Bethlehem Road - Anne Perry [5]
“Amethyst, my dear.” He came in, ignoring Pitt, and placed his arm round his sister. “This is appalling! I cannot tell you how I grieve for you. We shall do everything we can to protect you, of course. We must avoid a lot of stupid speculations. It might be less disagreeable for you if you were to leave London for a little while. You are welcome to stay at my home in Aldeburgh if you wish. You will have privacy there. A change, a little sea air.” He swung round. “Jasper, for heaven’s sake, don’t stand there! Come in. You’ve brought your bag with you; haven’t you anything to help?”
“I don’t want anything, thank you,” Lady Hamilton replied, hunching her shoulders a little and turning away from him. “Lockwood is dead—nothing any of us do will alter that. And thank you, Garnet, but I won’t go away yet. Later perhaps.”
Garnet Royce turned finally to Pitt.
“I assume you are from the police? I am Sir Garnet Royce, Lady Hamilton’s brother. Do you require her to remain in London?”
“No sir,” Pitt said levelly. “But I imagine Lady Hamilton is anxious to assist us as much as possible in catching whoever is responsible for this tragedy.”
Garnet regarded him with cold, clear eyes. “I cannot imagine how. She is hardly likely to know anything about whatever lunatic did this. If I can persuade her to leave London, can I assume you will not make yourself objectionable?” There was a plain warning in his voice, the voice of a man used to having not only his orders but his wishes obeyed.
Pitt met his gaze without a flicker. “It is a murder inquiry, Sir Garnet. So far I have no idea at all who is responsible, or what motive there can have been. But as Sir Lockwood was a public figure of some note, it is possible someone bore him an enmity for whatever reason, real or imagined. It would be irresponsible to come to any conclusions so soon.”
Jasper came forward, a younger, less forceful version of his brother, with darker eyes and hair and with none of the magnetism. “He’s quite right, Garnet.” He put his hand on his sister’s arm. “You’d best go back to bed, my dear. Have your maid make a tisane of this.” He proffered a small packet of dried herbs. “I’ll come by again in the morning.”
She took the packet. “Thank you, but you need not neglect your usual patients. I shall be quite well. There will be much to do here: arrangements to make, people to inform, letters and other business to see to. I have no intention of leaving town now. I suppose later—afterwards—I may be glad to go to Aldeburgh. It is considerate of you, Garnet, but now, if there is nothing more ... ?” She looked questioningly at Pitt.
“Inspector Pitt, ma’am.”
“Inspector Pitt, if you would excuse me, I would prefer to retire.”
“Of course. Will you permit me to speak again to your butler tomorrow?”
“Naturally, if you feel it necessary.” She turned and was on her way out when there was another sound in the hall and another man appeared in the doorway, slender and dark, very tall, perhaps ten years younger than she. His face was pinched with shock and his eyes had the wide, white-rimmed staring look of someone under a great strain.
Amethyst Hamilton froze, swaying a little, and every vestige of color left her skin. Garnet, a step behind her, put out his arms, and she made an ineffectual brushing movement to get rid of him, but her strength failed.
The young man also stood rigid, struggling to control some deep emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. There was pain in the set of his mouth; his face had a numb, almost broken look. He tried to form some sentence appropriate to the situation and could not.
It was she who commanded herself first.
“Good evening, Barclay,” she said with a supreme effort. “No doubt Huggins has told you about your father