interrogating the Servants April 7 morning

[Charles Whitehurst]

It was late morning by the time he arrived at his offices at Somerset Palace.  He had expected his men to arrest one or two servants from the house in question so they might be interrogated.  Charles sensed he was getting close to solving the dagger mystery.  Once he learned the identity of his antagonist, the soldier hoped to bring things to a speedy conclusion.  Sitting behind his desk, he awaited the arrival of the prisoner(s).

[Aria]

About ten minutes after his arrival, one of the newer soldiers walked in and saluted. It was too early for his men to have returned with the prisoners. “There’s a young lady to see you, my lord,” he informed Charles. “May I send her in?”

[Charles Whitehurst]

"A young lady?"  That was unexpected.

Susan Herbert would not likely call on him so openly ... unless it was important.  Catherine would not come to him at his office, or so he imagined.  Darlene might.  Davina always used the back stairs, so he exhaled at that thought.  Fiona had threatened to arrive in male attire.  Maureen Walker might call on him if she were in trouble.  There were too many possibilities for him to avoid the visitor.

"Very well, send her in."

[Aria]

The soldier saluted again, turned smartly on his heel, and left the room to do his master’s bidding. A few moments later, he returned with a pretty dark-haired girl in a spring green dress. A bag large enough for a sketchbook and a box of charcoal swung from one hand. Following Lady Tamsin Faraday was a chaperone, an older woman with a resigned expression on her tired features.

 

“Good morning, Lord Langdon.” she said, smiling brightly. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.” Glancing around the room, she seemed pleased that it was empty of anyone but the handsome Earl. “I was in the neighborhood and couldn’t resist stopping by. Is this, by any chance, a good time to sketch your dagger?”

[Charles Whitehurst]

He had not anticipated the arrival of Tamsin.  Decorum dictated that he not display the angst he was feeling at her arrival.  "Lady Faraday," he greeted her amiably.  "How nice to see you again."  He held off offering her a seat or refreshment as he thought through his presentation.

"Ordinarily this would be a grand time to sketch the dagger," he began with a hint of urgency in his voice.  "However, my men informed me that they have arrested two persons with important information to an investigation I am conducting.  I will by necessity need to interrogate the witnesses and I fear it shall not be a pretty sight ... hardly suitable to a gentle lady such as yourself.  As such, I think it best if we reschedule your sketching for two days hence.  By then I hope to have the information I need.  I hope you understand."

[Aria]

Tamsin had known that Lord Langdon might be busy or even away from his office. But she really wanted to sketch those Tudor roses. She wished to havee them carved on a replica of the dagger that she planned to commission for her father’s birthday. The shop where she had first met the Earl had a matching dagger without the roses, so she knew that one could be made. It might be expensive but money had never been a problem for the Faraday family.
 

She pouted prettily, looking at Charles and not at her chaperone. Tamsin knew that the older woman would have a triumphant ‘I told you so’ expression on her face. She had been against stopping at this palace and had tried to talk her charge out of it. At least he has told me when I can sketch them, she consoled herself.

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to interfere with your duties.” Actually, watching an interrogation sounded interesting. unless it involved torture, which it probably did. “I’ll see you in two days then. Shall I come here or would you rather me sketch it at your residence?”
 

Before she finished speaking, a commotion could be heard in the hallway. “I demand to know why I been arrested,” a man shouted. “I ain’t done nuttin’ wrong.”

 

“You’ll find out soon enough.” The answer was delivered in Gillis’ voice.

[Charles Whitehurst]

It seemed as though Tamsin was ready to take her leave, and none too soon for the Earl's taste.  "Thank you."

It was then that he heard the commotion in the hall.  Turning to Tamsin and her chaperone he held a finger to his lips to signal them to stay quiet.  "We need to have you leave unseen," he whispered.  "Stay here until it is clear."  Charles did not want the servant seeing Tamsin in case he recognized her.

Opening his door in such a way as to hide the guests in his office, Charles moved into the hallway.  "Captain, please escort this man into a secure room and I will join you shortly."  He took a good look at the servant before waiting to see if Gillis moved the prisoner away so that he could usher Tamsin away.

[Aria]

Lord Langdon didn’t answer her question about the location of their meeting. Now that she thought about the date he chose, Tamsin wondered if he planned to let her sketch the dagger at all. “It’s Easter this weekend,” she reminded him. Maybe, like her, he had just forgotten. “I can come on Monday, though.” Maybe he would finish his investigation today and he wouldn’t be so busy then. Perhaps he would tell her more about that mystery he had hinted at when she had given him the contents of the chest.

