Death at Dawn - Caro Peacock [115]
Daniel leaned forward.
‘He said that? “Shooting poor Lane”?’
‘Yes. And the other one said, sounding very hangdog, “It wasn’t my fault. When you sent me that message from Paris, you said we had to find him and her at any cost.” The fat devil said, quite sharp, “I didn’t tell you to kill anybody,” and the other one said, “I didn’t mean to. I was just threatening him, trying to get him to tell us what he’d done with her. Then he went and made a grab for my pistol and it went off.” And the fat man said, “I’ve heard half a dozen men attempt that defence in court and I attended the hangings of all six of them.” The other one made a sort of gulping sound, then the fat devil said it was more than he deserved, but he’d managed to make it look as if Lane had died in a duel, and a lot of money and trouble it had cost him. “So you won’t hang this time,” he said, “only you’d better get out because I’d rather not be seen with you after what’s happened.” Then the coach rocked again and soon after that we were on our way.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The world had gone black. I turned my head away, not looking at Maudie Martley any more, hardly even hearing her through the rushing in my ears. I thought anger would blow my head apart. Daniel was asking her a question. He sounded shaken too, but his voice was still gentle.
‘This other man, did you see him?’
‘Not properly. Only a slice of him, through the gap in the boards.’
‘Was he young, old, dark, fair?’
‘Not old, from his voice. Dark, I think, quite dark. I was so scared, you see, this talk about people being shot and people hanging – I thought it would be me next.’
‘A servant or a gentleman?’
‘A gentleman.’
‘Would you know him if you saw him again?’
‘I think I might.’
‘Would you recognise his voice?’
‘Yes, his voice more.’
‘And the other one, the one you call the fat devil …’
‘You’ll have seen him for yourself, sir. He’s in the house here. He’s the one who brought me here.’
‘Under the floorboards of his coach again,’ I said, turning round.
‘Yes. How did you know that?’ she said.
Daniel looked surprised as well.
‘His name’s Kilkeel,’ I said. ‘Lord Kilkeel. Did you never hear him called that?’
She shook her head.
‘And he brought you here and kept you shut up in his dressing room?’
‘Yes. He told me to stay under the floor down in the coach house till the dead of night, then sent his man down to fetch me. He made me sleep in his dressing room, with his man on a chair by the door. I kept my clothes on, every stitch, except for my shoes.’
‘Why did he want you here?’ Daniel said.
‘I was to talk to some gentlemen. I was to tell them in my own voice what he’d worried out of me in the statement he took in France, not a word different or he’d have me for perjury and I’d be in prison for life.’
‘But you didn’t?’
‘No, because before that the old woman had found me. She just walked into his dressing room yesterday as if she owned the place and told the man watching me to get out. Then she said she knew very well what was happening, but it was dangerous and treasonable and she wouldn’t allow it. She took me and hid me here. Only I was scared, you see. I’ve been scared so much and for so long that I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t or imagine a time when I won’t be.’
There was pity in Daniel’s eyes. I couldn’t feel it yet. I was still too angry. Even though it wasn’t her fault, her story had killed my father.
‘There will be a time when you are not scared,’ he said to her. ‘My friend tried to protect you. For his sake, I’ll do all that I can.’
She nodded, her eyes fixed on him as if he were a rock in a rough sea. Knowing how much he disliked conflict and unpleasantness, I was surprised by the firmness of his voice.
‘Do you feel strong enough to answer some more questions?’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Like how you came to be in Paris with that man.’
‘From trickery, sir. I’m a midwife by profession, to ladies of quality. Some ladies I’ve helped into the world call me back twenty years on, when they’re brought to bed with their own children. Ask anyone in London society,