addressed Sir Arthur.
“I do apologize for interrupting you, Sir Arthur, but I should greatly appreciate your assistance. We must have the music right for such an occasion, and I am not at all sure about the cellist.”
Sir Arthur looked irritated, as if he had actually had the perfect riposte on the edge of his tongue, but he went with her with some alacrity. “Of course, Lady Lismore. Any assistance I can offer …”
Mr. Gilbert smiled to himself and glanced sideways at the watching and listening assembly. But there was only the very faintest satisfaction in him as he went through the church doors and disappeared into the shade of the dim interior.
Charlotte let out her breath in a sigh.
“ ‘With a twisted cue and a cloth untrue, and elliptical billiard balls,’ ” Emily said cheerfully. “ ‘My object all sublime, I shall achieve in time …’ ”
“Ssh!” Charlotte frowned. “You can’t go into church for a Requiem service singing
Emily fell silent immediately, at least until they were shown into a pew rather nearer the back than they had wished. Pitt and Jack were somewhere to their left, Pitt well in the shadows of the support pillars.
“There are a lot of people here,” Emily said as soon as they were settled. “I suppose it is because he was murdered. I’ll wager half of them have only come out of curiosity.”
“So have you,” Charlotte pointed out.
“Don’t be spiteful. You know the campaigning is going very well. I really think Jack has a chance of being elected.”
“Good. Now be quiet! We are in church.”
“It hasn’t started yet,” Emily replied. “Aunt Vespasia said she was coming, but I haven’t seen her. Have you?”
“No. But I haven’t seen anyone else I recognize either.”
“Have you seen Mama lately?”
“No, I’ve been too busy with the house.”
Emily bent her head as if she were deep in prayer or contemplation.
“She is getting worse,” she hissed into her prayer book. “She was out on the river till dawn the other night.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw her.”
“So you were out too.”
“That’s different!” Emily was indignant. “Quite different. Really, sometimes you are obtuse.”
“No I’m not. I just don’t think there is any purpose in being upset about it. You can’t stop her.”
“If I saw her, then Heaven knows who else did!”
The woman in the pew in front turned around and glared at Emily, fanning herself with her order paper for the service.
“Are you unwell?” she said crisply. “Perhaps you should take a little air before the service begins.”
“How considerate of you,” Emily replied with a saccharine smile. “But if I were to leave, I doubt I should ever find my seat again, and then my poor sister would have to sit all by herself.”
Charlotte covered her face with her hands to hide her laughter and allow the woman to assume it was grief.
The woman turned back with a frown.
The organ music swelled and then suddenly fell silent. The vicar began to speak.
Charlotte and Emily devoted themselves to appearing to mourn.
The reception afterwards was a very different matter. Emily’s carriage deposited all four of them on the pavement in Green Street outside Jerome Carvell’s house, then drove away to allow a brougham to arrive and its passengers to alight also.
Emily took Jack’s arm and went up the steps to the door, where a tall, very upright butler with a high-boned face and magnificent legs examined Jack’s card and made his decision.
“Good morning, Mr. Radley, Mrs. Radley. Please come in.” He turned to Pitt. “Good morning, sir?” His expression had changed subtly; one could not say precisely how it was different, but the respect had drained away, his eyes were arrogant and disinterested.
“Mr. and Mrs. Pitt,” Pitt replied with corresponding chill.
“Indeed, sir.”
Charlotte felt her stomach tighten. She ached for Pitt in the face of the butler’s superciliousness, but she was horribly afraid he would retaliate and earn still further contempt. She forced herself to smile as if she were totally unaware of anything but the usual courtesy.
Pitt lifted his head a little higher, but before he could reply the butler spoke again.
“I regret, sir, but this is not a convenient time for you to see Mr. Carvell. As you may observe, this is a social occasion of some gravity, and sadness.”
