Read Online A Body in Berkeley Square by Ashley Gardner - Free Book Online
Authors: Ashley Gardner
Tags: Mystery, Regency, England, London, amateur sleuth, Historical Mystery, British Mystery, Napoleonic wars, regency england, spy novel, berkeley square, exploring officers
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all who pass will know that herein lies a cuckold."
I was tempted to march out of the room and
leave the idiot to his fate, but I knew that Louisa would never
forgive me if I did. "You are a fool and a bloody hypocrite. Your
wife has never betrayed you. Yet you claimed, with Louisa standing
next to you, that this Mrs. Harper was your mistress. If Louisa
leaves you, it will be as much as you deserve."
"Ah, yes. I can learn from you how to be an
abandoned husband."
I stared at him in astonishment. In all our
quarrels, he had never cast up to me that my wife had deserted me,
as though the topic were impermissible. Now he glared at me,
defiance in his very breathing.
Through my anger, I had a hint of
understanding. "Why are you deliberately provoking me?" I asked.
"You know you need my help. Why are you tempting me to tell you to
go to the devil and stay there?"
"Because this is none of your affair!"
"It hurts Louisa. And is therefore my
affair."
"Affair," he sneered. "A fine choice of
words."
"Your word, sir." I stepped close to him. "Do
you want to die in ignominy? Hanging is a nasty death, and
you know it. Louisa will have to live her life as the wife of a
condemned murderer."
"Lacey, for God's sake, stay out of
this."
"Why?" I asked him. "Never tell me you really
did kill Turner."
He avoided my gaze. "I do not wish to speak
of it."
"Did Imogene Harper kill him? Why are you
protecting her?"
"I will not answer."
"I will ask her," I said.
"You will leave her alone," he snapped in
reply.
"You are no longer my commanding officer.
Your own actions made that so. I no longer must obey you."
I expected him to argue, to rage, to bluster.
But Brandon said nothing. After a time, he turned away, his
shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You are a fool, sir," I repeated.
He turned back to me, a strange light in his
eyes. "No, Gabriel. You are the fool."
I knew I would gain nothing more from him, so
I turned away and left him alone.
*** *** ***
I visited Brandon's man of business before
leaving the City to explain Brandon's situation and tell him to
send money to the prison. The man of business was distressed, with
good reason. A respectable solicitor wants a respectable clientele,
and a client held in Newgate to await trial for murder was a most
distressing thing indeed. However, he put in motion the errands
needed to ensure that Brandon spent his time in prison in the most
comfortable accommodations possible.
I returned to my lodgings and ate a hasty
meal of bread at Mrs. Beltan's bakery below my rooms. I bathed and
changed my clothes, giving them over to Bartholomew to clean, but I
could not shake the stench of Newgate from me.
I took a hackney back to Mayfair and to Brook
Street. Lady Aline met me at the door to Brandon's house. Grenville
had been and gone, she said, and had broken the bad news.
Louisa was up, pacing her sitting room in
agitation. Her face was white, her eyes sunken into hollows. She
held herself rigid when I went to take her hands and kiss her
cheek.
I explained that I'd seen Brandon settled and
that he could have a servant or two to look after him. Lady Aline
said she'd dispatch Brandon's valet at once and bustled off to do
so. As soon as the door closed, Louisa's hands clamped down on
mine.
"What will happen now, Gabriel?"
"Pomeroy and his patrollers will try to
gather evidence against Brandon. If they find nothing that firmly
points to his guilt, then he will be acquitted."
"His knife in the man's chest is not firm
evidence?"
"Anyone may steal another's knife and use it.
Were I to murder someone, I would use a weapon easily identified as
belonging to another man. Why bring suspicion to myself?"
"If you were angry, you would not think of
that," Louisa said. "You would snatch up the first thing you saw
and stab."
"Perhaps."
Her observation gave me an idea. What if
Brandon had left the knife in the anteroom when he was in there
earlier with Turner? Why he should, I didn't know, but he
I was tempted to march out of the room and
leave the idiot to his fate, but I knew that Louisa would never
forgive me if I did. "You are a fool and a bloody hypocrite. Your
wife has never betrayed you. Yet you claimed, with Louisa standing
next to you, that this Mrs. Harper was your mistress. If Louisa
leaves you, it will be as much as you deserve."
"Ah, yes. I can learn from you how to be an
abandoned husband."
I stared at him in astonishment. In all our
quarrels, he had never cast up to me that my wife had deserted me,
as though the topic were impermissible. Now he glared at me,
defiance in his very breathing.
Through my anger, I had a hint of
understanding. "Why are you deliberately provoking me?" I asked.
"You know you need my help. Why are you tempting me to tell you to
go to the devil and stay there?"
"Because this is none of your affair!"
"It hurts Louisa. And is therefore my
affair."
"Affair," he sneered. "A fine choice of
words."
"Your word, sir." I stepped close to him. "Do
you want to die in ignominy? Hanging is a nasty death, and
you know it. Louisa will have to live her life as the wife of a
condemned murderer."
"Lacey, for God's sake, stay out of
this."
"Why?" I asked him. "Never tell me you really
did kill Turner."
He avoided my gaze. "I do not wish to speak
of it."
"Did Imogene Harper kill him? Why are you
protecting her?"
"I will not answer."
"I will ask her," I said.
"You will leave her alone," he snapped in
reply.
"You are no longer my commanding officer.
Your own actions made that so. I no longer must obey you."
I expected him to argue, to rage, to bluster.
But Brandon said nothing. After a time, he turned away, his
shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You are a fool, sir," I repeated.
He turned back to me, a strange light in his
eyes. "No, Gabriel. You are the fool."
I knew I would gain nothing more from him, so
I turned away and left him alone.
*** *** ***
I visited Brandon's man of business before
leaving the City to explain Brandon's situation and tell him to
send money to the prison. The man of business was distressed, with
good reason. A respectable solicitor wants a respectable clientele,
and a client held in Newgate to await trial for murder was a most
distressing thing indeed. However, he put in motion the errands
needed to ensure that Brandon spent his time in prison in the most
comfortable accommodations possible.
I returned to my lodgings and ate a hasty
meal of bread at Mrs. Beltan's bakery below my rooms. I bathed and
changed my clothes, giving them over to Bartholomew to clean, but I
could not shake the stench of Newgate from me.
I took a hackney back to Mayfair and to Brook
Street. Lady Aline met me at the door to Brandon's house. Grenville
had been and gone, she said, and had broken the bad news.
Louisa was up, pacing her sitting room in
agitation. Her face was white, her eyes sunken into hollows. She
held herself rigid when I went to take her hands and kiss her
cheek.
I explained that I'd seen Brandon settled and
that he could have a servant or two to look after him. Lady Aline
said she'd dispatch Brandon's valet at once and bustled off to do
so. As soon as the door closed, Louisa's hands clamped down on
mine.
"What will happen now, Gabriel?"
"Pomeroy and his patrollers will try to
gather evidence against Brandon. If they find nothing that firmly
points to his guilt, then he will be acquitted."
"His knife in the man's chest is not firm
evidence?"
"Anyone may steal another's knife and use it.
Were I to murder someone, I would use a weapon easily identified as
belonging to another man. Why bring suspicion to myself?"
"If you were angry, you would not think of
that," Louisa said. "You would snatch up the first thing you saw
and stab."
"Perhaps."
Her observation gave me an idea. What if
Brandon had left the knife in the anteroom when he was in there
earlier with Turner? Why he should, I didn't know, but he
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