 

Tamsin saw the wisdom of not letting her be seen in his company. If the angry man out in the corridor got a good look at her, he might think that she was important to Lord Langdon and attempt to harm her when he was released from prison. She nodded when he held his finger to his lips and when he opened the door, she flattened herself against a wall. Her chaperone stood where she was. That old harridan wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything.

 

As Charles stepped into the hallway, Sam glanced over at him. The handcuffed man she held by one arm was about thirty years old ... tall, thin, well-groomed, and dressed in clean though humble clothes. He was not wearing his servant’s livery as it wouldn’t be wise to arrest the servants while they were on duty. It would make their employer suspicious.

 

The servant glared at Charles but said nothing else. At least he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut for once, Sam thought. He had not stopped protesting since she had arrested him. “At once, my lord,” she said to Lord Langdon’s request, thinking it a bit odd that he didn’t want the interrogation to take place in his office. It was not her business to question his orders, and she pushed the man down the hallway. Neither of them looked back.

 

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Yes, Easter."  He had not thought of it.  He would be spending time with Bradley and Frances.  "Monday should be fine.  I should probably be in the office here."

Once the matter in the hallway was settled, Charles waited to hear a door shut before reentering his office.  "You must go now," he whispered.  "Do not let yourself be seen milling about this palace.  Come, I will escort you to the outer doors," he beckoned.  With that he was ready to lead the way.

[Aria]

It appeared that Lord Langdon had forgotten about Easter too, making Tamsin think that he wasn’t very religious. Neither was she but her grandmother was quit pious and she knew that they would be doing little but attending Church and praying the entire weekend. She didn’t look forward to it and wished it was Monday already.

 

The door closed down the hall and the young lady listened to the handsome Earl’s instructions. “I’ll go straight to my carriage,” she promised, wishing now that she had not bothered him at all. It had not occurred to her that he might be conducting an important investigation, though perhaps it should have.

 

“Don’t worry, my lord,” the chaperone said. “I will made certain that nobody sees her.” From the fiercely protective look on the older woman’s face, Tamsin wouldn't be surprised if she throttled anyone who looked her way. As they left the office, her chaperone pulled Tamsin close behind her so that she was shielded by her plump form.

 

They made it to the entrance and Tamsin peeked from behind her chaperone. “Until Monday, my lord,” she said with a smile before being pushed in front of the woman and shepherded to the carriage. As it rolled down the road, another solider walked up with a man and a woman in their forties. They said nothing, but exchanged glances with each other from time to time. The man was handcuffed but the woman wasn’t. “Where do you want me to take these two?” the soldier asked.

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Grand."  It was good to have a lady obey him and even better to find a useful chaperone.  Now the way was clear to begin the interrogation  It was then that another pair was brought in.  "Separate the pair and have each watched.  I will be with them soon enough," he ordered his trooper.  For now he was off to see the prisoner that Sam was holding for him.

Opening the door to the holding room, Charles had calmed his features.  He would try a different tactic with each.  This first prisoner had been unruly.  As such he would adopt a superior air.  It was time to teach the rabble that they were rabble.  They had best know that they would be wise to not cross their betters.

Sweeping into the room, his uniform well brushed, Charles walked towards the prisoner.  "And who might we have here?"  He awaited the man to identify himself.

[Aria]

“We’re married. You can’t separate us,” the woman insisted.

 

“You heard the orders,” the soldier replied. Charles would be able to hear increased protests as he walked into the holding room. Sam, who had remained with her prisoner, saluted him and the left  to help with the  couple, anticipating that was what he would want her to do. He could handle one unarmed man. The servant had been quiet since she had brought him into the room.

 

He was sitting in a chair. The well-groomed servant didn’t glare at Charles, but he didn’t look impressed by him either. “My name is Quentin Granger and I demand to know why I been brought her. I ain’t committed no crime. I’m a fine upstanding citizen, I am.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

Charles cared not for the separation of the married couple.  He dismissed their complaint for now.

Once in the side room, he returned Sam's salute and turned his attention to the snobbish servant.  In that moment he decided to temper his tone and try a more friendly approach, despite his desire to thrash the man.

