The Frost Fair

    'You're the third visitor today. His father was here this morning, a reverend gentleman with an air of holiness about him. The other man has just gone to him.'

    'Was it his brother?'

    'No, it was a strange, haunted fellow,' said the sergeant. 'But he was generous to me so I'll not keep him from his friend. Here!' he called, snapping his fingers at a turnkey. 'Show Mr Bale where he can find Henry Redmayne.

    'How has he behaved while he's been in here, Isaac?'

    'Quiet as a lamb, Jonathan. We'd be happy to have more like him.'

    The turnkey unlocked a door so that Jonathan could follow him through it. After locking it behind them, he led the constable down a long, cold, featureless passageway with the footsteps echoing on the cold stone. When they turned a corner, the turnkey pointed to a cell door that was open at the far end. A slim young man was being ushered in by another turnkey who locked him in with the prisoner.

    'That's Mr Redmayne's cell,' said Jonathan's companion. 'You'll have to wait. There's no room in there for three of you.'

    Jonathan thanked him and strode on down to where the other turnkey was waiting.

    'I've permission to see Mr Redmayne.'

    'Everybody wants to see him today,' replied the man, curling a lip.

    'Who's in there now?'

    'A friend of his.'

    'Did he give a name?' asked Jonathan peering through the grill. A loud gurgling sound came from inside the cell. 'Quick!' he yelled. 'Open the door!'

    'Why?'

    'Open the door, man!'

    Grabbing the key from him, Jonathan unlocked the door and dived into the cell, Henry Redmayne was on his knees, his face purple as his visitor tightened the cord that was around his neck. Jonathan punched the attacker on the nose and sent him sprawling into the straw. Before he could recover, Jonathan pounded him with a fierce relay of blows until he was too weak to fight back. Blood streamed freely from the man's nose. Henry, meanwhile was spluttering in the corner. Watching from the doorway, the turnkey tried to defend himself.

    'I searched him for weapons. How was I to know he had that cord with him?'

    'Take hold of him,' ordered Jonathan, lifting the other visitor from the floor with one hand and pushing him into the arms of the turnkey. 'He should never have been allowed in here. I'll speak to the prison sergeant about this.'

    The turnkey hustled the man out. Jonathan turned to Henry, who was still holding his throat and retching. He put an arm around the prisoner's shoulder.'

    'How are you now, sir?' he asked.

    'Grateful you came, Mr Bale,' gasped Henry. 'You saved my life.'

    'Who was he?'

    'A madman. As soon as he came into the cell, he tried to strangle me.'

    'Do you know his name, sir?'

    'Oh, yes,' said Henry, finding it painful to speak. 'It's Pietro Maldini.'

    'Maldini?'

    'He thinks I killed his brother.'

Chapter Fifteen

    Sir Ralph Holcroft and his wife were the first to leave the house in the Strand and the other guests soon followed. Nobody had eaten more voraciously at the table than Mrs Cardinal, who was so bloated that she had to be helped into the parlour by her son. The chair creaked beneath her weight as she lowered herself into it and she began to wheeze badly. Jack Cardinal was dispatched upstairs to fetch one of her potions. His mother would not accept that she had brought the discomfort on herself. She turned to Susan Cheever, who sat beside her.

    'The cook was to blame,' she said, raising a hand to cover a discreet belch. 'The choice was too great and the quantities too large. It would have been discourteous to our hosts to refuse such exquisite food.'

    'Yes, Mrs Cardinal,' said Susan.

    'Though you seemed to partake of very little.'

    'What I ate, I enjoyed immensely. I'm not used to such rich dishes.'

    'Nor am 1,' complained Mrs Cardinal, shifting her position on the chair to ease the pain in her stomach. 'The lamprey pie was a mistake. At home in Richmond, our fare is rather simpler, as you will discover when you visit us.'

    'Thank you.'

    'But I'll not forget this dinner for a long time, I know that.'

    'Nor will I,' said Susan.

    Cardinal arrived with the potion and helped his mother to take a small amount.

    'Keep it by me, Jack,' she said, 'in case I need to have some more.'

    'Yes, Mother,' he agreed, sitting opposite her.

    'You are a proper physician, Mr Cardinal,' observed Susan. 'Whenever your mother sends for some medicine, you know exactly which one to bring.'

    'I'd be lost without Jack,' said Mrs Cardinal, beaming at him. 'Now, then,' she went on, nudging Susan gently, 'let me into your little secret. I watched the pair of you talking for hours at the table. What was the subject of your conversation?'

    'Anything but politics.'

    'It's true, Mother,' said Cardinal. 'Though her father sits in Parliament, Miss Cheever has little interest in what happens there. Neither do I when I hear the kind of ceaseless banter that was filling' the house earlier on. It was tedious. We preferred to talk about the merits of living in the country.'

    'And what conclusion did you reach?' asked his mother.

    'We agreed that rural pleasures had the greater appeal.'

    'Not that the city is without its charms,' added Susan. 'Especially when it's as large and exciting as London. I know nothing of politics but I was nevertheless fascinated to meet so many important people from that world. It was a privilege to be at a table where the leading issues of the day were being discussed so earnestly. When my father talks about such things, he tends to rant and rave. A much more civilised debate went on at the table.'

    'Lord and Lady Eames always hold a dinner party like that in our honour.'

    'I'm very grateful to have been part of it, Mrs Cardinal.'

    'You'll meet more of our illustrious friends in time,' said the old woman grandly, 'but we must not forget one of the other reasons for this trip to London.'

    Cardinal smiled. 'Mother wishes to visit some of the shops.'

    'I intend to visit all of the shops, Jack. I begin tomorrow morning.'

    'Then you'll have to manage without me, Mother, for I have an appointment with my lawyer. However,' he said, turning to Susan, 'I'm sure that Miss Cheever will be happy to accompany you on your mission.'

    'I'd not dream of going without her and I daresay that Miss Cheever would feel hurt if I did.' She clapped her hands. 'Tomorrow morning, it will be, then.'

    'I'm afraid not,' said Susan. 'I already have a commitment.'

    Mrs Cardinal was peremptory. 'Cancel it. I need you with me.'

    'It's not possible to cancel it, Mrs Cardinal. I've already accepted the invitation.'

    'From whom?'

    'Lady Holcroft. She's picking me up in her coach at ten o'clock.'

    Susan had to contain her amusement at their reaction. Jack Cardinal's mouth fell open in surprise and his mother began to quiver all over, astonished that Susan had aroused such interest in

    Lady Holcroft and peeved that she had been robbed of a companion on an expedition to the shops. Grabbing the potion from her son, she took another swig from the bottle.