The Frost Fair Part 24

'It was dark, Jonathan. People were hurrying home. n.o.body stopped to see a hand helping me into the water. It was a long drop,' he explained. 'Had the river still been frozen, I might have broken my neck on the ice. As it was, I all but drowned.'

'I still do not see why you were set on, Mr Redmayne.' 'I do,' said Christopher, 'and I found it oddly rea.s.suring.'

Jonathan gaped. 'Rea.s.suring? When someone tries to kill you?'

'It means that I'm on the right track, after all. This was no random a.s.sault. Had it been a thief, he'd have s.n.a.t.c.hed my purse before pitching me into the water. I was followed for a reason, Jonathan. Someone knows that I'm on his trail.'

'Who?'

'In all probability, it was the man who did kill the fencing master.'

Jonathan was sceptical. "That's not the conclusion I'd reach.'

'You still think that my brother is guilty,' said Christopher, almost exultant. 'But my dip in the Thames taught me one thing, if nothing else. Someone is trying to prevent me from finding out the truth about the murder. Henry is clearly innocent.'

'I hope, for both your sakes, that he is.'

'But you remain unconvinced.'

'I need more persuasion,' said Jonathan. 'Do you think that your brother would consent to see me in Newgate? It would help if I could talk to him myself.'

'Henry is not in the most receptive mood.'

'Then he'd turn me away?'

'He's hardly in a position to do that,' said Christopher, 'and any visit breaks up the boredom of being locked away. On the other hand, alas, Henry does not share the high opinion that I have of you. He inhabits a different world and knows that you are hostile to it. However,' he decided, 'there's no harm in trying. Leave it to me.'

'You'll ask him?'

'When I visit the prison tomorrow.'

'Did you see him today?' Christopher nodded. 'How did you find him?'

'Close to desperation,' replied the other, recalling Henry's confession about the appeal of suicide. 'But I think that I managed to restore his spirits. When he hears about my swim in the river, he'll be even more heartened. The real killer has shown his hand. We know that he's still in London.'

It was curious. The more the evening progressed, the more drawn she became to him. Determined to dislike the man, Susan Cheever had found him unremarkable on first acquaintance and patently uninterested in her. Jack Cardinal's attention was fixed firmly on his mother and he deferred to her wishes at every point. Susan thought that the old woman was exploiting him but he did not seem to mind, and she doted on him. Mrs Cardinal never stopped telling the others around the table how devoted her son was. His management of the estate was also praised. Brilliana Serle had been responsible for the seating arrangements so she made sure that her sister was next to Cardinal. Her own seat was directly opposite them, so that she could keep them under observation and feed each of them pleasing t.i.tbits of information about the other. Susan was relieved to see that Cardinal found it as unsettling as she did.

Brilliana was not the only person who was watching the couple. When she was not listing her various ailments in order to reap communal sympathy, Mrs Cardinal kept a watchful eye on Susan and on her son's response to her proximity. Eventually, she leaned in Susan's direction.

'Do you prefer the town or the country, Miss Cheever?'

'I like both, Mrs Cardinal,' replied Susan.

'You live close to Northampton, I hear.'

'It's the nearest town but it is tiny by comparison with London.'

'Is there much society there?'

'No,' said Brilliana before he sister could answer. 'Neither the county nor the town can provide fitting company for people of quality. That's why I came south in search of a husband,' she added, tossing an affectionate glance at Serle. 'Since I've been here, I've come to see Northamptons.h.i.+re as nothing short of barbarous.'

Susan was roused. 'That's unjust, Brilliana.'

'I was only too glad to escape.'

'Well, I have fonder memories. It's a beautiful county and we had many good friends there. I still regard it as my home.'

'Quite rightly so, Miss Cheever,' said Cardinal. 'None of us can choose our place of birth but we owe it a loyalty nevertheless. As it happens, I once rode through your county on my way to Leicesters.h.i.+re, and I agree with you. It has great charm.'

"That's what I feel,' decided Serle.

'n.o.body asked for your opinion, Lancelot,' scolded his wife.

'But I had the same impression as Jack.'

"That's neither here nor there.'

'I think it is, Brilliana,' said Susan, enjoying the chance to put her sister on the defensive. 'You may pour scorn on the county of your birth but three of us at least can sing its praises.'

'Will you be returning home soon, Miss Cheever?' asked Mrs Cardinal.

'No, not for a while.'

'Did you not wish to be with your father?'

'I preferred to stay here, Mrs Cardinal.'

Serle beamed. 'And we are delighted to have you, sister-in-law.'

'Thank you, Lancelot.'

'I understand that you have a house in London,' said Cardinal.

'Yes,' replied Susan. 'Father and I live there when he has business in the city. If Parliament is not sitting, he retreats to his estate.'

'Do you like London?'

'Very much, Mr Cardinal.'

'What appeals to you most about it?'

'Its size and its sense of activity,' she explained. 'There is so much going on, especially now that rebuilding is so advanced. It's fascinating to watch old streets being renovated and new ones being created alongside them. Then, of course, there was the frost fair. That was a miraculous event.'

'So I understand.'

'Jack offered to take me there,' said Mrs Cardinal, 'but the roads were bad and my poor chest would never have withstood the cold. I have to be so careful, you know. I tire so easily in the winter.'

