Page 21 of Dead Beside the Thames
He clasped her fingers and half bowed. “Lady Claudia.”
Retrieving her hand, she studied him intently. He really didn’t seem the sort to put himself in Sedbury’s way. “If I may ask, what was the substance of Sedbury’s quarrel with you, sir?”
“Oh, well…” Hastings appeared uncomfortable, but he couldn’t politely deny her. “He and I crossed paths, quite by accident, in Long Acre earlier in the day, and I was compelled to intercede when Sedbury…er.” Hastings cast an imploring look her brothers’ way.
Bryan obligingly supplied, “As I heard it, our dear half brother had decided to accost some poor flower seller and took umbrage—as was his wont—when her street sweeper brother tried to defend her, and Sedbury threatened to flay the lad.” Bryan went on, admiration coloring his tone, “And he would have, but Hastings here stepped in and filched the bastard’s whip from his hand and put an end to it.”
Claudia turned a wide-eyed gaze on Charlie Hastings. Sedbury had been huge, belligerently minded, and physically intimidating. That Hastings, significantly shorter and slighter, had had the courage to intervene, let alone been able to prevail, spoke volumes. “How on earth did you manage it?” The words had slipped from her before she realized how they might sound.
Hastings blushed faintly, but answered, “I know whips, so I knew just when he would ease his grip to adjust the angle, and I grabbed the handle then.”
“He would have beenfurious.” Claudia could imagine the scene all too readily.
“Well, yes, but I backed away, and he followed—stalking me, you might say—and that gave the brother and sister a chance to vanish, and once they had, I halted and handed Sedbury back his whip.” Hastings shrugged. “He growled, but there was really nothing he could do, and by then, the crowd that had gathered had turned rather ugly for him, so…” Hastings shrugged again. “That was it. He stalked off, and I continued on my way.”
“And it was about that encounter that he bailed you up in White’s?” Jonathon shook his head. “No matter what else you can say about Sedbury, the man never lacked for sheer hide.”
“He was a bully through and through,” Claudia declared. “But someone has relieved us of his presence, for which, I might add, I’m truly grateful.” She smiled at Charlie and advanced, drawing the men with her into the parlor proper. She’d revised her first impression of Charlie; his mild-mannered exterior obviously cloaked a man of principle and significant courage. Also quick wits; he’d seen how to disarm Sedbury and had done so expeditiously and in a way that had defused the situation.
Even though having Charlie continue to be a suspect would have increased the ranks and possibly helped muddy suspicion directed toward her brothers, in light of his actions, Claudia was content to have Charlie absolved of the murder. In truth, she would have loved to have witnessed that scene in Long Acre.
Furthermore, that Charlie was no longer a suspect freed her to make use of him in other ways. She bent a reassuring smile on her brothers. “It was an excellent notion to invite Mr. Hastings to view Sedbury’s collection.” To Charlie, she continued, “We really have no idea of the significance of what might be there.”
“Well”—Charlie straightened—“I should be able to clarify that much at least.”
With a wave, she invited him to continue to the relevant doorway. “Are there many collectors in town?”
“Several in London.” Charlie fell in beside her as she led him to the anteroom door. “Five others as well as myself. It’s quite a serious endeavor.”
“Have you viewed Sedbury’s collection previously?” Bryan asked. Claudia’s brothers were trailing her and Charlie.
“No,” Charlie replied. “In fact, I haven’t heard of anyone whom Sedbury allowed to view his collection. Certainly, none of the acknowledged collectors.”
“I always thought of it as Sedbury’s strange hobby,” Claudia admitted, “but I see I misjudged the male interest in whips.”
From behind her, Jonathon snorted.
They reached the open doorway, and Claudia waved Charlie inside. “Please, satisfy your curiosity and ours as well.”
He took her at her word and entered the room, swiftly scanning the displays on the walls before approaching more closely to examine individual whips.
Claudia waited with Jonathon and Bryan just inside the door. When Charlie paused, staring frowningly at one particular whip, she said, “We know that Sedbury had a favorite whip, but we don’t think that’s it.”
“It’s not.” Briefly, Charlie glanced around the room again. “That whip is a Duckleberry Longe, and it isn’t here.”
He reached up and lifted down the whip that had captured his attention. He turned it over in his hands, examining the handle and the braiding closely, then he straightened and, with a perplexed look on his face, said, “But I certainly didn’t expect to findthisparticular whip in Sedbury’s possession.”
“Why?” Jonathon asked.
“Because the last time I saw it was at the meeting of the Four-in-Hand Club a week ago, and then, it was in Lord Napier’s hand.” Charlie glanced at the siblings. “Napier’s another of the collectors, and this is definitely his whip. There’s no other like it.”
Claudia stared at the innocent-looking whip. To her, it was still just a whip. “Is it valuable?”
“Yes. Quite valuable,” Charlie replied. “It’s a rare specimen and, therefore, hard to put a price on.” He stared at the whip and shook his head. “I’m flabbergasted that Napier let it out of his hands.”
Charlie looked up and caught the glance Jonathon and Bryan exchanged.
Then Jonathon looked at Charlie. “Perhaps Napier didn’t surrender the whip willingly.”
