The Shadow of Tyburn Tree (18 page)

Vorontzoff was still lying comatose. Shining the light upon his face Roger leaned forward and gave it a couple of hard slaps. The Russian began to roll his head about slightly and make a low moan. Roger repeated the tonic and his enemy's eyes flickered open. Pulling him roughly to his feet Roger half led, half pushed him along the short passage as far as the opening into the chamber and let him drop to the floor there. Then he fetched his portmanteau, got out four candles, stood them up and lit them. Their light stuck rainbow colours from the nearby ice blocks, giving the weird scene a resemblance to Dante's frozen seventh Hell.

It was as silent as the grave there; until the Russian scrabbled his feet in wriggling into a sitting position from which he stared malevolently up at his captor.

Roger grinned down at him, and said suavely. ‘ 'Tis not quite the type of entertainment to which you were no doubt looking forward, Excellency, but I advise you to accept it with as good a grace as you can muster, or 'twill be worse for you.'

His victim muttered something in his own language, then swore at him. Stooping, Roger grabbed him by his lace jabot, shook him violently and cursed him with great fluency for a solid two minutes. He then opened his case again, took from it two lengths of whipcord and holding them up addressed the Russian.

‘Listen, you rat. Heed carefully what I am about to say, for your life hangs upon it. No doubt you have places such as this in your own country. You can judge for yourself that the temperature here is below freezing point. I have but to tie your hands and feet, gag you, and thrust you out of sight behind one of the ice-stacks at the far end of the chamber for you to die here. How like you the idea?'

The Russian's wits had now returned to him, and he muttered: ‘You are already in jeopardy of a hanging. To murder me would make it a certainty.'

‘On the contrary, Monsieur. To do as I suggest is the one method by which I can make positive beyond all doubt that your mouth will remain closed at tomorrow's inquest; and, believe me, I am much inclined to adopt it.'

‘You may thus escape a charge of having aided the Lady Georgina to murder her husband, but they will get you later on one of having murdered myself.'

‘You are wrong there, Monsieur rat. And 'tis the very essence of my plan that no one will suspect me of having had any hand in your death. Should I do as I say, you will be dead before morning, but with not a mark upon you. The gardeners come
here from time to time to fetch supplies of ice for the house, but if I conceal your miserable carcass with some care 'twould remain undiscovered for many months. I plan, however, to leave Stillwaters after the inquest tomorrow then to return here secretly four or five nights hence, carry your corpse into the woods and cast it into some ravine. 'Twould thaw out there during the night and when, at length, someone chances upon it there will not be a thing to show how you died. 'Twill be assumed that you decided tonight to go upon a moonlight ramble, were of a sudden taken ill, attempted a short cut back to the house, fell into a gully and there expired before your calls for help could attract attention.'

Vorontzoff shivered, partly from the intense cold, partly from fear; because he knew now that he was at the mercy of a man as ruthless as himself and one who's wits had outmatched his own.

‘You'll not do it, Monsieur!' he declared, but he could not keep the uncertainty out of his voice as he hurried on. ‘ 'Twould prove your undoing if you did. When 'tis discovered in the morning that I have disappeared the investigation into Sir Humphrey's death will be affected to your detriment. It may be thought that I have voluntarily absented myself because I am unwilling to give evidence, or even that someone has made away with me to prevent my doing so. Remember, I alone can confirm the reason that the Lady Georgina intends to give for the sending of the note. Without the support of my testimony she may be disbelieved; and, once she becomes suspect, shrewd questioning could easily send you both to the scaffold.'

‘There is something in what you say,' Roger admitted, with hidden satisfaction. He was prepared to kill the Russian if he must, but the thought of committing murder in cold blood was most repellant to him; and it now appeared that his enemy was already thinking on the lines he wished; so he asked: ‘You are, then, prepared to buy your life?'

‘It seems I must,' Vorontzoff shivered again. ‘Tell me the price you demand quickly, so that we can get out of this accursed cold.'

