‘Miss Lawrence, my father, Mr Alexander Prescott. Father, Miss Lawrence, a guest of Lady Radcliffe,’ Adrien said hastily. ‘Sir, I am afraid I have very bad news. My cousin Henry is dead. Murdered.’
‘Murdered? Good God.’ He cast me a harried glance. ‘My apologies, Miss Lawrence.’
‘Come and sit down, Father.’ Adrien took his arm and steered him towards the nearest chair, then tugged the bell pull. ‘Brandy, Grainger,’ he said when the butler came in.
We all sat while Mr Prescott absorbed the shock, the decanter was brought and he took a gulp from the measure Adrien poured for him. He was not far short of fifty years old, I guessed, studying him as he pulled himself together and put down the glass.
‘By whom?’ he asked, his voice steady. ‘And when? Is that why he was not here when I came in answer to his message?’
‘He was here,’ Luc said. ‘His body was found behind his desk this morning.’
‘Behind – My God.’ This time he made me no apology for his language.
‘Perhaps you can explain what occurred when you called last night,’ Sir William said. ‘It will assist me in establishing the facts.’
‘Yes. Yes, of course.’ Prescott ran one hand through his hair. ‘We were at the Palace.’ He made a vague gesture towards where St James’s Palace lay. ‘It was a reception for gentlemen prominent in agricultural improvement. That is an interest of mine, and of my brother Horace and his sons, but it was not my usual kind of evening’s entertainment,’ he added with a flash of dry humour. ‘I do not welcome getting rigged out in Court dress. However, there it was, one cannot decline such an honour without good reason and I had business that made the journey less wasteful than it might have been otherwise. A footman brought me the note whilst we were assembling. No members of the Royal family were present yet and, given that I could walk here in five minutes, I thought it best to come.’
‘Did you recognise the handwriting?’ Luc asked.
‘I did not pay it any attention. How are you involved in this matter, my lord?’
‘As a neighbour and as a friend of your son,’ Luc said calmly. ‘I have some experience in these matters, as Sir William can vouch.’
‘I see.’ Alexander looked somewhat put out. ‘And Miss Lawrence?’
‘Miss Lawrence is also a friend of mine,’ Adrien said, with a fleeting smile that I returned. ‘I am hoping that she will come with me to break the news to Miss Jordan.’
‘Good heavens, yes. The poor girl! Tillingham’s betrothed, you know,’ he added as an aside to Sir William.
‘You received this note, Mr Prescott,’ Sir William said, calling us to order. ‘Do you still have it?’
‘No. I think I simply dropped it back on the salver the footman brought it on. I was in haste, as you may imagine.’
‘You arrived here, were admitted by the butler and he announced you?’ he asked, testing Grainger’s version of events.
‘No. Grainger admitted me, then I walked through, tapped on the study door and let myself in. The room was empty so I sat down and waited. When there was no sign of my nephew I returned to the reception, fortunately arriving just before the Prince of Wales’s entrance.’
‘You were not surprised by Lord Tillingham’s failure to meet you?’
‘I was puzzled and not a little annoyed. It was not like my nephew to be careless or inconsiderate. I expected a note of explanation this morning and, when none appeared, I intended to call after luncheon to enquire. To think I sat there and all the time he was lying wounded.’ He covered his eyes with his hand for a moment. ‘Perhaps I could have saved him.’
‘No,’ Sir William said. ‘It was an immediately mortal wound. He cannot have suffered.’
There was silence while Adrien’s father recovered himself. I scribbled a question in my notebook and tilted it for Luc to read.
He nodded. ‘Was the study window open, Mr Prescott?’
The older man frowned. ‘Let me think… No. At least, I am sure it was not open wide. The curtains had not been drawn closed. The room was quite warm and a breeze would have been welcome, as I had walked briskly from the Palace.’ The reason for the question appeared to strike him. ‘I cannot say whether or not it was unlatched. It may even have been open an inch or so.’
‘And you noticed nothing out of place in the study?’
‘Nothing. My nephew was an orderly man and kept everything just so. There was no sign of disorder. There were papers on his side of the desk, somewhat spread out, that was all.’
‘You did not look around? Perhaps stroll about studying the pictures or looking at books while you waited?’
‘Certainly not. I would not presume to make myself at home in Tillingham’s private rooms.’ He pinched the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb as though warding off a headache. ‘I must go to Cambridge. This is not news I can break to my brother Frederick by letter.’
I saw Luc glance at the magistrate and Sir William nodded. ‘Of course, Mr Prescott. You will, however, be called to attend the inquest. There is to be a post-mortem examination, so I imagine that it can be put off for perhaps two days. Will that give you sufficient time?’