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‘We’re here,’ he said. ‘All of us. It’s all right. We’re here now.’Ten years too late. We’re here.
Aaron and Nicky were walking Hugo backwards into the parlour. They were three tall men, and they took up a lot of space. Ella followed, shutting the door behind her. She came over to Prue and sank down by the chair, taking her other hand, so that she and Jem were flanking the small woman.
‘Well,’ Hugo said. ‘This is something of a surprise. Is it a reunion? I must say, I didn’t expect all you fellows. Bit of an unceremonious entry, what?’ The forced bonhomie rang like cheap tinware.
‘If you could try not to embarrass us all,old man, that would be marvellous.’ Nicky’s voice was lethally dry.
‘I beg your pardon?’
Prue’s hand felt very cold in Jem’s, her fingers tight around his. He cleared his throat. ‘What are you doing here, Hugo? Why did you need to rush off to visit Prue like this? Why aren’t you in London?’
‘I hardly think I need answer any of that.’ Hugo was still smiling.
‘I think you must,’ Aaron said. Nicky strolled back to the door and propped his shoulders against it, folding his arms in a way that suggested he didn’t intend to move.
‘Why don’t I start,’ Jem said. ‘And if Prue wants to add anything, she can.’ He felt her fingers twitch. ‘I’m going to start with the last few weeks. And then I’m going to go back to what happened ten years ago. And you can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think anyone’s in the mood for bluster, so please don’t bother. You must realise, we all know.’
The smile stayed on Hugo’s mouth. His face settled around it, though, eyes and cheeks losing their cheerful lift, dragging his lips down.
‘I set out to discover who killed Toby,’ Jem said. ‘Perhaps that was foolish—in fact, every one of you told me not to do it, but I did it anyway, and learned a number of things. And one of those was that Toby had had incriminating information about a fellow student, that he’d considered going to the authorities, and that he hadn’t. And the reason he hadn’t was that he was using his information for blackmail. Hugo, why did you propose to Ella?’
‘If you’re suggesting Toby forced me to do so, that is an insult to a very lovely and accomplished woman. Since you ask, I felt it was the right thing to do. She found herself—if you will excuse my frankness—in a very difficult entanglement that would have had disastrous consequences.’
‘No, I didn’t,’ Ella said. ‘It was anengagement, and the consequences of that were and are none of your business. Why did you feel compelled to suggest I, who had just lost my chance of a title and my inheritance and thus was absolutely no use to you, marry you? What was in it for you?’
‘Perhaps I proposedbecauseyou had just lost your chance of a title and your inheritance.’
‘An act of charity.I see. How very kind.’
Jem desperately tried to marshal his thoughts as they bickered, to remember what was assumption and what fact. Hugo was a politician, and a good one; he would have a story ready, and Jem felt a sudden panic. He was out of practice with verbal battles. Why was Nicky not taking charge?
He flung a desperate glance at Nicky, who was lounging against the door. Nicky met his gaze and winked. It was just a flicker of an eyelid, a twitch of the lips, there and gone, and Jem took a deep breath.
‘As I was saying,’ he said loudly. ‘Toby had the goods on one of you. I wrote to you all, the same letter. It was a fishing expedition and it got bites. Because the other night, Hugo, I met you coming out of StAnselm’s, and when I returned to my room, I found it burgled, the stairs booby-trapped, and my notebook stolen. I suppose that was intended to put me off. But when you came to see me the next day, I told you I intended to take everything I knew to the police. You weren’t happy about that, were you?’
‘I was not happy at your obvious state of exhaustion and dishevelment,’ Hugo said. ‘You looked and sounded unbalanced, if I must say so, babbling of crimes and conspiracies. In fact, you do so now, and I fear the police will give you short shrift if and when you reveal whatever fantastical tale?—’
‘No speeches,’ Nicky said. ‘You’re not in the House now.’
‘Quiet!’ Hugo snapped. ‘If Jem insists on insulting me, I have the right to speak in my defence.’
‘I don’t think I’ve insulted you yet,’ Jem said. ‘I’m merely recounting what happened. And the next thing was a heavily muffled man, waiting in the fog outside Bascomb Stair, coming after me, and attacking me. Aaron came up then, thank goodness, and you know, Hugo, he saw your face clearly.’
‘No, he didn’t,’ Hugo snapped.
Nicky laughed aloud. ‘Well played, Jeremy.’
‘I meant, he couldn’t have seen my face because it wasn’t me.’
‘I didn’t see a face,’ Aaron said. ‘What I saw was a man running away. I ran with you for three years, Hugo, and I was not always out in front. You still have that kick to your gait, don’t you?’
‘This is some sort of plot between you all,’ Hugo said savagely. ‘I don’t know what envy or spite is motivating this attack, but it is a malicious confection. I have no idea what this is about.’
‘Liar.’ Prue’s voice was thin but clear.
Jem gave it a second in case she wanted to add anything. She didn’t, so he went on. ‘Let’s help you, then. How did you find Prue’s address?’
‘I—what do you mean?’