‘I require you to write a letter to Colonel Thursby. You will begin by saying that, until tonight, today's tragic events had put out of your mind a meeting of the first importance which you must attend in London at midday tomorrow; therefore you cannot, after all, remain on to attend the inquest. You will go on to suggest that, instead, he should produce this letter at it; then give a full account of how Lady Etheredge and yourself planned to make an April Fool of Sir Humphrey. You will
conclude by offering your apologies to the Colonel and Lady Etheredge for the early hour of your departure preventing you making your adieus to them.' Roger paused for a moment, then added. ‘The production of that letter will support Lady Etheredge's testimony as effectively as if you had given it yourself. Do you agree to write it?'

Vorontzoff gave him a crafty look. ‘Do you attach any other conditions to restoring my complete freedom?'

‘Only that you should also give me a chit for your coachman, ordering him to be ready to take you back to London at seven o'clock tomorrow morning: and an undertaking that you will set out at that hour without leaving any message behind you or having spoken to anyone at Stillwaters on the subject of Sir Humphrey's death.'

‘In the circumstances, Monsieur, you flatter me by placing any value on such an undertaking.'

The chill of the icy atmosphere was getting into Roger's bones and he replied quickly. ‘Of that we will talk later; if you accept my terms?'

‘I see no alternative,' Vorontzoff muttered, with chattering teeth. ‘For God's sake let us get from this place.'

‘Take two of the candles in each of your hands, then,' Roger told him, ‘and precede me down the passage. Think not of attempting to escape by dropping the lights and running off into the woods; for my legs are longer than yours and I should catch you before you had taken a dozen paces. Any trick of that kind will merely provide me with the excuse I would gladly have to give you a good thrashing.'

Picking up his bag he followed the Russian to the entrance of the mound, then told him to halt there and sit down on the ground. The candles were set up out of the draught, just inside the doorway; and Roger having taken a pen, inkhorn and paper from his portmanteau, Vorontzoff used its top as a desk on which to write. In ten minutes the business was concluded. As Roger put the letter to the Colonel and the note to the coachman in his pocket he smiled to himself; the whole matter had gone much more smoothly than he had expected.

Having collected his things he shut the door of the icehouse and walked down the slope with his prisoner to the wheelbarrow. On reaching it he said. ‘This might well have proved your Excellency's funeral coach. As it has not, you will be good enough to push it back to the shed from whence it came, which I will show you.'

For a moment the Russian looked like rebelling, but on Roger giving him a vigorous push he picked up the handles of the barrow and set off with it along the path.

After they had covered a hundred yards in silence Roger remarked: ‘We will now talk a little about the undertaking which you have given me. As you have pointed out yourself, I have no means of preventing you from leaving a completely different written testimony for the chairman of tomorrow's inquiry, to the one you have just inscribed; or taking some other steps to repudiate your letter and betray Lady Etheredge and myself. Should you do so, have you considered what the result of your act would be?'

‘It would result in the Lady Georgina and yourself providing a grim spectacle for the mob at Tyburn, one fine morning,' replied Vorontzoff with an ugly laugh.

‘Indeed, I think you right,' agreed Roger, placidly. ‘At least all the odds favour such an outcome. You realise, then, that should you repudiate your letter to Colonel Thursby I must count my chance of life exceedingly slender?'

‘So slender, Monsieur, that I mean to take an early opportunity of booking a window in a nearby house to see you hung.'

‘ 'Twould be waste of money, since you will not be there to occupy it. We have an English proverb which fits the case to a nicety. It runs: ‘ 'Tis as well to be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Do you now perceive my meaning?'

Vorontzoff gave him a quick sideways glance. ‘You infer that if hang one must, it makes little difference if 'tis for one murder or for two.'

‘I am happy that your Excellency should have put so exact an interpretation on my thought. Should aught go awry at tomorrow's inquiry I shall hold you responsible. I shall have ample warning of any dangerous trend that it may take before I become suspect myself. Temporarily I may have to deprive myself of the privilege of doing what I can to protect my Lady Etheredge, but 'twill be easy for me to slip away, and get to horse without it even occurring to the sheriff's officers to detain me. Later, no doubt, the Bow Street runners will be asked to undertake my capture. There are some good men among them and they usually get their quarry in the end, I'm told. But I flatter myself that I shall be able to evade them for quite a while; and I now make you a promise. During that time, wherever you may be, I will seek you out and kill you.'

