Page 16 of With Good Grace
‘Yes, I imagine that must be it.’
‘If you would be kind enough to step this way, my lord, madam. My mistress is in the drawing room.’
Jake placed a reassuring hand on the small of Olivia’s back as they followed in the maid’s wake. Jake observed further signs of neglect about the house as they did so; dusty window ledges, frayed curtains and a distinct smell of damp wainscoting being the most obvious. The downturn in Grantley’s circumstances had not happened overnight. Jake suspected that they pre-dated Olivia’s husband’s death, accounting for Grantley’s unwillingness to support Olivia’s cause when she was accused of his murder. God help Grantley if it transpired that he was guilty of fratricide and Jake had been duped into coming here to help the man who caused her so much anguish!
‘Oh no!’ Olivia muttered as they walked into a shabby drawing room and saw that Lady Grantley was not alone.
‘Your mother?’ Jake asked in an undertone, nodding towards a lady of late middle-age whose features so closely resembled Olivia’s that there could be little doubt they were related. A man a few years older than Olivia was also there.
‘And my brother Rupert,’ she replied. ‘Just when I thought the day could not get any worse.’
‘Olivia, how lovely!’ the lady fluttered her fingers at Olivia and stood with arms wide. ‘I declare you are lovelier than ever.’
‘Hello Mother,’ Olivia replied, deftly avoiding her outstretched arms. ‘I did not expect to see you today.’
‘I wish the circumstances were more joyful. But, if nothing else, at least it has brought the two of us back together.’
Don’t count on it, Jake thought.
‘Lord Torbay, may I present Lady Grantley, my mother, Mrs Maynard and my brother Rupert.’
Jake said and did all the right things, sizing up Olivia’s family as he did so. Mrs Maynard looked as though she lived in a state of perpetual strain, probably now regretting distancing herself from Olivia—but then hindsight was a wonderful thing. Jake disliked her on principal. Rupert Maynard sported the florid complexion of an imbiber. He was probably of a similar age to Jake and still handsome, but his body was running to fat. He smiled at Olivia and also tried to embrace her, but Olivia’s lack of response left him foolishly holding onto fresh air.
‘We are so glad you are here, Lord Torbay,’ Mrs Maynard said. ‘Poor Margaret is at her wits end and we have no idea what to do to help her. You were so very clever proving that my dear Olivia had nothing to do Marcus’s death. Naturally, we knew she was incapable of harming a fly but that horrible policeman would insist that she did it.’
And you did nothing to prove him wrong.
‘It was a wretched business,’ Rupert said, sniffing. ‘Most unpleasant. I came to assure Margaret that I would go up to London myself and look for Hubert, saving her that unpleasantness, at least.’
Olivia didn’t respond and chose to sit beside Lady Grantley rather than taking the only other chair beside her mother. Jake was annoyed about the presence of her family members, and not just because seeing them clearly upset Olivia. He would like to speak to Lady Grantley alone but that would require him to leave Olivia at the mercy of her opportunistic relations. He didn’t doubt that Rupert was using Grantley’s disappearance as an excuse to re-establish contact with Olivia. Perhaps it was he who had suggested to Lady Grantley that she request Olivia’s help. Jake suspected that he was as deep into dun territory as Sir Hubert was but if he intended to try and charm, persuade or pressure Olivia into generosity then he would be wasting his time. Olivia’s experience of the wrong side of the law had changed her from the trusting individual she had once been, and Rupert could expect no help from that quarter.
The same maid served insipid tea and tasteless cake. Olivia and Jake took little of either. Rupert made up for their reticence but continually looked at the clock, as though trying to decide if he could reasonably ask for something stronger.
‘I hope you will spare a moment to call and see your papa while you are in the area, my dear,’ Mrs Maynard said. ‘He has not been at all well of late but I know that seeing you will revive his spirits.’
‘Not today, Mother,’ Olivia replied, barely civil.
Her mother appeared taken aback. Rupert grunted something unintelligible. Lady Grantley stared into the empty fireplace and didn’t appear to hear Mrs Maynard’s increasingly desperate attempts to inveigle her way back into her daughter’s good graces.
‘Lady Grantley,’ Jake said when Mrs Maynard ran out of inane chatter. ‘I assume you have heard nothing about your husband’s whereabouts since speaking with Olivia yesterday.’
‘No, my lord, not a single word.’ She pursed her thin lips. ‘Really, I don’t know what to think; indeed I do not.’
‘Since you requested my help, I am afraid I must ask a few intrusive questions regarding his affairs. I cannot know where to start looking unless I know what business took him from home.’
Mrs Maynard moved to sit beside Lady Grantley, who sniffled into her handkerchief. Jake noticed Olivia raise a brow, presumably because Lady Grantley was not the sniffling type. The Lady Grantleys of this world did not approve of sniffling as a general rule. But her distress on this occasion didn’t seem contrived. Whether that was because she held her husband in genuine affection or because she was worried about society’s opinion if it transpired that he had deserted her and his debts, Jake had yet to decide.
‘All I know is that he had an engagement to keep,’ Lady Grantley said, recovering her poise. ‘He never discussed his business affairs with me, and I never asked for particulars of them. Besides, he would not have told me even if I had asked. He said I need not concern myself with the affairs of gentlemen.’
I am perfectly sure he did.‘You do not even know whom he was engaged to meet?’
‘No, but Olivia asked me to compile a list of all his friends. There are a great many of them. Hubert is very popular. The list is on the table over there.’ She flapped a hand in the vague direction of a small table, upon which rested some papers and a journal. ‘That is his engagement book. I looked through it this morning and there is nothing in it to lend any clues.’
Jake walked across the room, aware of every eye in it following his progress. He collected up the papers and flipped through the journal. Like his brother, he used initials and was sparing on detail.
‘I understand that Sir Hubert helped Olivia’s late husband to run his theatrical agency.’
‘Yes, and a damned fine team they made.’ It was Rupert who answered. He stood in front of the fireplace, clutching the lapels of a coat that had seen better days. ‘All the best actors clamoured to be represented by the Grantleys.’
