Page 78 of In the Midnight Hour

Mrs. Nyburn squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “I did my best. I don’t know what I would have done if Mr. White hadn’t offered me this position.”

“Are you aware if Mrs. Babcock knows about Sir Radnor’s proclivities?” Northwood asked.

“Yes, because I told her,” Mrs. Nyburn said with heat. “I informed her that she needed to watch over the maids. She asked me what she was supposed to do, go against a baronet? I understood because I’d hesitated. And in the end, I didn’t say anything—not to Sir Radnor nor to a constable or the magistrate. It would have been his word against mine and the housemaids’. I knew how that would end.”

“I also felt powerless,” Hypatia said.

“I saw that it happened again after I left,” Mrs. Nyburn said, her eyes tormented. “Sir Radnor became friendly with Mrs. Dalrymple and when that ended, the maids left and new ones came on.”

Hypatia wanted to weep for every one of them.

“It’s too bad Sir Radnor is dead. I would have ensured he paid for his crimes,” Northwood vowed.

Mrs. Nyburn gave him a sad smile. “That is kind of you to say, my lord, but I’m not sure even you could have helped those poor maids. I did worry about how Sir Radnor might have died, particularly when I saw that you seemed to be the primary suspect. I’m glad you escaped him.”

“And I didn’t kill him,” Hypatia repeated. “Unfortunately, someone did and the likeliest suspects are in his household.”

“Can’t you just leave this be?” Mrs. Nyburn asked. “Why does his murder need to be solved? No one should be punished for killing that horrid man.”

Mrs. Nyburn was also a suspect, just as she and Northwood had discussed.

“I don’t disagree with you, Mrs. Nyburn,” Northwood said. “However, Lady Cartwright definitely shouldn’t be punished, because she didn’t commit the crime. We must find the real killer so that she’s cleared.”

“What evidence could they possibly have against Lady Cartwright?” Mrs. Nyburn looked at Hypatia. “You won’t be arrested for this murder, not someone of your stature.”

“Someone in Sir Radnor’s household told the Bow Street Runner that she saw me outside Sir Radnor’s bedchamber around the time of the murder. I don’t know who said that, just that it was a ‘she,’ and it’s my word against hers. I went home, but I could have easily returned to his house if I wanted to.”

“That’s right. There’s a gate between the back gardens.” Mrs. Nyburn eyed her with sympathy. “Still, I have to think they’ll believe your word over a servant’s.”

“They will not,” Northwood said sharply. “My brother is the coroner, and he will ensure that justice is done, no matter who the murderer is. He always follows the truth, Mrs. Nyburn, and right now Lady Cartwright has the motive and had the opportunity to reenter Sir Radnor’s house and kill him. It is not right that someone should lie about Lady Cartwright, and it is undoubtedly to cover their own guilt.”

“Tell whoever said it to recant,” Mrs. Nyburn said, her eyes desperate.

“That would look suspicious,” North replied. “It would invite more scrutiny. Bow Street isn’t going to give up on solving the murder of a baronet.”

“Of course they won’t.” Mrs. Nyburn wrung her hands as she looked down at her lap. When she lifted her head, her features were utterly anguished, and it tore at Hypatia’s heart. “If there is any way you can protect those poor maids, I hope you will. You know what they have suffered.”

“I do, and I will try.” Hypatia would do her best. First, they needed to discover the truth. “Thank you for sharing everything with us, Mrs. Nyburn. If you think of anything else that may help, please let us know.”

“I will,” Mrs. Nyburn said earnestly as they all rose.

The housekeeper showed them to the door. Outside, Hypatia’s thoughts spun. They’d obtained the information they needed. Now they just had to consign someone to the hangman’s noose.

“I can’t say I feel better after that,” Northwood said as they walked along the pavement.

Quill appeared from the stairs that led down to Northwood’s lower floor. He slipped through the wrought-iron fence and joined them.

“Were you visiting my kitchen?” Northwood asked. “I’m sure Mrs. Pike likely gave you some scraps, lucky boy.”

Hypatia swept the cat into her arms and nuzzled his head. “I smell fish.” She smiled as Quill purred. Instantly, she relaxed. “That was a difficult interview.” She looked over at Northwood. “Perhaps even more upsetting than Mrs. Jennings’. Poor Mrs. Nyburn feels so guilty, and I can’t say I blame her for asking us to leave Sir Radnor’s murder unsolved.”

“We cannot,” Northwood said with a force that made Hypatia twitch.

“I know,” she replied quietly. “I can still feel unhappy about it.”

He blew out a breath. “Yes, and I do too. Shall we retire to your house for tea to discuss our next move?”

“I suppose.” Hypatia started across the street, and Northwood fell into step beside her. When they reached the center of the square, Quill jumped down from her arms and tucked himself through the iron fence into the garden. “It looks as though we’re going through the garden,” she said wryly.