Page 43 of A Whisper at Midnight
“Can’t you simply put your gloves on after you have a vision? Then you won’t have another.”
He blew out a breath. “I suppose I could, but I don’t like the notion of not seeing something that might be helpful. If I’d put my gloves on yesterday after the first vision, I would not have seen the killer enter the dressing room.”
Tilda didn’t like that part either, but she didn’t want him to cause damage to himself. “Itishelpful, but at what cost? Your health and well-being are vitally important.”
He smiled. “Your concern is well-received. How about I agree to be careful going forward? If my head is troubling me overmuch, as it was yesterday, I will don my gloves.”
“You must do what you think is best,” she said. “Just know that I am paying attention.”
Hadrian touched his chest. “I am thrilled to have you watching over me.”
Tilda wanted to speak with him about Clara. “I think it’s important that Clara’s past intimacy with Chambers is revealed at the inquest. Clara is worried how Beryl will react to this information and fears she’ll be dismissed. Have you any idea what Beryl will do when she finds out?”
“I don’t. It happened before Beryl married him, so perhaps she won’t be too upset,” Hadrian said. “Not to mention the fact that Clara was preyed upon by Chambers. I’m not sure I would blame her for what happened.”
“I promised I will help her if Beryl throws her out. Clara doesn’t have any family.”
Hadrian frowned. “That’s a shame. I will help too, if necessary. Speaking of family, I wondered if you might want to search for the other maid’s father in Stepney after the inquest.”
Tilda smiled. “I do, in fact. You know me too well.”
“I think I may.” He winked at her, and Tilda’s insides did a joyful flip. “Should you tell Beryl about this before the inquest so she isn’t surprised?”
“I suppose that would be best. Do you mind being with me when I tell her?”
“Not at all. I am eager to be of assistance to you.” He leaned slightly forward as he met her gaze. “That is my job.”
They arrived at Beryl’s house. Leach opened the door and Hadrian stepped out. He then assisted Tilda to the ground. She’d grown accustomed to him touching her, always with his gloves on, in this perfunctory manner. But since he’d grabbed her barehand yesterday—neither of them wearing gloves—this somehow felt different. She felt a brief frisson, a reminder of the electricity that had arced between them.
When they reached the door, Teague opened it.
Tilda blinked at him in surprise. She couldn’t imagine why he was acting as butler. Where was Oswald? “Has something happened?”
“Come in,” Teague said rather somberly. “Everyone is downstairs in the kitchen, including Mrs. Chambers. She’s gone down to deliver the bad news I just gave her.”
Tilda had stepped into the entrance hall whilst Teague held the door, and Hadrian had followed.
“What news is this?” Hadrian asked.
Teague closed the door. “We found Martha Farrow—the maid who resigned her post here about a fortnight ago.”
Tilda tensed for the bad part of that news and feared the worst. “I don’t suppose she’ll be attending the inquest today?”
Shaking his head, Teague frowned. “She fell over a stair rail last night, tumbling three stories to her death.”
Hadrian exchanged surprised looks with Tilda before frowning at Teague. “That is rather shocking. Where did this happen?”
“At the house where she was lodging in Spitalfields,” Teague replied. “Her death was reported to the local branch, and I learned of it this morning.”
“That is unfortunate,” Tilda said softly. “Was she murdered?”
“As in pushed? She doesn’t appear to have been,” Teague said. “But there were no witnesses. Still, I have asked for a coroner to review her body and decide if there should be aninquest. I find it suspicious that she worked in this household where a murder was committed until recently when she resigned suddenly.”
Tilda nodded. “I agree. I was hoping to find her after the inquest. Clara told me that Miss Farrow’s father is a solicitor in Stepney. I’d intended to start there.”
Teague’s brows lifted. “Is he? All I know so far about Miss Farrow is that she has been lodging with a family called Jefford in Flower and Dean Street since leaving the Chambers’ household. I haven’t had time to speak with the lodging house owner yet, but I’ve sent a constable to conduct interviews as he can.” He fixed his gaze on Tilda. “What were you hoping to learn from Miss Farrow?”
“Primarily, why she left. It seems that no jewelry has gone missing since her departure.”