A Loving Family (32 page)

Later that evening, when Spike had gone to bed and Perry had gone out on business of his own, Stella and Rosa sat at the kitchen table drinking tea. ‘What are we going to do?' Rosa asked urgently. ‘We can't afford to pay a barrister to defend Kit. We don't even know exactly what they're charging him with, other than that he was supposed to be involved in Ronald's murder and possibly the girl's too, which is utterly ridiculous. Why would he want to kill that wretched man anyway? What would he have to gain by Ronald's death?'

‘I'm sure other people had stronger motives,' Stella said thoughtfully. ‘Your Uncle Gervase comes to mind, since they were doing business together. My mother thinks that Ronald might have witnessed the girl's murder in the caves. I tried to make her talk about that night, but she said she could remember very little.'

‘She must have seen something or my uncle wouldn't have kept her prisoner in the caves. Even though she can't testify against him in court she could tell the police what happened and there must be other witnesses.'

‘Of course. Why didn't we think of that? There must have been some eminent men attending the party. They wouldn't want the world to know of their antics so they would hardly come forward.'

‘I agree,' Rosa said slowly. ‘But we don't know who they are, and Uncle Gervase won't reveal their identities.'

‘He might. If we can convince him that my mother is prepared to go to the police and tell all, he might change his mind.'

‘And how would we make him do that?'

‘By bluffing, Rosa. Ma is safe with the Hendys. If we can convince him that she's told us everything we might be able to persuade him to get the charges against Kit dropped before the trial. I'll need you to get me through the gates, but if you're willing we'll go to Heron Park tomorrow and face him.'

Wearing their best clothes and travelling in a hired chaise, Stella and Rosa arrived at Heron Place next morning. Rosa managed to convince Masters that her uncle had sent for her and Noakes admitted them to the house unchallenged. ‘Where is my uncle?' Rosa asked, peeling off her lace gloves.

‘He's in the gun room, Miss Rosa. I believe he intends to spend the day at the home farm, shooting pigeons.'

‘There's no need to announce us, Noakes. I know the way. Come, Stella, let's go and find him. I'm sure he'll be delighted to see us.' Rosa waited until they were out of earshot. ‘Or not, as the case may be. I think my uncle is in for a shock.'

‘Let me do the talking,' Stella whispered. ‘I've been rehearsing what I would say all night. I'm determined this is going to work. It has to, or Kit is in terrible trouble.'

‘The gun room is this way.' Rosa led her down a series of long corridors to a room at the back of the house. She burst in without knocking.

Gervase Rivenhall was in the process of choosing his weapon while Hinckley loaded cartridges into a case. They stared at their visitors open-mouthed. ‘What the devil?' Gervase spluttered. ‘What the hell are you doing here? Are you mad?'

‘No, Uncle. Far from it. We've come to speak to you privately.' Rosa stared pointedly at Hinckley. ‘Or we can speak in front of your servant if you don't mind him hearing things that were better kept between us.'

Hinckley took a step towards them but Gervase held up his hand. ‘Wait for me outside. This won't take long.'

‘Yes, master.' With obvious reluctance Hinckley left the gun room.

‘You've got a nerve,' Gervase said, glaring at Stella. ‘You interfering little bitch. You're your mother's daughter.'

‘And proud to be so, Mr Rivenhall. She's told me everything.'

His eyes narrowed. ‘What has the slut said?'

‘She's named all the gentlemen who attended your party on the evening the girl was murdered.'

‘That's impossible.'

‘She was here, but perhaps you think that her mind was so clouded by opium that she couldn't remember what happened. It's not true. She's regained an excellent memory of that particular event and she's made a written statement naming everyone who was here that night. She witnessed the so-called accident and is prepared to give evidence in court.'

‘I don't believe you. And anyway, a wife can't testify against her husband.'

‘Stella didn't say that you were named, Uncle,' Rosa said sweetly. ‘Are you making a confession?'

‘No, I bloody well am not. Get out of here before I really lose my temper.'

‘The document is with a solicitor in Lincoln's Inn Fields,' Stella said coldly. ‘If we don't return to London today he is authorised to take it to the police.'

