‘She is also devastated by his loss.’
Buckingham’s smile abruptly faded. ‘I am sure she is. The old girl seemed to have a genuine soft spot for this one. And it was Ida who introduced us, as it happens.’
Riley flexed a brow. ‘She went out and about with Ezra, openly?’
‘No, she wasn’t quite that brazen. I called at the house one day, saw him there, recognised the affection they obviously had for each other and read between the lines. I’m aware of Ida’s taste for younger men. I asked her and she didn’t deny it.’
‘Were you and Ida once on intimate terms?’ Riley waved a hand by way of apology. ‘Wouldn’t ordinarily ask. None of my damned business.’
‘Is it germane to your enquiry?’
‘Absolutely no idea.’
‘Well, I don’t mind you knowing that I fell for her hard when we were both young. Didn’t behave well. Despoiled her, I suppose you’d say, but I fully intended to marry her. Never doubt it. But the pater had other ideas. Wouldn’t countenance the thought of his only son and heir marrying beneath himself and forced us apart. There was a bit of a ruckus when her father discovered that she was no longer a virgin. He descended upon our ancestral home and insisted that I do the right thing by her, which I would gladly have done, but Father was having none of it.’
‘He knew you had compromised the girl and didn’t care?’ Riley asked, raising a brow.
‘Awful, isn’t it? If she’d been one of us then it either wouldn’t have happened or I would have had to fall on my sword, so to speak. Father said the girl had no class and had led me on. I was underage at the time and I couldn’t disobey him. We argued furiously, but I wouldn’t have defied him to the degree that I’d have eloped with Ida. Well, we’ve all had responsibility drilled into us. The importance of family honour and all that.’ Buckingham shifted in his seat. ‘It wasn’t my finest hour, I’ll grant you.’
‘How did word get out and spoil Ida’s reputation?’
Buckingham spread his hands. ‘I honestly have no idea. A rogue servant probably sold the information on for profit, it got distorted, unspecific rumours abounded and Ida ended up being shunned, poor girl. But she didn’t blame me and we’ve remained friends ever since.’
‘You met Ezra at Portman Square,’ Riley prompted, ‘and struck up a friendship with him.’ Riley sipped at his drink, frowning. ‘Seems unlikely.’
Buckingham shrugged, looking embarrassed, which is when the penny dropped.
‘You went round to Ida hoping for a loan,’ Riley said softly. ‘But she didn’t oblige you on this occasion, even though she’d done so in the past.’
‘What can I say?’ Buckingham spread his hands. ‘Living the life of the idle aristocrat in London, keeping up appearances, is expensive.’
Riley refrained from pointing out that he could work for a living. Lending his patronage to any number of enterprises would see a decent return for little or no effort, but presumably he thought that was beneath his dignity.
‘Go on,’ Riley said, signalling to the steward to bring them refills.
‘Ezra cornered me on the way out, told me he had a scheme that could make us both a mint.’
‘His sporting club?’
‘Right. He had the premises sorted, everything planned, but he needed someone of my ilk to persuade people from our walk of life to frequent the place.’
‘And you agreed?’ Riley asked, mentally amending his previous reflection about Buckingham’s standards. ‘You really must be desperate.’
The steward returned, removed their empty glasses and placed fresh ones on side tables. Riley thanked him and he drifted silently away again.
‘He’d thought it through, and Ida was willing to back it—which is how I know she was really sweet on the lad, given the sum involved. And the more I looked into it, the more convinced I became that it would work.’
‘I assume Ezra had no intention of applying for the appropriate permits.’
‘Oh, I am absolutely sure it would all have been above board,’ Buckingham said, grinning broadly. ‘It would have worked too. Our lot might think themselves a cut above, but all men are equal when it comes to watching two bruisers knocking the hell out of each other. A good fight is a great leveller. Cut me and I bleed, same as the local milkman. Anyway, the opportunity died with Ezra. Bit of a shame, really.’
‘Leaving Ida in need of a shoulder to cry on,’ Riley said, not attempting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
Buckingham treated Riley to the suggestion of an indolent smile as he casually crossed one leg over the opposite knee and leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink. ‘I shall call and express my condolences after a suitable period, naturally, but her tastes run to the younger man nowadays.’
Riley shook his head. ‘Be careful, or I might start thinking you removed an obstacle to rekindling Ida’s affections.’
‘Well I didn’t. Mother dragged me to a dreary dinner at home on the evening he was killed. Have to toe the family line occasionally. I didn’t leave the place. Ask anyone who was there.’
‘What can you tell me about one Reggie Lane—who, I’m told, has gambling in Clapham and its environs in his pocket? A tough individual who doesn’t take kindly to outsiders poaching on his patch.’
‘He’s a most obliging gent,’ Buckingham said, clearly enjoying Riley’s surprise.
‘You have met him?’
‘He and Ezra were thick as the thieves they undoubtedly were—before they became reformed characters, naturally.’
‘Oh, naturally.’
‘Lane relished the idea of relieving what he described as “us toffs” of a few guineas, and he gave Ezra’s plans the seal of approval on the condition that
