‘Yes, but why do you ask?’ asked Lucy, looking bewildered.
‘Did it have a silver engraved handle?’
‘No. James would never have been able to have afforded such things.’
‘Do the interlocked initials M.W.B. mean anything to you?’
Lucy thought for a moment, and then said ‘No, they mean nothing to me. What is the significance of such initials?’
‘At the present I do not know. Lucy, I have to tell you that your brother is in serious trouble. He is our chief suspect in our murder enquiry, and will remain in our cells until either charges are bought against him or if there are future developments in this case that can prove his innocence. At the moment he denies everything. We know that he was involved with Troutbridge, but your brother is reluctant to tell us what the nature of that involvement is. If he refuses to answer our questions truthfully, I cannot do anything for him. Only you can help him,’ said Ravenscroft, hoping that his apparent coldness would provoke her into disclosing the truth that he sought.
‘How can I help my brother?’ asked Lucy.
‘By telling me the truth, Lucy,’ implored Ravenscroft. ‘I think your brother is reluctant to speak out for fear of hurting you. By protecting you, he may end up going to the gallows. I know that you would not want that. I implore you to help save him my dear lady,’ said Ravenscroft laying his hand once more on her wrist.
Lucy Armitage looked at Ravenscroft for a moment, then quickly rising to her feet crossed over to the window. Ravenscroft could see again the tears forming in her eyes as she did so — whatever the secret was that bound Lucy, her brother, and Troutbridge together, was one that could not be disclosed easily, and without pain.
‘Very well Mr. Ravenscroft, I see that I must take you into my confidence, but before I do so, I must swear you to secrecy on this matter. Promise me that?’ she asked, looking into his face.
‘My dear Lucy, I cannot give you that assurance,’ said Ravenscroft rising from his seat and walking over to her. ‘What you have to tell me may have some bearing on the murders of three prominent men and as such may have to be made public. However, what you have to say may have little or no relevance to the murders, and if that should prove so, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to guard your secret. I believe that what you have to tell me may help your brother to prove his innocence, and that is why I urge you to this course of action. I think you know that I would never do anything which would bring unhappiness to you.’
‘Come with me Mr. Ravenscroft,’ began Lucy, after a moment’s silence.
‘I would hope that you would find it possible to call me — Samuel,’ interrupted Ravenscroft.
‘Mr. Ravenscroft — Samuel, I know that I can trust you and that you have the interests of both my brother and myself at your heart. After what I have to tell you however, you may well think differently of me. Come with me, I have something to show you.’
She led the way out of the room and across the hallway. Ravenscroft followed her up the narrow stairs of the cottage, wondering what was about to be revealed to him, and whether such a disclosure would alter the lives of both Lucy and himself.
Lucy paused for a moment on the landing, as if deciding whether she should proceed, or yet turn back even at this last minute, but then turning to Ravenscroft she said in a quiet voice ‘In here. Please do not judge me too harshly.’
She pushed open the door of one of the rooms.
‘Thank you Sally you can go now,’ said Lucy addressing her maid. ‘Master Richard will be quite alright with us for a while.’
‘Very well ma’am,’ replied the maid leaving the room.
‘You see there Mister Ravenscroft, you have now discovered my secret.’
Ravenscroft entered the room. There on the floor was a small child, who was busily engaged in playing with a collection of wooden toys. Lucy walked over to the boy and lifted him up in her arms. Ravenscroft estimated that the boy was probably around three or four years of age.
‘And how is my little angel this morning?’ asked Lucy kissing the child on his cheek. ‘Have you and Sally been playing with your train?’
The child nodded and smiled — the same smile that Ravenscroft had caught briefly on his hostesses’ face on his first visit to the house.
‘I have bought someone to see you. This is Mr — er — Samuel.’
Unsure of his own reaction, Ravenscroft crossed over to the child and taking one of his small hands said, ‘Hallo Richard, I’m pleased to meet you.’
The boy smiled again. His mother kissed him once more before returning him to his play things on the floor.
‘So you see Mister Ravenscroft. — Richard is my son.’
Ravenscroft said nothing, uncertain of what he should say next. Lucy turned to her boy. ‘Mummy and Samuel have a few things to say together. We will leave you with your toys. Will you be a good boy for mamma?’
The child nodded and soon became engrossed once more in his game.
‘We will go downstairs, Mr. Ravenscroft.’
Ravenscroft followed her down the steps and into the drawing room. Lucy gave instructions for the maid to return upstairs. The two of them sat silently on the sofa.
He felt uneasy, not knowing what to say. He had feared, with mounting anxiety, that the revealing of the secret would not be easy for both of them, but the knowledge which he had now gained was the last thing he had expected. He looked out of the window, at the world outside the small cottage, and wondered whether he should now leave before he caused any further pain.
‘I warned you that you would think harshly of me,’ she said, after what had seemed like an eternity to him.
‘Lucy, I could never sit in judgement upon you,’ was all he could say, but he knew the words would sound empty and meaningless.
‘That is easy enough to say. Let me tell you my story first, then you will see how foolish I have been, and why my brother attempts to protect me. Then you will be in a better position to condemn my stupidity,’ began Lucy turning towards him. ‘Five years ago, I met and fell in love with a young man, whose name need not concern you. I was just eighteen years old at the time, young, headstrong, and yes, impetuous. The young man promised that he would marry me, and I was foolishly deceived into believing that he meant what he said. We were so in love, or so I thought. Then I found myself with child. I knew that the knowledge of this folly would lead to the disgrace of our family, and so it proved to be. My father had been unwell for some years, and once he learned of my plight his illness became more marked and he quickly sank into a decline from which he never recovered.’
She paused for a moment, the tears beginning to form once more in her eyes. Ravenscroft placed his hand on hers, but she quickly drew back, and continued with her story.
‘I only thank God that my mother had died some years previous. At least she had not been a witness to my disgrace. Worse was to come however. Once the young man knew of my plight, he had no further need of me. He was more than content to discard me, claiming that the child was not his, and that I had slept with another, but I can assure you Mr. Ravenscroft that I had been entirely faithful to him alone. He left shortly afterwards and went with his regiment to India. Last year I read that he had returned and had married well into London society. I bare him no grudges; the fault had been entirely mine. After my father’s death, my brother and I had little to live upon, once my father’s debts on the estate had been settled. We were forced to sell our family home, and came here to Ledbury, where James was fortunate enough to find employment as warden of the almshouses in Colwall. I had a little money saved, which enabled me to rent this property and engage a maid. Shortly before we arrived in the area, my darling Richard was born. At first, I’m afraid I was a very bad mother and wanted little to do with the child of my sin, but after a few weeks I found the love between us growing, and I realised that my son would be my salvation. I would devote my life to him, see that no harm would ever befall him — and above else see that he would never be tainted by the foolish wanton behaviour of his mother.’