[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
part in it. It was something neither of them would forget. If any
man on earth would be willing to risk his reputation for a cause in
which he believed, it was Carlisle.
Pitt smiled back, for a moment memory erasing the present.
Time had bleached the horror from those events and left only the
black humor, and the passion which had compelled that extraordi-
nary man to act as he had.
Yes, he agreed with fervor. Yes, we ll ask him.
Vespasia rather liked the telephone. It was one of several in-
ventions to have become generally available to those with the
means to afford it, and it was reasonably useful. In a mere quarter of
an hour she was able to ascertain that Carlisle was at his club in
Pall Mall where, of course, ladies were not admitted but that he
would leave forthwith and go to the Savoy Hotel, where he would
receive them as soon as they arrived.
Actually, with the state of the traffic as it was, and the time of
271
SOUTHAMPTON ROW
the day, it was almost an hour later when Pitt and Vespasia were
shown into the private sitting room that Carlisle had engaged for
the purpose. He rose to his feet the instant they were shown in, ele-
gant, a little gaunt now, his unusual eyebrows still giving his face a
faintly quizzical look.
As soon as they were seated and appropriate refreshments had
been ordered, Vespasia came straight to the point.
No doubt you have read the newspapers and are aware of
Thomas s situation. You may not be aware that it has been carefully
and extremely cleverly arranged by a man whose intense desire is to
be revenged for a recent very grave defeat. I cannot tell you what it
was, only that he is powerful and dangerous, and has managed to
salvage from the wreck of his previous ambition a new one only
slightly less ruinous to the country.
Carlisle asked no questions as to what it might be. He was well
acquainted with the need for absolute discretion. He regarded Pitt
levelly for several moments, perhaps seeing the weariness in him
and the marks of the despair so close under the surface. What is it
you want from me? he asked very seriously.
It was Vespasia who answered. An autopsy of the body of the
Reverend Francis Wray.
Carlisle gulped. For an instant he was thrown off balance.
Vespasia gave a tiny smile. If it were easy, my dear, I should not
have needed to ask for your assistance. The poor man is going to be
regarded as a suicide, although of course the church will never per-
mit it to be said in so many words. They will speak of unfortunate
accidents, and bury him properly. But people will still believe he
took his own life, and that is necessary to the plan of our enemy,
otherwise his revenge upon Thomas fails to have effect.
Yes, I see that, Carlisle agreed. No one can have driven him
to suicide unless there is believed to have been one. People will as-
sume the church is concealing it as a matter of loyalty, which will
probably be the truth. He turned to Pitt. What do you believe
happened?
I think he was murdered, Pitt replied. I doubt there was an
272
ANNE PERRY
accident which timed itself to the hour to suit their purposes. I
don t know if an autopsy will prove that, but it is the only chance
we have.
Carlisle thought in silence for several minutes, and neither Pitt
nor Vespasia interrupted him. They glanced at each other, and then
away again, and waited.
Carlisle looked up. If you are prepared to abide by the result,
whatever it is, I believe I know a way to persuade the local coroner
that it must be done. He smiled a little sourly. It will entail a cer-
tain elasticity of the truth, but I have shown a skill in that area be-
fore. I think the less you know about it, Thomas, the better. You
never had any talent in that direction at all. In fact, it worries me
more than a little that Special Branch is desperate enough to em-
ploy you. You are the last man cut out to succeed in this kind of
work. I heard you may have been drafted merely to give them a
more respectable face.
In that case they have failed spectacularly, Pitt replied with a
considerable edge to his voice.
Nonsense! Vespasia snapped. He was dismissed out of Bow
Street because the Inner Circle wanted one of their own men there.
There is nothing subtle or devious about it at all. Special Branch
was simply available, and not in a position to refuse. She rose to
her feet. Thank you, Somerset. I assume that as well as the neces-
sity for this autopsy, you are also aware of the urgency? Tomorrow
would be good. The longer this slander against Thomas is around,
the more people will hear it and the work of undoing it will become
a great deal more difficult. Also, of course, there is the matter of the
election. Once the polls close there are certain things it becomes
very difficult to abrogate.
Carlisle opened his mouth, and then closed it again. You are
utterly reliable, Lady Vespasia, he said, rising also. I swear you
are the only person since I was twenty who can totally wrong-foot
me, and you never fail to do it. I have always admired you, but it
completely escapes me why I also like you.
Because you have no desire to be comfortable, my dear, she
273
SOUTHAMPTON ROW
replied without hesitation. More than a month or two and you be-
come bored. She smiled at him, utterly charmingly, as if she had
given him a great compliment, and extended her hand for him to
kiss, which he did with grace. Then she took Pitt s arm and, with
head high, walked out into the corridor and the main foyer.
They were about halfway across when Pitt quite clearly saw
Voisey excuse himself from a group of passersby and walk towards
them. He was half smiling, supremely confident. Pitt knew from his
face that he had come to taste victory, to savor it and roll it around
his tongue. He had very possibly arranged to be here precisely for
that purpose. What was revenge worth if you did not see your
enemy s pain? And in this instance he not only had Pitt, he had Ves-
pasia as well.
Voisey could never have forgiven her for the crucial part she
had played, not only in the Whitechapel defeat, but in using all her
influence to gain him his knighthood. Perhaps ruining Pitt was as
much to hurt her as it was to hurt him? And now he could watch
them both.
