Garden of Lies(38)

“I understand.” Ursula watched Slater unfold neatly to his feet. “Mr. Roxton appears to be balancing a number of complicated problems these days.”

“Enough,” Slater said. He reached down to take Ursula’s hand. “Mrs. Kern has a business to mind. I will see her out and return in a moment.”

He took Ursula’s arm and steered her back toward the house. Once inside, they continued along the corridor to the front hall. Webster opened the door.

Slater guided Ursula down the steps toward the carriage where Griffith stood deep in friendly conversation with Lady Roxton’s coachman. Ursula glanced at the expensive carriage that had brought Judith and the boys to Slater’s house.

“Can I assume that Judith married your father in part to escape a brutal stepfather?”

“I think Judith would have married anyone to escape Hurley’s clutches,” Slater said. “And as it happened, my father needed a legitimate heir for the title and the estate. The situation worked well for both of them. While my father was alive, Hurley was careful to keep his distance. But he has grown bolder now that I am in control of the money.”

“He sounds dreadful. What will you do to keep him away from Judith and the boys?”

“There is only one thing that a man of Hurley’s low nature comprehends.”

“What is that?”

“Fear.”

She stopped short, rounding on him.

“What are you talking about?” she whispered, conscious of the possibility of being overheard by Griffith and the coachman.

Slater was obliged to halt, too. He smiled in what he no doubt believed to be a reassuring manner.

“Hurley will be made to understand that remaining in London would not be good for his health. I shall offer to assist him in his travel plans. The choice will be his.”

He sounded as if he was discussing the weather or a train schedule—a matter of fact, not a subject that could be debated.

For a moment Ursula was utterly bewildered. And then with a cold shock, understanding dawned. She was amazed by the sheer audacity of the threat.

“Do you think he will believe your threat?” she asked.

Slater handed her up into the cab, his eyes chillingly calm behind the lenses of his spectacles.

“It won’t be a threat,” he said.

“Slater, Judith says he is a violent man.”

To her amazement Slater smiled. “Are you worried about me?”

“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”

“I’m touched. Truly.”

“I hope you know what you are doing.”

“I admit my social skills are limited, Ursula, nevertheless, I am capable of communicating with men like Hurley. Now, don’t forget, we are to have dinner with my mother tonight. Seven-thirty.”

Slater stepped back, closed the door of the carriage and waved to Griffith, who was up on the box. The vehicle rumbled forward.

Through the window Ursula watched Slater go up the front steps and disappear into the big house. There was something different about him this afternoon, she concluded. He appeared younger and his spirits seemed brighter. It was as if the darkness around him had dissipated a little.

Probably just her imagination, she decided.





SEVENTEEN




Of course I would be delighted to try to arrange a meeting with the proprietor of the Pavilion of Pleasure.” Lilly smiled across the table at Ursula. “I cannot say that Mrs. Wyatt and I are close but years ago we shared some mutual gentlemen acquaintances. That was before I met Slater’s father, of course. Nan Wyatt was an actress in her day. Rather good, actually. We appeared in A Twist of Fate together.”

“Do you think Mrs. Wyatt will be willing to speak with us about her business association with the Olympus Club?” Ursula asked.

“From what I recall about Nan, she is strongly motivated by money.” Lilly looked at Slater, who was seated at the far end of the long table. “As long as she is well paid for her information and assured of confidentiality, I think that she will be happy to discuss her connections to the Olympus Club. But she will be expensive.”

Dinner with Slater’s mother was proving to be a surprisingly comfortable affair, Ursula thought. She was not quite certain what she had expected—Lilly was nothing if not unpredictable. But Lilly’s love of all things theatrical and dramatic was on full display tonight. She was taking great delight in contributing to the investigation.

The meal offered both fish and chicken. There was also a surprisingly wide variety of mushy, overcooked vegetables and a solid-looking nut loaf that could have served as a doorstop—the cook’s grudging concession to the one guest who was a declared vegetarian.

“I have no objection to paying for information,” Slater said around a bite of nut loaf. “In my experience, that is usually the cheapest way to obtain it. Mrs. Wyatt can be assured that we will keep her secrets. But time is of the essence.”

“I will contact her first thing in the morning,” Lilly said. She paused. “No, I will send a message tonight. The nature of Mrs. Wyatt’s business requires her to work nights. I very much doubt that she rises until noon.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Ursula said. “I am very grateful.”

“I’m delighted to be able to aid you in your investigation,” Lilly said. She picked up her wineglass. “It is quite the most exciting thing I’ve done in ages. It has inspired me with all sorts of ideas for my next play.”