The Repentant Rake

    'I believe so. It was not the work of an amateur.'

    'Exactly. This man has killed before. Often, probably.'

    'A hired assassin?'

    'Certainly not a person to turn your back on.' He licked his lips and closed one eye. 'You said earlier that you'd have to find out the victim's identity by other means.'

    'The search will begin this very morning, sir.'

    'Where?'

    'Among the most exclusive shoemakers in the city.'

    'Shoemakers?'

    'Yes,' said Jonathan, producing the shoe that had been picked up at the wharf by an inquisitive dog. 'I want to find out who sold him this.'

    'What happened to you, Mr Redmayne?' said Jacob in alarm. 'Your face is bruised and your coat is torn. Is that blood on your sleeve?'

    'Yes, Jacob,' said Christopher, putting his satchel down and removing his coat, 'but you'll be pleased to know that it's not mine. A highwayman made the mistake of trying to rob me and had to be put in his place.' He flexed both hands. 'My knuckles still hurt from the fight.'

    The servant blenched. 'A highwayman?'

    'Don't worry. I learned my lesson. On the following day, I put safety before valour and joined a party of travellers on their way to London. It slowed me right down but gave me an opportunity to nurse my wounds. I spent the second night at an inn with my companions. And here I am,' he announced, spreading his arms. 'Home again, with no harm done.'

    'I wouldn't say that,' argued Jacob, inspecting his master's coat. 'How on earth did you get involved with a highwayman in the first place?'

    'Because I was reckless.'

    'That's a kind word for it, sir.'

    'I'm in the mood for kind words. Remember that.'

    Christopher sat down at the table, and Jacob disappeared into the kitchen with the coat. When he came back, he brought a glass of brandy on a tray Giving him a nod of gratitude, Christopher took the glass and sipped its contents.

    'You sensed my needs exactly, Jacob,' he said.

    'That's what I'm here for, sir.'

    Jacob Vout was the only servant at the house in Fetter Lane. As a result, the old man had to combine the duties of cook, butler, valet and ostler, volunteering, for no extra payment, to assume a paternal role as well from time to time. Devoted to Christopher as a master, he occasionally treated him like an erring son and spoke with a candour that blurred the social divisions between them. Christopher tolerated it all with good humour. He knew that Jacob watched over him with a mingled sense of duty and affection, and he was reminded of the way that Susan Cheever treated her father, though he liked to think that he had none of the truculence of Sir Julius.

    'I dare not ask if the visit was a success,' said Jacob tentatively. 'If you were set on by a villainous highwayman, it obviously was not.'

    'A minor irritation, Jacob, that's all. It's out of my mind already. I've far more pleasant things to contemplate,' he said as he thought of Susan Cheever again. He manufactured a frown and rolled his eyes. 'But you're quite correct, Jacob. The visit to Northamptonshire cannot, I fear, be construed as a success.'

    'Oh. I'm disappointed to hear that.'

    Christopher grinned. 'It was an absolute triumph!'

    'Was it?'

    'Without question.'

    'Congratulations, sir!' said Jacob, rising to a smile.

    'I've been commissioned to design a town house for Sir Julius Cheever,' he explained, taking the parchment from his satchel. 'Here are some early sketches I made for him. They're very rough but they give me a basis from which to work. More to the point, Jacob,' he added shaking the satchel, 'my client insisted on giving me an advance payment. You'll be able to fill the larder and stock the wine cellar to your heart's content. We are solvent once more.'

    'That's very heartening, Mr Redmayne.'

    'Indeed if everything goes to plan, this commission could make me a man of moderate wealth. That will be a welcome change. Most of the money I've earned so far as an architect went to paying off old debts. I may now actually be able to save a portion of what I earn. What a novelty that will be!'

    'Indeed, sir.'

    'This commission could be a turning point of my career.'

    'As long as you stay clear of highwaymen.'

    'Oh, I will, Jacob. I give you my word. For the first time in my life, I'll actually have something worth stealing.' He looked at the drawings. 'Apart from my talent, that is. But it's so good to be back,' he continued, draining the glass of brandy. 'Sir Julius was very hospitable but this is the only place where I can work properly. I can't wait to make a start on the design for his house.'

    'You may have to delay that pleasure for a little while, sir.'

    'Why?'

    'Because there's an urgent request from your brother.'

    'Henry? What does he want?'

    'He wouldn't tell me,' said Jacob, exploring an ear with his finger, 'but, from his manner, I think that I can guess what brought him here.'

    'Was he in a pit of misery or a state of elation?'

    'Neither, sir.'

    'Strange. Henry seems to shuttle continually between the two extremes.'

    'Mr Redmayne had a hunted look. More a case of desperation than misery.'

    'Oh dear! That suggests only one thing.'

    'Exactly, sir. He came to borrow money.'

    'He must have lost heavily at cards again,' said Christopher ruefully. 'Why does he play games at which he has such consistent ill luck? Henry has a good income from the Navy Office and a generous allowance from our father, yet he will fritter it away at a card table.' He glanced up. 'Did he ask where I was?'

    'Repeatedly.'

    'What did you tell him?'

    'Very little, sir. As instructed.'

    'Goodman!'

    'I merely said that you were visiting friends in the country.'

    'No mention of Sir Julius Cheever, I hope?' Jacob shook his head. 'Excellent. I didn't want Henry getting wind of this latest commission until it was in the bag. It's bound to upset him. My brother seems to think that my career will only blossom if he has a controlling interest in it and, grateful as I am for the introductions he gave me to earlier clients, he must learn that I can act independently.'

    'Mr Redmayne left a message for you.'

    'Call on him immediately, no doubt.'

    'Yes, sir.'

    'At his home?'

    'He'll be either there or at the Navy Office. He was most persistent.'

    'Henry likes to keep me at his beck and call.'

    'He drank three glasses of brandy while he was here.'

    Christopher was surprised. 'Only three? That's abstemious by his standards. He must be out of sorts. Does he know when I was due back in London?'

    Jacob smirked. 'I was remarkably hazy on that point.'

    'That would have pleased him,' said Christopher with a chuckle. 'Well, Henry can stew in his own juice for a while. I have more important matters to consider than my brother's gambling debts. I have to design a wonderful new house. Clear the table, Jacob,' he said, getting to his feet and rubbing his hands with glee. 'I intend to start immediately' His eye fell on the satchel. 'Oh, yes. And put that money in my strongbox, please, just in case my brother drops in unexpectedly.'

    To the astonishment of his colleagues, Henry Redmayne arrived early and stayed late at the Navy Office, throwing himself into his work with unaccustomed enthusiasm. It was rare that he treated his sinecure as a full-time commitment and even rarer that he lost track of time while he was sifting his way through documents and writing a series of letters. It was mid-evening when he finally came out into Seething Lane. There was another unusual development. An ostentatious man by nature, he always dressed for effect in the latest fashion, but he was now attired in what for him was remarkably sober garb. He had even dispensed with his periwig, hiding his balding pate beneath a wide- brimmed hat. The acknowledged peacock of the Navy Office was now a rather subdued blackbird with ruffled feathers, barely able to take wing. Mounting his horse, he nudged the animal into a steady trot.