Lady Vespasia, he said with extreme courtesy. What a plea- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
part in it. It was something neither of them would forget. If any
man on earth would be willing to risk his reputation for a cause in
which he believed, it was Carlisle.
Pitt smiled back, for a moment memory erasing the present.
Time had bleached the horror from those events and left only the
black humor, and the passion which had compelled that extraordi-
nary man to act as he had.
Yes, he agreed with fervor. Yes, we ll ask him.
Vespasia rather liked the telephone. It was one of several in-
ventions to have become generally available to those with the
means to afford it, and it was reasonably useful. In a mere quarter of
an hour she was able to ascertain that Carlisle was at his club in
Pall Mall where, of course, ladies were not admitted but that he
would leave forthwith and go to the Savoy Hotel, where he would
receive them as soon as they arrived.
Actually, with the state of the traffic as it was, and the time of
271
SOUTHAMPTON ROW
the day, it was almost an hour later when Pitt and Vespasia were
shown into the private sitting room that Carlisle had engaged for
the purpose. He rose to his feet the instant they were shown in, ele-
gant, a little gaunt now, his unusual eyebrows still giving his face a
faintly quizzical look.
As soon as they were seated and appropriate refreshments had
been ordered, Vespasia came straight to the point.
No doubt you have read the newspapers and are aware of
Thomas s situation. You may not be aware that it has been carefully
and extremely cleverly arranged by a man whose intense desire is to
be revenged for a recent very grave defeat. I cannot tell you what it
was, only that he is powerful and dangerous, and has managed to
salvage from the wreck of his previous ambition a new one only
slightly less ruinous to the country.
Carlisle asked no questions as to what it might be. He was well
acquainted with the need for absolute discretion. He regarded Pitt
levelly for several moments, perhaps seeing the weariness in him
and the marks of the despair so close under the surface. What is it
you want from me? he asked very seriously.
It was Vespasia who answered. An autopsy of the body of the
Reverend Francis Wray.
Carlisle gulped. For an instant he was thrown off balance.
Vespasia gave a tiny smile. If it were easy, my dear, I should not
have needed to ask for your assistance. The poor man is going to be
regarded as a suicide, although of course the church will never per-
mit it to be said in so many words. They will speak of unfortunate
accidents, and bury him properly. But people will still believe he
took his own life, and that is necessary to the plan of our enemy,
otherwise his revenge upon Thomas fails to have effect.
Yes, I see that, Carlisle agreed. No one can have driven him
to suicide unless there is believed to have been one. People will as-
sume the church is concealing it as a matter of loyalty, which will
probably be the truth. He turned to Pitt. What do you believe
happened?
I think he was murdered, Pitt replied. I doubt there was an
272
ANNE PERRY
accident which timed itself to the hour to suit their purposes. I
don t know if an autopsy will prove that, but it is the only chance
we have.
Carlisle thought in silence for several minutes, and neither Pitt
nor Vespasia interrupted him. They glanced at each other, and then
away again, and waited.
Carlisle looked up. If you are prepared to abide by the result,
whatever it is, I believe I know a way to persuade the local coroner
that it must be done. He smiled a little sourly. It will entail a cer-
tain elasticity of the truth, but I have shown a skill in that area be-
fore. I think the less you know about it, Thomas, the better. You
never had any talent in that direction at all. In fact, it worries me
more than a little that Special Branch is desperate enough to em-
ploy you. You are the last man cut out to succeed in this kind of
work. I heard you may have been drafted merely to give them a
more respectable face.
In that case they have failed spectacularly, Pitt replied with a
considerable edge to his voice.
Nonsense! Vespasia snapped. He was dismissed out of Bow
Street because the Inner Circle wanted one of their own men there.
There is nothing subtle or devious about it at all. Special Branch
was simply available, and not in a position to refuse. She rose to
her feet. Thank you, Somerset. I assume that as well as the neces-
sity for this autopsy, you are also aware of the urgency? Tomorrow
would be good. The longer this slander against Thomas is around,
the more people will hear it and the work of undoing it will become
a great deal more difficult. Also, of course, there is the matter of the
election. Once the polls close there are certain things it becomes
very difficult to abrogate.
Carlisle opened his mouth, and then closed it again. You are
utterly reliable, Lady Vespasia, he said, rising also. I swear you
are the only person since I was twenty who can totally wrong-foot
me, and you never fail to do it. I have always admired you, but it
completely escapes me why I also like you.
Because you have no desire to be comfortable, my dear, she
273
SOUTHAMPTON ROW
replied without hesitation. More than a month or two and you be-
come bored. She smiled at him, utterly charmingly, as if she had
given him a great compliment, and extended her hand for him to
kiss, which he did with grace. Then she took Pitt s arm and, with
head high, walked out into the corridor and the main foyer.
They were about halfway across when Pitt quite clearly saw
Voisey excuse himself from a group of passersby and walk towards
them. He was half smiling, supremely confident. Pitt knew from his
face that he had come to taste victory, to savor it and roll it around
his tongue. He had very possibly arranged to be here precisely for
that purpose. What was revenge worth if you did not see your
enemy s pain? And in this instance he not only had Pitt, he had Ves-
pasia as well.
Voisey could never have forgiven her for the crucial part she
had played, not only in the Whitechapel defeat, but in using all her
influence to gain him his knighthood. Perhaps ruining Pitt was as
much to hurt her as it was to hurt him? And now he could watch
them both.
Lady Vespasia, he said with extreme courtesy. What a plea- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]