The Shadowcutter (49 page)

“You mean you have guessed,” she said, with a sigh, turning back towards the house and away from him. “I knew you would sooner or later. And we have been meaning to tell you, sooner rather than later, so –”

She was having difficulty with the door, now that she had her load of apples. He went and opened it for her, and she went straight into the kitchen. He stood at the door and watched as she put the apples into a bowl. She spent a few moments arranging them to her liking and then turned back to him.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said.

He had determined that he would not force either of them to say a word, should they not wish to. The moment for heavy-handed moralising seemed long past. Who was to say he would not have done the same thing himself, given the opportunity? It was not exactly immoral, for he knew the scruples of both of them, but rather irregular. Such arrangements were not that uncommon. How could he really object? He did not want to banish either of them from his existence: he had discovered that they were both too important to him for that, and he found in this attempt of theirs, something touching.

“I think I do,” she said, turning an apple in her hands, minutely examining it rather than look directly at him. “I can’t bear not to. And he...” She glanced across at Giles and went on, “Oh, this isn’t the way we wanted it, but in the end, it just seemed that any other way wasn’t –”

She turned away again and placed the apple back in the bowl.

“And at least this way,” she continued. “I have something to do. Something on my own account.”

He nodded.

“You will be your own mistress here,” he said.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes, quite.”

He went and sat down by the fire, and stared into it for a long moment, considering the situation. She came and sat opposite him. It felt very comfortable to be in her presence again. He had been travelling between Northminster and London for nearly six weeks, attending endless meetings, and he was tired. He had missed her company more than he knew.

“It’s a fine house, and I am sure you will do very well with it,” he said. “Have you had many enquiries?”

“None as yet,” she said. “But I don’t want any just yet. I haven’t advertised. I wanted to get the place perfectly in order and the servants properly trained.”

“Very sensible,” he said. “And what will you charge, say for that large sitting room, upstairs, and the bedroom and closet behind?”

“It would depend. With all meals and washing, I should say about a guinea and a half a week.”

“And with a manservant – who would obviously need his own room, but who would make himself very useful about the place?”

She stared at him.

“Do you mean a particular man-servant?” she said. He nodded. “But, Major Vernon –”

“I am on the verge of losing my quarters,” he said. “I thought you might be able to help me. With this fine, empty lodging house of yours?”

“Of course,” she said. “But are you sure?”

“I owe you a great debt – both of you,” he said. “And I think my presence here might help repay it. Everything will look even more unexceptional if I am here, don’t you think?”

“That’s very true,” she said. “More than true.”

“And I shall be very comfortable here,” he said. “That I can be sure of.”

She smiled again and said, “But why are you losing your quarters at the Unicorn?”

“Because I shall soon no longer be Chief Constable.”

“No – ?” she said in astonishment. “Why?”

“I have a new job. Superintendent of the Northern Counties Criminal Intelligence Office.”

“Which is?” she asked.

“An experiment which may yet fail,” he said with a smile. “But hopefully it will not. It is an idea I had, and Lord Rothborough took it up and ran away with it.”

“As he does,” she said with a smile. “And if it was your idea, then I am sure it will be a good one.”

“We shall see,” he said. “I have a year to prove the worth of it.”

After Sir Arthur’s disgrace and resignation, the county magistrates, in consultation with the Home Office (orchestrated by Lord Rothborough) had asked Giles to take over as acting Chief Constable pending the amalgamation of the two forces. Giles had accepted, but on the condition that he could help find his successor. At that point, he had known he did not want to continue indefinitely as he had before, but what else he might do was still not clear in his mind. However, as he began to meet the men who put themselves forward for the job, and talking to them about the problems they had encountered in their own constabularies, a notion had begun to form in his mind. He had not spoken of it until one evening, dining alone with Lord Rothborough, when the cloth had been cleared away and the port was on the table, he had ventured to speculate aloud.

“What is really needed is a criminal intelligence gathering operation for the Northern counties,” he had said.

“On the lines of military intelligence?” Rothborough said.

