Victoria blinked. ‘You knew that those. . creatures were here?’ she said incredulously.
‘Yes, ma’am. Lady Vespasia realised that the man pretending to be a gardener was actually taking the heads off the petunias. No real gardener would do that.’
Victoria looked beyond Charlotte to Vespasia, still at the far side of the room.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ Vespasia answered the unspoken question.
Narraway moved at last. He came forward, bowed very slightly, just an inclination of his head. ‘Ma’am, these men are violent and we believe they are seeking reform of all hereditary privilege in Europe-’
‘All hereditary privilege?’ she interrupted. ‘You mean. .’ her voice faltered, ‘. . like the French?’ From the pallor of her face she had to be thinking of the guillotine, and the execution of the King.
‘Not as violently as that, ma’am,’ Narraway told her. ‘We believe that when they are ready they will ask you to sign a bill abolishing the House of Lords-’
‘Never!’ she said vehemently. Then she gulped. ‘I do not mind dying so much, for myself, if that is what they have in mind. But I do not wish it for my household. They have been loyal, and do not deserve this repayment. Some of them are. . young. Can you negotiate. . something. . that will spare them?’
‘With your permission, ma’am, I will attempt to prevaricate long enough for help to arrive,’ he replied.
‘Why does Special Branch not call in the army, or at the very least, the police?’ she asked.
‘Because if they come in with force, these people may react violently,’ he explained. ‘They are tense now. In their own way they are frightened. They know the cost of losing. They will certainly be hanged. We cannot afford to panic them. Whatever we do, it must be so stealthy that they are unaware of it. Everything must appear normal, until it is too late.’
‘I see,’ she said quietly. ‘I thought I was being brave when I said, “Here we die.” It looks as if I was more accurate than I intended. I will remain here in this room, where I have been so happy in the past.’ She gazed out of the window. ‘Do you suppose heaven is like that, Mr. . what is your name?’
‘Narraway, ma’am. Yes, I think it may well be. I hope so.’
‘Don’t humour me!’ she snapped.
‘If God is an Englishman, ma’am, then it certainly will be,’ he said drily.
She turned and gave him a slow, careful look, then she smiled.
He bowed again, then turned away and walked to the door.
Outside in the landing he saw one of the armed men halfway down the stairs.
The man must have caught the movement in the corner of his vision. He spun around, raising the gun.
Narraway stopped. He recognised Gallagher from Special Branch photographs, but he did not say so. If any of them realised who he was they might shoot him on principle.
‘Get back there!’ Gallagher ordered.
Narraway stood where he was. ‘What do you want?’ he asked. ‘What are you waiting for? Is it money?’
Gallagher gave a snort of contempt. ‘What do you think we are — bloody thieves? Is that as far as your imagination goes? That’s all your sort thinks of, isn’t it! Money, all the world’s money, property. You think that’s all there is, property and power.’
‘And what’s yours?’ Narraway asked, keeping his voice level, and as emotionless as he could.
‘Get back in there!’ Gallagher jerked the gun towards the upstairs sitting room again.
Again Narraway remained where he was. ‘You’re holding Her Majesty hostage — you must want something. What is it?’
‘We’ll tell you that when we’re ready. Now unless you want to get shot, get back in there!’
Reluctantly Narraway obeyed. There was an edge of fear in Gallagher’s voice, a jerkiness in his movements that said he was as tight as a coiled spring inside. He was playing for the highest stakes he could imagine, and this was the only chance they would have. This was win, or lose it all.
Back in the sitting room Vespasia looked at Narraway the moment the door was closed.
‘They’re waiting for something,’ he said quickly. ‘Whoever it is here, he’s not in charge. Someone will come with a proclamation for Her Majesty to sign, or something of the sort.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘We may be here for some time — this has been put to the Prime Minister — if they are arguing this thing in the Cabinet. We’ll have to keep our heads. Try to keep them calm, and possibly even convince them they have a hope of success. If they lose that, they may just kill us all. They’ll have nothing to lose.’ He looked at her white face. ‘I’m sorry. I would prefer not to have had to tell you that, but I can’t do this alone. We must all stay steady — the household staff as well. I wish I could get to them to persuade them of the need for calm. One person in hysterics might be enough to panic them all.’
Vespasia rose to her feet a trifle unsteadily. ‘Then I will ask this lunatic on the stairs for permission to go and speak with the household staff. Perhaps you will be good enough to help me persuade him of the necessity. Charlotte will manage here very well.’
Narraway took her arm, holding it firmly. He turned to Victoria.
‘Ma’am, Lady Vespasia is going to speak with your staff. It is imperative that no one loses control or behaves with rashness. I shall try to persuade the men who hold us hostage to permit her to do this, for all our sakes. I am afraid we may be here for some little time.’
‘Thank you.’ Victoria spoke more to Vespasia than to Narraway, but the comment included them both.
‘Perhaps they could serve everyone food?’ Charlotte suggested. ‘It is easier to be busy.’
‘An excellent idea,’ Vespasia agreed. ‘Come, Victor. If they have any sense at all, they will see the wisdom of it.’
They went to the door and he held it open for her.
Charlotte watched them go with her heart pounding and her stomach clenched tight. She turned to Victoria, who was staring at her with the same fear bright in her eyes.
Out on the landing there was still silence. . no sound of gunfire.
A little before midnight Pitt and Stoker sat in a hansom cab on its way to the home of Sir Gerald Croxdale. With them in the satchel was the main evidence to prove Austwick’s complicity in the movement of the money, which had made Narraway appear guilty of theft and resulted in the murder of Mulhare. Also included were the reports of the leading revolutionary socialists prepared to use violence to overthrow governments they believed to be oppressive, and who were now gathered together in England, and had been seen moving south towards Osborne House, and the Queen. Also, of course, there were the names of the traitors within Special Branch.
It took nearly five minutes of ringing and knocking before they heard the bolts drawn back in the front door. It was opened by a sleepy footman wearing a coat over his nightshirt.
‘Yes, sir?’ he said cautiously.
Pitt identified himself and Stoker. ‘It is an extreme emergency,’ he said gravely. ‘The government is in danger. Will you please waken the minister immediately?’ He made it a request, but his tone left no doubt that it was an order.
They were shown to the withdrawing room. Just over ten minutes later Croxdale himself appeared, hastily dressed, his face drawn in lines of anxiety. As soon as he had closed the door, he spoke, looking from Pitt to Stoker and back again.
‘What is it, gentlemen?’
There was no time for any more explanation than necessary to convince him. ‘We have traced the money that was placed in Narraway’s account,’ Pitt said briefly. ‘It was Charles Austwick behind it, and the consequent murder of Mulhare, and also behind Gower’s murder of West. Far more importantly, we know the reason for both. It was to place Austwick in charge of Special Branch, so no one else would notice the violent radical socialists coming into Britain, men who have been ideological enemies until now suddenly co-operating with each other and all moving down towards the Isle of Wight.’