Cambridge Blue - Alison Bruce [57]
‘Of course,’ he replied.
‘You’d be amazed who doesn’t.’ Richard had become suddenly erect and firm-voiced. ‘All right then, do you know what happened in 1855?’
‘You got me there.’
‘The last public hanging occurred over the gates of the jail. Castle Hill was crowded with spectators, including many women and children. A man and his sister-in-law were executed for poisoning his wife. That’s her own sister. There were estimates that thirty thousand arrived to watch; they packed the streets. You see, people want to see justice done, and they want to educate their children by having them see it too. My father used to stand at this window and complain at the abolition of the death penalty. He said it allowed people to get away with murder.’
‘And you feel the same?’
‘I agree with him: it is important to see justice done, and that it’s seen to be done. That’s what I’m interested in for Lorna. As for compassion, I don’t believe I have any left.’
TWENTY-THREE
Behind him, Richard and his house were gradually fading into the distance. Goodhew knew he hadn’t learnt much from his visit, but at the same time he felt enlightened. For the first time, he thought he’d been able to catch a glimpse of what, besides his money and status, had attracted Lorna to this man.
As he walked towards the Excelsior Clinic, he wondered what else he might see in Alice if she were now on her own. As he approached Magdalene Bridge, he realized he was about to find out; he saw her before she saw him.
She strode out of the building purposefully, and he guessed she was heading towards home. She wore a skirt and jacket and low court shoes that had just enough height to accentuate the curve of her calves. He noticed she had well-turned ankles, or so his grandfather would have said.
Her sunglasses were the only outward sign that she might be shielding herself from the world at large. Maybe they were her small guard against the risk of public curiosity. This was, after all, her part of town, and she and Lorna would almost certainly have been familiar faces hereabouts, especially amongst the local business community.
On the other hand, it was a sunny day.
When she was just a few feet away, Goodhew raised his hand in greeting. ‘Hi,’ he said and smiled.
She smiled back, but blankly at first. Then, as she shifted her glasses up on to the top of her head, she registered who he was. ‘Oh, hi. Were you coming to see me?’
‘That was my plan. I have a couple more questions. We can sit down somewhere for a few minutes now, if it’s convenient.’ She looked more attractive without the glasses, and her eye contact helped. She was very good at eye contact. Very, very good. He told himself to curb the smile, as this was supposed to be a serious moment.
‘Sure,’ she replied and pointed to the nearest tea room. ‘Is there OK, or does it need to be more official than that?’
The café was small and almost empty. The tablecloths were blue-and-yellow gingham and a row of brightly painted teapots was displayed on the low windowsill. In fact, it looked like the assembly point for the county’s contingent of maiden aunts. ‘That looks great,’ he said.
They sat at the back, at the table furthest from the door. Alice visited the Ladies while Goodhew ordered a pot of tea, then occupied himself by folding a paper napkin into a square and wedging it under one leg of the table to stop it rocking.
By the time he straightened up again, she had returned. ‘Good to know we can still rely on the British police for the important things in life.’
‘Like protecting the British cup of tea?’
‘Exactly.’
She pulled her chair away from the table and positioned it at almost ninety degrees. She sat very erect with her right leg crossed tightly over her left, the toe of her shoe curled behind her calf. Her skirt draped over her knee and her hands rested in a neat clasp in her lap. Her hair was clipped in place, and a small amount of make-up covered her cheeks. But despite her