Page 99 of Affair

Charlotte studied the plump, rosy-cheeked, gray-haired woman seated at the planked table in front of the kitchen fire. “It was very good of you to come here today, Mrs. Gatler.”

“Mrs. Witty promised me that it would be worth my while.” Mrs. Gatler narrowed her robin’s egg blue eyes. “She also promised that you’d never tell a soul that I talked to you about what happened that night.”

“You have my word on it, I have a reputation for confidentiality.”

“That’s what Mrs. Witty said.” Mrs. Gatler slanted a sidelong glance at Mrs. Witty, who was busying herself with bread dough on the other side of the room.

“You can tell ’er anything, Maggy.” Mrs. Witty gave her a reassuring wink. “Knows how to keep a secret, she does.”

“Another cup, Mrs. Gatler?” Charlotte picked up the teapot.

The arrival of Drusilla Heskett’s former housekeeper had taken her by surprise. Ariel had left the house less than half an hour earlier on a shopping expedition with Rosalind. Baxter had sent a message around assuring her that the duel had ended safely but he had not yet come to call.

She had been writing down notes about the investigation, trying to make some connections in her mind, when Mrs. Witty had triumphantly announced the arrival of Drusilla Heskett’s housekeeper.

“Took me some doing to find her,” Mrs. Witty had confided en route to the kitchens. “She didn’t particularly want to be found.”

“I believe I will have some more tea,” Mrs. Gatler said. “Bit of a novelty, y’know, havin’ the lady of the house pourin’ tea for me.”

Charlotte smiled blandly. “My pleasure.” She did not tell her guest that she would have been equally happy to pour gin if it would have loosened her tongue. “Now, then, about the murder.”

Mrs. Gatler darted one last glance at Mrs. Witty and then she leaned forward. “He didn’t know I was there, y’see.”

“Who didn’t know?”

“The one who shot her dead. Mrs. Heskett had given the staff the night off. She often did that when she was expectin’ Lord Lennox to call.” Mrs. Gatler chuckled. “Those two liked havin’ the freedom of the whole house when they went at it. Kitchen, cellar, drawing room, you name it. All over the place, they was.”

“Stamina,” Charlotte murmured.

“You can say that again. Well, I was supposed to go to my sister’s that night but at the last minute I changed me mind. Wasn’t feeling up to it. Decided I’d stay home and take a tonic for the pains. I was in my room behind the kitchens when I heard him in the hall.”

Charlotte frowned. “Whom did you hear? Lord Lennox?”

“No, no, not him. Always knew when Lennox was in the house.” Mrs. Gatler shook her head in admiration. “Those two made a lot of noise. It was amazing, it was.”

“Please continue, Mrs. Gatler. Did the man in the hall make a commotion?”

“No. That’s what was so odd. Arrived silent as the dead. Only reason I knew he was there was because I heard Mrs. Heskett speak to him.”

Charlotte stilled. “She knew him, then?”

“Don’t think so. She seemed startled to see him. Demanded to know what he was doing in her house.”

“You say you heard him in the hall. Didn’t he knock on the front door?”

“No.” Mrs. Gatler’s brows furrowed. “I would have heard him. I figured he must have had a key.”

“A key?”

“Mrs. Heskett was in the habit of giving keys to her favorite gentlemen friends.” Mrs. Gatler shrugged. “Lennox had one.”

Charlotte exchanged a look with Mrs. Witty. Then she turned back to her visitor. “What happened next?”

“Well, I heard the two of ’em talk for a while there in the hall. Leastways, I heard Mrs. Heskett. Couldn’t rightly hear him. His voice was pitched real low. But I knew that he was saying something because every so often Mrs. Heskett answered.”

“Did you go out into the hall to see if your mistress needed anything for her guest?”

“No, I certainly did not. It was supposed to be my night off. If Madam had known that I was around, she’d likely have sent me to the kitchens to prepare a cold collation for her gentleman friend.” Mrs. Gatler grimaced. “The quality never remembers staff’s night off when they’ve got something they want done. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Witty?”

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