Page 52 of A Whisper at Midnight

“I repeat that this is all I can tell you,” Teague replied, looking pointedly at both of them. “What did you learn in Spitalfields?”

Tilda removed the brooch from her reticule. “We found this in Martha Farrow’s room. Did your constable miss it?” She held the piece out on her palm.

A scowl twisted Teague’s features momentarily. “The constable hasn’t been there yet. We were shorthanded, and I needed a pair of men to search the Chambers’ house again from top to bottom.”

Tilda would have wagered the search had something to do with the additional post-mortem examination but didn’t ask. She could visit Beryl and hopefully find out what had taken place.

Teague picked up the brooch from Tilda’s palm. “Where did you find this?”

“In a dresser drawer. It belongs to Beryl Chambers,” Tilda said.

“You’re sure?” Teague asked, his brows arching.

“It matches the description of one of the missing items and was the last of the pieces to disappear—just before Martha Farrow left the household.”

“It would appear she stole it then.”

Tilda couldn’t tell him that Martha hadn’t stolen it, that Chambers had given it to her. However, Martha would have recognized it as belonging to Beryl. Not returning it to her was as good as stealing.

Teague turned the brooch over in his hand. “But why hasn’t she sold it? She could have used the funds to stay somewhere far nicer and safer than Flower and Dean Street.”

Tilda lifted a shoulder. “Perhaps she’d planned to do so and just hadn’t yet.” Except why wait? And since she hadn’t sold it, she must have had other funds to pay for her lodging the past several days.

“Did you learn anything else?” Teague asked.

Tilda wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him more, not when he was withholding information about why the inquest was postponed.

Teague must have sensed her hesitation. He glanced toward Hadrian who stood beside her. “If your goal is to convince me of Ravenhurst’s innocence, you should share any information with me that would help with that endeavor.”

“Does the inquest postponement have anything to do with Hadrian?” Tilda asked.

“Not that I am aware of, but this is an ongoing investigation.” He gave her a direct stare, his brown eyes fixed on her. “I have not yet learned anything that has proven Ravenhurst was involved in Chambers’ murder. If you have information that would help my investigation, I would appreciate you sharing it.”

“We interviewed Mrs. Jefford,” Tilda said finally. “As well as a pair of local women. All of them said Martha was carrying a child.”

“Bloody hell,” Teague whispered. “Was the father with her?”

“No, we suspect Chambers sired the babe,” Tilda said. “It just makes sense given what we know of him.” And definitely not because Hadrian had seen a vision that seemed to indicate Martha Farrow had shared Chambers’ bed. She glanced at Hadrian who gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

“I agree it makes sense,” Teague said. “Too bad we can’t question Miss Farrow.” He shook his head.

“And doesn’t that make you suspect her death was not an accident?” Tilda asked.

“It’s definitely suspicious. However, now that we know she was with child and that Chambers may have fathered the babe, we must also consider that she may have had motive to kill him.”

Tilda had thought so too. “I’d like to speak with her family at least.”

“You can try, but her father doesn’t have much to say about her. I called on him in Arbour Square earlier. He’s a solicitor at the Thames Magistrate Court.”

Hadrian crossed his arms over his chest as his brows pitched low over his eyes. “How on earth does his daughter end up as a maid and then living in a shoddy boarding house in one of London’s worst rookeries?”

Teague frowned. “She was expelled from her house at the age of sixteen because she was with child.”

Tilda wondered what had happened to that babe. Martha hadn’t had a child when she’d worked in the Chambers’ household. “How terrible for her to be turned out by her own family,” Tilda said quietly.

“Her father has not softened over the years. He showed no sadness for her death and even indicated he wanted to leave her to a pauper’s grave. However, his wife insisted they bury her in a plot.”

Tilda wished things had turned out differently for the young woman. And she was determined to find justice for Martha if she’d been pushed over that stair railing. She decided to tell Teague about the veiled woman—they needed all the help they could manage if they wanted to find her. “Mrs. Jefford said that Martha had two visitors. Once was a woman in a veil who called at least twice, including last evening. She arrived as they were about to have dinner, and Mrs. Jefford did not see when the woman departed.”