"Well Mister Granger, perhaps we have the wrong man and there has been a misunderstanding.  First I shall need some background information," he explained.  "How old are you, do you have a wife and children?  I understand you are a servant.  Please tell me how long you have been in service to your current employer.  I need you to confirm his name and likewise demonstrate that you know his age and his family members."  The young officer was wanting this questioning to sound routine, as a preliminary for more detailed questions about the reason he was there.

[Aria]

“You definitely have the wrong man,” Granger said confidently.

 

He had never had a run in with the law before, and he was surprised at the personal questions that this lord threw at him. The soldier that had brought him in had addressed him as such, and he probably was high in rank to be in charge, despite his young age. Toffs! They were given positions like gifts, while common men had to start at the bottom and work their way up.

 

He didn’t allow his distaste to color his expression or voice. If he answered the questions, maybe he would allowed to leave. “I’m thirty-one and I’ve never been married.” Granger winked conspiratorially. “If I have any children, I don’t know about them. I’ve been working for Master Lewin for three years. I drive his coach, take care of the horses, and do odd jobs. He’s never spoken to me except to issue orders. I don’t know his first name or how old he is. He looks around my age, maybe a bit older. If he has a family, they don’t live with him.”

 

Granger leaned back in his chair. “That’s all I know.”

 

[Charles Whitehurst]

"I see," Charles mused aloud as the few facts were revealed.  "That does not seem to be much information for a man that claims to have been employed for three years.  Even a coachman would know the first name that visitors called him.  If you are who you say, then perhaps you can prove it by telling me what line of business your employer is in.  I would suppose you would know which places he travels to most in his coach."  To try and set the man at ease a bit, the officer added "many people make claims to my soldiers.  I believe in giving a man an opportunity to prove who he says he is before accepting his word."

It occurred to Charles that he might use this line of questioning to get the coachman to open up about places and people frequented by his master.  Perhaps the man could be tricked into cooperating. 

[Aria]

Granger shrugged. “He is a private person. What can I do? If I asked him personal questions, he’d dismiss me and I won’t be able to get another job. If a future employer inquired about me, he would say I ask too many questions. Nobody wants a nosy coachman.”

 

The young man shook his head. “I don’t know that either. Every morning, I take him and the housekeeper to the Strand. Master Lewin walks down the street and I accompany Mrs Brown to the marketplace to buy food for the day. A hired carriage brings my employer home. He never arrives at a set time and sometimes he's gone until late in the evening. Mrs Brown is always irritated when he isn’t home for dinner.”

 

He paused, thinking. “I do take him to private residences occasionally. Nowhere too fancy. And every Tuesday evening, he entertains a group of men. I don’t know what they do other than drink and I only know that from watching them stagger to their carriages. We servants call our employer Master Lewin, but when I’ve heard his guests refer to him, they call him Lewin. Not Master Lewin, or Sir Lewin, or Lord Lewin. Just Lewin. For all I know, he’s a toff who likes to keep a low profile.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Now you sound more like a coachman," Charles granted, as if Granger was passing some sort of test. "Proof of it is recalling the exact street address that Lewin visited most.  A true coachman would remember that."  There was an expectation that he would remember.

"There is some hint that there was some foulplay," the young lord offered.  "Did your master have a number of stout men guarding him?  I would expect that he would have good security."

[Aria]

What? He didn’t sound like a coachman? Were all toffs so dense? Granger wasn’t wearing his livery but most people would take him at his word. He still had no idea why he had been arrested. At least that other soldier had removed his handcuffs. “I don’t recall him visiting any house more than once, but I might have forgotten. He hasn’t asked me to take him anywhere but to town since last spring and I’ve long since forgotten those addresses. He left London  at the beginning of summer and didn’t return until shortly before Christmas. I think he might have another house somewhere. During the Christmas season, he was quite busy and often arrived home late. He entertained once but didn’t ask me to take him anywhere except to the middle of the strand every morning.”

 

The young man leaned forward. “If you let me go, I’ll tell you the address of the next place I take him to. Can’t do that if you throw me in jail, can I?”

 

Granger shook his head. “He’s always alone. Maybe he carries a weapon with him. I’ve certainly never looked beneath his cloak. Mr Brown could tell you more about that. He is Master Lewin’s manservant.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Where along the Strand do you drop him daily?" Langdon asked casually.  "Does his coach bear a mark to identify it from others I wonder?"

