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CHAPTER TWELVE
Later that day, armed with rather disturbing information about Alfred Sinnerton, Trenton left White’s in a temper and hailed a carriage. As he climbed aboard, he contemplated whether to share the news with Ursula first, but suspected that she would just refuse to see him. Instead, he rapped out the address he had been given to the coachman, and slammed the door closed behind him.
“Are you sure you want to go there, sir?” the coachman called.
Trenton frowned and slid the window down so he could lean out and looked at him.
“Why?”
“It’s rather run down, squire, that’s all I’m saying. It’s not a safe place to be.”
“If you are happy to go there then I am,” Trenton replied firmly.
The coachman looked at him somewhat hesitantly, glanced at White’s, then shrugged and guided the horse into the traffic.
Trenton studied the address Sir Bernard had scribbled onto the parchment. He wondered how the Sinnertons expected to pull off their duplicitous scheming. Once the ton realised they were short of funds and couldn’t return any of the invitations they were going to be cast out faster than they could blink. They would be the scourge of London for many years to come.
It wasn’t just the lies they had told to gain access to the invitations that worried him. It was Alfred Sinnertons penchant for Ursula that was most disturbing. Someone who was that conniving didn’t want to further a connection with Ursula because they were deeply attached. He knew now that their motive was mercenary, and had very little to do with affection. That made Alfred Sinnerton incredibly dangerous; a criminal even given the incidents that had happened to Ursula of late.
In spite of the forewarning he had received, Trenton wasn’t prepared for the sight that met his startled gaze when the carriage pulled to a stop. He opened the window and looked up at the coachman.
“Is this it?” he asked in astonishment.
“Aye. This is 21 Matterton Gardens,” the driver replied and yelled at a street urchin who ventured too close to his horse.
“Just wait here for a few minutes,” Trenton ordered as he stepped down into the grimy, sewage laden street. It was more disreputable than he had thought. He studied the numbers on the houses and discovered that number 21 was a ramshackle house that should have been abandoned a long time ago. Rather than knock on the door, he stopped a young lad who scurried past.
“Is anyone living here?” he asked, holding a penny up as a prize. He watched the young boy’s avid gaze consider his offering for a moment before his gaze flickered furtively toward the house.
“Mrs Crabtree lives downstairs.”
“What about upstairs? Who lives there?”
“Dunno,” he boy shrugged. “Ask Mrs Crabtree.” He nodded toward an elderly woman who was carrying an empty basket down the dirt laden front steps.
Trenton flicked the boy the penny and stepped toward the woman. She looked at him warily when he approached but stopped to hear what he had to say.
“Mrs Crabtree?” Trenton asked, unwilling to venture closer to the building for fear of being seen by its occupants, namely the Sinnertons. He looked down at the basement beside the path, and shuddered at the sight of a rat scurrying across the dirt beneath the window.
“I don’t owe nothing,” the woman grumbled dourly.
“Who lives on the second floor?” He nodded toward the house and held up a couple of pennies for the woman to see. “I just need their names.”
“They owe you money too?”
“Do they owe you rent?”
“’Aye,” she snapped and glared at him as though it was his fault.
Trenton studied the second floor windows for a minute and wondered if the Sinnertons were at home. He then realised that the Mrs Crabtree was leaving, and hurried after her.
“Wait. Can you describe what they look like?”
“Why? Whatsit to you?”
“I am investigating them,” Trenton replied briskly. “They are fraudsters.”
Mrs Crabtree stopped and peered at him suspiciously. Her gaze flew to the house while she considered that, then she nodded as though completely unsurprised by the news. Sensing she wasn’t going to give him the information he wanted easily, Trenton sighed and held up another couple of pennies.
