‘But I still do not see how that helps,’ I said, snagging the last macaroon from James’s fingers. ‘If Coates had found out something to Elliott’s discredit and was murdered, yes. But he killed himself.’
At which point the air was split by piercing screams, I dropped the macaroon into my tea cup and spun round – to find we were under attack by two small boys.
The twins, Charles Trenton, the heir and a viscount to boot, and Matthew James Anthony Franklin, his brother – not that I could tell the difference – were thundering towards us as fast as their chubby legs would bring them. They were wearing skirts, apparently the standard way small boys were dressed, poor little devils. At the garden door their grandmother, a harassed-looking lass who was presumably the nurse maid and the gamekeeper-bodyguard stood watching the rampage with an air of weary resignation. I suspected a faint glimmer of relief that the boys were heading for someone else.
Luc stood up. ‘Cheven!’
They skidded to a halt. The one with slightly darker hair, hazel eyes and one shoe buckle undone said, ‘Yes, Papa?’
‘There is a lady here. How do you behave when there are ladies present?’
‘We do not shout and run around, Papa.’ The unbuckled shoe was being ground into the turf as he twisted about in the effort to remember. ‘We are little gentlemen and greet the lady prop’ly.’
‘Exactly. And what do you say when I introduce you to a lady, Matthew?’
The other one, with his father’s green eyes and what I suspected was a wholly false air of docility, said, ‘Good day, ma’am. I am pleased to… to meet you. And then I bow.’
‘Then come and be introduced to Miss Lawrence.’ They came and stood in front of me, two miniature versions of their father, radiating innocence. Just like you do sometimes, Luc.
‘Miss Lawrence, may I make known to you Charles, Lord Cheven and James Franklin. Boys, this is Miss Lawrence.’
‘Good day, Miss Lawrence,’ they chorused. ‘We are very pleased to meet you.’ Then they bowed and then solemnly held out their grubby paws.
I bit the inside of my lip and kept a straight face as I shook hands in turn. ‘I am very pleased to meet you too, Lord Cheven, Mr Franklin.’
‘Now come here.’ James reached out and hauled one onto each knee then passed me his napkin. ‘Hands. Frogs may have been involved.’
‘No frogs,’ Charles protested. He beamed. ‘White mice.’
Lovely. I did my best with the napkin and reminded myself not to eat anything else until I had found a washbasin.
Lady Radcliffe was advancing across the grass looking as stressed as a countess in company probably ever permitted herself to look. ‘They escaped,’ she said when she reached the table and all the men stood, James with a twin under each arm. ‘I am thinking of giving them to Astley’s Amphitheatre.’
‘You may need to pay the proprietor,’ James said as he sat down, rescuing his pocket watch before it became covered in cream. ‘I believe they are only equipped for lion taming and fire eating. No! I didn’t mean I was going to take you.’
Two pairs of wide, hopeful eyes turned on him, two identical lower lips quivered theatrically.
‘You can take me as well,’ I said and was promptly beamed at. Oh dear, I’ve fallen in love with all the Franklin men… I poured Lady Radcliffe a cup of tea and passed the remaining jam tarts. ‘If they are allowed to attend Astley’s, of course.’ They were very young. And very precocious, I thought as they gazed at me with almost-convincing innocence.
‘Not this week,’ Luc said. Astley’s are…er, closed. Yes, I saw it in the newspaper. Escaped lion. Rampage of terror in Battersea. Closed until at least next week.’
‘We interrupted your discussion.’ His mother cast a harassed glance around the table. ‘I’ll take them away in a moment.’
‘I think we had rea
ched an impasse,’ the Count said. ‘I have much to think about. I must put some investigations in train.’
Luc reached over and took the twins from his brother. ‘I suspect it is bath time, is it not? And then supper. And then, if there are any good boys to be found in the house I will come and read them a story.’ That did the trick. They wriggled off his knee, bowed to their grandmother, to me, the Count and Garrick, were grabbed, squirming, by James for a kiss and then trotted off obediently to their nursemaid.
The nursery guard gamekeeper went and changed places with the tree-perching one and the Count stood up to take his leave, saying he had to get back to the office and promising to be in touch as soon as possible
‘You must be exhausted, Mama.’ Luc reached across the table and took her hand as soon as de Hautmont had gone.
‘Nothing a good night’s sleep will not remedy.’ she said. ‘But I am confused. Lucian, how quickly can this be cleared up? Do you know who is behind it?’
‘We are beginning to get a glimmering,’ he said. ‘It is like finding a pile of broken china. We have pieced together enough to see a pattern but not so much we can tell what type of vessel it is, if that makes sense.’
‘And, until we do know, then I suppose we must expect more attacks,’ she said with a sigh. ‘You will all move in here, that will surely be safest. And we cannot have Miss Lawrence by herself in Hill Street.’