“Yes, but a little more than that,” Giles went on. “A cadre of trained men to deal with serious crimes, complex crimes that an individual constabulary may not have the ability to deal with. There are moves to create something similar at Bow Street, I understand. But we have different circumstances in the North, different problems, different terrain. Captain Lazenby, the man I have recommended for Northminster, was extremely interesting on the subject of the lawless gangs in his district, that are causing much local misery. They are complicated in their structure, hard to break up and bring down. That is the the sort of problem we need particular skills to deal with.”

Rothborough had smiled.

“I can think of a man to put that plan into action, if he were so inclined.”

Giles had demurred in the first instance, but the idea, once articulated, had taken hold of him. He had found himself fleshing the idea out in the form of notes, and then a long letter to Lord Rothborough. He had been aware even as he wrote it that he was setting himself on an irrevocable course, because the Marquess would find his proposition irresistible. It had been like giving a child a toy.

-0-

It had been Felix’s first intention to go straight to Silver Street the moment he reached Northminster.

His journey back from Scotland had been tiresome. Over a week with his parents back in Pitfeldry even more so. His only comfort had been Sukey’s letters. Conducting a clandestine correspondence in Pitfeldry had been an interesting business. On the one hand, it had been extremely irritating to be forced into such subterfuges, but on the other, it had been oddly exciting. He had never had a correspondence like it. Sukey’s letters were so extraordinary that it almost made being away from her almost desirable.

Crossing the station yard he saw Lord Rothborough’s carriage and Lord Rothborough himself strolling across to meet him.

“I thought you were still in London,” Felix said, shaking his hand.

“I came back with Major Vernon this morning. Are Mr and Mrs Carswell well?”

“Yes, much better for being safely by their own fire,” said Felix.

“Good. Where are you heading? Can I drive you?”

Felix could not really refuse. He was burdened with luggage.

“Silver Street, if that isn’t too much trouble?”

“No trouble at all,” said Lord Rothborough. “In you get.”

The carriage set off and they sat for a few moments in silence.

“That is for Mrs Connolly, by the way,” said Lord Rothborough, pointing to a large hamper sitting on the floor. “You may give it to her from me.”

“What is it?”

“A surprise for her,” he said. “And tell her, if she does not care for it, it can be changed.”

“You won’t come in?” he knew he must ask, though he was desperate to see her alone.

“No, no, I must get on. I have a few more calls to pay. Take that in to her, and I will have your luggage taken to the Unicorn.”

“Thank you,” Felix said. “I was going to write to you tonight. I had a letter yesterday from –” He did not quite know how to refer to her, so hesitated before choosing “– Dona Blanca.”

“Oh?” said Lord Rothborough.

“She is sailing for the Caribbean.”

Lord Rothborough sighed.

“Of course. I hope she knows what she is doing. Well, of course she does, that is self-evident, and one should not underestimate her political instincts, but I would rather she had decided to stay in Europe a little longer. Does she give you any more information than that?”

“You can read it for yourself,” said Felix, taking the letter from his coat. The letter had disturbed him. He had written to her, in the first instance with some difficulty, on Sukey’s good advice. Yet he had not been satisfied that his letter had said anything that he felt ought to be said. In truth he did not know what it was he was he was supposed to say to her, especially as he was attempting to write it in the presence of a woman who was darning a sock of his, a woman who had taken him as her own child, and loved him without question, for all his faults.

Dona Blanca’s answer was as unsatisfactory. No doubt it had been equally hard for her to write – there was a sense of her reigning in her natural feelings, of relinquishing again any right to affection. It had ended with with the suggestion that further letters would probably not be wise. “I shall always cherish your letter but I am anxious that you should feel no obligation towards me. I have done nothing to earn it.”

Now he glanced at Lord Rothborough as he read the letter. He looked pained and laid down the letter with sigh. Then he picked up the letter again. “She sails on Wednesday, from Liverpool,” he said. “There might still be time to persuade her otherwise.”

“You will go and see her?”

“I should not, but I think –” he broke off. “She will not like it, but I can’t quite bring myself to forbear. Even if it is just for half an hour of her company.” He shrugged and handed the letter back to Felix.

