the first time I’ve ever heard of anyone in society lending that amount of money without first securing a
note.’
‘Really? I have heard you don’t get about so much in the world these days.’ The ‘world’ to Alfred meant the world of society. After all, for him, no other world
existed.
‘He wasn’t blackmailing you, was he?’
Lord Alfred rang the bell beside the fireplace and stood up. ‘You are leaving now. Don’t ever come here again with your nasty remarks. Ah, Gerhardt, show this person out.’
The manservant, a powerfully built man, advanced on Harry.
‘I’m leaving,’ said Harry, ‘but you will be hearing from me again.’
Alfred sank back in his chair. ‘Go away,’ he said. ‘Never come near me again.’
Rose lay in a scented bath and wondered what to do about Daisy. Because they had been equals when they were working, the fact that Daisy was once more her servant made Rose
feel uncomfortable. She had put herself down to Daisy’s level. Perhaps there would be some way to bring Daisy up nearer her own.
After the maids had dried her, Rose dismissed them. She decided to dress herself, but realized that she would need help with her stays and rang the bell.
‘Sorry, my lady,’ said Daisy, looking flustered. ‘I should have been with you earlier.’
‘Help me with my stays, Daisy. The problem is that I can no longer look on you as a servant.’
‘Do you want to get rid of me?’ asked Daisy in a small voice.
‘After all we have been through together! Of course not. What am I to wear?’
Daisy glanced at the clock. ‘The tea-gown with the lace panels, I think. It’s still quite cold, so you’d better take your Paisley shawl.’
When she was dressed and her hair had been put up, Rose said, ‘There is no need for you to be on duty in the drawing-room. I wish to speak to my parents in private.’
Harry rang the doorbell of Mrs Jerry Trumpington’s home. He hoped he would have more success with her than he had had with Lord Alfred. He handed his card, and after a
few moments was ushered into Mrs Jerry’s sitting-room. She was a vast toad-like woman who carried little bits of food about her dress as a testimony to her gluttony. She had eaten quail for
luncheon, Harry noticed, identifying a small bone in the black lace on Mrs Jerry’s bosom, followed by, possibly, Dover sole – there were fish bones, also – and, he guessed, in a
mornay sauce, the sauce having caused a thin yellow edge on the lace.
‘Why, my very dear Captain,’ she said, her thick lips opening in a smile. ‘How goes the world?’
‘Very baffling,’ said Harry, sitting down opposite her.
‘I was about to take tea. Will you join me?’
‘Too kind.’
Mrs Jerry rang the bell and ordered tea for two.
‘The reason I am here,’ said Harry, ‘is because of the death of Freddy Pomfret.’
‘Poor chap.’
‘Indeed. Why did you pay Freddy ten thousand pounds?’
She sat very still, her slightly bulbous eyes fixed on his face. Then she said, ‘Did I?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh, I remember. He was short of the ready, that’s all. I’m a generous soul.’
‘Ten thousand pounds would be considered a fortune to most people in this country.’
‘But I am not most people. How did you find out?’
‘I heard something at Scotland Yard. No doubt the police have been in touch with his bank.’ Harry could imagine Mrs Jerry’s fury if she knew the real source of the
information.
Two footmen came in carrying the tea-things. Mrs Jerry waited until they had both been served and then waved the servants away. When the door had closed behind them, she said,
‘What’s it got to do with you, anyway?’
‘I am working for his family,’ said Harry, feeling that he really must contact Freddy’s family as soon as possible before he was caught out in his lies.
‘I really think the – er – trade you are in is most distasteful.’ Mrs Jerry ignored the thin bread and butter and the mounds of sandwiches
note.’
‘Really? I have heard you don’t get about so much in the world these days.’ The ‘world’ to Alfred meant the world of society. After all, for him, no other world
existed.
‘He wasn’t blackmailing you, was he?’
Lord Alfred rang the bell beside the fireplace and stood up. ‘You are leaving now. Don’t ever come here again with your nasty remarks. Ah, Gerhardt, show this person out.’
The manservant, a powerfully built man, advanced on Harry.
‘I’m leaving,’ said Harry, ‘but you will be hearing from me again.’
Alfred sank back in his chair. ‘Go away,’ he said. ‘Never come near me again.’
Rose lay in a scented bath and wondered what to do about Daisy. Because they had been equals when they were working, the fact that Daisy was once more her servant made Rose
feel uncomfortable. She had put herself down to Daisy’s level. Perhaps there would be some way to bring Daisy up nearer her own.
After the maids had dried her, Rose dismissed them. She decided to dress herself, but realized that she would need help with her stays and rang the bell.
‘Sorry, my lady,’ said Daisy, looking flustered. ‘I should have been with you earlier.’
‘Help me with my stays, Daisy. The problem is that I can no longer look on you as a servant.’
‘Do you want to get rid of me?’ asked Daisy in a small voice.
‘After all we have been through together! Of course not. What am I to wear?’
Daisy glanced at the clock. ‘The tea-gown with the lace panels, I think. It’s still quite cold, so you’d better take your Paisley shawl.’
When she was dressed and her hair had been put up, Rose said, ‘There is no need for you to be on duty in the drawing-room. I wish to speak to my parents in private.’
Harry rang the doorbell of Mrs Jerry Trumpington’s home. He hoped he would have more success with her than he had had with Lord Alfred. He handed his card, and after a
few moments was ushered into Mrs Jerry’s sitting-room. She was a vast toad-like woman who carried little bits of food about her dress as a testimony to her gluttony. She had eaten quail for
luncheon, Harry noticed, identifying a small bone in the black lace on Mrs Jerry’s bosom, followed by, possibly, Dover sole – there were fish bones, also – and, he guessed, in a
mornay sauce, the sauce having caused a thin yellow edge on the lace.
‘Why, my very dear Captain,’ she said, her thick lips opening in a smile. ‘How goes the world?’
‘Very baffling,’ said Harry, sitting down opposite her.
‘I was about to take tea. Will you join me?’
‘Too kind.’
Mrs Jerry rang the bell and ordered tea for two.
‘The reason I am here,’ said Harry, ‘is because of the death of Freddy Pomfret.’
‘Poor chap.’
‘Indeed. Why did you pay Freddy ten thousand pounds?’
She sat very still, her slightly bulbous eyes fixed on his face. Then she said, ‘Did I?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh, I remember. He was short of the ready, that’s all. I’m a generous soul.’
‘Ten thousand pounds would be considered a fortune to most people in this country.’
‘But I am not most people. How did you find out?’
‘I heard something at Scotland Yard. No doubt the police have been in touch with his bank.’ Harry could imagine Mrs Jerry’s fury if she knew the real source of the
information.
Two footmen came in carrying the tea-things. Mrs Jerry waited until they had both been served and then waved the servants away. When the door had closed behind them, she said,
‘What’s it got to do with you, anyway?’
‘I am working for his family,’ said Harry, feeling that he really must contact Freddy’s family as soon as possible before he was caught out in his lies.
‘I really think the – er – trade you are in is most distasteful.’ Mrs Jerry ignored the thin bread and butter and the mounds of sandwiches
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