The Cater Street Hangman - Anne Perry [101]
The others departed also and Charlotte was left alone with nothing in particular to do. She searched quickly for a job to prevent her from allowing her mind to dwell on Papa or Dominic, the hurt that disillusion caused, the foolishness of building dreams around people—and behind it all the dark fear of the hangman, because in spite of what Sarah and Emily had implied, she did not think for a moment that he had returned to whatever slum one might delude oneself he came from. He was local, from Cater Street or its immediate proximity; she knew it in her heart.
It was twenty minutes to three, and she was busy writing a list of letters to distant relations to whom she had owed correspondence for some time and had put off as a chore, when Maddock came to say that Inspector Pitt was at the door, and wished to see her.
She felt a quite unreasonable pleasure, almost a sense of relief, as if he could somehow ameliorate her sense of disillusion; and yet she was also afraid of him. Everyone in the house knew about Papa’s behaviour, even though no one spoke of it to more than one other person at a time. It was never discussed except as a confidence, yet it seemed as if the house itself knew, and Pitt would only have to come into its walls to know also. And if Papa were capable of one such betrayal, one deceit of twenty-five years, what else might he not have kept from them? This other life that they knew nothing of might incorporate all sorts of things. Perhaps even he himself was not fully aware of it? That was the monstrous thought that had been at the back of her mind for hours. It was out now. Was it possible for a man to behave in such a way? Could he have had other mistresses? Perhaps have made some advances towards the murdered girls, and then, rather than be exposed, have killed them? Surely not! Papa? What on earth was she thinking? She had known Papa all her life. He had held her on his knee, played with her when she was a child. She could remember birthdays, Christmases, toys he had given her.
But all that time he had been intimate with that other woman less than a couple of miles away! And poor Mama had never known it!
“Miss Charlotte?” Maddock brought her back to the present again.
“Oh yes, Maddock, you had better ask him to come in, I suppose.”
“Do you wish me to bring any refreshment, Miss?”
“Certainly not,” she said, a little sharply. “I doubt he will be here more than a half hour at the most.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Maddock withdrew, and a moment later Pitt came in. He was as untidy as always, and with the usual broad smile.
“Good afternoon, Charlotte,” he said cheerfully.
She gave him a frown to indicate she resented the familiarity, but it seemed to be entirely wasted on him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Pitt. Is there some further way we can assist you in your enquiries? Do you feel any nearer success?”
“Oh yes, we have excluded many more that we believed to be possibilities.” He was still smiling. Did nothing penetrate the thickness of his skin?
“I’m glad to hear it. Tell me, do you have a large population to go through?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Something has upset you.” It was a statement, although touched with a note of enquiry.
“Several things have upset me, but none of them is in any way your concern,” she replied coolly. “They are not to do with the hangman.”
“If they upset you, then it concerns me.”
She turned round to find him looking at her with an expression in his eyes that was unmistakably gentle, and something that was more than gentleness. She had never seen such a look in any man’s face before, and it disturbed her profoundly. She felt the blood coming to her face and a totally unaccustomed warmth inside her. She looked away quickly, confused.
“That is courteous of you,” she said awkwardly, “but they are family matters, and no doubt will sort themselves out in due course.”
“Are you still worried about Emily