“Isn’t anything pardonable, if you repent?” Charlotte said quietly.
“Not betrayal.” Kezia jerked her head up haughtily, her voice catching in her throat. “He has betrayed everything! He is the ultimate hypocrite. He is nothing he made me believe he was.”
“He’s fallible,” Charlotte argued. “Of course it’s wrong, but surely it is one of the most understandable of sins?”
Kezia’s hair was a bright halo around her, with the light shining gold through it.
“Hypocrisy? Cheating? Lying? Betraying all you have stood for, all those who have believed in you? No! No, it is not understandable, nor can it be forgiven. Not by me, anyway.” She turned away and stared out of the window again. Her shoulders were stiff, her whole body filled with resistance.
There was no point in arguing further. It would only increase her resolve. Charlotte was beginning to appreciate the depth of hatred in the Irish Problem. It seemed to be in the blood and the nature. There was no yielding, no exception made. It was stronger than family love or even the desire to keep the warmth and the sweetness of one’s deepest ties and companionships.
And yet she could remember her own pain of disillusion long ago when she had discovered Dominic’s feet of clay, exactly the same sort of thing. He was her elder sister Sarah’s husband, and she had adored him, quite unrealistically. For a while the loss of the dream had seemed unbearable. Then she had come to know him more truly, and they had reached a kind of friendship based on affection and forgiveness, and it had been a far cleaner, stronger thing.
“If you’d like to walk alone, I doubt there’d be anyone except perhaps a gardener in the maze,” she said aloud.
“Thank you.” Kezia did not move even her head, but stood with her robe clasped around her, as if it could protect her and she were afraid someone was going to tear it away.
Charlotte went out and closed the door again.
The ladies spent the morning writing letters, making small talk about various attractive or interesting objects of art in the house, and looking idly at the books of incidentals lying around on tables in the withdrawing room or boudoir. They were collections of designs, paintings, etchings, silhouettes or lace, and other such bits and pieces which formed designs of beauty or interest. It was a common practice for ladies of leisure to create them, and comparing one person’s skill or idea with another was a pleasure. Emily had not made it hers. She loathed such things, and took good care to see she had not the time, but she had been given them by various guests and was grateful to have them.
It was at least less difficult with Kezia absent. Had she chosen to come it would have been impossible. The previous day’s quarrel would have been little to compare with today’s.
The gentlemen resumed their deliberations, smoothly guided by Ainsley. Not surprisingly, the atmosphere was brittle, but O’Day and Padraig Doyle shared a dry laugh as they walked across the hall back to the library. And Jack, following with Fergal Moynihan, seemed to be having an agreeable enough conversation.
Pitt found Tellman trudging through the stable yard and looking grim.
“There are far too many men around here,” he said as soon as he was close enough to speak without being overheard by the grooms and coachmen in the vicinity. “Don’t know who half of them are. Could be anybody.”
“Most of them are longtime servants of the hall,” Pitt replied. He was in no mood to indulge Tellman’s prejudices. “They’ve been here for years and have no connection with Irish politics whatever. It’s strangers we need to keep a watch for.”
“What are you expecting?” Tellman raised his eyebrows sarcastically. “An army of Irish Fenians marching up the drive with guns and explosives? Judging by the atmosphere in the house, they’ll be wasting their time. That lot’ll kill each other and save them the bother.”
“That the servants’ gossip, is it?” Pitt enquired.
Tellman shot him a glance that should have withered him on the spot.
“It wouldn’t make any sense to attack each other here,” Pitt elaborated patiently. “It’s far too obvious. They’ll only make a martyr of the victim and blacken their own names, not to mention end their lives on the gallows. None of the men here are fanatic enough to want anything so pointless.”
“You think not?” Tellman walked with his head down, his hands jammed into his pockets.
Pitt saw a gardener cross the end of the path and go into the maze a hundred feet ahead of them.
“Walk properly,” he said quickly. “Take your hands out of your pockets.”
“What?” Tellman stared at him.
“You’re supposed to be a valet,” Pitt repeated tensely. “Walk like one. Take your hands out of your pockets.”
Tellman swore under his breath, but he obeyed.
“This is a waste of time,” he said bitterly. “We should be back in London finding out who killed poor Denbigh. That’s something that really matters. Nobody’s ever going to sort this lot out. They hate each other, and always will. Even the bleedin’ servants won’t talk civilly to each other.”
He swiveled to look at Pitt, his brow puckered. “Did you know servants are even more particular about rank and status than their masters?” He let out his breath in a sigh. “Everyone’s got their job, and they’d let the whole house grind to a stop sooner than let one man do another man’s duty, even if it’s as trifling as carrying a coal bucket a few yards. Footmen won’t lift a damn thing if it’s the housemaid’s job. Stand and watch the poor girl struggle with it, they will. There’s so many of them I don’t know how they ever keep it all straight.” His lean face was tight-lipped with contempt. “We all eat in the servants’ hall, but the first ten carry their pudding into the housekeeper’s sitting room. I hope you appreciate, Superintendent, that you are considered the lowest-ranking gentleman here, so I have to follow after the other valets, in strict order of precedence.” It was said with a mixture of venom and contempt.
“I can see it bothers you.” Pitt carefully put his hands in his pockets. “Just remember what we are here for. You may be a poor valet, but what matters is that you are a good policeman.”
Tellman swore again.
They were walking around the outside of the building, observing the approaches, the cover afforded by outbuildings and shrubbery.
“Is all that locked at night?” Tellman jerked his head towards the facade with its rows of windows. “Not that it’d make a lot o’ difference. A good star-glazier’d cut the glass and be inside in a moment.”
“That’s why the gamekeeper is around all night with the dogs,” Pitt replied. “And we have the local police watching the roads and keeping an eye on the fields as well. The Ashworth Hall staff know their land far better than any outsider will.”
“Spoken to the gardeners?” Tellman asked.
“Yes, and the footmen and coachmen, grooms and bootboy, in case anyone shows up at the back door.”
“Can’t think of anything else to do,” Tellman agreed. He looked sideways at Pitt. “D’you think there’s any chance they’ll agree on anything anyway?”
“I don’t know. But I have some respect for Ainsley Greville. He seems to have them talking civilly, which after this morning is a very considerable achievement.”
Tellman frowned. “What happened this morning? Your Gracie came downstairs and said there was a terrible screaming going on, but she wouldn’t say what it was about. She’s a curious one, that.” He looked away, studying the gravel they were now walking over, their feet crunching noisily. “One minute as soft as warm butter, the next like you’d stuck your hand in a bed o’ nettles, all pride and vinegar. Can’t make her out. But she’s got spirit, and for a servant, she’s quite good.”