She was surprised, and repeated: ‘Martin’s new man?’
‘Miss Morville, have you not seen him?’ demanded the Viscount. ‘I’ve been telling Ger it’s a trifle too smoky for my taste! Never saw such a fellow in my life!’
‘I didn’t know that he had engaged a new man,’ she said. ‘Has he turned off Studley, then?’
‘That’s what I’d like to know. All I can tell you is that my fellow says Studley went off with some tale of being obliged to visit his old father, and this new man walked in. Told me he was a valet, but what I thought was that he must have broken out of Newgate! What’s more, I caught him hobnobbing with that groom of Martin’s this afternoon, and if you can tell me, Ger, what Martin’s valet was doing in the stables I’ll thank you!’
‘Most mysterious,’ agreed Gervase, rather amused.
‘Ay, you may laugh!’ the Viscount said. ‘You haven’t seen the fellow! Valet! Good God, one would as lief employ a coal-heaver! No, really, Ger! Give you my word!’
‘Martin does not care very much for his appearance,’ Miss Morville ventured to suggest.
Gervase cast her a mischievous look, murmuring demurely: ‘Not one of these dandified jackanapes! Very true, Miss Morville!’
‘I am sure,’ she retorted, with spirit, ‘he would never be so foolish as to demand to be shaved when he should rather have been measured for a cerecloth!’
The Viscount would have none of this trifling.
He said: ‘A man don’t need to be a dandy to hire a respectable valet! Point is, either he don’t hire one at all, or he hires one who knows his work! What I want to know is, why was this Newgate fellow brought in?’
‘My dear Lucy, my very dear Lucy!’ said Gervase, at his most dulcet. ‘What dreadful apprehensions are you trying to instil into my head? Miss Morville, my pulse is tumultuous! I think you should feel it!’
She was, however, intently regarding the Viscount. ‘What is it that you fear, my lord?’
‘I don’t say I fear anything,’ replied the Viscount unconvincingly. ‘All I say is that there’s something devilish queer afoot! First we have Martin coming back to Stanyon with just the sort of bamming story I warned you he would tell! Now, didn’t I, Ger? You can’t deny it, and you need not try to fob me off with your story about a man in homespuns! Lord, what a hum! I don’t say I blame you: no one wants a scandal in his family! but don’t try to bamboozle me, dear old boy! Then you don’t die after all, and the next thing we know is that there’s a villainous-looking fellow prowling about your damned draughty ancestral halls, saying he’s your brother’s new valet! I tell you to your face, Ger, it won’t fadge!’
‘But surely Martin would not –’ began Miss Morville, and broke off short, looking from Ulverston to St Erth, in mute question.
‘No telling what a young fool like Martin would do!’ said the Viscount. ‘Might not have thought anything of it, if I hadn’t seen this Leek earwigging that groom today! As it is – did see it! Made me think, Ger! Made me add two and two together!’
‘But, Lucy, you know you cannot add two and two together!’ expostulated Gervase. ‘Whenever you have computed your debts, you have always reached a false total! Why don’t you ask Martin why he has taken this strange individual into his service?’
‘Martin and I don’t exchange any more words than we need!’ replied the Viscount grimly. ‘Daresay he knows what I think! Don’t mind if he does!’
‘What a happy party must assemble for dinner each evening!’ remarked Gervase, watching the play of the candlelight on his emerald signet-ring.
‘You may well say so! And when your cousin has left us, we shall have no one but that prosy parson to keep our conversation alive!’ said the Viscount.
‘Does Theo mean to leave Stanyon?’ asked Miss Morville quickly.
‘Why, yes!’ answered the Earl. ‘My affairs, you know, cannot be for ever left at a stand! He returns to Evesleigh tomorrow. Now, if only I could prevail upon Lucy to go to London – not that I wish to appear inhospitable –’
‘Spare your breath!’ recommended Ulverston. ‘If he were not assured that I have no intention of leaving Stanyon at this present, your cousin would not stir from here, let me tell you!’
‘You have both told me so, and I have nothing to do but to reply that you are very welcome – if mistaken!’
‘That,’ said the Viscount, ‘we shall see, Ger!’
Nineteen
The Viscount was not the only person to look askance upon Martin’s new valet. Turvey, when he undressed his master that evening, informed him that the Castle had a fresh inmate. His tone contrived to convey the additional information that Mr Leek was scarcely the type of man with whom he was in the habit of associating. ‘If I may venture to say so, my lord, a strange Individual for Mr Martin to take into his service. Very different from Studley, who, although scarcely conforming to Our standards, I have always found to be a most respectable person. Besides having quite a Way with Mr Martin’s boots,’ he added, as one giving honour where it was due. ‘Of course, my lord, the same results as We achieve are not to be obtained, as I had occasion to tell him, through the use of mere blacking; but when one takes into account the very meagre means at his disposal he did very well – very well indeed! It is to be hoped Mr Martin will not be disappointed in his new man. More I will not say.’
‘Whatever else I may believe, that I do not!’ said the Earl.
‘I hope, my lord,’ said Turvey, skilfully rolling the bandage he had removed from about the Earl’s chest and shoulder, ‘that I am not one to cast aspersions upon others; and if Studley’s sudden removal from the Castle strikes me as being a peculiar circumstance, I am sure I should prefer to keep my reflections to myself, were I not deeply concerned with your lordship’s welfare.’
‘Thank you. I collect that Studley has gone to visit his father.’