a continual state of surprise. Christopher had the highest respect for him. He had seen how Popejoy could bring the best out of his men. When the builder rejoined him, he nodded towards the park.

    'Sir Julius will be able to see the King taking his morning walk.'

    'That's the last thing he wishes to do, Mr Popejoy,' said Christopher with a smile. 'Left to him, there would be no King.

    Unless he went by the name of Oliver Cromwell.'

    'What a sour-faced ruler he turned out to be!'

    'Not in the opinion of our client. He more or less worshipped the man. Whatever else you do,' he cautioned, 'make no comment about politics to Sir Julius or it will set him off. He's fanatical in his beliefs. Disparage the Lord Protector and he's likely to tear up your contract to build his house.'

    Popejoy nodded. 'I know when to keep my mouth shut, Mr Redmayne. I've been employed by men of every political persuasion and I made sure that I never spoke a word out of place to any of them. I prefer to sweeten a client. They pay better that way.'

    'I agree,' said Christopher. 'Well, have you seen enough, Mr Popejoy?'

    'I think so.'

    'Do you have any questions?'

    'Only one of significance. When do we start?'

    'As soon as Sir Julius is satisfied with my design. He plans to be in London very soon and will call on me at the earliest opportunity. It is simply a case of standing by.'

    'I'm not one to stand by, Mr Redmayne,' said the builder, eyebrows reaching an even higher altitude. 'I've other work to supervise. When the time comes, that's where you'll find me. Keeping an eye on my men.'

    'As I would expect.'

    They mounted their horses and rode back in the direction of the city, discussing the purchase of materials and the need to safeguard them at night while they were stored on site. After trading farewells, they parted in The