She detained him. ‘You need not; I expect him here at any minute. He is to take Mrs Scattergood and me to Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition. Indeed, I do not know what should be keeping him, for he said he would be here quite by eleven, and you see it is past eleven now.’
‘That’s cool, upon my word!’ exclaimed Peregrine. ‘He has the impudence to get me had up before a beak, and takes my sister out on the top of it! A very pretty fellow is this Bernard Taverner!’
‘Do I hear my name?’ The voice, a quiet one, came from the doorway behind Peregrine. ‘Ah, Peregrine! Thank God!’
Peregrine swung round to confront his cousin. ‘Ay, you are surprised to see me, are you not?’
‘I am glad,’ Mr Taverner replied steadily. ‘You imposed silence upon me; it has been hard for me to stand by. But I guessed I must hear certain tidings of you by this time. You have taken no hurt?’
‘Silence!’ ejaculated Peregrine. ‘Will you tell me you have kept silence over this?’
His cousin looked at him intently, and from him to Judith. She had sunk down on the sofa, and could only smile at him rather tremulously. ‘Will you tell me what you mean me to understand by that?’ he asked in an even tone.
‘Who was the man who laid the information against us, and had us arrested on the ground?’ Peregrine flung at him.
Mr Taverner continued to look at him, his brows a little knit. Peregrine said angrily: ‘Who was the man who induced the surgeon to disclose the place of rendezvous? Who else knew of the meeting but you?’
‘I cannot answer that question, Perry. I have no means of telling who else knew of it,’ responded Mr Taverner.
‘Give me a plain yes or no!’ snapped Peregrine. ‘Did you lay that information?’
Mr Taverner said slowly: ‘I can understand and pardon your indignation, but consider a moment, if you please! You engaged my silence: do you accuse me of breaking faith with you?’
The niceties of the male code of honour being beyond Miss Taverner’s sympathy she cried impatiently: ‘What could that signify in face of such danger to Perry? What other course could be open to any friend of his than at all costs to stop the meeting?’
Mr Taverner smiled, but shook his head. Peregrine, a little confounded, stammered: ‘I don’t wish to be doing you an injustice, but you do not answer me! Only one other person knew of the meeting – my valet, and he does not fit the description Dr Lane gave.’
‘And what, may I ask, was that description?’
‘It was of a tall, gentleman-like man, dark, and with an air of fashion!’
Mr Taverner looked rather amused. ‘My dear Perry, am I the only man in town answering to that description? Is that all that you base your suspicions on? Have you not considered that your opponent may very likely have spoken of the meeting as well as you?’
‘Farnaby?’ Peregrine was disconcerted. ‘No, it had not occurred – that is to say, I do not think it probable –’
‘Why, what is this? Is it more probable, then, that I laid the information?’
‘Of course if you assure me you did not I am bound to accept your word,’ said Peregrine stiffly.
‘I am glad of that,’ said his cousin. ‘I will confess, at the risk of offending you afresh, that however little I may have had to do with it I am more than pleased to find that information was laid.’
‘You are very good,’ said Peregrine, eyeing him a trifle askance.
Mr Taverner laughed. ‘Well, were you so anxious to be shot at? Come, you are not to be picking a quarrel with me, you know!
Judith, do you go to the Exhibition? Is Mrs Scattergood ready?’
Judith got up. ‘She went into the breakfast-parlour to write a note before you came. Shall we fetch her?’
‘By all means. We are behind time, I believe. I was detained, and should beg pardon.’ He nodded pleasantly to Peregrine and held open the door for Judith to pass out.
In the hall she waited for him to close the door, and then said in a low voice: ‘You did not deny it.’
He raised his brows, looking down at her quizzically.‘Are you also to pick a quarrel with me, Judith?’
‘No, indeed,’ she said earnestly. ‘Perry is only a boy; he has these nonsensical notions. You are wiser. Oh, do not tell me! Indeed, you need not! You saved him, and I am – you do not know how grateful!’
He took her hand in both of his. ‘To earn your good opinion there is nothing I would not do!’ he said.