The Perfect Impostor (21 page)

“Which is when you ought to have involved your husband. Or your father,” Leo said.

“I would have, had the situation been straightforward.” She sighed and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. “Only to think that I was happy for Celia. James is a handsome rogue with a silver tongue and a wicked smile. It would have been a fine match for them both. His immediate ambition was to get out of service and set himself up with his own livery yard. He persuaded Celia to relieve some of the rich people we encounter of their jewellery so that he could pursue his dream. Always when the houses are crowded to lessen the possibility of detection, naturally.”

“How did you manage it?” Leo asked Celia. “Servants are always left in the room with the jewellery when it isn’t being worn.”

“Oh, there’s nothing unusual about one lady’s maid joining another for a bit of a chat and to share their supper,” Celia said snidely. “Eventually the maid guarding the jewellery always leaves the room for a moment and that’s when I struck. James would be outside, in the livery of the household. It’s easy enough to get hold of the appropriate garb when the house is full of strangers. He taught me how to pick the locks on the jewellery boxes. I passed the loot to him and he spirited it away.” She offered them a noxious smile, clearly proud to have outwitted them all.

“She’s been my maid for years,” Julia said, “and no one would dream of seriously suspecting her. James used the fact to his advantage.”

“Risky,” Leo said, rubbing his chin, “but easily enough achieved. My man was only telling me earlier today that it’s bedlam below stairs here at present.”

“It still doesn’t explain why you didn’t report them,” Katrina said.

“Well, that’s the difficult part.” Julia paused for so long that Katrina was on the point of prompting her when she spoke again. “Celia knows things about me, you see. Things she threatened to tell my husband about if I gave her up.”

“Ah,” Leo said. “I see.”

“Yes, I expect you do.” Julia didn’t look at him. “I’ve made the most dreadful hash of my life. I was unhappy, feeling neglected by Dupont’s constant absences. Then Gower happened to come along…”

Her words trailed off and Lord Coulton took up the story. “He lured her into an affair. Celia knew all the particulars. Times, places and so forth. But worse, he sent her some letters, written in rather graphic language.” The earl cleared his throat but could do little about the disgust in his expression. “Anyway, Julia came to her senses but Celia took possession of the letters.”

“If they fall into Dupont’s hands I shall be ruined.”

“And so you used Katrina to get you out of a tight spot.” Leo glowered at her, apparently unimpressed by the tears trailing down her face. “Why did you not simply go to your father and seek his intervention?”

“I was ashamed.” She gulped, pausing to blow her nose. “I didn’t want him to think badly of me. Besides, he has business affairs in common with my husband. The scandal would have ruined him and he would have lost his investments.”

“Celia told her the theft of the duchess’s tiara would see an end to their crimes,” the earl explained. “Julia, to her credit, said she wouldn’t attend the party and didn’t care what happened to her.”

“Which is when Celia suggested that you attend in my place,” Julia said.

“And you agreed?” Leo paced the room in a state of some agitation. “Did you honestly think it would work?”

“On the contrary, I did everything in my power to ensure that it did not. That way, Celia couldn’t blame me and wouldn’t reveal my indiscretion.” She glanced up at Katrina.

“I never dreamed you would share a bed with Dupont.”

“Oh, I didn’t.” Katrina patted Julia’s hand. “I’ll tell you how I avoided that later. But what if I’d been found out? How would you have explained?”

“Very easily. I’ve been respectably ensconced with two female linguists this past week.”

“What?” cried Katrina and Leo together.

“I’ve been improving my mind,” Julia said with a defiant toss of her head. “You’re not the only one who can excel in the schoolroom, Kat. Dupont has business to transact with a deputation from Italy on behalf of His Royal Highness and often said that he wished I spoke the language. I thought to impress him with my newfound skill.”

“And he would believe it was necessary to send an impostor here rather than tell him the truth,” Leo said, scorn underlying the words.

“It was flimsy, I agree, but he knows how much I enjoy a good joke. Once he got over his shock he would tell everyone at Court that his wife has a double.”

“And drag my name through the mud,” Katrina said, disgusted. “Thank you very much, Julia.”

“No, Kat, it’s not like that!” Julia tried to take her hand but Katrina shook off the attempt.

“You didn’t even stop to think about how it would be for me.”

“I did and that’s why, when I realised Dupont hadn’t rumbled you, I sent a note to Gower. I knew he would come and see through you immediately.”

“But your husband would have found out about the deception.”

“Gower was hardly going to tell him,” Julia said scathingly.

