‘Of course we will,’ Mrs Randall said, suddenly all sweetness and light.
Riley waited until Sir Philip had left the room, motioned Mrs Randall to take the chair he had just vacated and then resumed his own.
‘Why do you disapprove of your mother-on-law?’ Riley asked, going on the offensive.
‘What do you mean? How dare you suggest…’
Riley continued to watch her, his expression implacable, remaining unmoved by her efforts to appear superior. Eventually she understood what ought to have been apparent to her the moment she walked into the room. Riley was not an ordinary detective. He was a member of the aristocracy, accepted and respected wherever he went. As the division between the social classes became less distinct, people like Verity Randall saw opportunities to improve their standing. From middle class roots, she had married well and now threw her slight weight about in an effort to appear superior. Riley could have told her that real class didn’t have to flaunt itself, and that anyone who mattered would see through her in a heartbeat.
When Riley and Salter continued to watch her and made no effort to apologise for supposedly offending her, her cheeks flushed and an angry hiss slipped past her lips.
‘Ida lowers the tone,’ she said shortly. ‘Carrying on so openly with the hired help. It is beyond insulting to her children and to dear Sir Philip.’
‘Sir Philip minds?’ Riley asked, arching a brow.
‘Oh, he puts on a brave face. What choice does he have? But of course he must mind.’ She rippled her thin shoulders indignantly. ‘No man likes to be made into a laughing stock.’
‘Are people laughing at Sir Philip?’
‘I am sure they must be, although they will be too well bred to do so to his face.’
‘I fail to understand why. Have the goodness to explain,’ Riley invited.
‘Isn’t it obvious? Ida was carrying on with a footman.’ She made it sound like a hanging offense and Riley was already tired of her affected manner. ‘Standards are there for a reason.’
‘Who outside of this household knew about it?’
‘Oh, I am sure lots of people must have. Servants talk, you know. Ida’s reputation is appalling, and it has been since long before poor Sir Philip offered her the respectability of his name.’
‘And yet you married into the family,’ Riley said mildly. ‘One cannot help but wonder why, if you are so offended by Ida’s behaviour.’
‘Well…it was hardly Gideon’s fault.’
‘I assume you dined with the foreign secretary last night, along with Sir Philip and his wife.’
‘No.’ She made the admission grudgingly. ‘Gideon does not yet occupy a high enough position to be included in affairs of state, but it’s only a matter of time, just as long as nothing happens to hamper his career prospects.’
‘And yet Ida, for all her supposed misdeeds, was on the guest list.’
‘Yes, well, I expect Granville is taken in by her. A lot of men seem to be.’
‘Where were you last night, in that case?’
‘Me?’ She gave a trill little laugh. ‘You cannot surely think that I had anything to do with this terrible business?’
‘Don’t tell the chief inspector what he does and doesn’t think, ma’am,’ Salter growled. In the face of the woman’s ridiculous posturing, Riley was surprised it had taken his sergeant so long to open his mouth.
‘Well really!’ She paused. ‘Gideon had an engagement to do with his work. I was at home. You can check with my servants. Now, if there is nothing further…’
Riley stood. ‘Have the goodness to ask your husband to join us, Mrs Randall.’
Salter opened the door for her and she left the room without bothering to thank him, still muttering under her breath about the indignities they were being exposed to.
‘Good heavens,’ Salter said while they waited. ‘On balance I think I prefer Lady Randall—and I never thought those words would pass my lips.’
Riley laughed. ‘She isn’t very pleasant, but social climbers of her ilk who find themselves out of their depth seldom are. It will be interesting to see what we make of Gideon, but if he is half as ambitious as his wife, then my suspicions will become very aroused.’
The door opened and a man in his late twenties walked through it, tall and confident. His dark hair showed early signs of receding, but his expression was open and friendly and Riley could see resemblances between him and his father around his eyes and mouth.
Riley went through the introductions and invited Gideon to sit down.
‘Terrible shame about Ezra,’ Gideon said, as open and down to earth as his wife had been hostile and pretentious. ‘I rather liked the chap.’
‘Did you have much to do with him?’
Gideon chuckled. ‘You know how attached to him Mother was, which meant he was never far away whenever I called here to see her. We passed the time of day. He was a great sporting man. Liked the horses, bare knuckle fights and what have you.’
‘An odd relationship, don’t you think? Your mother and the footman, and your father not minding.’
‘None of my business, Lord Riley. All I can tell you is that the old folks were perfectly content with the arrangement, and they weren’t hurting anyone. So why should I care?’ He paused. ‘In fact, I’d say that it kept their marriage…well, fresh.’
Riley nodded, suspecting that he was thinking of his own wife’s sour demeanour and regretted marrying her. He would like to ask what had persuaded him to do so, but it wasn’t relevant to the investigation so he resisted the temptation.
‘I understand you had an engagement last night. May I ask where you were?’
‘Ah.’ He flushed, looking uncomfortable for the first time, thereby providing Riley with a clue.
