‘You imagine that his Sir Galahad conduct after her fall gave Verity the idea of Ezra rescuing Ida from a staged attack?’
‘I know it did. Ezra told me so himself. Verity expected a percentage of any monies that passed from Ida’s hands to Ezra’s once he had ingratiated himself, but Ezra wasn’t quite that altruistic. Verity had served her purpose, and he laughed in her face when she demanded her cut. I rather think that she expected more than just monetary reward, but she was disappointed in that regard as well. So her infatuation quickly turned to anger.’
‘And murderous revenge?’
Mrs Wendall shuddered. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her.’
‘Did Verity speak of revenge?’
‘We are not in regular contact. I only ever saw her if Gordon and I went to central London for any reason and he felt duty bound to call on his sister. On the occasion when I actually met Ezra for the first time, I had gone up to town for various things and Gordon had asked me to deliver papers relating to their late father’s estate that she was required to sign. Why the legal people couldn’t have dealt with her direct, I have no idea. I took no pleasure in her company, nor she in mine, but I think Gordon hoped we would become friends. Something had happened in the past to drive a wedge between brother and sister. I never knew what, but Gordon wanted to mend bridges. Verity, on the other hand, knows how to bear a grudge and did not.’ A lovely smile graced Mrs Wendall’s lips. ‘However, the visit I was dreading turned into the most fortuitous day of my life. Ezra was there, you see, and as I already remarked, I felt it was fate which drew me to her house that day, when I could just as easily have entrusted the document to the postal service.’
‘Was Verity aware of the affair that developed between the two of you?’ Riley asked, thinking how angry and vindictive she would have felt. ‘She didn’t come down here and find the two of you together, did she?’
‘Verity never came to Clapham if she could help it. She was quite determined to improve her circumstances by denying her humble origins.’
‘But she found out about the two of you by other means, one imagines.’
‘Once Ezra and I formed a friendship, I made excuses to go up to town far more regularly than had previously been the case and we always managed to meet. We walked in the park and on the occasion when Verity saw us, we were taking tea together at the Savoy Hotel. I didn’t imagine it was the sort of place she would frequent, but unfortunately she was there with some ladies from a charitable committee.’ Mrs Wendall shuddered at some private recollection. ‘Verity doesn’t have a charitable bone in her body and thinks only of herself. The only reason she was on that committee was because the other ladies were all more socially acceptable than her and had, I suspect, invited her to join them so that she would do all the unglamorous work—addressing envelopes, fund raising—the sort of thing that great ladies prefer to leave to others and then take all the credit for.’
‘How did she react to seeing you there?’ Salter asked.
‘I have never seen her angrier. She came to see me here in Clapham the next day, called me all sorts of unpleasant names and threatened to tell both Gordon and Ida about our affair.’
‘Did she do so?’
Mrs Wendall tilted her head as she considered the question. ‘If she told Gordon, he didn’t mention the matter to me. And shortly after that he was killed, so we shall never know. Verity came to the funeral and privately accused me of causing Gordon’s death so that I could be with Ezra. She said some hateful things that I will never forgive her for. She might regret that the next time she is in need of funds, since she knows she will get nothing more from me.’ She paused and looked Riley straight in the eye. ‘And no, Lord Riley, I did not kill my husband. It was a terrible accident, and one that could not have been contrived.’
‘But it left you free to marry the man you adored,’ Riley said, ‘and as a policeman, I am paid to be suspicious about such convenient coincidences.’
‘It did release me from my marriage, that’s undeniable, and I fully intended to marry Ezra, despite the fact that he was a rogue. One instinctively knows when something is right. Did you know that he planned to open a club and make an honest living from it?’ She sat a little straighter and a soft smile flirted with her lips. ‘He wanted to prove to me that given the right opportunities he could be a good and faithful provider.’
‘I have a question,’ Salter said.
‘I am perfectly sure that you do, Sergeant.’ Mrs Wendall turned to give him her full attention. ‘Please ask away.’
‘Why did Ezra continue to stay with Lady Randall and accept her money to invest in his club if he had you to finance the venture?’
‘He had already asked her, and she had agreed to invest. I don’t think he wanted to ask me for anything. Ezra had his pride and wanted to prove that he could support me without recourse to my inheritance, one supposes. Besides, it’s all still tied up with the lawyers, and Ezra was not the most patient of men when he wished to pursue an idea.’ She waved a hand. ‘Needless to say, Verity is contesting Gordon’s will and nothing can be released before the matter is settled.’
‘Did Verity
