21

The three of them had been settled in Thomas’s office for several minutes, talking about the terrible events of the previous evening. Edward looked exhausted. He said that he had been questioned by Inspector Cliff long into the night, and that Lydia had been questioned too, and he had glimpsed both Tobias and Billy at the police station as well.

“I got the impression that the inspector was very, very keen that somebody other than Effie could be held responsible for killing Gandini,” said Edward wearily. “But from what I gather the police are confident that Effie is the culprit. I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that there’s a witness and some damning evidence.”

“It’s madness,” said Rose angrily. “Effie wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Aurora had been eyeing her father anxiously. “Edward, you said that you had something to tell us both. What is it?”

Edward looked discomfited. “When Aurora made an excuse not to come to Campion’s last night I guessed that you two girls had fallen out,” said Edward, “but I didn’t know what it was about and I didn’t think it was my business. I didn’t realise that I was the reason for the row.”

Rose blushed deeply and couldn’t meet Edward’s eye.

“It’s all right, Rose. Rory has told me that you thought that I might have had something to do with the disappearance of the Doomstone because somehow you discovered that I had a meeting with Mr Drover, the diamond merchant. Rory said that she had told you my dealings with Mr Drover were only in connection with my forthcoming marriage to Lydia, who, I’m delighted to say, has agreed to become my wife.

“Well, that is true. It was why I denied knowing Mr Drover on the night of Effie’s debut with Gandini here at Campion’s. I had already been in touch with him about resetting the ring.”

Rose glanced at Aurora’s pained face. Even back then her father had already decided to marry Lydia. Rose swallowed hard. To now mention her suspicions about Edward in relation to Amy’s disappearance would destroy any lasting reconciliation with Aurora. But Edward saved her from having to say anything.

“All I’ve told you is true. But I told you that I came here to make a confession, and I hope that neither of you will judge me too harshly. I assure you both that I’ve had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Doomstone or any subsequent events, including the deaths of Gandini and Amy and the attack on Jem. I too can’t help thinking that there is a connection between the Doomstone and everything that’s happened since. But…” He took a deep breath. “I was at Rotherhithe and saw Amy on the night she died.”

Aurora gasped, but Rose said nothing and, seeing her face, Edward said gravely, “You already knew?”

Rose nodded miserably. “You were identified by a witness. He was quite certain it was you he had seen arguing with Amy on the Devil’s Steps.”

Aurora frowned. “Rosie, if you already knew Edward had been with Amy on the night she died, is that why, when you stumbled across Mr Drover visiting my father, you were so convinced he was involved in the theft of the Doomstone?”

Rose nodded even more unhappily.

“And if it had been you, Rory, you would probably have thought the same. It was a perfectly reasonable assumption for Rose to make,” said Edward, his eyes solemn and fixed on Rose. “I imagine it made Rose think I might even have been responsible for Amy’s death in some way. Perhaps that I am even a murderer.”

Rose wanted to protest that she had never thought anything of the sort, but it would be a lie. It was exactly what she had been thinking.

“I never believed that Amy had killed herself,” said Rose. “Who takes off their dress and folds it before throwing themselves in the Thames? I thought it far more likely that Amy was murdered. Maybe because she had stolen the Doomstone. We know she had it. The woman at the lodging house had seen it. The question is, did Amy steal it as she said in her note, or was she just keeping it safe for someone else? And if it was the latter, what if they came to get it off her? I thought maybe there had been a quarrel and Amy had drowned, and then it was made to look like suicide. Except … except there was the note that Amy left…” She trailed off, thinking hard.

“The note could be a forgery,” mused Edward, “or maybe she was made to write it.”

Rose thought back to the room. The way that it felt like a theatre set, the whole thing carefully stage-managed.

“Edward,” said Aurora quite sharply. “You still haven’t explained why you went to Rotherhithe that night, and what happened between you and Amy.”

Rose saw the anxiety on her friend’s face. Perhaps all her trust in her father was about to be shattered.

“I know it looks mightily suspicious, Rory. I don’t blame you for doubting me. But I was on a rescue mission. When Gandini first arrived at Campion’s and heard Jem dabbled in magic, the wizard showed Jem some sophisticated card tricks that he planned to work into an act. But when he watched Jem playing cards with the stagehands he realised that Jem was employing the same tricks he had taught him to cheat at the card games. He’d warned him it was a dangerous ploy, and when Jem persisted, he asked me to have a word with him, which I did on the night of Effie’s debut. I tore him off a strip. We thought he would see sense and stop, but later that very same night he went to the Anchor.”

“Why did Gandini ask you to talk to Jem?” asked Aurora, something accusatory in her voice. Rose suddenly remembered the first night of Hamlet at the Pall Mall, when they had overheard malicious mention that Edward had been losing heavily at the card tables in London society. Edward scanned his daughter’s face and his eyes were troubled.

