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“I’m sorry!” she said hastily after paying the driver. “The traffic was terrible. Somebody clashed wheels and broke an axle in Trafalgar Square, and they started shouting at each other. What a mess. Are we . . .”
“Yes,” Hester replied, too relieved to be angry. “We are! Come on!” And she took Margaret by the arm and entered Rathbone’s chambers.
They were too early, as Hester expected they would be. She was immensely relieved simply to find that Rathbone was not due in court that morning, and if they waited, there was an excellent chance he would be able to see them after his first client, who was due at half past nine, exactly the time the clerk expected Rathbone himself.
As it transpired, they were invited to go into his office shortly after ten o’clock, but Hester had the feeling that had Margaret not been with her he might have kept her waiting longer.
Rathbone came forward to greet them, hesitating an instant as to which of them he should speak to first. It was so slight Hester barely saw it, but she knew him far better than Margaret did, and she had not mistaken it. He addressed Hester, because of their long friendship, but he had wanted to go to Margaret.
“Hester, how pleasant to see you,” he said with a smile. “Even if I am perfectly sure that at this time in the morning you must have come on business, no doubt to do with your house in Coldbath Square.” He turned to Margaret. “Good morning, Miss Ballinger.” There was the very faintest flush on his cheeks. “I am glad you were able to come also, although I am afraid I have not yet thought of any way in which your usurer can be stopped by the law. And believe me, I have tried.”
Margaret smiled back
at him, meeting his eyes with candor, and then suddenly realizing how bold she was and moderating her gaze. “I am sure you have done all that could be . . .” she started, then stopped. “We have thought about it a great deal also, and certain events have changed matters considerably. Hester will tell you; it is her idea . . . although I do heartily agree.”
Rathbone turned to Hester with his eyebrows raised and a distinct look of apprehension in his face as he invited them to be seated. He turned to Hester. “Well?”
She knew time was limited and she must not waste words or choose the wrong ones. There would be little opportunity to retrieve a mistake. She was prepared to risk a touch of overstatement. If she was wrong she could apologize later. She plunged in.
“I know who the usurer is . . . was,” she stated with assurance. “It was a partnership, one man who found the young women and lent them the money, the other who actually ran the brothel and did the day-to-day management of affairs. He collected the repayments and exacted the punishment if they were late. It is the one who did the lending who is dead,” she added.
“Then is the business ended?” he asked, doubt in his face. “Will he not find another usurer, or plan that part of it himself?”
“He can’t take it over himself,” she answered. “He has not the skills, nor has he the opportunity to meet the sort of young women most vulnerable. He is a brothel-keeper, and he looks and sounds like one.” She leaned forward a little. “What he needs, desperately at the moment, is someone who appears to be a gentleman but who has business ability and a degree of charm to deceive young women in debt into borrowing from him in the belief that they can repay with money honestly earned.” She watched him carefully to make sure she was putting the case clearly and yet not so obviously that he was ahead of her, and would refuse before she had had the opportunity to explain the whole plan.
“I expect he will find one,” he said, his face filled with the rueful humor she knew so well. “It would be very pleasant to think that he will not, but not realistic. I’m sorry.”
“I agree.” She nodded. “If he could not, then we would have no concern.”
“I cannot prevent it, Hester,” he said gravely. “Nor can I reasonably find out who it will be. I wish I could. Or are you saying that if we are to stop this business we have only a small amount of time in which to act?” He looked genuinely grieved. “I would, if I knew of anything that would help. It is not practical to try closing him down. London is full of prostitution, and probably always will be, like all large cities.” There was apology in his eyes, in the line of his mouth. He did not look at Margaret.
“I know that,” Hester answered softly. “I am not so idealistic as to aim at changing human nature, Oliver, only at putting Squeaky Robinson out of this particular business.”
“Miss Ballinger suggested that you had an idea,” he said with care, the slight frown back between his brows.
She could not help a flash of humor. He had been involved in one or two of her plans before and was wise to be wary.
She plunged in. “We must strike before he finds a partner,” she said firmly, praying she would phrase her plan in such a way as to make him believe it was not only possible but perfectly moral and reasonable, which would not be easy!
“Strike?” he said warily. He glanced at Margaret.
She smiled with magnificent innocence.
He looked uncomfortable and turned back to Hester.
She took a deep breath. This was the moment. “Before he finds a partner himself,” she said, “we must provide one . . . who will need to examine the books, of course, before he commits himself. . . .”
Rathbone said nothing.
“And will thus have the opportunity to destroy them,” she finished.
He looked puzzled. “He won’t believe you,” he said with grave regret. “Your reputation is too well known, Hester. And unless he is a complete fool, he wouldn’t believe Monk either.”
“Oh, I know that,” she agreed. “But he would believe you, if you did it well enough.”
He froze, eyes wide.
There was nothing to do but continue. “If you were to go to him with us, of course, and say you would be interested in investing a little money in such a profitable sideline.” She knew she was speaking too quickly. “Providing an examination of the books, the debts still to be collected, and so on, were satisfactory, then you would also be able to provide suitable young women in the future. You come across them often enough in your practice—”
