“Did she call on Lord or Lady Wrexham?” I asked.
“Lord. She spoke to him in his office.”
“What did Lady Wrexham think of that?”
“I don’t know. Want me to ask her for you?”
“Yes please.” He gave a sneering laugh. “Oh. You were joking.”
He tapped the cigarette end and ash fell into the tray. “She might not have known Miss Westwood was there.”
Mr. Armitage sat back with a shake of his head. “We spoke to one of the maids this morning and she didn’t mention Miss Westwood’s visit. Even if she wasn’t there at the time, it would have caused a sensation among the servants. She would have heard about it later.”
“You calling me a liar?”
Mr. Armitage held the footman’s gaze.
Mr. Adams grunted. “The butler threatened me with dismissal if I spoke about it. Only him, me and maybe the housekeeper knew. The only reason I knew is because I opened the door for Miss Westwood and I recognized her immediately. I saw her on the stage once at the Playhouse. Real pretty she was. Real pretty.” He sniffed. “’Course, she was little more than a whore.”
“So she didn’t regularly call at the house?” I asked. “Not even when they were together, over two years ago?”
He shook his head as he stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray. “I don’t know about back then. I only got this job two years ago and Miss Westwood’s never visited except this one time. Before that, me and Victor were busy avoiding coppers.”
“How long did she stay?” Mr. Armitage asked.
“No more than ten minutes.”
“How did she seem?”
“Hard to say. She didn’t speak to me. Didn’t even look at me.” His jaw firmed and his top lip curled into a sneer. “She thought she was better than us. Maybe that’s what got her killed. She ignored the wrong person and they murdered her.” He wagged a finger at me. “You can have that opinion for free.”
“The only opinion I’d like from you is the one about Lord and Lady Wrexham,” I said. “What are they like?”
“He’s all right, compared to some toffs.” He removed a tin cigarette case from his inside pocket and flipped it open. “It’s Lady Wrexham you got to watch out for. She acts all pious and good, but she’s got a temper. She’s thrown things at his lordship, twice. Once it was a vase, and the second time a little statue of a dog. Lucky for him, she’s got bad aim.”
“What did they argue about?” Mr. Armitage asked.
Mr. Adams shrugged. “Don’t know. That’s the thing. They always argue in low voices so as we can’t hear. I reckon it’s a skill they learn in the cradle in them big houses.” He removed a cigarette and reached for the box of matches beside the ashtray. “Anything else? Only I’ve got to get back soon and I’d like to enjoy thisin peace.”
I rose and thanked him. Mr. Armitage rose but did not say a word. Once outside, I clasped the collar of my coat tight at my throat as the cold wind whipped along the street. It had grown dark while we were in the pub, but the street lamps were all lit and I was surprised by how many there were. The gentlemen of Belgravia didn’t want their expensive coaches damaged because the lighting in their mews was poor.
“I cannot believe he and Victor were friends,” I said. “What a revolting man.”
“You’re a terrible negotiator,” Mr. Armitage said. “He would have settled for less.”
“But he gave us excellent information. I think it was worth it.”
He huffed a humorless laugh. “Don’t get into business without hiring someone else to handle the transactions or you’ll find your customers taking advantage.”
“Thank you for the unwanted advice. So what do you think of the information? I think Pearl needed money and asked Lord Wrexham for it. According to Mrs. Larsen, Pearl was fine on Christmas Day. She seemed her usual carefree self and had no financial troubles. But within days, something changed, and Pearl hoped Wrexham could help her.”
“But why call on her former lover and ask for money? Why not ask her current lover, Rumford?”
“She felt ashamed?”
Mr. Armitage didn’t seem convinced. “By all accounts, she hadn’t seen Wrexham in years. Why go to him in her time of need? And so brazenly too when Lady Wrexham was at home.”
“It’s certainly odd timing,” I agreed. “It could have ended disastrously if Lady Wrexham threw her out.” Pearl must have been quite desperate. Or perhaps she didn’t care.