“I could lie to you, Rory, but I promise you that I never have and never will. Gandini had heard some rumours about me. I’m afraid they are not very nice. When we returned to London and I was plunged into London society I felt lost and lonely. I had left all my friends in America. I had you and Thomas and everyone at Campion’s, but I still felt very alone. I was introduced, by people who I thought were my friends, but weren’t, to a world that seemed exciting. I started playing at the card tables. Those supposed new friends – society people – encouraged me. I suspect that some of their own debts were being written off because they had introduced me, the latest mug. I was dazzled by them wanting to be friends with me and I was stupid. I lost a lot of money very fast.

“Fortunately I came to my senses before it was too late. It was around that time that Stratford-Mark offered me the opportunity to play Hamlet in the hope that the box-office returns would help save the Pall Mall, and I realised in the nick of time that I am not made for a dissolute life. I recognised that I am an actor who just happens to have a title, not a lord who happens to act. My heart lies in theatre, not at the gaming table or at polite soirees.”

“Good,” said Aurora. “I’ll remind you of that if you ever forget again.” And father and daughter smiled at each other.

“Although I am prepared to put up with the latter for your and Lydia’s sake. I’m told that soirees and tea parties are what ladies like.”

“What if I don’t want to be a lady?” whispered Aurora.

“Oh, Rory,” said Edward. “I don’t mind. I just want you to have every opportunity. When Lydia came into our lives, I thought she could help ease your way into society. She seems to know everyone. She may be an actress, but she has an entree into every drawing room in London. I thought maybe you might want that too. Or at least have the chance to see if that’s what you wanted. If I was wrong and it’s making you unhappy, I’m truly sorry.”

Aurora took her father’s hand and squeezed it ruefully.

“So what was this rescue mission and how does Amy fit into it?” asked Rose.

“On the night of Effie’s debut, when Amy died, Gandini received a note from Jem, begging for help. The lad had got himself into terrible trouble at the Anchor, where he had rushed off to straight after the show, in spite of all he had promised me when I had spoken to him. He’d made a slip and been uncovered as a cheat. Things were turning very nasty. Gandini felt responsible. We discussed it and I offered to go down and rescue the boy, and promise those who felt cheated some financial redress. I told Lydia I had business with Thomas, and as soon as I had put her in a cab I went to Rotherhithe.”

“What happened?”

“I went because my own foolishness was still fresh in my mind. But by the time I arrived there was no sign of Jem, and of course at the Anchor they denied he’d ever been there. I hoped that he’d got away and would turn up at Campion’s. I decided to walk back along the river in case I found him on the way. That’s when I stumbled upon Amy. She was standing on the Devil’s Steps. I recognised her instantly from the mustard dress. Her welcome was not warm: it was clear she wasn’t at all pleased to see me. I wanted to walk her home, make sure she was safe. I was quite insistent – down by the river at that time of night is no place for a young girl on her own. But she just kept telling me to go away and that she preferred to be outside, because it was so hot and it was cooler by the river. I asked her if she had seen Jem, and she said that she had glimpsed him walking along the river path in the direction of Campion’s. Of course, later I realised it was a ruse and she was just trying to make me go away so she could throw herself in the Thames.” Edward buried his head in his hands. “I feel so guilty. If I had stayed, maybe I could have saved her. Instead I went after Jem, thinking he was the one who needed my help, and of course I saved neither. Jem, I imagine, had already been beaten up and his broken body dumped in an alley behind Lant Street, and it was probably not long after I left her that Amy threw herself in the river.”

“But you didn’t actually see her doing it?”

Edward shook his head. “No, of course not. If I’d seen her I’d have dived in after her.”

“Did you tell the inspector what you’d seen?”

Edward nodded. “Yes, of course, after Lydia announced that Amy was missing. Gandini was horrified when I told him I had seen Amy on the Devil’s Steps. He made me go over exactly what I’d seen several times. He was keen that I should just forget the encounter – he kept talking about the scandal that would ensue if I told the police – but I insisted, even though at that point we didn’t know Amy was dead. She was just missing. I went to see the inspector and told him the story of going to rescue Jem and seeing Amy on the steps. I just didn’t mention Gandini’s involvement.”

“So,” said Rose slowly, “you were the other witness that the inspector mentioned who had seen Amy on the steps.”

Edward nodded, embarrassed. “The inspector thought discretion was a good idea. He said the penny dreadfuls would have a field day with ‘Peer of the Realm Sees Suicide Girl’ stories.”

“But you didn’t actually see anything, did you?”

“No, I didn’t,” said Edward. “After I walked for a few minutes towards Campion’s I did turn back, thinking that perhaps I had been unwise to leave Amy, even though she clearly wanted me to clear off. I felt uneasy. But by the time I got close to the Devil’s Steps I could see that she wasn’t there. That mustard dress sticks out a mile. There was just a boy in the distance walking away down the path in the other direction, and a couple of drunks lurching towards me. I thought she must have gone home. It never crossed my mind that she was in the river. There had been nothing in her demeanour to suggest such a thing. She had seemed irritated, not distressed. So I turned back towards Campion’s. If only I’d gone closer! I’d have found her dress on the steps. Perhaps if she had only just gone in the water I might have been able to save her.”

There was a loud rap on the door. A messenger stood there with an envelope in his hand addressed to Rose. It was from Julia Devonish, asking her to come to Holloway at once. Rose had been granted a visit to see Effie.