Sick of Shadows - M. C. Beaton [70]
“In the morning, we gathered all the servants together. We told them Dolly had run away. One asked what all the commotion the previous night had been about. I told them if they said anything about it they would lose their jobs.”
“So why did you go after Lady Rose?” asked Kerridge.
“The newspapers implied she was holding something back. I was terrified. I went to see that villain, Bolton. When I visited him in prison, he told me he would do anything for money. I never thought at that time that I would have any use for him. But I needed him. The only gun we had was a lady’s purse gun. I gave that to him.
“Then the temporary footman, Will, started blackmailing us. He had been awake during the night and had seen us carry a body into the carriage. I knew he would bleed us dry, so I called on him and finished him. That is all. You may release my parents.”
“A charge of kidnapping and assault will be lodged against your father, but he will not hang. A statement will be typed for you to sign,” said Kerridge.
When Jeremy was led out, Kerridge mopped his brow. “Thank God that’s over. How is Lady Rose?”
“I have not had time to call on her.”
“Then it’s time you did. You don’t know much about the ladies, do you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“You should not have called her a silly girl.”
“I was upset, frightened for her.”
“Better go and make your peace.”
But when Harry called at the town house, he was told Lady Rose was “not at home.”
That evening, he said to Becket, “I have offended Lady Rose, and Kerridge accuses me of not knowing anything about the ladies. How can I make amends?”
“There is such a thing as feminine curiosity,” said Becket. “Lady Rose may be angry with you, but I am sure she would dearly like to know the outcome. May I suggest, sir, that you invite all of us involved in this case, even Phil and Miss Friendly and your secretary, to a luncheon party? You could hire a private room at Rules Restaurant.”
Rules Restaurant was in Covent Garden. King Edward favoured it and had ordered a special staircase to be built in the restaurant so that he could escort his lady friends upstairs without being seen by the other diners.
“I’ll do it,” said Harry. “It is perfectly conventional for me to entertain a lady in a public restaurant, so her parents should have no objection.”
Rose had suffered a blistering lecture and was told to stay in her rooms. She was not to leave the house. All her social engagements had been cancelled.
Harry knew that if he sent an invitation to his luncheon party, the earl would read it and might tear it up.
He decided to call in person.
The earl hummed and hawed about receiving him. Only the thought that Harry was after all still his daughter’s fiancé and that he had saved her life made him reluctantly allow the captain to be shown up to the drawing-room.
“Well, what do you want?” asked the earl when Harry was ushered in.
The earl once again surveyed Harry’s handsome and impeccably tailored figure. If only the wretched man hadn’t chosen such an odd profession.
“Sit down, Cathcart. What now?”
Harry told him of Jeremy’s confession. Then he said, “I know your daughter behaved dangerously, but it is thanks to her we caught him. But she certainly did not have my permission.”
“If she had not met you, Rose would never have got into these scrapes.”
“My lord, may I remind you that she was once about to be abused by a wastrel? That was none of my doing and you hired me to get her out of it. Nor was I responsible for her going to a suffragettes’ meeting. Lady Rose will always need me to protect her.”
The earl eyed him narrowly. “So when’s the wedding?”
“We will soon fix a date.”
“This engagement all seems fishy to me. Why are you here? To see Rose?”
“I am afraid your daughter is