Leo shook his head. “I still find it difficult to take all this in.”

“I was desperate. Besides, she owes my family a huge debt. Our papa always preferred her. I was jealous.”

“Jealous? Of me?” Katrina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why?” She frowned. “
Our
papa? Did you just say ‘our papa’?”

“You see,” Julia said to her father, her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “She still doesn’t know.”

Katrina’s head was spinning. Did she mean…? Could it actually be? Dear God, she’d never even suspected.

Leo and Lord Coulton exchanged a glance as the earl crossed the room and took the seat beside Katrina. He covered her hand with his.

“My dear,” he said gently. “This is going to come as a great shock to you. But, you see, your father isn’t actually your father.” He paused. “I am.”

Katrina gaped at Lord Coulton. “You are my father—my real father?” she asked faintly.

“Yes, I have that honour. I promised your father you’d never find out, but things have gone beyond that stage now.” He shifted into a more comfortable position and took her hand. “You must know, Katrina, that I’ve always loved you and wanted to publicly acknowledge you as mine. But the agreement I entered into with your mother and father prevented that.”

“Agreement?”

“Your mother was the love of my life,” he said with quiet dignity. “I wanted to marry her, but your mother was not quite what my father had in mind for me.”

“Mama was a seamstress on your estate before she married my father.”

“Yes, it’s probably where you get your wonderful skill from.” The earl paused, his expression reflective. “However, it was necessary for me to marry for money. The estate was in a bad way. My father gambled away much of its riches.” He drew a heavy breath. “In the end I had no choice but to capitulate. Your mother was expecting you, and I wanted to do right by her, but my father refused to let us marry.”

The earl patted her hand. “Eventually I approached your father with a proposition. He’d always been keen on your mother and so I told him the truth. If he would marry her and bring you up as his own, then I would make my father appoint him to the vacant steward’s position that he coveted.”

“I see.” Katrina stared off into the distance. “It explains why Julia and I look so alike.”

“And why I insisted that you share her education. Your father wasn’t happy but I held firm.” He raised Katrina’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I love you more than you could possibly know. Both of you.” He picked up Julia’s hand and kissed that also. “I’m incredibly proud of you both.”

Katrina frowned, her eyes resting accusingly upon Julia’s profile. “You knew but didn’t tell me?”

“I only found out when we were seventeen. I overheard my father and yours arguing. At first I couldn’t understand why a steward would dare to speak so disrespectfully to his employer. Then I realised they were talking about you. Papa wanted you to come up to town when I had my come-out but your father wouldn’t hear of it.” She flashed a brief smile. “It all made sense then.”

“You ought to know, Julia,” the earl said, “that I was fond of your mother, too, in my own way. She gave me you and your brothers, for which I will always be grateful.”

“It explains why my father…the man I’ve always thought of as my father, had so little time for me,” Katrina said.

“He was a bitter man. With some reason, I suppose.”

“That makes us sisters, Julia.” Katrina glowered at her. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I asked her not to,” the earl said. “I had to honour my agreement with your father, even though your mother was no longer alive. I owed him at least that much.”

“It must have been very hard for you, seeing my mother about the estate.”

“It was better than not seeing her at all. And, in case you’re wondering, I never allowed myself to be alone with her ever again. I couldn’t risk it. My feelings were still too strong as, I believe, were hers for me. That ate away at your father, Katrina, and he took it out on you.”

“I still can’t believe you were jealous of me, Julia,” Katrina said, rallying a little.

“Well, you were always so good at everything. Do you have any idea how intimidating that can be? In the schoolroom, when we were playing, you did everything to perfection. You never got dirty, never broke the rules, never talked back.”

“Never broke the rules! We were always playing tricks on poor Miss Tipping.”

“That’s different. Papa was always telling me that I ought to be more like you,” Julia said peevishly. “It made me so cross.”

“I fought very hard to prevent your father marrying you off to Fisher.” The earl sighed. “You can have no idea how much the union distressed me. However, I was keeping a careful eye on matters and when—”

“Oh yes, nothing was more important.”

All heads turned towards Julia. Even Katrina, who understood her moods so well, was surprised by her vitriolic tone.

“All you cared about was your precious Katrina.” Julia hugged her arms close round her middle and sobbed tears of self-pity.

“Go to the bedroom,” Lord Coulton said. Julia took herself off with surprising docility. “Go with her,” he said to Celia. “Take care of your mistress whilst we decide what’s to become of you.”

“Wait in the corridor,” Leo said to Boscombe. “Just in case Celia tries to make a run for it.”