The man offered to inform on his master.  That was good enough for Charles.  "I will release you and take you at your word.  You bring me something useful, more useful that an address and you will receive silver.  If you bring me nothing, I will have you rot in Fleet Prison for lying to an officer of the King.  I detest men who break promises Mr. Granger.  You have promised to bring me useful information in return for your release.  Break your word and you will never see sunlight again.  Do we understand each other?"

[Aria]

“Wherever I can find a space to park the carriage. The strand is always busy in the mornings.” The coachman shook his head. “No markings. It’s plain and black, like most of the other coaches in town.” Maybe his employer wasn’t a toff. Toffs usually had their coats of arms painted on the doors of their coaches.

 

Granger didn’t mind spying on his master, if there was something in it for him. At the very least, he should be able to provide an address. Master Lewin would probably be visiting his friends now that the weather was getting warmer. He didn’t blame him for staying home during the winter. The coachman had been happy that he had not been required to wait in the cold for hours while his employer drank and feasted.

 

And if he didn’t go anywhere, Granger was not above lying to keep himself out of prison. He still didn’t know why he had been detained, but it was  better not to ask. “Yes, I understand,” he replied. “If I bring you something better than an address, how much silver is it worth?”

[Charles Whitehurst]

"The measure of silver is equal to the measure of the information shared and the measure of the man delivering it.  Something odd is going on and I want to know it, without your master catching wind of it,  Do you understand?" the young officer asked.  "Then you may go,"

Once done he moved to the room where the wife servant was held..  "Good day maam," he greeted as he entered.  "There seems to be a problem with Master Lewin and I am hoping that you can help us get t the bottom of it.," he uttered in a friendly enough manner.

[Aria]

The toff’s answer was no more or less than Granger had expected. If he could find proof that Master Lewin was involved in something illegal, then maybe he would get enough silver to start his own hired coach company. He didn’t plan to remain a servant all his life; he wanted to start a business and work for himself. That had always been his goal.

 

“I do,” he replied. Did this young officer think he couldn’t be sneaky? Well, he would prove him wrong. Standing up, Granger walked leisurely out of the room, apparently in no hurry to put distance between him and the law.

 

As Charles walked into the other room, he would see a plump middle-aged woman standing in the middle of it, her arms crossed over her ample bosom. There was a stubborn look in her eyes and she didn’t curtsy to him or show him any deference whatsoever. “I will say nothing without my husband,” she stated in a no-nonsense voice.

 

Sam, standing beside her, shot Charles an exasperated glance. The woman wouldn’t even sit down without her husband. She refused to budge at all unless he was in the same room. The female soldier had to admire her devotion, even though her obstinate attitude left much to be desired.

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Your failure to cooperate with this investigation has been noted madam.  Pray that the consequences of this will not be severe."  He turned and made ready to leave, to see if her mind changed.  If not, he was content to leave the woman alone and proceed to the separate room with the male servant, her husband.

"And who might you be?" he inquired as he approached the man, full of authoritative stiffness that was his right as a noble and officer of the King.

[Aria]

The plump woman rolled her eyes and huffed. There was not even a trace of fear in her eyes. Turning her back to Charles, and said nothing more.

 

Her husband was at least sitting down. He stood up when Charles entered and bowed. Tall and thin, there was a respectable air about him. “My name is Gabriel Brown. I will tell you whatever you wish to know to the best of my ability.   If you haven't let my wife go already, you should bring her to this room.  I saw that you brought in Mr Granger too.  My wife  knows everything that goes in the household the three of us work in.  Always keeps an ear to the ground, she does, but she’s a stubborn one. She probably won’t speak to you without me.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

Charles interpreted the woman's actions as insubordinate and insulting to a lord and officer of the King.  His mind was already alive with notions of jailing her for the rest of her natural life, or until she showed proper respect.  Lord Langdon could be a passionate and emotional man when provoked.

His mood improved when he met Mr. Brown.  "She is impertinent and I was weighing how best to deal with her Master Brown; but, upon your assurance of her cooperation, I shall take no action against her."  Pausing for assent, he led the husband back to be with his wife.  Sam was still there, or so he assumed.

"Master Brown, I shall expect the full cooperation of you and your wife in this inquiry," Charles began.  "I have received reports of suspicious actions in Master Lewin's household.  I would like to hear of anything you have observed of your master's meetings with strange and suspicious men."  It was an open-ended question intended to just see how forthcoming they might be. 

