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He arrived at the Foreign Office, climbed out, paid the driver, then stood on the pavement in the wind, wishing he were almost anywhere else. He would be late if he didn’t go now. He must ignore his hair across his face, and his heart beating as if he were going into the lion’s den.
He was a trifle more composed when he was shown to Sir John Armitage’s door, and a moment later was in a luxurious suite. It was no doubt meant to impress, and it succeeded. The room was full of sunlight, which streamed through the huge windows open to the sky and a few lush green treetops, leaves twisting and turning in the wind.
There was no time to appreciate the paintings or the polished mahogany furniture, the Aubusson carpets. Armitage stood in the center of the room, a tall and rather handsome man with thick hair swept back from keen features, almost arrogant, but for a courteous smile on his face. Or to be more correct, on his mouth. It did not reach his eyes. How much of his agreeing to see Daniel was due to Marcus fford Croft, and how much to Sir Thomas Pitt? To resent it was stupid. Better to use it wisely.
“Daniel Pitt,” Daniel introduced himself. “Thank you for sparing me time at such short notice.” He made it courteous, not too grateful. He watched Armitage’s face. He could read nothing in it.
“Not at all.” Armitage turned and indicated one of the armchairs. “I understand from fford Croft that it is urgent. And that it has to do with the miserable business of Philip Sidney.”
“Yes, sir. My firm has been engaged to present his defense.”
Armitage’s eyebrows rose and a slight smile touched his lips. “And do you believe he’s innocent?”
Daniel smiled back. It was good manners, without humor. “Of course, sir. Until proved otherwise, beyond reasonable doubt.”
“Do you always do exactly what you are hired for?” Armitage asked curiously.
“If I’m going to make a mistake, it will be more interesting and less fundamental than that.”
“I think you will go far. I am not yet prepared to say in which direction,” Armitage replied. “What exactly do you want of me? Remembering that my first duty is to my country, and incidentally yours also, not to the defense of your client, if they should prove to be incompatible.”
“The first thing I need to do is get to as much of the truth as I can.”
“It will always be only partial.”
“Sometimes you can tell a beast by only the shape of his head, sir. Of course, if it is one you’ve never seen before, the rest of it could be anything.” Before Armitage could reply, Daniel went on. “The signatures on the papers appear to be genuine, but we have not had an expert look at them.”
“The papers are not in your custody, for heaven’s sake?” For a moment, Armitage sounded alarmed.
“No, sir. But we do have limited access to them. I want to establish who realized they were not for genuine expenses, and why they were looking at old letters of transfer anyway. And why the money was not missed earlier. Who brought them over to England? It must have been after the incident at the Thorwood house, but not long after. I believe you were instrumental in assisting Philip Sidney to avoid prosecution in that matter?” He kept his voice soft, with hardly any emotion at all in it.
A shadow crossed Armitage’s face. “Yes. I thought it best. Public opinion was outraged, and he had…an unfortunate manner. Some people thought him arrogant. He gave the impression sometimes of thinking he had a right to things that were, in fact, privileges for which he should have been grateful. In the diplomatic service, you learn quite quickly how important it is to placate, to compliment, to evade unpleasantness always, even if the other person is unreliable or belligerent. Sidney didn’t…didn’t always control his impulses.” He did not move his gaze from Daniel’s. “I care very much how our country is perceived abroad. We can afford mistakes now and then. Everyone makes them. But not many! Not many at all! Sidney may well have had to go, but it was dreadful that it should be this way.”
Daniel did not interrupt.
“I had no idea about the money, though,” Armitage went on. “I gather it was not even a large amount? Possibly he was bored, and did it just to see if he could get away with it.”
Daniel looked down and noticed Armitage’s hands in his lap, knuckles shining white where the skin was stretched across the bones. The subject disturbed him. Perhaps he was embarrassed? After all, he was Sidney’s superior, and responsible for him.
“We will argue the case the best we can,” Daniel promised. “And the money ha
s to have been taken by someone in the embassy. I assume no outsider would have had access?”
“No. And even if they did, we are hardly going to create a diplomatic incident by blaming some gardener or housemaid!” Armitage’s face was pulled tight with distaste. “I wish I could make the whole miserable episode go away, but it is far too late for that.” He was now watching Daniel intently. “Have you noticed how often it is not the crime or the disaster of a scandal that brings down an otherwise great man, but the lies he tells to avoid admitting it?”
Daniel was not sure whether the question was rhetorical. He decided to answer anyway. “That is a profound observation, sir. I think many people might agree with you, if you put it to them—”
“And you don’t?” Armitage’s eyes were wide and angry.
“I wasn’t going to say that, sir. I was going to remark that it would be an excellent thing for a lawyer to remember at all times. It is not what the witness or the accused has done, it is what he will lie about. And that is useful in different ways, depending on whether he is for you or against you.”
Armitage drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “I apologize. I interrupted you far too soon. I hope I am never on a witness stand with you against me. You are much sharper than I thought. A bad error, that, to underestimate your opponent.”
Daniel smiled. “Then perhaps you should not have warned me, sir.”
“Hmm…” There was a surprising flash of humor in Armitage’s eyes.
“I thank you for your wisdom,” Daniel said, holding his breath for a moment. “But I cannot afford to waste the valuable time you have given me. I need to find all I can about these letters and, most importantly, how they attracted the attention of Morley Cross, and then got to England. Mr. fford Croft told me that if anyone at all could help me, it would be you. He also said that you would be the most likely person to help because you would find it deeply hurtful to see a man of Sidney’s…possible standing, of his name…convicted of two miserable crimes in America. The embezzlement is petty and wretched. The assault upon Miss Thorwood is disgusting.”