With a brief nod, Boscombe quietly left the room.

“All this talking, Lord Kincade,” Katrina said, breaking the uneasy silence that followed Julia’s departure, “and Celia’s paramour gets farther away. Shouldn’t you be after them?”

“Two of my best men are keeping him under close watch.”

“Your brother sent you?” the earl asked.

“Yes, this is a government matter.” Leo compressed his lips. “I fear that James is more than just an angry Irishman. He’s in the pay of our country’s enemies. I don’t just want to catch him, I also want to catch the people above him.”

“I see.” The earl patted Katrina’s hand and stood up to join Leo. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing, I thank you. At present this is a waiting game.”

There was a tap at the door. Lord Marshall entered, looking especially grim.

“Problem?” Leo asked.

“Aye, there’s been a suspicious death.” Lord Marshall let out a heavy breath. “Tonight of all nights. One of my footmen, damn the man!”

“I’m sure he didn’t die just to inconvenience you, Marshall,” Leo said. “What happened?”

“We’re not sure yet. Looks like he hit his head.”

“Drunk?” Lord Coulton asked.

“It’s possible. He has the smell of drink about him.”

“Where did it happen?” Leo asked.

“He was discovered in that small courtyard behind the servants’ hall. Don’t know if you’ve seen it. There’s a fountain in its centre.”

Leo shot a look Katrina’s way.

Lord Marshall shuffled his feet. “But, well it’s a bit awkward.”

“You’ll have to report it, but presumably it can be kept from your guests,” Leo said.

“Aye, I’m well aware what I must do, but I’ll wait until all the guests have gone. The corpse isn’t going anywhere. But first, I thought you should see this. I dare say there’s a reasonable explanation for this being found in the man’s pocket.”

Katrina stood and leaned round Leo to examine the contents of the earl’s hands. The piece of torn material unfurling on his palm exactly matched the tear in her gown’s bodice, right down to the jet beads and black pearls sewn onto it. A gasp escaped her. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. The robe she’d put on over the gown was gaping open, the rent in the bodice clearly visible.

“Amos!”

* * *

Katrina’s legs buckled and Leo only just managed to catch her before she hit the floor in a dead faint. He carried her to the settee Celia had just vacated and laid her on it. Fortunately Julia hadn’t emerged to see what all the commotion was about. Marshall still didn’t know about the deception, and Leo didn’t have time for explanations. He motioned the men into the corridor.

“Ought we to leave her alone?” Marshall asked, scratching his ear in embarrassment. “After all, she’s implicated—”

“Her maid’s been summoned,” Leo lied.

“Oh, well in that case—”

“Who’s Amos?” Leo asked Coulton as soon as they’d closed the door on Katrina.

“Her husband’s half brother,” Coulton replied grimly.

“Dupont’s half brother?” Marshall looked thoroughly confused, as well he might.

“It’s complicated,” Leo said. “I’ll explain it all when I can.”

“Something to do with the government?” Marshall looked almost relieved.

“Yes, absolutely. Coulton, do you know this Amos? Would you recognise him?”

“Most assuredly.”

“Boscombe,” Leo said to his man, who was still standing guard outside the door, “take his lordship down to the courtyard and see if he can identify the body.”

“Aye, milord.”

Alone with an aggrieved Lord Marshall, Leo thought quickly. He needed to get to the bottom of this murder. But the jewel theft had to take priority.

“Look, Marshall,” he said, clapping him on his ample shoulder. “This is all a bit of a mess but it’s vital that we keep the lid on it for now. Vital to matters of state,” he added untruthfully. “Can you delay reporting the death until morning? Give me some time to work matters out.”

“Well, I suppose a few hours…but Lady Dupont?” He frowned. “Her gown? Surely Dupont needs to be told?”

Leo was absolutely certain that he did not. “All in good time. There has to be an explanation. Lady Dupont can’t possibly be involved in the death of a footman. Surely you can see that?”

“I wouldn’t have thought so for a moment. I’m not suggesting anything, of course, but…but, damn it, Kincade, she knew his name.”

“Which means nothing. He probably carried something up for her and she remembered it.”

“Do you think so? Humph, it’s a devilish rum affair, that’s all I know.” Lord Marshall rubbed his chin, clearly out of sorts and out of his depth. “Still, don’t suppose a few hours will signify. I’ll leave it to you then.” He paused. “And the matter of the missing jewels.”

Leo guided him in the direction of the stairs.