“Keep it,” Felix said.

“I think, I shall, if you don’t mind,” said Lord Rothborough. There was silence until the carriage turned up Silver Street.

“Now, just another thing, before you go,” Lord Rothborough, “before I forget to mention it.”

“Yes?”

“This is, no doubt, superfluous advice to you, as a man of science, but I give it to you anyway, just in case – there are ways that a man and a woman can avoid the natural consequences of –”

“Oh, yes, I am well aware,” Felix said, hastily.

“I thought you would be, but one can never be too careful about these things. The glove is a very good method, I have always found –”

“Yes, quite!” said Felix, wishing he would stop.

“There is a shop in Old Compton Street, that makes very reliable items,” Lord Rothborough went on, quite unperturbed. “But perhaps you know that already?”

The carriage had barely stopped and Felix already had the door half open, anxious to escape. He leapt out into the street, even before the footman had let down the the steps.

“Don’t forget Mrs Connolly’s parcel,” said Lord Rothborough.

Felix picked it up. It was surprising heavy and he staggered a little under the weight.

“Old Compton Street – Brownes,” said Lord Rothborough, as a parting shot, and then the carriage bowled off down the street.

He put down the hamper and rang the bell. He had not yet seen over the house and he was surprised by the size of it.

Mercifully it was Sukey who opened the door. He had been worried that she had already filled the house with servants – she had been setting about the business with formidable efficiency.

His first desire was to enfold her in his arms, but the whole street might have been watching them, so he picked up the hamper and went into the house. The moment the door was closed, he put down the hamper and moved to greet her properly but she put up her hands and shook her head.

“I’m not alone,” she whispered. “Major V...”

“Oh God!”

“He knows. He guessed.”

“Of course.”

“He wants to live here.”

“What?”

She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

“It is for the best. It makes it look –” she said.

“Yes, yes of course,” Felix said. “It is just that...” He broke away from her and wandered into the hall, looking up the handsome staircase. “It is vast!”

“Yes. And sunny! I don’t think I have even been in a house that caught the sun so well. What is this?” she said, indicating the hamper.

“For you. From my Lord.”

“What is it?”

“I have no idea what it is. It weighs a tonne.”

“It’s from Wedgwood,” she said examining a label.

“Oh, then it may be a tea service,” Felix said, after a moment. He got no chance to explain further, for Major Vernon now came downstairs, looking as if he belonged in the house far more than Felix did himself. He could not decide if he felt disconcerted or pleased at this new development.

Sukey had got the hamper open and was standing with a teacup in her hand.

“Oh, this is very pretty,” she said. “But why?”

“Mr Carswell,” said Major Vernon, shaking his hand.

“Sir,” said Felix.

“A good journey, I hope?”

“Rather tiring,” said Felix.

“I should think so. Well, you will excuse me just now? I have a few errands to attend to. Perhaps I will see you for dinner?”

“Certainly,” Felix said.

“Good day, Sukey, and thank you again.”

“With pleasure,” she said, showing him to the door.

When the door had shut, she leant against it and burst out laughing.

“And we’re alone now?” Felix said, catching her hands and pinning her against the door.

“Yes,” she said, when he had finished kissing her.

“Three weeks was too long,” he said. “I almost died of longing.”

“Me too,” she said.

“So, where is your room, in all this magnificence?”

“Just there. By the back door. Is that all you have been thinking about?”

“No, not at all. It never crossed my mind. Not once.”

“Liar,” she said, and slipped out of his grasp and ran across the hall to her bedroom door.

-0-

As he was waiting for Carswell to join him for dinner, Giles looked around his office and wondered if he would miss it. It had been a haven and a retreat for so long, with Snow dozing by the fire. But she too had moved on. Laura had not much cared for Snow and Snow had not cared for Laura. She had gone to live with Sergeant Maple and his family, where she had become the pampered idol of all, a state of existence to which she had taken with her usual sense of entitlement. Maple had plans to breed from her, and promised a puppy from the first litter. Giles wondered if Sukey would mind a dog about the house and if he had time for a dog with the new venture.