Page 68 of A Devil in Silk
She released a heavy sigh. “This is all a terrible nightmare.”
“Not all of it. They say a problem shared is a problem halved. Standing here with you, I can believe that’s true.”
She glanced at the lifeless body. “She was so young. Regardless of what she wrote about me in that newspaper, we must find her killer, Bentley.”
He straightened. “On my oath, we will. But every minute counts now. I’ll check the rooms then alert the constable. Lock the door behind me and don’t open it until I return. Can you do that, Clara?”
“Of course.”
“I suspect the killer took what he came for. Nevertheless, search the least obvious places. Perhaps Miss Picklescott was writing about Nightshade and stumbled on something damning.”
While he left to check the adjoining rooms, she knelt on the floor and scanned the strewn pages. Some were blank. Some contained scribbled notes about local gossip, but one page caught her eye.
It mentioned the Factory Bill, warning thatmill owners claimed they’d be ruined if forced to shorten hours or improve conditionsand hinting that some reformists might be secretly spying for industrial opponents.
She told Bentley about it when he returned. “If what she said is true, plenty of powerful men might have a motive to silence her.”
“People are certainly passionate about political matters.” He glanced at the body. “There’s no one here. Lock the door behind me. I’ll alert Gibbs and have him fetch help. I’ll be a few minutes.”
She nodded and followed him to the door, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for the key. “Miss Picklescott must have trusted her attacker and believed he posed no threat. The key is in the door, and there’s no sign of forced entry.”
“Killers rarely announce themselves.” He touched her gently on the arm. “See if you can find anything relating to Lavinia Nightshade. I’ll check the door is locked once you’ve turned the key.”
Despite his warning, she jumped when he rattled the door. With Bentley’s retreating footsteps came the cold realisation that she was alone with a dead woman.
She kept her gaze from the dark, crusted blood on the rug and moved to the small bedchamber, thinking of the most illogical place one might search for a clue.
The furniture was modest: an old wardrobe with one door hanging slightly ajar and clothes spilling from its shelves, a narrow bed with its blankets rumpled as if disturbed, and a single washstand. None seemed to hold secrets. Yet on the dressing table sat an ornate silver brush, matching comb and mirror. The elaborate set looked out of place among the peeling wallpaper and chipped china basin.
Clara frowned. Why would Miss Picklescott own something so fine? Perhaps it was anothergiftfrom a blackmail victim. She lifted the brush, its unexpected weight sending a ripple of curiosity through her. A thief hadn’t killed her. The set was genuine silver, not plated, and the only object worth stealing.
She wasn’t sure why, but she twisted the filigree handle, shocked when it came loose to reveal a hollow core.
Inside was a tightly wound roll of paper, no bigger than a finger. Using a hairpin from the pot, she eased the paper out, careful not to damage the edges.
Her pulse quickened as she unfurled the note and read the message scrawled inside.
The Factory Bill and the Price of Progress!
Lord Westmere and Sir Jonathan Quill bribing inspectors to undercount child workers. Records of mangled fingers and crushed limbs suppressed. Mr Farleigh at the Home Office paid to look away.
Find more evidence before printing.
The names alone explained why Miss Picklescott had hidden it. Could someone desperate to halt the Factory Bill have killed her?
Guided by instinct, Clara reached for the mirror. She twisted its handle and found another scroll hidden inside. She froze as one name leapt from the page.
Secrets of Society’s Ladies
The Tragedy at Rosefield Seminary Exposed!
Miss Charlotte Forbes, pupil of Rosefield Seminary, perished under suspicious circumstances shortly after rumours spread of her illicit affair with a tutor.
Visit the seminary in Cheltenham.
Discover why Nightshade thought she could blackmail Miss Dalton.
Clara read it three times, fear and confusion knotting in her chest. Two murders, and clues at both scenes pointing to her. But why? Clearly, the victims thought she knew about the incident at the Rosefield Seminary.