 

[Aria]

Impertinent was an apt word to describe his wife, Mr Brown thought, trying to suppress a chuckle. Even the King himself wouldn’t be able to get a word out of her if she didn’t want to speak. Though the likes of them meeting the King was as unlikely as stopping Margie from listening through keyholes. “Thank you, my lord,” he replied and obediently followed the young officer to the room where his wife was being held.

 

Sam was still there, sitting in a corner and watching her obstinate charge. The woman’s expression softened as soon as she saw her husband and she rushed over to him, taking his hands in hers. “I’ve been so worried about you, Gabe. Do you know why we’re here?”

 

“Not yet, but we’re about to find out.”

 

The married couple sat down and listened as Charles asked him about their master’s involvement with strange men. “Ain’t nothing strange about them,” the woman said. “They’re just regular folks. Our master receives them in the drawing room. Before they arrive, Gabe makes sure the room is stocked with wine and other spirits while I fill a table with food I’ve prepared beforehand. He always tells us when they’re coming. He locks the door behind them. I think they just drink, play cards, and talk about politics, horses, and women.” Realizing she had almost admitted to eavesdropping, which as far as she knew was not a crime, she added: “Or at least that’s what I hear when I walk by.”

 

Mrs Brown leaned forward in her chair. “If you want to know about strange men, you should ask me about Master Lewin himself.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

Locking the door behind himself and his guests seemed a bit odd but Mrs. Brown would have him think the conversation was routine.  It was only the end of her report that things got interesting.

"Oh, tell me of Lewin then."  The woman seemed chatty enough.  As such, an open-ended question seemed best.

[Aria]

“Be careful what you say,’ Gabe warned his wife. “Remember that we need our jobs.”

 

Margie waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure these young officers won’t breathe a word of anything I tell them.” Her gaze moved between Charles and Sam. “He’s an odd one, Master Lewin. Extremely secretive. Never reveals anything personal about himself. We don’t know if Lewin is his first name, his last name, or his title, though he probably doesn’t have a title. If he did, he’d live in a bigger house and have more than four servants. He must have parents and siblings but he never talks about them. Maybe they’re all dead. I think he had a wife who passed away.”

 

“That’s just gossip,” her husband said.

 

She leaned forward in her chair. “There’s a portrait on the wall behind his desk of a beautiful woman. I don’t think it’s his mother because the style of clothing is too recent and she doesn’t look enough like him to be his sister. Pretty, like I said, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looks quite happy so maybe they were in love.

 

“He doesn’t just lock the door of the drawing room when he has guests. He locks the study door as well. He talks to himself when he's in there … or rather, he talks to her. I think her name was Whitney, because I’ve heard him say it more than once.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

There was no accompanying promise to keep the secrets revealed this day.  Rather, Langdon sought to encourage further revelations by appearing quite captivated by her story.

"How curious," he acknowledged at the end of the testimony.  "Does he collect anything that he has on display in his study or drawing room?  I have reason to believe that he might have an affinity for decorative daggers."

"Mayhaps he is conversing with a ghost," he offered lightly.  As silly as that sounded, who was he to criticize?  It had been a ghost that had compelled him to intervene in this whole affair.  Had he not found the dagger, none of the danger would have occurred to Tamsin and the others.  "There is no living lady that could be said to hold his current affections?"  

[Aria]

Mrs Brown believed that the two officers would be discreet with the information she gave them. The one who questioned them looked only a bit older than her eldest son and the silent one who had stayed in the room with her before she was united with her husband was little more than a boy. They seemed to be nice young men, and if they were investigating her employer, they weren’t going to tell him what she said because then Lewin would know they were suspicious of him.

 

What had he done, she wondered? As these men belonged to the King’s Life Guards, it must have something to do with the monarch. Was Lewin plotting against him? Maybe she and her husband should find jobs elsewhere so they wouldn’t be considered guilty by association. She would have to discuss it with her Gabe when they got home.

 

“Daggers! Yes! I mean, no. If he collects them, he hides them well.” She looked  to Gabe for confirmation, as he was their employer’s valet and had been in Lewin’s private chambers. The man shook his head. “But I have heard him use the word several times when talking to his dead wife. At first I thought maybe he had killed her with a dagger, but he doesn't sound angry. He sounds thoughtful, like he’s trying to work through a problem of some sort."

 

The plump housekeeper stood up when Charles mentioned ghosts, and placed her hands on her hips again. “Now don’t you get cheeky with me, young man. I might not be a toff, but I’m not stupid either. Nor am I mad. Only children and lunatics believe in ghosts.”