‘If you resign, I’ve a living for you,’ Theo said as Perry began to protest. ‘I was going to suggest it in any case.’
‘My lord, you do not know my qualifications – ’
Theo waved the objections away as the footmen came in to clear for dessert. ‘We will discuss it later, but I am serious. You’ll not be out of employment over this, I promise you. Now, let us talk of something else – anything other than smugglers, treasure, rectors or tombs. Perry, we must hear about your Irish adventure.’
Laura had gone off to bed yawning at ten o’clock, leaving the men to their brandy. Theo managed not to fuss over her, or to take any notice of the affectionate goodnight she gave Perry. He thought, when she turned in the doorway and looked back, that there was something meaningful in her eyes as she met his gaze. A warning perhaps not to speak of that awakening on the chaise in each other’s arms.
It hurt to feel the strange understanding that he had felt between them as they had worked in the study absent now. Perhaps he had imagined it. Perhaps he was the only one who had felt it.
The three of them had settled back to discussing what equipment one required for dismantling tombs and how many men they would need for the job when there was the sound of the front door knocker and Terence came in.
‘Mr Hogget has called to enquire about Mr Thwaite, my lord.’
‘Show him in,’ Perry said, with a slightly tipsy wave of the hand. ‘Fetch another glass.’ He squinted at the decanter. ‘And another bottle.’
Hogget brought the scent of cool night air with him. ‘Northam, good evening. I am glad to see you up and out of bed, Thwaite. And to see you safely home, Manners. Bad business this assault.’
‘Evening, Hogget. Pull up a chair, take a glass.’ Perry waited until his neighbour was seated and lifting the glass to his lips before he added, ‘Gets worse. Someone broke in here last night and attacked my housekeeper.’
Hogget spluttered into his brandy, coughed and put down the glass. ‘Good God! Is she unhurt?’
‘Shocked and bruised but it could have been a lot worse.’
‘What the devil is going on? We never had any violent crime that I can think of, barring the usual tavern brawls and the occasional problem with poachers. Not before – ’ He shot Theo a rapid look and fell silent.
‘Before I arrived?’ Theo asked mildly. ‘But all I did before this began was to take one walk, visit the Mermaid tavern and attend a dinner party. Hardly provocative behaviour, surely?’ When Hogget did not answer he prompted, ‘We discussed smuggling, which did produce a certain constraint, as I recall. That and a mysterious tomb in Hempbourne Marish churchyard.’
‘Smuggling is a sensitive issue in these parts,’ Perry said easily. ‘Not all of us agree on its… virtues and that makes for a certain froideur. We have never come to blows about it though.’
‘I doubt it was the free traders that stirred the hornets’ nest,’ Hogget said. He appeared to have recovered his composure and was staring down into the golden depths of his glass. ‘There has always been a mystery about Hempbourne Marish, ever since Rector Swinburn disappeared in 1795, or so my father told me, with much tapping of the side of his nose and knowing looks.’
‘He knew something?’ Will asked.
‘My father liked to pretend he knew all manner of secrets and to hug his knowledge, or his imaginings, to himself to excite interest and speculation,’ Hogget said. ‘The last time he mentioned it was at Gilpin’s funeral – the last Rector, that is. Talking about how at least this one had died honestly in his bed or some such thing. Then he started the nudging and the heavy hints about some people who weren’t as dead as everyone thought and that someone who held themselves up so high would be taken down a peg or two if the dead came back.
‘He could tell a tale or two if he was so minded, he boasted, but no-one took any notice, he was notorious for heavy hints and provocative suggestions. He died soon afterwards and I closed down the house and lived in London for a while. I’ve only been back the past few months, as you know, Manners.’
‘Er, yes.’
What the devil is Perry looking uncomfortable about now? ‘Your father can’t have been any great age,’ Theo observed. Hogget was perhaps forty one or two, in his estimation.
‘Sixty two. I’d have said he was good for another twenty years, but the doctor said it must have been his heart.’
‘How soon after Reverend Gilpin’s funeral did he die?’ Will asked suddenly.
Hogget raised an eyebrow, but answered readily enough. ‘Can’t have been more than a week.’ He hesitated, as though looking back through time. ‘I can remember noticing that the weeds had not even had time to germinate on the mound of earth over Gilpin’s grave.’
His cool grey gaze lingered on Will’s face until the curate began to shift uncomfortably in his chair. ‘You’re looking shifty, Reverend. Have you been uncovering embarrassing secrets in the registers, Thwaite? Changes of birth dates? Marriages squeezed into the record, written in slightly different ink.’ His smile was sly now. ‘I can think of all kinds of reasons to attem
pt to silence you if that is the case.’
‘Certainly not,’ Will said, looking outraged. ‘I am unaware of any irregularities and if I was, I would immediately report them to the Bishop,’ he said stiffly.
‘Ah well, I shall take myself off before it gets any blacker out here. Such a fine still night and only the stars to see by.’ Hogget rose to his feet and put down his glass. ‘Take care, Mr Thwaite, won’t you?’
Perry tugged on the bell pull and Terence came to show out the visitor.
‘What the blazes was all that about?’ Theo demanded.