The Russian knew that he was caught again. He enjoyed his life; and the prospect of having it menaced by an assassin who might spring out upon him from behind any bush or doorway for weeks, or perhaps months, to come, did not appeal to him at all. After a moment he said. ‘It seems that you hold all the cards, tonight, Monsieur. You may place full reliance on my undertaking and if aught goes ill in the matter of Sir
Humphrey's death 'twill be through no act of mine.'

‘I felt sure that I had only to put the position to you frankly for you to see reason,' replied Roger smoothly.

A few minutes later they reached the rambling outbuildings behind the house. Having replaced the wheelbarrow in its shed they went in by the Orangery and through the now dark suite of reception-rooms to the hall. Old Barney was sitting there polishing Georgina's new riding-boots to a mirror-like sheen. Roger slipped the chit that Vorontzoff had written for his coachman back into his hand. The Russian gave it to Barney for delivery first thing in the morning; then victor and vanquished in this midnight interview went upstairs side by side, to part with a curt ‘good-night' on the landing.

It was now getting on for two in the morning, but when Roger peeped into Georgina's room he saw her by her nightlight that she was not yet properly asleep. She was propped against her pillows with her eyes only half shut, so obviously dozing. The second she heard the faint noise of the door opening she started up, and after one swift look, exclaimed, ‘ 'Tis you! Oh, God be thanked!'

‘Surely you were not expecting anyone else to visit you at this hour,' he smiled. ‘If 'tis so, to spare your blushes, I will withdraw at once.'

‘Oh, Roger, 'tis no time for teasing,' she said reproachfully ‘Tell me without delay. You—you have not killed him?'

‘Nay. I have but this moment left the fellow sound in wind and limb, and on his way to bed. 'Tis all arranged, and we need fear nothing from him either tomorrow or in the future.'

She sighed. ‘How did you work this miracle? Come; tell me all. I can scarce yet believe it possible.'

Roger perched himself on the side of her bed and gave a laughing résumé of his doings since midnight. When he had done, she suddenly hid her face in her hands, and a moment later he saw that she was crying.

‘What ails thee, sweetheart?' he asked her with swift concern. ‘Think not from the lightness of my tone that I would belittle the danger we were in. But, knowing that we had no intent to shed innocent blood, God has extended His protection to us; and given us both courage and sagacity wherewith to shield ourselves. I do assure thee that thou needest have no further fears. The worst is over, and within a few hours now thou wilt not be called on to give another thought to this tragic business.'

‘Nay,' she murmured. ‘ 'Tis no longer from fear that I am crying, but solely because I love thee so.'

Gently he drew her hands away from her face, then smiled
into her tear-dimmed eyes. ‘Thou hast no cause to weep on that account; for if love be a willingness to give one's life for another, thou knowest that I would gladly give mine for thine.'

I know it; and 'tis not sorrow, but my very joy and pride in thee that brings the tears to my eyes. Thou art the most splendid champion that any woman ever had. Dost thou remember how things were with me when I was but a little girl? How all those stupid fools of county people, whom I despise today, sent me to Coventry on account of my gipsy blood. Not a boy nor girl of their oafish progeny would so much as give me a “good-morrow” when I rode past them in a lane. Thou alone hadst the spirit to ignore the ban and cheer my solitude with thy dear companionship. And now thou art grown into an audacious, determined man; and so monstrous handsome that thou couldst have any woman for the asking; yet it seems that thou still preferst me to all others, and would stick at nought to protect me from the results of my own follies. I weep from humility, to think that I am so fortunate.'

He kissed her hands and smiled again. ‘Then weep no more, dear love; for is not my debt to thee the greater? When I was but a scared schoolboy fearful of what road to take, didst thou not make of me a man, point out the way, and give me resolution? And now; what am I but a near-penniless fellow, trained to nothing and of no position; yet thou, the loveliest lady of all England, rich, powerful, and courted by all, hast taken me for thy lover. 'Tis I who should be humble, as I am, that thou givest me, rather than another the right to protect thine happiness by all means in my power.'