Allen rose from his desk in the main hall. “What brings you by, Campden?” he asked.
“I need to speak to Sir David,” Greydon replied. Greydon had discovered that with the notoriety of the case that Sir David had opened an office in the public house. While his usual office was with the authorities, Sir David had decided he needed to be available for any unforeseen problems at The Brown Bear.
“He is rather busy at the moment, but I will go ask if he will see you,” Allen said, coming around his desk. “Wait here.”
Greydon remained rooted where he was as Allen walked down a darkened corridor. He hoped that Sir David would take the time to speak to him, even if it was for only a few questions. He wanted to get all the facts about his brother’s murder so he could prove to Lady Enid that Lady Eugenie was guilty, ending any doubt that she may have about the woman’s innocence.
He wasn’t entirely sure why it was so important that Lady Enid came to the same conclusion as he did, but it was. He didn’t want Lady Enid to be deceived by anyone.
Allen stepped back into the hall. “Sir David will see you now,” the guard informed him.
“Thank you,” Greydon said. He didn’t need to be shown to Sir David’s office since he knew there was only one room Sir David would have taken. As his work as a Bow Street Runner had dictated, he had been in this particular establishment several times.
Once he arrived at the door, he knocked and waited until he heard Sir David’s gruff reply, “Enter.”
Greydon turned the handle and stepped into the office. A desk was situated in the middle and two chairs sat in front of it. There was a window, providing little light since it opened to the alley. No pictures hung on the walls but there were a few knickknacks on the mantel that hung over the hearth.
Sir David glanced up from the piles of papers on his desk. “What is it that you want, my lord?” he asked, skipping the need for any pleasantries.
He closed the door, hoping to keep the conversation private. “When did you discover the truth?”
The tall, lanky man with a long face made a tsking noise. “You underestimate me. I have known for some time now, but I did not think it was my place to reveal such a thing,” he said. “But it is only a matter of time before everyone else finds out. Your brother was murdered and you have assumed his title.”
“Perhaps, but I would prefer to keep it quiet as long as possible.”
“I can respect that,” Sir David said, giving him an expectant look. “Now, what is it that you want?”
Greydon sat down. “I wanted to ensure that Lady Eugenie will pay for what she has done to my brother.”
“She will,” Sir David replied. “There is no doubt in my mind that she killed him, and I am preparing to call a formal inquest. With the witness statements and all of the evidence we recovered from the scene, I am confident the jury will reach a verdict rather quickly.”
“Good, good,” Greydon muttered. “With any luck, Lady Eugenie will plead guilty before this case even goes to trial.”
“It does not look good for her. She was caught standing over the body with blood on her hands. We believe that she stabbed him while he slept.”
“You mentioned witnesses. Did they see her stab my brother?” Greydon asked.
“No, but they heard Lady Eugenie screaming and they came off the street to see what the commotion was.”
“She was screaming?” Greydon asked. “Whatever for?”
Sir David shrugged. “I do not claim to understand the complex minds of women, but the witnesses claimed she was hysterical.”
“That seems rather odd, does it not?” he asked.
“I do not believe so,” Sir David replied. “She shoved a knife through your brother’s heart and, upon realizing what she had done, she grew hysterical. It isn’t the first time a woman has done such a thing.”
“I suppose not,” he replied, not fully convinced of Sir David’s words.
Sir David picked up a piece of paper. “She claims that she just happened upon the scene and saw Lord Rushcliffe lying in bed with a knife already in his chest. She went to render aid as she screamed for help.”
“She claimed she happened upon the scene?”
“Precisely, I was immediately skeptical of her response,” Sir David said. “Everyone knows what type of women go into that apartment.”
“Did she admit to being my brother’s mistress?”
“No, but it was not hard to put those two together,” Sir David said. “Women have always thrown themselves at Lord Rushcliffe.”
