Page 43 of Dark Tidings on the Thames
Mr. Chambers nodded. “She was betrothed at one time, you know,” he said sadly.
Startled, Kara blinked. “No. I did not know.”
“I only heard it because I was in attendance during the meeting she had with my employer, Mr. Royston. I was taking notes.” He paused. “Mr. Royston naturally wished to see if their conflict could be resolved before he had to bring it up to the board. Glynn was resistant. I’m afraid Mr. Royston grew a bit condescending. She became rattled, then angry. She raged about the men in her life who had not acted as they ought and vowed that she would not allow him to be another. One of the men she mentioned was a fiancé who abandoned her after her unfortunate accident, it seemed.” Mr. Chambers glanced at her. “You heard about the bridge accident, I presume?”
“Yes. The poor girl,” Kara breathed.
“Indeed. I’m afraid she endured rather a lot of misfortune in her life, and in the end, she suffered the ultimate betrayal.” Mr. Chambers looked disturbed at his own pronouncement. “It’s why I asked to speak with you, Your Grace.”
Kara waited.
“I heard that Mr. Yardley asked you to help him prove his innocence?”
“He did.”
“I also heard that you have improved his case, somewhat, but have not yet absolved him of Glyn’s murder.”
“You are remarkably well informed,” Kara said curtly.
“I am, and for several reasons.”
“Which are?”
“Well, first, because everyone here at the Wardrobe is naturally invested in seeing Glynn’s murder solved and the killer brought to justice. That means every bit of news is brought back here, shared, and picked apart. I manage to hear most of it, I believe.” Drawing a deep breath, Mr. Chambers stood. Walking a few paces away, he stopped and stared at the spot where Miss Foulger’s body had been stretched out. “I liked Glynn, Your Grace. She had undeniable skill, and she shared it generously. She had an organized mind, and made several suggestions about our processes that I actually used. She could tell a good story.” He glanced back. “But I liked Mr. Yardley, too. He genuinely wanted to help people. I heard his praises from several people in Jacob’s Island, people he helped with their displacements. He went far above and beyond his duties for us in that matter. So I was relieved and not entirely surprised to hear that Glynn was mistaken about Yardley terrorizing her. And I have reason to think the police may be wrong in thinking he is the only suspect in her murder.”
“What reason?” Kara asked bluntly.
Mr. Chambers turned. His expression showed more than a bit of discomfort. “I happen to know that Miss Foulger had requested a meeting with the Duchess of Rowledge. Apparently she believed that there was another man possibly… behaving inappropriately with the females associated with the Waif’s Wardrobe.” He dropped his gaze. “She made the request directly to the duchess, without going through me or Mr. Royston.”
“Then how could you know about it?” Kara raised a brow.
Mr. Chambers cleared his throat. “I know because my sister is theDuchess of Rowledge’s private secretary, and she brought it up to me.”
“I see.”
The young man rushed to speak again. “It is because of my sister and her closeness with the duchess that I was appointed to this position, but that is a fact that I do not wish to become common knowledge.”
Kara could imagine several reasons why that might be so. Pride, for one. But she did wonder if Royston knew. “I will not share your secret, Mr. Chambers, but tell me, did Miss Foulger meet with the duchess before she died?”
“She did not. Family matters kept the duchess out of London for a few weeks. She had just returned and their meeting was set to happen the morning… the morning after Glynn died.”
“You mean Glynn was killed the night before she was to meet with the duchess?”
“Yes, and the thought of it has haunted me. If Mr. Yardley did not harass Glynn, he might not be the killer, either.”
“Or he very well could be,” Kara said, thinking of the ruined market stall.
“But if he is not? What if Glynn was silenced? What if someone else might be lurking about with an eye to violence?”
“If Miss Foulger was going to the duchess about it, she must have believed the man to be associated with the charity.” Kara paused. “I assume that you are the one who actually handles the organizational matters here, sir. Do you know how many male volunteers are associated with the Waif’s Wardrobe?”
Mr. Chambers paused to think. “If I count the merchants who donate fabrics, others who donate notions, crates, and other supplies, and add in the volunteers who help us with packing and transportation…” He cast his gate skyward. “There must be more than a dozen.”
“Does that include the members of the board of directors?” asked Kara.
Mr. Chambers looked startled. “Surely you do not think…?”
“I think if we mean to consider this theory, then we must consider everyone. Can you get me a list of all of those men—allof them?”
