“Why is that man still here, Constable? I insist he be removed from my son’s property at once. He is clearly a dangerous criminal who should be locked up for public safety.”
“Oh no, you don’t, My lady,” Allerton snarled. “I’ve had enough. I’ll be transported for this anyway and you can’t threaten me with anything worse.”
“Take him away!” Lady Birks repeated loudly with her full measure of authority but perhaps a little more urgency than usual. “You can see what kind of man he is.”
“No, bring him back in here, Mr. Langford,” Edmund said with equal authority, stepping into the window space and edging Lady Birks away from the central view. “We’d like to hear what Mr. Allerton has to say.”
ChapterEighteen
“Your Grace, this is quite unnecessary. I must protest,” Lady Birks said immediately in response to Edmund’s request. “If you truly believe that Allerton was the dangerous individual responsible for shooting poor Percy, how can you countenance bringing him back in here to us, especially with ladies present?”
“I am sure that Mr. Langford and Mr. Burnham chose their men well for today’s work, Lady Birks. I am also fully armed and experienced in using my pistol when necessary. No one need be in any danger.”
“Yes, I agree with His Grace,” Mr. Langford put in. “Let us all hear what Mr. Allerton has to say for himself.”
Once again, Diana saw a rapid succession of different expressions on her aunt’s face: anger, fear, hatred and then back again to strained politeness. It made her shiver.
“Andrew, why don’t you take your sister outside? She’s very distressed. Perhaps she needs some air—”
“I’d rather stay here,” Kitty interrupted, now standing close to Diana.
“God, I need a drink,” Andrew muttered. “Mater, can you open this damned cabinet? We could all do with something strong right now.”
“I said, take your sister outside now, Andrew,” Henrietta insisted, an odd urgency in her voice. Edmund and Mr. Langford exchanged glances. “Go! I know best, and you are not in any position to argue with me.”
Whatever her intent, it was lost on Andrew, who remained rooted to his spot near the inaccessible bottles.
“No one leaves this room until Mr. Langford and Mr. Burnham tell them to,” Edmund said, taking a position by the door, his voice firm and even. Henrietta’s face flashed with hatred again, this time directed straight at Edmund. He did not flinch.
Diana felt that something was happening in the library around her but could not yet understand what it might be. She and Kitty shared a look of pure bewilderment.
“I just want some whiskey,” Andrew whined, kicking the drinks cabinet resentfully like an angry teenager.
Kitty went to her brother’s side and took his hand, drawing him to sit with her on the other side of the room away from their mother.
Lady Birks drew herself up to her full height as Allerton was marched back into the room by the hired men, with Mr. Burnham behind him. Edmund closed the door.
“Mr. Allerton, will you please repeat what you told me outside, for the benefit of Mr. Langford?” the constable demanded tersely, and the gardener nodded with a bitter laugh.
“I will. I’ve had enough of being played around and used by the likes of them. I couldn’t stick being ordered around in the militia by all the officers and risking my own neck for no good reason. But then, this house beats the army hollow.”
“Good gracious! A deserter!” Lady Birks exclaimed in a horrified voice. “You see, he is a dangerous criminal. Do take him away. I’m sure he’s guilty of all you suspect and more.”
“A damned deserter! Good God!” Andrew spluttered. “I had no idea. The man should be transported, if not shot.”
With consternation, Diana realized that she recognized the sincerity of Andrew’s shock. He really had not known.
“Yes, I’m a deserter. As well you know, your ladyship” Allerton said with a hostile laugh. “It’s the main reason you brought me in to run after Lord Birks, isn’t it? I’m what you wanted. A desperate man you could hire for half-pay to do all your dirty work. You thought you could let me swing in the end too, didn’t you? But I won’t let that happen.”
“The man’s raving.” Lady Birks shook her head. “He’s talking nonsense. Trying to drag my poor Andrew into all this and smear our good name.”
“Good name of Birks? Ha! That’s a good one, your ladyship. Everyone knows by now that Lord Birks is a drunken sot who has gambled away the entire family fortune, his sister’s dowry and more. You’re about the only person who pretends differently. There are half a dozen men around the country who are getting ready to break his legs the next time they see him out alone.”
“You were hired to… protect me?” Andrew asked slowly with dawning comprehension.
“God! The boy’s slow on the uptake. Not like his ma, is he, Lady Birks?” Allerton taunted. “Yes, Birks. Your mother wanted an armed man watching your back once you returned to England. You’ll be lucky if you can still walk away after some of your creditors get their hands on you. Unpaid debts are bad news in their line of business.”
Andrew swore loudly, his face now red and sweating partly from the usual effort of thinking.