Page 39 of A Sense of Injustice
‘I said I would ride with her tomorrow. Why do you ask?’
She frowned when Luke explained the squire’s connection to Cleethorp’s intended.
‘It cannot be a coincidence that Mrs Brigstock’s sister is already here,’ Flora said, having taken a moment to reflect. ‘You want me to warn Louise that Cleethorp is likely to be here, I would imagine.’
‘That is indeed what we wanted to discuss with you,’ Paul said.
‘She needs to be made aware,’ Flora agreed, nodding decisively. ‘I am so angry with Cleethorp for putting her in this position. She’s damned if she accepts his proposal, which she will not. I refuse to allow it.’ The light of battle glistened in Flora’s violet eyes, turning them a darker shade of velvety mauve. ‘But when she refuses him, Cleethorp will use her weak link, which is her sister’s reputation. I believe I have convinced Louise that her fortune gives her the freedom to ride out any unpleasant rumours spread about her by Cleethorp. And her grandmother, I am absolutely sure, will stand firm behind Louise. It’s just Marianne who is the sticking point.’ She turned a beseeching look upon Luke. ‘There must be some way for you to help her through the use your authority.’
‘I could confront Cleethorp, make it clear that the Pearson family enjoys my complete support and that I will not take kindly to rumours besmirching their good name.’
‘You will have to find him first. He won’t be staying with the squire,’ Flora said. ‘Mrs Brigstock can hardly introduce him to her uncle. I think she is dependent upon him as things stand, and wants him to see her in a good light.’
‘I agree,’ Paul said. ‘Exton has standards, boundaries which he refuses to cross, which is why he felt it necessary to come here today and apologise for Miss Gregory’s behaviour. Mrs Brigstock will be aware of that and won’t risk shocking him by turning up with her lover in tow.’
‘You assume she will come with him?’ Luke asked.
‘I do.’ It was Flora who answered him. ‘I get the impression from what Louise told me that she dominates their relationship. I also think that she is very much in love with Cleethorp. She was the one who suggested that he pursue Louise for her fortune, but I think she has subsequently come to see her as a rival for Cleethorp’s questionable affections. She may want Cleethorp to marry her for her money but she doesn’t want him to develop feelings for her.’ She nodded. ‘I understand the workings of the minds of such ambitious and self-centred women and I am convinced that she won’t allow Cleethorp to come to Wiltshire without her. I also think that she anticipated the possibility of Louise leaving London and coming to stay with her grandmother.’
Luke flexed a brow. ‘You think herthatcalculating?’
‘Actually, I do. She would have found out all there was to know about Louise before she suggested her as a suitable wife for Cleethorp. The aunt is in cahoots with Cleethorp, there is no father or male figure of authority to stand in Cleethorp’s way and the only place she could come to escape Cleethorp’s attentions is to her grandmother.’
‘Put like that, it must have seemed as though Louise had been delivered up to them by the hand of fate, what with the woman’s uncle living so close to Louise’s grandmother,’ Paul said, nodding his agreement. ‘So she sent her sister to visit her uncle in anticipation of Louise coming here, creating a justifiable reason to come down herself.’
‘If you are right then she is one of the most calculating females I have ever come across, which is saying a lot,’ Luke said, scowling as his thoughts briefly dwelt upon Magda Simpson and Lily Carlton.
‘She is accustomed to getting what she wants,’ Flora replied, ‘and what she wants is Cleethorp, no matter the cost. Personally, she sounds to me as though she is a little deranged, which again is not that unusual when it comes to attractive women who have been indulged during their formative years and never had to deal with rejection of any type.’
‘In that case, Cleethorp will accompany her but will be left with no choice other than to take lodgings in the White Hart,’ Luke said.
‘Your earlier idea is not without merit,’ Paul responded thoughtfully. ‘If you call on him once we know he’s arrived and make it clear to him that Louise Pearson and her family are off limits it’s bound to make him reassess his options. He’ll know that it would be sheer folly to cross you and that if he does, news of his exploits will reach his brother’s ears.’
‘That would be true if we were dealing with a rational person. But if he has already burned his bridges with his brother, then confronting him might play into his hands,’ Luke replied. ‘The Cleethorp I recall would look upon defying me as a blood sport.’
‘Regardless of what you decide, I need to warn Louise,’ Flora said, looking anxious. ‘She might feel the need to confide in her grandmother. I shall try and persuade her to. I don’t believe Mrs Pearson will be anything other than supportive, although I suppose I can understand why Louise might think otherwise. After all, it’s thanks to her aunt, the woman who was supposed to protect her interests, that she finds herself in this situation. I am sure her grandmother will be sympathetic, but I expect Louise is worried about disappointing her. They have been more or less estranged all these years, again thanks to the aunt, and…’
‘If anyone can make her see that most people will not condemn her, then it’s you.’ Luke smiled at Flora. ‘But I think you and I, Paul, would be best advised to find a more effective way to stop Cleethorp from destroying the lady’s reputation. Do we know anything about Brigstock? The name is vaguely familiar but I can’t recall ever meeting the man.’
‘I’ve been thinking about it since I first heard him mentioned. I seem to recall he took advantage of the repeal of the corn laws and made a fortune out of imported grain,’ Paul said.
‘Of course!’ Luke snapped his fingers. ‘It made him unpopular with English farmers who couldn’t compete. He was a Wiltshire man with an estate in Warminster, I think, but our paths never crossed. Send someone down there tomorrow, Paul. Someone you trust to ask a few discreet questions about Brigstock’s death.’
‘You think it was more than an accident?’ Flora asked, blinking up at Luke.
‘It seems a little too convenient for my comfort. Mrs Brigstock decided that she was in love with another man and wasn’t willing to wait for old age to claim her husband, not if it meant losing Cleethorp to another woman.’
‘Yes,’ Paul replied, ‘but Exton suggested that his niece had been left with a raft of debts to pay, so presumably the estate was sold and there will be no one there now who recalls Brigstock.’
‘Perhaps the estate was leased, rather than owned outright by Brigstock,’ Flora suggested. ‘Which implies that the servants would belong to its owner, not Brigstock, and likely still be in employment. And even if they are not, locals are bound to recall the death of such a prominent figure. There will have been talk, rumour, speculation.’ She flashed a mischievous smile. ‘When isn’t there?’
Luke tapped the side of his index finger against his teeth. ‘I tend to agree with Flora in that the woman genuinely fell for Cleethorp. Brigstock showed no immediate signs of succumbing to old age, so he conveniently fell from a horse. An elderly man, not in the best of health…’ He spread his hands. ‘No one would question his loss of balance.’
‘Impossible to prove that he was pushed from the saddle, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Paul said.
‘We shan’t know for sure unless we ask,’ Luke replied briskly.
Flora chuckled. ‘It must have come as a terrible shock to Mrs Brigstock when she discovered that she’d been left destitute.’