‘What do you want?' Gervase demanded. Beads of sweat stood out on his brow and his face reddened. ‘Are you trying to blackmail me?'

‘Yes, Uncle,' Rosa said with an angelic smile. ‘That's exactly what we're doing. We can't help the poor murdered girl, but unless you want the list of your cronies published in the daily newspapers, you'll see to it that Kit has an alibi for the night when Clifford was killed and secure his immediate release from prison.'

He mopped his brow. ‘And how would I do that? I had nothing to do with Clifford's death.'

‘You will sign a statement saying that Kit was with you that evening,' Stella said firmly. ‘If necessary you will appear before the magistrates to swear to it. Otherwise, Mr Rivenhall – or should I call you stepfather? – your name will be dragged through the mud.'

‘Stepfather!' Gervase made a gobbling sound in his throat. ‘You are no relation of mine, girl.'

‘You married my mother. That makes you my stepfather.' She could see his hands tightening on the stock of the shotgun and his finger hovering over the trigger. ‘You can shoot me if you like, but you'll surely hang for it, and the newspapers would have a wonderful story.'

‘I could say that you were trespassing,' Gervase said through gritted teeth. ‘One blast of this at close range would wipe the smile off your face.'

‘I don't think anyone would believe that, Uncle.' Rosa stepped forward and snatched the gun from his hands. She broke it over her knee and expelled the cartridge. ‘You've stolen our birthright and it seems there's little we can do about that, but you're going to save Kit's life.' She laid the gun on the bench. ‘You'll write a statement and have it witnessed by Noakes and Mrs Kendall.'

Stella held her breath as she waited for Gervase to come to a decision. It was obvious that he was reluctant to give in without a fight. ‘We're waiting,' she said. ‘You either do as we ask or face the consequences, Stepfather.'

STELLA HANDED THE
sealed document to Perry. ‘I didn't think he was going to do it, but Rosa and I managed to convince him that he faced ruin if he refused.'

Rosa slumped down on a chair at the kitchen table. ‘I've never been so scared in my whole life. I really thought he was going to kill you, Stella.'

‘He didn't dare call our bluff in case my mother really had remembered everything.'

‘You was both very brave and very clever,' Spike said reverently. ‘Mr Kit will be proud of you.'

Perry smoothed his thinning hair over the bald patch on his head, nodding in agreement. ‘It was a risky business, but you pulled it off. If I was a betting man I wouldn't have liked the odds, but this should secure Kit's release. I'll take it to the magistrate's office first thing in the morning, but now, ladies, I think this calls for a celebration. I'm treating you to supper.'

‘You're taking us out for a meal, Perry?' Stella exchanged amused glances with Rosa. ‘I thought you were broke.'

‘Not entirely, and I never said we was going out. I'm off to the pie shop and I might manage a bottle or two of stout to wash it down. Come on, Spike, you can give me a hand.' He left the kitchen with Spike limping after him.

‘What a day,' Stella said, taking a seat opposite Rosa. ‘I still can't believe that we did it.'

‘I thought my uncle would have an apoplectic fit when you told him he was your stepfather. He obviously never considered that he was taking on a whole family when he forced your mother into marriage.'

‘Well, it worked, and by this time tomorrow we might have Kit home with us.'

‘And I can't wait to see him, but we'll be back where we started, Stella. We're still stuck in this old house with no money and no prospect of getting Heron Park back.'

‘But if you marry Tommy you'll live in Portgone Place and you'll want for nothing.'

Rosa blushed prettily. ‘He hasn't asked me yet, but it's Kit I'm worried about. I know him, Stella. He won't give up easily and he could waste years of his life trying to get the better of Uncle Gervase. Sometimes I wish he would marry an heiress and forget about Heron Park.'

‘Yes,' Stella said slowly. ‘That would be one solution.' She rose to her feet. ‘I'm rather tired, Rosa. I didn't sleep well last night and it's been an exhausting day. I think I'll go straight to bed. I'm sure Spike will be glad to eat my portion of pie, and I don't like stout.'

