Farriers' Lane - Anne Perry [23]
“And yet Mr. Barton James chose to put forward a complete denial!” Pitt was astounded. It was incomprehensible. “Did Mr. Stafford wish to reopen the case on grounds of incompetence of the original defending counsel? Surely, one can hardly rectify the case now. The only people who could possibly tell us if there was a fight, and what happened, are Blaine and Godman, and they are both dead.”
“Precisely,” Pryce agreed ruefully. “I am afraid it is all speculation, and I can think of no way in which it will ever be anything more.”
“And yet you say Mr. Stafford seemed to feel there was some purpose in pursuing it,” Pitt pointed out. “By the way, why was Godman supposed to have killed Blaine? What motive had he?”
“Oh—sordid.” Pryce wrinkled his brow very slightly. “He was a Jew, you know, as naturally was his sister. Blaine was having an affaire with her, or so it was alleged. He was unquestionably pursuing her with some vigor, and on that very night had given her a necklace of considerable value which his mother-in-law had owned.” His face shadowed. “A very foolish thing to do, and in execrable taste. Well, Godman profoundly resented Blaine’s attentions to his sister, being aware that of course he had no intention whatever of marrying her—quite apart from the fact that she was a Jewess, and an actress, Blaine himself was already married.”
“And Godman felt so violently on his sister’s behalf?” Pitt was surprised. Having met Tamar Macaulay, he found it hard to picture her as a romantic victim, in need of her brother’s protection. But then love can make fools of even the most forthright people, and strength of character or purpose was no protection whatever; indeed sometimes the most powerful could be the most deeply hurt.
“Quite.” Pryce nodded. “It was a matter of family honor, and religious and racial honor as well. Just as we would be appalled if one of our daughters were to become involved with a Jew, so it seems they are equally horrified if one of theirs becomes involved with a gentile.” He tipped his chair a little farther back. “I suppose with a little imagination we might see their point of view. Anyway, that is why Godman killed Blaine—and he certainly would not be the first one to have knifed the seducer of his sister.”
“No,” Pitt agreed. “Not by a long, long way. But that was not used as a defense, was it?”
Pryce smiled. “I doubt society would have accepted Miss Macaulay’s virtue as adequate cause to justify murder, Mr. Pitt. I regret that would have been laughed out of court.”
“Is her reputation so stained?”
“Not at all. It is the reputation of actresses in general from which she would suffer. And I do not think a gentile jury would view with any kindness the excuse that he did not wish her to accept the favors of a gentile lover, as being tainting to her pure Jewish blood.” He pulled a sour face. “If every man who had courted a beautiful Jewess were to be crucified, we should need more crosses than they had in Rome—and the existence of our forests would be in jeopardy!”
“Yes.” Pitt pushed his hands into his pockets. “Altogether an extremely ugly case, and calling for no public sympathy at all. I am surprised that Miss Macaulay rose above the storm and still commands an audience in the theater.”
Pryce shrugged. “I think she had a thin time of it for a while. But once Godman was hanged—and no one ever claimed she had had any part in it—then the public was satisfied, and chose to forgive her.” He reached forward absently and his long fingers touched the smooth surface of the jasper inkstand. “And perversely, there were many who secretly admired her loyalty to her brother, even while at the very same moment they lusted to hang him from the highest gibbet in the land. Had she turned on him, they would have branded her a traitor.” He let go of the stand. “It seemed she really did believe him innocent,