stoking my fires high. But Bartholomew had proved this false. He knew where to get the best goods the cheapest, he said, having connections all over Covent Garden and even into the City. He did keep me comfortable at little expense. Grenville had rather relieved me when he indicated that Bartholomew wanted to accompany me to Berkshire. I had grown to appreciate him.
Not many minutes after both Grenville and Bartholomew had departed, someone tapped on my door. I opened it, expecting Mrs. Beltan with coffee, but to my surprise, I found Mr. Kensington on my doorstep.
I did not invite him in. Though he held his hat in both hands, and I saw no sign of a weapon, I certainly did not trust him. His dark hair was thinning on top, which I could well see because I stood at least a foot taller than he.
'What the devil do you want?' I asked.
He gave me his oily smile. 'To speak with you, Captain. On a matter we will both find important.'
'What matter?'
He looked past me into my rooms. 'Shall we speak privately?'
'We are private enough.'
Kensington took another step forward and lowered his voice. 'I've come to learn that you are acquainted with Mr. Denis, Captain.'
'Somewhat,' I said in chill tones.
'I have a connection to him as well.' He lowered his voice further still. 'I worked for him once upon a time.'
I was surprised, but only because Kensington was a bit too base for the Spartan Denis. 'He has never mentioned this,' I said.
'Nor would he. We did not exactly see eye to eye, and I left his service. But times are changing, and we must decide who our allies are.'
I had not yet made up my mind whether to believe him. 'What of it?'
'My dear, sir, we can be of help to one another. I only ask that you put in a good word for me with Denis. Tell him I have seen the error of my ways.'
I gave him a sharp look. 'First, I have no reason to believe you. Second, I have no reason to help you.'
Kensington's eyes took on a light of desperation. 'But I have helped you at every turn. I let you search Peaches' rooms, I have answered your questions about her, I can help your magistrate friend make short work of Lady Jane.'
I leaned against the doorframe, arms folded. Cold air seeped up the stairwell, but I was not ready to retreat into the warm rooms behind me.
'Helped me?' I asked. 'You have lied or evaded me at every turn. You did not mention that Peaches owned The Glass House. You only allowed me to search the real room she kept when I threatened you. You have not yet told me why you and she quarreled on her final day.'
'Help me return to James Denis' good graces, and I will tell you all.'
I caught him by his coat lapels and jerked him off his feet. 'You will tell me now. Beginning with why you are so anxious to betray Lady Jane, who has no doubt helped you make a profit from The Glass House.'
'How can you ask? Lady Jane is a ruthless and wicked woman, and I rue the day I met her.'
'I don't doubt that. Let me put to you why I think you are willing to sell her out. Now that Peaches is dead, The Glass House will revert to another owner, and your days are numbered. No doubt she is furious. If you killed Peaches, she will be more furious still.'
Kensington's small eyes bulged. 'I did not kill Peaches. I swear it.'
'You had better be able to prove that. What did you and Peaches quarrel about?'
'I don't remember.'
I shook him once. 'I believe you do.'
He wet his lips. 'Lady Jane is dangerous. She may be a woman, but she has men at her beck and call who will do anything for her. Nasty types who would kill you as soon as turn a hair. I want to get away from her. You would too, if you understood. If I go back to Denis, Lady Jane can't touch me.'
That, I at least believed. I shook him again. 'You have not answered my question.'
'Peaches found out that I wanted to leave The Glass House and return to Denis. She threatened to tell Lady Jane. When I remonstrated with her, she laughed at me.'
'And you killed her to prevent it?'
'No! I never did. I swear it, Captain. I'll take a Bible oath on it. I did not kill Peaches. She was alive and well when she left me.'
'To go where?'
'I do not know! She said she had an appointment.'
I shook him again. 'With whom?'
'I don't know, devil take you. She did not confide in me. She never confided in me.'
I set Kensington on his feet with a thump. He drew a breath and loosened the fabric at his throat with shaking hands.
'She did not like you,' I said. 'What did you do to her, I wonder, to make her despise you? To make her turn around and threaten to betray you?'
Kensington's face reddened. 'I do not know. Amelia was always ungrateful. I took her, poor and innocent, knowing nothing of the ways of London, and found her a position on the stage. I introduced her to wealthy gentlemen. I showed her how to make an income from her property. I helped her when no one else would.'
'For a price.'
'Well, yes, of course. I am a man of business.'
'I am not speaking of a commission,' I said. 'I am certain you demanded more than money from her.'
His face grew red. 'I deserved it,' he said. 'Everything, I deserved.'
'Do not elaborate on what you took from her, or I might have to throttle you right now. What about Lord Barbury? Did you kill him?'
'Of course not. I am not a killing man, Captain. I can't abide murder.'
He was such a milksop that I started to believe him.
'Your protests do not convince me that you are a moral man,' I said. 'You have the best motive of all for murdering Peaches-she threatened to betray you to Lady Jane, the woman you fear. Peaches had the power by then, not you. She was married to a barrister, had the protection of the wealthy and powerful Lord Barbury, who would do anything for her, had the rent from The Glass House-and profits too, I imagine-and she was free of you. You could lose everything, and there she was, laughing at you.'
He shook his head vehemently. 'No.'
'She would have told Lord Barbury all about it. At least, you would assume so. Lord Barbury shut himself at home, grieving for Peaches, until her funeral. He saw you there, threatened you. Grenville invited him for supper while you stood there listening. All you had to do was wait for him, follow him, shoot him somewhere in the dark, and drag him home.'
'I never did!' Kensington's voice rang with defiance. 'I was nowhere near Mayfair that evening, and I can prove it.'
'You will certainly be hanged if you cannot,' I said remorselessly. 'But it does not matter, because you have done so many other things. Running a bawdy house, exploiting children; Peaches was still a girl when you exploited her, was she not? And I imagine that once you knew Peaches was dead, you forced the lock on her room and removed any evidence of your dealings with her, including any money that she might have kept there so that she could buy herself silver pen trays and pretty dresses.'
'There was nothing left,' Kensington said. 'She'd spent it all, the ungrateful cow. I did find the box in which she kept her money, but there weren't enough coins in it to buy a pig breakfast.'
'Serves you right,' I said.
'You cannot prove any of this, Lacey. You cannot take me to court.'
'I am sickened by you, and beyond caring. I am happy to leave you to the mercy of Lady Jane.'
Kensington's face whitened. 'You cannot, Lacey. I will confess to anything, to your magistrate or whoever you like, as long as you help me. Take me to Denis. We will speak with him together.'
'No,' I answered.
