Page 34 of The Magpie Lord
Crane rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. Miss Bell was watching him.
“Gammer went to the Earl,” she said. “Told him what Hector Vaudrey had done. He ordered her to be whipped for slander.”
Crane winced. Stephen nodded again. “And Mrs. Parrott made the jack after that. Alone?”
“I’d have helped her,” said Miss Bell defiantly. “I would. But she didn’t ask for my help.”
Stephen looked round. “Lord Crane, any comment?”
“What on earth is there to say?” Crane massaged the bridge of his nose, as though that would help. “Hisdaughter.”
“Mrs. Parrott killed him for it.”
“Good,” said Crane, with force.
“And your father for abetting him. Slowly and painfully. Does that bother you?”
“No.”
“Right,” Stephen said. “Moving on—”
“Moving on?” said Miss Bell incredulously.
“Moving on,” Stephen repeated. “Lucien Vaudrey returns from twenty years on the other side of the world and promptly finds himself enslaved to a Judas jack, left there long after the guilty men were rotting in the ground. Tell me about that, Miss Bell. Tell me why you and Mrs. Parrott decided to kill an innocent man.”
“I’ll tell you why,” said Miss Bell loudly. “Because we didn’t want another Vaudrey just like the last two. It’s easy enough to come down from London with your justice, but we had Hector Vaudrey’s ways for thirty years, and we’ve all heard abouthim.” She gestured at Crane with her chin. “Do you blame us?”
“Yes,” said Stephen. “I do. Lucien Vaudrey was not responsible for his father’s and brother’s acts. You know that.”
“Hector Vaudrey raped—”
“I know what Hector Vaudrey did. He’d been doing it for years. If you and Gammer Parrott had done something about it before, Ruthie would be alive now.”
Crane sucked in a breath. Miss Bell gasped. “Howdareyou!”
“Other families suffered at Hector Vaudrey’s hands. You did nothing until he hurtyourfamily, and then tried to kill a man who had nothing to do with your wrongs. I don’t call that justice.”
Miss Bell’s mouth worked. “And thisisjustice?” she managed. “Come in here when they’re dead and tell us what we did wrong? What didyoudo about Hector Vaudrey?”
“Nothing,” Stephen said coldly. “Lychdale is sufficiently stocked with lawyers, practitioners, guns, sharp-edged farming implements, poisons and kindling to get rid of a hundred Hectors. The only possible conclusion is that you all liked having him around.”
Crane put a hand over his face at that; Merrick gave a little whistle. Miss Bell was scarlet, with spots of white on her cheeks and the sides of her nose.
“Now,” Stephen went on. “Can you explain why leaving the jack for Lucien Vaudrey was other than murder? Can you justify killing a man you’d never even seen for the acts of his brother?”
“I can,” said Crane, over Miss Bell’s speechlessness.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said, I can give you a reason. My father could tolerate Hector but he couldn’t countenance me. Everyone expects me to be at least as bad as my brother. You did yourself.”
“I didn’t try to kill you.”
“You’ve a heart of gold,” Crane said sardonically. “In Mrs. Parrott or Miss Bell’s shoes, I would have done precisely the same thing: kill them all and let God sort them out.” Miss Bell made a slight gasp of protest; Crane went on. “Hector and my father brought their ends on themselves. And I am happy to regard the attempt on my life as an understandable precaution, as long as I know it will not be repeated.” He looked over Stephen’s head at Miss Bell. “I am not like my brother, madam. If you will accept that, this can end now.”
“I’m the justiciar here,” said Stephen with unusual belligerence. “Iwill tellyouwhen this ends.”
Crane felt a flare of anger. He didn’t want to be an earl and never had; but having been given that power, he was damned if anyone was taking it from him. His chin went up. “And I’m the lord here, and you’re on my land.”
