‘Any idea what she did to ruin her name?’ Riley asked, toying with the stem of his glass.
‘Funny you should ask, but no. I knew her in the biblical sense a few years back, after the delights of marriage had started to pall, but we never spoke about anything serious. And it didn’t last for long. I think I was too old and set in my ways for her.’
‘Ah well, not to worry. I don’t suppose it has any bearing on my case, so it’s none of my business.'
‘Remember me to her when you see her again.’
‘I will.’
‘Don’t hog the decanter, Daniel, there’s a good chap.’
‘Sorry.’ Daniel topped up his glass and passed the decanter to Henry.
‘Actually,’ Henry said, leaning back in his chair, looking pensive, ‘I do recall a bit of a to-do between Ida’s father and young Buckingham.’
‘The Earl of Buckingham?’ Riley asked, sitting forward.
‘He is now, but I seem to recall that he was besotted with the chit when he was still wet behind the ears himself. Of course, his father had far loftier ideas for his son and heir…’
‘You think he compromised her, vowed to marry her when he came of age, but the father put a stop to it?’ Riley nodded, as though answering his own question. ‘Well, that would explain it, I suppose, but we’re talking twenty-five years ago.’
‘Buckingham has pockets to let nowadays,’ Daniel said. ‘I saw him at White’s the other day. He tried to tap me for a loan. Bad form, that, and he should know it.’
Yes, Riley thought, it was, but it hardly seemed relevant so he stored the snippet of information away at the back of his mind.
Chapter Five
‘Your mother, Martha and Sophia are keen to have me take them down to Bromley today so that they can see Ashdown for themselves,’ Amelia told Riley the following morning. ‘They are almost as excited as we are—although your mother, of course, is trying to pretend not to be. Would it be possible for me to show it off to them?’
‘Of course, my love. I will have Stout drive you.’
‘Thank you. I shall enjoy sharing my ideas with them.’
Riley, on the point of leaving for Scotland Yard, leaned over to kiss first his wife and then his son, who was crawling across the rug in front of the morning room fire. ‘Just don’t allow my mother to take over, otherwise I dread to think how the décor will turn out.’
Amelia smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I can handle her.’
‘In which case, you must let me know how you do it, since none of us have ever managed to. But not now. Much as I would prefer to remain here with you, I have a murderer to catch, so I must go. I shall see you this evening, both of you. Enjoy your day out, my love.’
‘Be careful,’ Amelia said, as she always did.
Riley took a cab to Scotland Yard, ruminating upon Stout’s uncharacteristic failure. Thus far he hadn’t been able to find anyone who could tell him anything the least bit helpful about Ida’s recalcitrant butler, Gregg. Unaccustomed to failure, Stout was highly incensed and determined to have more success that day. Driving Amelia to the country would not preclude him from setting others to ferret out any interesting snippets of information that might be had. Perhaps there was nothing to be found, but Riley remained to be convinced on that score. He had yet to have any person come to his professional attention who didn’t have something to hide.
‘Morning, sir,’ Salter said, when Riley reached his office.
‘Good morning, Jack. If the others are all here, let’s convene in a few minutes and compare notes.’
By the time Riley had settled in and read the messages that awaited him, none of which referred to Ezra’s case, his team of detectives had joined him.
‘Well, gentlemen,’ he said, leaning back in his chair. ‘What developments have there been?’
‘James, the footman, sir,’ Carter said. ‘He didn’t quite tell you the truth.’
‘Now there’s a surprise,’ Salter replied, rolling his eyes.
‘You tracked down the young lady he was with, I take it,’ Riley said.
‘Yes, sir. She confirms that they went to the Canterbury Music Hall in Lambeth, but says they went for the matinee.’
‘Ah, I see,’ Riley said, rubbing the side of his finger thoughtfully against his lips as he wondered at the clumsiness of the lie. The young man must have realised they would check his story but presumably thought that his lady friend would lie for him also.
‘She said they had a nice fish supper afterwards, and James had her back at her lodgings by eight in the evening. Told her there was somewhere he needed to be, evidently, but didn’t say where. Molly had to be at her duties early the next day, so that suited her and she didn’t press him, not wanting to seem too possessive and frighten him off, as she put it.’
‘Well, well. I wonder where he took himself off to,’ Salter said, rubbing his hands together gleefully. ‘Want me to bring him in, sir?’
‘Not yet, Jack. Have a little patience. There could be any number of explanations.’
‘For lying to us?’
Riley chuckled. ‘It’s not the first time. You and I shall go to Clapham later this morning, and it will be useful to know if anyone answering James’s description was seen in that tavern. If we can put him there, then you have my permission to grill him. Right, you three,’ he said, focusing his attention upon his detective constables, ‘while Salter and I are in Clapham I need you to verify the alibis of Lady Randall’s
