Crowther missed the retelling of the Third Act, however, as it was at that moment Mrs. Westerman came in to join them.
“You see, Crowther?” she said. “We are the best entertained household in London.” She looked at Rachel and Susan playing Manzerotti and Marin in front of the proscenium arch of the fireplace. “All of the luminaries of the theater and music world come to us here in the shape of Lady Susan.”
That young lady grinned up frankly at Harriet then swept a theatrical bow to her. “Madam, I thank you.”
Rachel put her arm around Susan’s shoulders, her good humor apparently dissipated by the arrival of her sister. “Come along, dear heart. Let us see what mischief the young gentlemen are about and leave Harriet and Mr. Crowther to talk over unpleasant things.”
Mrs. Service began to put away her work.
“An excellent plan, Miss Trench,” she agreed. “Then let us set Susan to work at her keyboard and see how many of last night’s arias she can pull out of the air.”
Before Susan could be shepherded from the room, however, Harriet put up a hand.
“Susan, Rachel! One moment, my loves. You said something about being allowed to visit the performers at the end of the evening?”
Susan turned on her heel at once. “Oh yes! And you told us we must tell Mr. Crowther about it too.” She flew back to her stage in front of the fireplace, ignoring the slight frown of Mrs. Service. “Well, everyone was just standing around being awfully polite to each other as people do. The king had left-he seems like a nice man, though he must be terribly worried about America. Then Mr. Harwood came in and beckoned Manzerotti and Bywater and Miss Marin over to him.” She took a couple of steps over to her right, then with a frown crooked her finger at some imaginary artists, looking very serious. “Rachel and I guessed that he was telling them about Mr. Fitzraven, didn’t we?” Rachel nodded somberly. “From where I was standing,” Susan went on, “I could see Miss Marin best. She did this.”
The little girl actually went pale, and staggered slightly. Crowther found himself on his feet ready to take her arm. She grinned, enchanted at having fooled him.
“Come, Mr. Crowther, stand here on my right. You are now Mr. Bywater. Miss Marin clutched onto his arm and sort of half-fell on him for a second. Mr. Bywater was facing forward still and his lips got all bunched up. He looked a bit like a confused herring.” She dropped Crowther’s arm and took a smart step to her left. “Manzerotti just went very still-like when he got turned into a statue at the end of Act Three-and all the others just started talking. I thought Miss Marin’s maid was going to lead her away, but after a few seconds she straightened up again and started talking to Lord Sandwich. I like him. He knows a lot about music for a naval man.”
She smiled around at the adults watching her, expecting more of their praise, but each seemed lost in his or her own thoughts.
“Then Mr. Harwood came and made a bow to Rachel and said he hoped Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther would be successful again in their efforts for justice. And I said I hoped you would be too, for although I was not fond of Mr. Fitzraven, no one should be thrown in the river like that.”
Harriet, who was standing with her arms folded, apparently lost in an examination of the carpet at her feet, said, “And what did Rachel say?”
Susan looked at her with a frank smile. “Why, nothing. You just curtsied, did you not?”
The young woman nodded.
“And she did so very neatly-you need not be ashamed of her, Mrs. Westerman. Three times in ten when I curtsy I still catch my slipper on my petticoat.”
No one offered any remark to that.
“There! Did I help?”
“Yes, Lady Susan,” said Crowther. “You certainly did.”
“Good,” she said, snatching up Rachel’s hand and dragging her toward the doorway where Mrs. Service was still waiting for them. “I like to be of help.”
Harriet took the seat Rachel had just left, and they had the room to themselves.
“It seems,” Harriet said after a few moments, “that Miss Marin was worth the trouble of her hiring. If the congregation of St. James’s is anything to measure by, all of London is enraptured. Do you think her reaction to Fitzraven’s death is suggestive?”
Crowther tented his fingers. “You think she too might be a spy? Though of course we have as yet no reason to believe Palmer’s suspicions of Fitzraven to be accurate.” He seemed lost in contemplation of his cuffs, though Harriet knew wherever he directed his gaze at such moments, he saw nothing. The strange chemical stains that often appeared around his wrists were testament to that. He continued: “I pity Fitzraven. From what we have learned of him, this would be the sort of day to make him very happy.” He reached into his pocket and produced a piece of paper. “I have had an interesting note this morning from our friend Justice Pither. He gives us his full authority, and a great deal of thanks, and would be delighted if we can-and I must quote him here-‘perform those duties due to the dead man from which pressure of other business under his jurisdiction keep him.’”
He passed the note to Harriet and she read it, wincing. “That is an ugly phrase, ‘duties due.’ Strange man, Justice Pither. I wonder that he cannot hear his own awkwardness. However, I presume he means he would like us to find him a killer if we can.”
“Note also,” with his long fingers Crowther tapped at the significant passage in the paper Harriet held, “he reminds us that a considerable award is available to those who bring such black-hearted villains to the King’s Justice.”
Harriet put the note aside and half-smiled at the floor in front of her.
“Very well then, Crowther. It seems Mr. Palmer has managed to arrange authority for us through whatever means. I feel sorry for Mr. Pither to be used so, but I suppose we are in the service of a greater good. Let us see what we can do. What do you suggest?”
Crowther returned to his examination of his fingertips, saying, “Graves said Fitzraven had lodgings in a house in Great Swallow Street. I suggest we go there and see if there is anything which might suggest that Palmer’s suspicions are well-grounded.”
“Crowther,” Harriet said slowly, “I have been thinking more about Mr. Palmer and whether, by engaging us to act in this way, he hopes I will continue to press James for what he learned from the agent aboard the Marquis. Might that not be his primary motive?”
“I cannot say, though I believe that when a man like Mr. Palmer, however frank his demeanor, says he has three reasons for a course of action, he in all probability has four or five,” Crowther replied. Upstairs, the faint song of Susan’s harpsichord began. The notes seemed to tumble through the ceiling rose and dance like dust motes in sunlight around them. “However, I do not think any additional motive he has renders the reasons he stated invalid.”
There was a laugh from above. Harriet recognized the voice of her sister. Her hand lay on the arm of one of the elegant but functional chairs that were dotted about the room. Under her fingers the wood seemed to change from gilt into the smooth timbers of a ship’s gunwale, and the scattered brightness of the instrument playing over their heads became the sound of water rippling under the bow on one of those blessed days where the wind is generous, though the sea is calm. It had been on such a day in the East Indies when her husband’s ship and the merchantman she shadowed had been attacked by a privateer. The attempt would never have been made against a ship of His Majesty’s Navy had not the crew of the privateer received intelligence of the coming of the ship, and the wealth of the merchantman she accompanied. It had allowed them to take advantage of the play of coast and prevailing wind, and the engagement had been sharp. Three members of James’s crew had never been ashore again. It was one of the crew of the merchantman who had betrayed them. Harriet had seen the man hanged and felt no qualm at his death.