‘Such as?’
‘You must tell me, Lord Hendry. How many people, outside your immediate family, knew of the existence of that painting?’
‘Very few,’ came the reply. ‘I wanted to guard against derision. If certain people were aware that I had had the portrait of Odysseus painted before the Derby had even taken place, they would have mocked and sniggered. To obviate that, I swore the artist to silence and told only my most trusted friends.’
‘Including Miss Lavender.’
‘She was a friend at the time, alas.’
‘I’m very anxious to meet the lady,’ said Colbeck, ‘but she’s proving reluctant to come forward. When someone does that, it usually means they have something to hide.’
‘Kitty is here, Inspector.’
‘Do you know where I could find her?’
‘Close to that unspeakable bookmaker.’
‘Mr Fido is also a racehorse owner.’
‘Not in my opinion,’ rejoined Lord Hendry. ‘His stables were bought with the fruits of illegal gambling and extortion. Talk to anyone of distinction on the Turf and they’ll tell you that Hamilton Fido has lied and cheated his way to the position he now holds. I’ve seen him at racecourses all over the country,’ he continued. ‘He practises the black arts of bookmaking and travels with a group of ruffians he describes as his bodyguards. I can’t think what Kitty sees in such a deplorable character but that’s where she’ll be, Inspector – in the vicinity of Hamilton Fido.’
It had been Marcus Johnson’s idea to visit the Judge and Jury Show. It was held in a marquee and was a grotesque parody of the judicial system. Presided over by a self-styled Lord Chief Baron, it consisted of the mock trial of a man for seduction and criminal conspiracy. Witnesses were called and Kitty Lavender saw immediately that the females who gave evidence were all men in women’s clothing. It was lively drama. The unholy trinity of comedy, obscenity and blasphemy made the audience roar with laughter and Marcus Johnson relished every moment. Kitty found it crude and distasteful. When the first trial was over, she was eager to leave but Johnson detained her.
‘Watch what happens next,’ he said, nudging her.
‘I’ve seen enough, Marcus.’
‘This is the bit I really like.’
Through a gauze curtain, they saw a group of shapely young women in flesh-coloured tights, forming a tableau before bursting into song. At the height of their rendition, the curtain was drawn back to expose the elegant attitudes in which they were standing. Kitty was dismayed at the way the male spectators hooted and clapped but she was even more upset to hear some of the foul language coming from the lips of women in the audience. Marcus Johnson had joined in the chorus of vulgar approval and was disappointed when his half-sister got up the leave. He followed her out of the marquee.
‘I thought you might enjoy it,’ he said. ‘A little decadence helps to brighten anyone’s day.’
‘What offended me was the sight of those girls, being made to pose like that to arouse the audience. There was a time,’ she admitted with a shiver, ‘when
‘No – you were always too clever to let men exploit you, Kitty. You learnt how to exploit them instead.’
‘It was a struggle at the start, Marcus.’
‘But look where you are now – adored by a wealthy man.’
‘How long will it last? That’s what troubles me.’
‘Hamilton is completely bewitched.’
‘At the moment,’ she said, ‘but I’d be foolish to think that my hold over him will last for ever. London is full of gorgeous women. It’s only a question of time before he replaces me with one of them.’
‘He
‘Love can easily cool.’
‘You know how to maintain his interest. I’ve seen you do it with other men. When I met you again after a long absence, you were doing it to Lord Hendry. You led the old libertine by his pizzle.’
She was rueful. ‘And what thanks did I get?’
‘A blow across the face with his cane,’ he said angrily. ‘He won’t ever do that again, Kitty. I snapped his cane in two. Besides, by the end of the week, he’ll be dead.’ His braying laugh had a cruel edge. ‘What better proof could you have of Hamilton’s devotion to you than that he’s prepared to fight a duel on your behalf?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that cheered me.’
They were standing in front of a garish poster advertising the Judge and Jury Show and they moved away so that passers-by could see it. Johnson unfolded the newspaper that was under his arm.
‘Haven’t you seen that enough times, Marcus?’ she asked.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘I still haven’t made up my mind.’
‘But you know the names of the horses off by heart.’
‘I’d rather study them in print.’
‘I’ve put money on Merry Legs,’ she said.
‘A filly hasn’t won the Derby for over fifty years.’
‘One is due to break that sequence.’
‘I’d never risk a bet on Hamilton’s horse.’
‘Then which one will you pick?’
‘The race has to be between these six runners,’ he said, pointing to the paper. ‘The rest of the field will simply make up the numbers. Somewhere in that sextet is my chance to make a fortune.’
Kitty looked over his shoulder at the list of betting odds.
‘You can’t shilly-shally any longer, Marcus,’ she said.
‘I’ll not be rushed. It’s the biggest bet I’ve ever made.’
‘Odysseus is the clear favourite.’
‘I’d never waste my money on anything belonging to Lord Hendry,’ he said, folding the newspaper up again. ‘Favourite or not, Odysseus can and will be beaten.’
‘By whom?’
‘Limerick Lad,’ he decided. ‘I’ll entrust my future to Ireland.’
Epsom racecourse was shaped like a horseshoe but it would not bring luck to all of the runners in the Derby. Only one could win and, years after the race, that was the name that would be remembered. No matter how close they had been to success, second- and third-placed horses would be consigned to obscurity. Everything depended on a fierce gallop that lasted less than three minutes. No horse could have a second chance to win the fabled race.
Robert Colbeck had been reunited with Madeleine Andrews in time to share a light repast with her and his colleagues. She had met Victor Leeming before but now had the ambiguous pleasure of being introduced to Edward Tallis. Notwithstanding his trenchant views on the distraction caused to his officers by wives and female friends, the superintendent was uniformly charming to Madeleine and showed a side to his character that the other men had never seen before.
The whole day had been built around the Derby and when the starting time drew closer, the excitement reached a new and more strident pitch. Much to his frustration, Leeming was ordered to take a seat beside Tallis in the grandstand. He would have preferred to accompany Colbeck and Madeleine to the paddock but was given no choice in the matter. The sergeant had managed to place a surreptitious bet but he would have liked to see his chosen horse at close quarters before the race.
‘Mr Tallis is not the ogre you described,’ observed Madeleine.
‘You caught him on one of his milder days,’ said Colbeck.
‘I thought that he disliked women.’
‘Only if they take the minds of his officers off their work.’
