“Captain, if they were decent and honourable, they would not require your services. You’ve heard of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, haven’t you?”
“Of course.”
“You might try something like that. Get something maybe a bit more meaty than blowing up railways stations all because some earl doesn’t want to entertain the king.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. There’s the dressing gong.” Harry held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you. I don’t suppose we’ll meet again.”
Kerridge shook his hand. “I’m sure we will, Captain. I’m sure we will.”
¦
Harry had assumed that Lord Hedley would not be present at the dinner table, but there he was at the head as usual. He was wearing a black armband, as were the other men there. The ladies had all found something black to wear.
To his surprise, Rose was there as well, her face looking pale and almost translucent above the black of her dress.
Conversation was muted, but as the wine circulated, voices began to rise. “So awful,” said Maisie Chatterton to Harry. Harry was amused to notice that all the drama had made Maisie forget to lisp. “But I always thought there was something a little bit mad about her. I never want to come here again.”
“I think we’ll all be glad to leave in the morning,” said Harry.
Miss Fairfax’s voice boomed out, “I think it’s all very fishy. No one will tell me quite what happened. I was talking to Lady Hedley the other day and she seemed happy and well.”
There was a shocked silence. Then Sir Gerald said, “Now, my precious, you mustn’t be so tactless. It makes your eyes narrow, and we don’t want that, now do we?”
To Harry’s amazement, Miss Fairfax gave a giggle and rapped Gerald on the arm with her fan. “Naughty,
She really must have an awful lot of money, thought Harry cynically. He glanced again at Rose, who was Ustlessly picking at her food. Did she feel like him, a misfit? He had been more comfortable in the company of Kerridge than in the fellowship of his peers.
Upstairs, Becket knocked at the door of Daisy’s room and crept in. He glanced at the inner door which connected Daisy’s room with Rose’s and whispered, “Is she in there?”
“Gone down to dinner.” Daisy was lying propped up against the pillows, a bound copy of
Becket drew up a chair and sat down next to her. “Did you get your pay-off?”
“One hundred guineas. Did you get the same?”
Becket nodded.
“Going to leave the captain?”
“Never. What about you? You could buy a shop.”
“No, I’ll stick with Lady Rose. She needs me. If we’re going to run away to London, she’ll need some money and so will I.”
“Thank goodness you had those corsets on.”
“She’d just given them to me, too. She hates them, but I felt so grand even though they were uncomfortable. Choc?”
“Thanks,” said Becket, picking one out. “Someone’s coming along the corridor. They’ve stopped outside the door.”
“Get into the bed,” said Daisy, whipping back the covers.
There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” called Daisy.
Curzon, the butler, walked in. “I know the true story of how you saved your mistress’s life. I have always said that breeding will out. I would like you to accept this as a token of my esteem.” He held out a carved cigarette- box.
“Thank you,” said Daisy in a weak voice because Becket’s body under the covers was crammed against her own and she wanted Curzon to go.
To her relief, the butler said, “I can see that you are still very shocked. Be always assured that your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.”
Daisy waited until she heard Curzon’s footsteps go along the corridor and down the steps and then she whipped back the covers. “Get out of here!”
“I wasn’t doing anything,” complained Becket. “I was suffocating. Any cigarettes in that box?”
Daisy opened the lid and sniffed. “Turkish. The best.”
“Let’s have one, then. Do you smoke?”
“Now and then.”
He lit cigarettes for both of them. “Will you write to me?” he asked.
“Yes, I can write now,” said Daisy proudly.
“Aren’t you going to give some of that money to your family?”
“Naw! Da would drink it all. So would Ma, come to think of it. Oh, maybe I’ll go down there and see if I can slip something to the children.”
“Daisy, do you think that one day, maybe one day, we –”
The inner door opened and Rose walked in. “You should not be here, Becket,” she said. “I think Daisy deserves to enjoy your company, but if my mother should find you here, I would be in more trouble than I am already. And smoking, as well!”
Becket left. Daisy began to get up. “No, stay where you are,” said Rose. “I can put myself to bed. My parents’ servants have packed most of our things, so you do not need to exert yourself.”
“You’ll be glad to get out of here,” said Daisy.
“Yes, of course I will. Good night.”
Rose trailed off to her own room and sat down at the dressing-table. Back to London tomorrow. No more frights and alarms, no more Kerridge and his policemen, no more Captain Harry Cathcart. Why did life suddenly feel so flat?
? Snobbery with Violence ?
Epilogue
– A.H. CLOUGH
The next morning, everyone was up early. Everyone seemed so glad to get out of the castle at last.
Lady Polly was fussing about her daughter as a footman helped Rose into the carriage. Rose knew her parents were feeling extremely guilty at having sent her to the castle in the first place, and she hoped to work on that guilt when they got to London.
