Page 67 of A Whisper at Midnight

CHAPTER 14

Hadrian picked Tilda up at her grandmother’s house on the way to the inquest. When they were settled in the coach, she turned slightly toward him on the seat.

“Have you considered that there will be reporters at the inquest?” she asked, her tone and expression somewhat tentative.

He appreciated her concern. “I did recall there were reporters waiting outside when we left the last inquest. I suppose I didn’t spend time thinking about them being at this one.” And why hadn’t he? His presence at this inquest would draw notice because of his relationship to the victim and his wife.

He hadn’t wanted to think about it.

Then last night, Tilda had mentioned what Kirkham had said. Now, he was preparing himself for a spectacle in which he would likely be named as a suspect in a murder. He could hardly wait for his mother to read those newspaper articles.

Actually, he was sorry she would read them. They would worry her unnecessarily. Perhaps he should have prepared her.

Tilda briefly clasped his forearm, her hand squeezing gently through the layers of his garments, which did not include agreatcoat as the weather had decided, at least for today, that it was, in fact, spring. The sun shone in the sky whilst intermittent clouds puffed by like steam from a passing train.

“I’m sorry you’ve been troubled by all this,” Tilda said.

“It will be over soon,” he replied with a faint smile. “I hope.”

The coach arrived at the Crown and Sceptre, the pub where the inquest was to be held. They were early, but there was still a group of people outside. Inquests tended to draw attention. People wanted to know what had happened in their neighborhood. Or they were perversely curious about the matter, like Kirkham who planned to attend for the amusement of it.

Leach opened the door, and Hadrian climbed down. He helped Tilda out, then offered his arm to her before they made their way to the door of the pub.

Several of the people milling about appeared to be onlookers, but a few carried notepads and writing implements. One of them, a long-faced man in his forties, spotted Hadrian and strode toward him and Tilda, blocking their passage.

“Lord Ravenhurst, are you a witness? You know Mrs. Chambers, don’t you?”

The latter couldn’t be a question so much as the reporter notifying Hadrian that he was aware of the past scandal. Irritation scalded Hadrian’s insides, but he kept his features impassive.

“Excuseus, please,” Tilda snapped, her eyes cold as she glowered at the reporter.

Her protection of him was astonishingly alluring.

“Who are you?” The reporter’s gaze moved over Tilda, his face pinching as if he found her distasteful.

Hadrian wanted to knock him down. Instead, he elbowed the man as he guided Tilda past him. “Move.”

Grasping the door, Hadrian pulled it open for Tilda. She took her hand from his arm and preceded him inside.

“Thank you,” she said simply as they stepped farther into the common room.

Hadrian found her gaze and held it. “Thankyou.”

There were several people inside already, including what looked to be the coroner and jurors. Pollard was in attendance along with another gentleman and a woman. Massey stood in the corner, his expression dark.

The door opened behind them, and they pivoted. Teague and several constables strode in. Behind them, Oliver Chambers and another man, who had to be the eldest Chambers brother, entered. They were accompanied by a third man whom Hadrian recognized immediately.

He sucked in a breath and leaned toward Tilda. “That’s Padgett.”

“The inspector who oversaw the investigation into your stabbing?” Tilda whispered.

Hadrian nodded. “What the devil is he doing here?”

Padgett had gone out of his way to ensure no one properly investigated Hadrian’s stabbing or that of another gentleman a week later in the same place. It seemed he was one of the members of the Metropolitan Police who chose to accept bribes to augment their salary. In exchange, he did things such as close investigations without properly conducting them. The villain who’d been behind Hadrian’s stabbing had admitted to paying Padgett, but Padgett hadn’t been prosecuted for accepting bribes. Instead, he’d been allowed to retire from the police.

Tilda’s gaze followed the three men who moved together toward the seating area. “I wonder if he is now working as a private investigator.”

“For the Chambers brothers?” Hadrian scowled.