He nodded. “This has been done. Well, with respect to your staff. They were all looked over this morning before any of you arrived. Of course, for the sake of propriety I had one of the prison matrons come with me to search the ladies. You will be pleased to note that none of the servants were found to have fresh scratches.”
Gory nodded. “I am relieved. We have good and loyal people in service here. Is the matron still here? She ought to have a look at me, too.”
Havers shook his head. “Not necessary. Dr. Farthingale reported as much to me yesterday when I asked him.”
“So you already knew I was not the assailant when you questioned me earlier? But I suppose that did not rule me out as the accomplice,” Gory mused. “I could have easily hired someone strong enough to commit the crime.”
Havers nodded. “Yes, you could have done that.”
She snorted in indignation. “Do you really think I would be so stupid as to fail to provide myself with an unimpeachable alibi? Or to make such a botch of a murder?”
“Lady Gregoria, I do not know yet what to think about you. Until I am convinced of your innocence, I will consider you a suspect. But I also consider you the assailant’s next target and have had you guarded for your own protection. I cannot rule out the possibility of your innocence either.”
“Will you be checking my aunt for scratches?”
He nodded. “The prison matron and I were going to the Wallingford Arms next. I did not wish to disturb your aunt earlier.”
“That is surprisingly considerate of you, Mr. Havers. However, she will take offense no matter what time of day you approach her. Give me a few minutes to search upstairs and then we shall accompany you to the Wallingford Arms.”
Havers glanced at Julius.
“Lady Gregoria is in charge,” Julius replied with a shrug. “We’ve finished our morning rounds faster than expected, so it is a good idea to join you in calling upon her aunt and getting that duty out of the way. By the way, I think you ought to examine Lord Easton’s solicitor and his staff for scratches.”
Havers arched an eyebrow. “You think so?”
Julius nodded. “Reginald Mayfield is not of the finest character and I would not be surprised if he had a hand in this somehow.”
“I will. Thank you for bringing Mr. Mayfield to my attention, my lord.”
Gory once again snorted in indignation. “Something you’ve obviously overlooked, Mr. Havers.”
The man cast her an indulgent smile. “No, my lady. I have already checked him, his elder brother who is his partner, and his clerks. But it was a good observation on Lord Thorne’s part and I appreciated his mentioning it.”
“Oh. Gad, wipe that smug grin off your face,” she said, frowning at Julius when she caught him smirking.
“I am feeling relieved, not smug,” he assured her, taking her arm to escort her upstairs. “You know how worried I am for your safety. It is reassuring to know Havers is up to the task of solving the murder, and he seems to be doing fine without your interference.”
She scowled at him. “My interference?”
“Yes,” Julius said, his expression now stern. “You ought to have remained in bed resting, as the doctor ordered. But here you are, running all over London and wearing yourself out. That blow to your head was no jest, Gory. You woke up with blood trailing down your ear this morning.”
Havers turned to her. “You were bleeding?”
Gory waved her hand in dismissal. “It was just a loose stitch that Dr. Farthingale attended to this morning.”
“Still, my lady. You need to take care of yourself.”
She pursed her lips, a sign that she was going to be intractable. “I am quite capable of knowing what I need to do, and that is to look around upstairs and then pay a call on my aunt. If it will help you deal with her, you can pretend I was not yet searched for scratches. It might go a little easier if she and I are both facing the same indignity of a bodily examination.”
“I am fairly adept at dealing with suspects,” Havers insisted.
Gory was not giving the man any ground. “You do not know my aunt. You ought to allow me to take the lead with her.”
“Lady Gregoria, I am the inspector in charge here.”
“And doing an execrable job if you still consider me a suspect.” She did not give a fig that she perplexed Havers who was obviously not used to being defied, nor did he appreciate any interference in his investigation.
But Gory was going be a little battering ram.