Kit's release from prison was not as instant as Stella had hoped. There were the usual official channels to go through and the magistrate had to study Gervase's statement before he came to a decision. In the meantime Stella and Rosa busied themselves making the house ready for his homecoming. They dusted, swept and cleaned every room, taking extra care with Kit's bedroom. Stella polished the furniture and put clean sheets on the bed, while Rosa took down the curtains and took them to the communal washhouse. The rugs were hefted downstairs and Stella hung them over the washing line, attacking them with the carpet beater and sending showers of dust onto the cobblestones. It seemed that Uncle Silas had not been too particular when it came to domestic matters, and had been miserly when it came to spending money on home comforts. Stella could only imagine the sort of life her mother must have endured in Fleur-de-Lis Street before being sold on like a slave to Gervase Rivenhall. It was little wonder that she had taken to escaping from her miserable existence in the arms of laudanum.

A week after their visit to Heron Park, Rosa was standing on the doorstep polishing the lion's head knocker, and Stella was scrubbing the hall floor. A sudden strangled cry from Rosa made her look up in alarm. ‘What's the matter?'

‘Kit. It's Kit.' Rosa ran down the road with her arms outstretched.

Stella leapt to her feet, wiping her hands on her apron. She checked her appearance in the fly-spotted mirror that hung next to the coat stand. Wisps of hair had escaped from the mobcap she wore when doing the housework and she had a smudge of dirt on the tip of her nose. She was attempting to rub it off when Kit and Rosa appeared in the doorway.

‘He's free,' Rosa cried happily. ‘He's a free man.'

‘I'm so glad.' Stella backed towards the kitchen feeling suddenly shy and ill at ease. Her heart was pounding at the sight of Kit who, even in his dishevelled, unshaven state, still had the power to make the blood rush to her cheeks. ‘You must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat.'

‘In a moment, Stella. First I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Perry told me what you did and it was very brave. I don't deserve either of you.' His voice broke and he dashed his hand across his eyes. ‘I'm sorry. I'm tired and I'm filthy and probably running with fleas and lice. I'll go out in the yard and stick my head under the pump.'

‘Much as I love you, you do smell rather like a ripe Stilton,' Rosa said, chuckling. ‘I'll bring you a towel and some clean clothes.'

He took Stella's hand and held it in a firm clasp. ‘You are a wonderful girl, and I'm truly grateful for everything you've done. It can't have been easy for you to leave your mother and sister in the country, let alone face my uncle after the terrible experience he put you through. Thank you, Stella.'

The intensity of his gaze took her breath away and she stared down at their entwined hands unable to look him in the eyes. ‘You took me in when I needed help. It was the least I could do to repay you.'

He squeezed her fingers. ‘Not at all. I meant every word I said, but we need to have a serious talk. Just give me time to get clean again and then I'll be with you.'

Even after he had walked off in the direction of the kitchen Stella could feel the pressure of his hand on hers. She turned to Rosa, who was about to go upstairs. ‘What did he mean?'

‘I've no idea, but I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready.' She took the stairs two at a time, leaving Stella to make her way to the kitchen. Through the open back door she could hear the rusty groan of the pump handle and the splash of water. She closed her eyes, imagining the sight of Kit's bare torso caressed by the cool water and his bare flesh glistening in the sunlight. Shocked by her own thoughts she busied herself stirring the pan of oxtail soup on the hob. The smell of baking bread filled the kitchen as she took the loaf out of the oven, and she wiped the perspiration from her forehead. The range had to be lit of necessity, but it was a warm day and the heat in the kitchen made the clothes stick to her body.

‘You look hot,' Rosa said, bustling into the kitchen with her arms full of Kit's clothes and a towel slung over her shoulder. ‘He's lucky he can strip off in the yard. We'd cause a riot if we did the same.' She went outside, returning moments later looking flushed and embarrassed. ‘I haven't seen my brother naked since we were children.' She fanned herself vigorously. ‘Lady Langhorne was talking about having a bathroom installed in Portgone Place. I think that would be wonderful, don't you? And it would save the housemaids the back-breaking task of carrying pails of hot water up several flights of stairs.'

‘Only the very wealthy can afford such a luxury,' Stella said, taking the loaf out of the oven. ‘It's the zinc bath for us for evermore as far as I can see.'