“I did not quite know what you knew or had discovered,” Lord Brocklehurst said. “I thought it wise to agree with what you said until I knew what exactly you were trying to say to me. But how could I seriously consider marriage with a womanwho would steal from my own mother and kill my man because she was in a passion with me?”
“How could you, indeed?” the duke said. “But do you not think a judge would consider the events of the past days and your admission of a few minutes ago rather strange, Brocklehurst? Do you not think that he might believe you have been offering Miss Bradshaw a deal—a change in your testimony in exchange for her favors?”
Lord Brocklehurst was on his feet. “That is a damnable suggestion, Ridgeway,” he said. “When I tell the facts as they were, no judge or jury would hesitate to convict her.”
“You will watch the hanging, of course,” his grace said. “Will you enjoy watching the noose being slipped over her head and tightened beneath her ear? Will you enjoy seeing her take the final drop?”
Lord Brocklehurst’s hands were in fists at his sides. “I loved her,” he said. “I suppose I still do. Unfortunately, justice must be done.”
“Oh, I hope so,” the duke said, his eyes narrowing. “I shall certainly be testifying at the trial, Brocklehurst.”
“I understand she is your mistress,” the other said. “Once that fact has been established, I don’t believe your testimony would be worth a great deal. So your concern is not, after all, for your daughter, Ridgeway, but for your personal comfort. I might have known it. And for her sake you are prepared to make up lies about my intentions toward her.”
“Houghton,” his grace said, scarcely raising his voice, “would you fetch me a brandy, my dear fellow? I am too lazy to get to my feet again.”
Lord Brocklehurst merely stared as the duke’s secretary appeared through the half-open door into the music room and proceeded to pour a drink for his employer.
“You made notes, I trust?” his grace said, taking his drink. “Though your memory is quite excellent even without.”
“It is all written down, your grace,” Peter Houghton said.
“Thank you,” the duke said. “I shall not detain you, Houghton. You will wish to return to your chair.”
His secretary disappeared from the room again.
“The rain makes for a thoroughly gloomy day,” his grace said. “But in one way it has been a blessing in disguise. I do not know where I would have hidden a witness if we had taken that ride, Brocklehurst. Now, tampering with justice is, I believe, an offense. And that, of course, is an overly courteous way of saying that I know it is an offense. What are we going to do about it?”
“We?” Lord Brocklehurst seemed finally to have pulled himself together. “What arewegoing to do about it? Isabella is a murderer. I am taking her back for trial.”
“Yes,” the duke said, “I tend to agree that there is a case against her. She pushed a man and he died. It would appear to be murder. And jewels were found in her trunk. I think that indeed she must be taken back for trial, Brocklehurst. Not by you alone. I shall see that she is suitably accompanied. And I shall myself attend the trial. I shall ask to testify if I deem it necessary to do so.”
“So you would tamper with justice too?” Lord Brocklehurst said, sneering for the first time. “You are trying to blackmail me, Ridgeway?”
“Not at all,” his grace said. “I wish you to tell the absolute truth of what happened. But if the absolute truth is that Miss Bradshaw stole your mother’s jewels and deliberately killed your valet, then I believe a judge and jury would be most interested in hearing the details of your coming here as a guest and spending some time socially with the woman you came to arrest. They would doubtless be interested to know that you planned to marry her ‘as soon as possible.’ I believe those were your exact words. Am I right, Houghton?”
There was a short pause. “Yes, your grace,” Peter Houghton’s voice said from the other side of the door to the music room.
“Miss Bradshaw will probably still hang,” his grace said. “But nasty things might happen to you too, Brocklehurst. I am not sure what. I am not as knowledgeable about the law as I suppose I should be as a justice of the peace. Houghton could doubtless discover what your punishment is likely to be. He is quite invaluable as a, ah, source. Would you like him to find out for you?”
Lord Brocklehurst pursed his lips.
“Of course,” the duke said, “the judge and jury might well acquit Miss Bradshaw on the assumption that the testimony of the only witness to the murder is thoroughly untrustworthy. Perhaps you would take the fall alone—an unfortunate choice of words. I am not at all sure that the penalty for your crime is death. Indeed, I would guess that it is not. Transportation, maybe? But then, I am only guessing. We will leave it to Houghton to find out.”
“I shall be gone from here within the hour,” Lord Brocklehurst said stiffly. “I shall not trouble you with my presence any further, Ridgeway.”
“Without Miss Bradshaw?” his grace said. “Shall I see that she is brought to trial? Indeed, I believe I must. She has been accused of two capital crimes. For her own peace of mind she must be convicted or cleared. Or you must make some public statement explaining the error of your earlier accusations. You were, of course, distraught over her disobedience and the accidental death of your valet. One is prone to exaggerate under such circumstances. People will applaud your courage in making yourself look a little ridiculous in order to set matters straight.”
“The statement will be made,” Lord Brocklehurst said through his teeth.
“Splendid,” his grace said, getting to his feet finally. He had not touched one drop of his brandy. “I shall look for an official notice of your statement within the next week or two. You are recording all this too, are you, Houghton?”
“Yes, your grace,” the voice beyond the door said.
“After Miss Bradshaw’s name has been cleared,” his grace said, “I shall communicate with you again, Brocklehurst, to see what can be arranged for her comfort until her twenty-fifth birthday. But I need not detain you with a discussion of that point now. Good day to you. Have a pleasant journey. Do you go to Heron House?”
“I have not decided and do not feel it necessary to share my plans with you anyway, Ridgeway,” Lord Brocklehurst said, making for the door.
“Ah, quite so,” his grace said. He stood beside the chair and watched the other leave.