'You've rallied magnificently this past week, Mother,' he said.

'Only because the weather has improved.'

'I've never seen you looking better,' remarked Brilliana.

'Thank you, Mrs Serle.'

'Mother is well enough to face the travel now,' said Cardinal. 'I've business interests to attend to in London and Mother has agreed to accompany me there for a couple of days. We leave early tomorrow.'

Brilliana was disappointed. 'We hoped that you might linger to dine with us.'

'It will not be possible, I fear.'

'Can we not persuade you, Jack?' asked Serle, responding to a nudge under the table from his wife. 'Stay another day, if you wish.'

'We'd be delighted to have you,' said Brilliana. 'So would Susan. It's rather dull for her to have n.o.body but us to entertain her.' 'Then why did she not stay in London?' wondered Mrs Cardinal, turning towards Susan. 'I would have thought that you'd built up a circle of friends there by now.'

'Yes, Mrs Cardinal,' said Susan. 'I do have friends in the city.'

'Why desert them for Richmond?'

'Because she wanted to be with her sister,' said Brilliana.

'That's not strictly true,' added Susan. 'I left London with some reluctance.'

'What do you miss most?' asked Cardinal.

'Seeing my friends and visiting the shops.'

'Ah!' said Mrs Cardinal with a laugh, 'that's what is luring me there. The thought of all those wonderful shops, filled to the brim with the latest fas.h.i.+ons. If my health will allow it, I intend to visit them all.' An idea made her sit up abruptly. 'But wait, my dear,' she went on, smiling at Susan. 'You prefer to be in London, you say?'

'To some extent, Mrs Cardinal.'

'Then why do you not come with us?'

Susan was immediately tempted. 'That's a very kind invitation.'

'Then let me endorse it,' said Cardinal gallantly. 'We'd love to have you as our companion, Miss Cheever. I'll have to spend a lot of time dealing with my business affairs and it would be a relief to know that someone was looking after Mother.'

'I'd be happy to do that.'

'Splendid news!' He looked at Brilliana. 'Unless you have an objection.'

'None at all,' she said.

'This is better than we dared hope for,' observed Serle, before collecting a kick of reproof from his wife. 'I mean that this will suit everyone.'

'As long as Jack does not abandon my sister completely,' said Brilliana.

'I'll ensure that he does not do that,' promised Mrs Cardinal.

'Then I give the excursion my blessing.'

Susan was thrilled. Having braced herself for a tedious evening in the company of strangers, she had been given an unexpected opportunity to escape from Richmond. Brilliana had condoned the visit because she felt it would throw Jack Cardinal and her sister closer together, but Susan had another objective. Being in London meant a possibility of seeing Christopher Redmayne again and that hope was uppermost in her mind. If she could contrive a meeting with him, she was prepared to endure any number of Mrs Cardinal's long monologues about her ill health.

'Well,' said Cardinal happily, 'this is a pleasant surprise. It will be a delight to have you with us, Miss Cheever.'

"Thank you,' said Susan.

'You'll be able to feed your pa.s.sion for literature again.'

'Will I?'

'Yes, indeed. I'll take you to the best bookshops in London.'

'I'd like that, Mr Cardinal,' she said warmly. 'I'd like that very much.'

He gave her a shy smile. 'So would I.'

Jonathan Bale insisted on accompanying his friend home. Christopher did not think that he needed a bodyguard but he was grateful for the concern that was shown. Over his arm was the apparel that was still damp from its dip in the river. On the walk back to Fetter Lane, they kept looking over their shoulder but saw n.o.body following them. Whoever had pushed Christopher into the water had fled from the scene and would have no idea what happened to the architect. For that evening at least, he was safe. At the door of the house, Jonathan tried to take his leave.

'Step in for a moment,' invited Christopher.

'No thank you, Mr Redmayne.'

'But I can let you have your things back when I change.'

"There's no hurry for that, sir. I have work to do. I must go.'

'I'm so sorry to descend on you like that.'

'We are pleased that you felt able to do so.'

'Take a message to your wife,' said Christopher. 'Tell her how grateful I am to her and ask her what was in that remedy. It's revived me completely.'

Jonathan nodded and they exchanged-farewells. Christopher let himself into the house, expecting to shed the garments he had borrowed in order to put on some that actually fitted him. He planned to spend a restful hour in front of the fire with a gla.s.s or two of brandy. When he entered the parlour, however, he saw something that swiftly rearranged his whole evening for him. The Reverend Algernon Redmayne was waiting for him.

'Father!' he exclaimed. 'How nice to see you!' 'That's more than I can say for you,' returned the old man, looking at his baggy attire. 'What, in the name of G.o.d, are you wearing?'

'I had to borrow these clothes from a friend.'

'I did not imagine you had a tailor cruel enough to make them for you.'

'They served their purpose,' said Christopher. 'But how are you, Father? How did you travel? When did you arrive? Has Jacob been looking after you?'

'Yes,' said the servant, emerging from the kitchen with a gla.s.s of wine. 'I made your father a light meal then gave him some ointment.'

'Ointment?'

'It was very soothing,' said the Dean. 'I rode most of the way on horseback and the saddle took its toll. Jacob was kind enough to act as my physician.' He took the gla.s.s of wine. 'Thank you. I feel that I've deserved this.'