“The next time my wife suggests a house party she’ll get short shift from me, I can tell you. Damned inconvenience.” Lord Marshall was still muttering to himself as he started down the stairs.

Coulton and Boscombe came back almost at once.

“It’s him,” Coulton said with a grim shake of his head. “No mistake about it. But what the devil was he doing here, dressed up as a footman?”

“Following Katrina, most like.” Leo thought it explained a lot. Amos was the reason Katrina had been so terrified when she’d seen someone outside, watching her. But how the hell had Amos known she was here?

“Papa?” Julia stuck her head round the door. “Katrina’s waking up.”

“Go and see to her, would you, Coulton?” Leo asked. “I need a word with my man.”

“What’s going on, milord?” Boscombe asked.

“I haven’t the vaguest notion.”

“Looks like your gal in there’s up to her pretty little neck in this. I know you’ve got a yen for the chit,” Boscombe said grinning. “You paid a king’s ransom just to dance with her and everyone’s talking about it. But what if she’s involved with these thefts?”

“She isn’t. Lady Dupont explained how Katrina came to be here and I’ll resign from the diplomatic service if she was lying.”

“Hmm.” Boscombe didn’t seem convinced. “Think about it. She’s struggling to make a name for herself as a modiste. However good her designs, not many ladies are going to dirty their slippers calling at Basing Lane, and we both know it. So even if she wasn’t involved originally, once Lord Dupont arrived and she threatened to leave, what was to stop Celia offering her a cut?”

“Unless she told the truth and managed to avoid Dupont’s advances by drugging him.”

“Oh, I’m sure she did. But would she have risked the drugs not working for no reason other than helping her friend? There had to be more in it for her than that.”

Leo wanted to hit something. Or someone. Boscombe was only putting into words the thoughts that had been rattling round his own brain. And he didn’t want to hear them. “I know what you say makes sense, but I still don’t believe it,” he said wearily.

“Because you don’t want to. And we haven’t got to the worst bit yet. That husband of hers died and she was accused of murder. Sounds like he was no great loss but even so, murder’s murder. The man’s brother couldn’t prove it, especially since the widow had Lord Coulton fighting in her corner. But if he held a grudge? If he somehow followed her here and she recognised him—”

“When you’ve got away with one murder, the second is easier.” Leo felt as though a leaden weight had replaced his heart. “Come on,” he said grimly. “Let’s go and ask her.”

* * *

Lord Coulton was sitting on the settee, holding Katrina’s hand. Julia slouched in a chair.

“Katrina, my dear,” Lord Coulton said. “How do you feel? Can I get you anything for your comfort?”

“No…no, I thank you.” Katrina brushed a hand across her brow, feeling disoriented and afraid.
Dead?
How could Amos be dead? “I didn’t mean to startle you but it’s all been such a shock. I couldn’t seem to—”

“I quite understand. You must have been beside yourself when you realised Fisher was here.”

Before Katrina could respond, Leo approached, a solid set to his features. “How do you feel?” he asked, echoing Lord Coulton’s question.

“Dazed. I’ve never fainted before. I didn’t think I was the type.”

“Everyone has their limits.”

“Lord Coulton tells me the dead man is Amos Fisher.” She sighed. “I can’t say I’m sorry but it doesn’t look good for me, does it?”

“He found you here. How?”

“I don’t know.” She spread her hands. “Even if he found the premises in Basing Lane, no one there knows where I really am.”

“He was the man you told me you saw staring up at this room from the garden?”

“Yes. He thinks I killed his brother, you see. He wouldn’t have cared if I’d allowed him to take his brother’s place in my bed.” Katrina shuddered. “It was only when I rejected him that he concocted the fiction about my killing Jeb. I didn’t think anyone would believe him but Amos shouted so loud for so long that I was eventually questioned.”

“Which is when I stepped in,” Lord Coulton said. “You’re not capable of murder, no matter how great the provocation. Besides, I know you didn’t do it because I’m aware who did.”

“What?” Katrina leaned forward. In the periphery of her vision she noticed Leo exchange a speaking look with Boscombe. “How?”

“I had a man keeping an eye on you. Fisher took exception to him looking at you for too long and they had words.”

“Dear God!” Leo ran a hand down his face as he whispered the words.

Katrina stared straight ahead, transported back to a time she’d hoped never to revisit, and endeavoured to put aside her regrets.

“Unfortunately Fisher was more intoxicated than he seemed and took a swing at him. My man jumped aside and Fisher went headlong down the cellar steps.” His eyes were still glued to Katrina’s. “You know the rest.”